Pandemonium

Pandemonium (Delirium, Book Two) by Lauren Oliver
Release Date ~ 2/28/12
Format ~ ARC
Publisher ~ HarperTeen
Source ~ HarperTeen
Rating 5/5
Summary:  Lauren Oliver captivated readers with Delirium, the first book in a thrilling dystopian trilogy in which Lena Haloway dared to fall in love with Alex and escape the cure, the government-mandated procedure that renders a person immune to the disease of love. Lena and Alex staked their lives on leaving their oppressive society, but only Lena broke free. 

Pandemonium continues Lena’s gripping story. After escaping from Portland, Maine, Lena makes it to the Wilds and becomes part of an Invalid community, where she transforms herself into a warrior for the resistance. A future without Alex is unimaginable, but Lena pushes forward and fights, both for him and for a world in which love is no longer considered a disease. Swept up in a volatile mix of revolutionaries and counterinsurgents, Lena struggles to survive—and wonders if she may be falling in love again. Full of danger, forbidden romance, and exquisite writing, Lauren Oliver’s sequel to Delirium races forward at a breathtaking pace and is sure to appeal to fans who crave the high-stakes action of The Hunger Games and the bittersweet love story of Romeo & Juliet.  

My review: WARNING: READ AT YOUR OWN RISK. MAJOR GUSHING AHEAD!
There are few books that combine romance and action so perfectly and to such a great effect.  Though the romance is the main story-line, there is plenty of action to keep your heart pumping! There was a lot more action then Delirium. 
   I don't usually talk too much about the settings in books that are sequels, because frankly, they don't change much. But this one had SUCH an AWESOME setting: The Wilds, it was impossible to overlook! I loved comparing the two societies of this book: the anti-love, organized, heavily secure cities that had their borders closed to the "wilds", where they had to work to survive and constantly lived in fear of America's corrupted government. The world-building is so amazing in this book!
    One thing I hated: THERE WAS NO ALEX. ALEX ROCKED. AND THERE WAS NO ALEX.  I had read advanced reviews that had said Alex wasn't going to be in it... but I still was really sad when I read the book and he wasn't in it...
    This book was told in a unique chapter styling: one chapter was THEN, where it told about Lena when she first came to the wilds... and then there was NOW, which told what was happening, well,  now. It continued that way in til the stories met-up, and then the last 50 pages was just one big chapter. I thought this was an interesting way to tell the story, and I enjoyed it a lot! One minute Oliver had me on the edge of my seat, then it would change chapters and time and I'd be met with a whole new cliffhanger!
   This book was pure awesome. M'kay? Go out and buy it the second it comes out!
5/5

Cover Comments: This book's cover is really nice, but it doesn't match with my Delirium cover :'-(

Cinder: More Then A Retelling by Marissa Meyer (Guest Post)

I am very pleased to welcome, Marissa Meyer to The Non Reluctant Reader, Marissa is the author of the fabulous debut novel, Cinder!

Here's a little bit about Cinder:

Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl. . . . 

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future. 

And here's a little bit about Marissa:

I live in Tacoma, Washington, with my fiancé and our two cats. In addition to my slight obsession with books and writing, I'm big on road-tripping, wine-tasting, and hunting for antiques. I'm represented by Jill Grinberg. 

CINDER, my debut novel, is a futuristic re-envisioning of Cinderella in which Cinder is a cyborg mechanic. Release date: 3 Jan 2012.

CINDER VS CINDERELLA: THE DIFFERENCES

Cinder: More Than a Retelling

By Marissa Meyer

When Benji asked if I could write a guest blog post for The Non-Reluctant Reader talking about the main difference between the fairy tale “Cinderella” and my debut novel, Cinder, it was easy to jump to the obvious: Cinder is set in the far-future. A world in which hover cars and androids are the norm, and Earth has been conglomerated down into six peaceful nations, and people conduct business by scanning the identity chips in their wrists.

And it is a big difference, this futuristic world, as compared to one with magic and fairy godmothers and a pumpkin carriage—although those iconic things are still represented in the book.

But I don’t think setting Cinderella hundreds of years in the future makes for the biggest difference between the classic tale and my novel. Rather, I think the biggest difference is its scope.

In the tale you have a beginning, a middle, and an end. A Happily Ever After, even.

But Cinder is the first in a four-book series, so while there is a beginning and a middle and an end, it is not the ending that readers will be used to from the beloved tale, and there is very little Happily Ever After-ing. The book is also filled with hints for what’s to come next—new evils and dangers and risks our heroine must take, new mysteries to uncover, new battles to fight and companions to side with. Attentive readers will catch allusions to the three tales that will make up the rest of The Lunar Chronicles dropped down in the middle of this Cinderella retellings—Little Red Riding Hood (Book Two: Scarlet), Rapunzel (Book Three: Cress), and Snow White (Book Four: Winter).

So yes, changing the settings and filling it with technology and an otherworldly villain do make Cinder a very different story from the fairy tale we grew up with.

But those things pale in comparison to the overall plan, which began with four familiar tales and has since developed into a story of its own.

And this fairy tale has only just begun.

Marissa Meyer’s first novel, CINDER: Book One of The Lunar Chronicles, can be ordered at bn.com, Amazon, or your local bookstore. Follow Marissa on Twitter (@marissa_meyer) or become a fan at http://www.facebook.com/marissameyerauthor.