Pandemonium (Delirium #2) by Lauren Oliver review

I’m pushing aside the memory of my nightmare,
pushing aside thoughts of Alex,
pushing aside thoughts of Hana and my old school,
push,
push,
push,
like Raven taught me to do.
The old life is dead.
But the old Lena is dead too.
I buried her.
I left her beyond a fence,
behind a wall of smoke and flame.

Lauren Oliver delivers an electrifying follow-up to her acclaimed New York Times bestseller, Delirium. This riveting, brilliant novel crackles with the fire of fierce defiance, forbidden romance, and the sparks of a revolution about to ignite.

From Goodreads

MAJOR SPOILERS FOR DELIRIUM!

Lena can't believe what she's just survived. But did she really survive? And if she did, then where is Alex? They were together & now they're not & she's stumbling through the Wilds. After being rescued from what would have surely been her death, Lena finds herself among the "invalids" fighting alongside them for survival.

It's not exactly what Alex described, not really anyway, since she's in a different part with different people. As her strength returns she begins to explore her new home with people like Blue, Raven & Hunter. Soon enough though it's time to move for the season, but nothing goes as smoothly as it should.

Oscillating between a "Then" time period in the Wilds & a "Now" time period back in the city working for the resistance by infiltrating a loyalist group, Pandemonium offers the absolute best of Delirium with a hint of awesome! While most second novels in a trilogy (or any series for that matter) tend to fall down a dark, sad hole where nothing important seems to take place, this book is the antithesis of that state. We learn so much more about the society that the characters inhabit & what exactly is going on in the Wilds.

But just when you think you've got things figured out & squared away into their neat little packages, Lauren Oliver throws you a nasty curve ball. I hope you enjoy curve balls because there's no avoiding this one & I honestly didn't see it coming. Take your time reading this book. There is a lot going on that you need to pay attention to & a lot of emotions being thrown all over the place. It kept me on my toes & has me primed for the final installment.