This review originally posted at More Than Just Magic 
 I am a big fan of Lauren Oliver's Delirium series, as well as her middle grade novels, so I was excited to see her try her hand at contemporary. Unfortunately I didn't connect with this book quite as much. 
 Don't get me wrong - there are certainly some positive parts of this novel. It's pacing for one is excellent. I flew through the book, anxious to find out what was going to happen. There are some dangerous stakes involved in the game of Panic and no one is safe. I also liked that she split up the story between multiple points of view. It allows the reader to gain a more rounded understanding of the game and the various motivations people would have to participate. Heather, Dodge, and Nat all come from very different home lives and want very different things in their future but they are united by their drive to win this dangerous game. 
 Where this book fell flat for me however was that it felt too similar to Delirium. The character of Heather for example reminded me of Lena. And her friendship with Nat could have been a contemporary mirror to Lena's friendship with Hana. There were even a few scenes I felt like I had read before (for example: the scene at the water towers closely resembled the party scene in Delirium). As a result the characters all fell flat for me. The story was interesting and I was on the edge of my seat wondering what she would throw at them next but I didn't have strong feelings one way or the other regarding the outcome because I had no one to cheer for. 
 I still think Lauren Oliver is an incredibly talented writer but Panic just wasn't up to her usual level of quality.