Parents' Guide to

Pandemonium

By Sandie Angulo Chen, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 14+

Sequel to Delirium has more violence, splash of romance.

Pandemonium Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this book.

Community Reviews

age 12+

Based on 1 parent review

age 12+

Disappointing

I enjoyed the first book MUCH more than this sequel. Pandemonium flips back and forth from Now and Then, making the story feel disorienting. Lauren Oliver also introduces a large cast of brand new characters that are not nearly as lovable as Hana and Alex were. I was very bored in the beginning, however I did enjoy the last 50 pages or so. The romance was very well spaced out, and Julian is certainly the best and most developed character.

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much swearing

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (1 ):
Kids say (8 ):

At first, teens may be confused about why Lena is sitting in a Brooklyn high school, when the last time we saw her she was watching the love of her life bloodied and bruised. Eventually it's clear that there are two time frames for the story -- the immediate aftermath of Lena's escape and her life as part of the rebellion. Readers who expect Alex to miraculously pop up unscathed and continue his starry-eyed relationship with Lena will be disasppointed that Alex is only featured in Lena's memories and that she's eventually drawn to someone who's Alex's opposite.

Because the romance (Oliver's strong suit) in this book feels somewhat like a betrayal to the central one that started the series, there's an underlying sense of conflict and tension that readers will feel right along with Lena about her new relationship. Oliver's not the most detailed world builder, so unlike Suzanne Collins, who provides a detailed explanation of Panem's 13 districts and inhabitants, we learn only a little more about the groups of uncureds, but not nearly enough to fully flesh out this dystopian world where love is a battlefield.

Book Details

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