On the upside, this was an enjoyable, fast paced thriller. 
 On the downside, Evan did feel like a younger, less developed version of Sam Capra from Abbott's more recent book Adrenaline, and the plot and thrills in Adrenaline are much tighter as well. 
 I would have been happier if I had picked up Panic first, and then read Adrenaline, but hindsight is 20/20, and all. :)