Panic

Sarah Drew's brisk narration immediately sets the tone for this fast-moving story of teens immersed in a series of potentially deadly contests in which they compete for a $67,000 prize. The plot focuses primarily on four teens, with their stories told in alternating chapters. Drew's pacing slows sometimes in the more emotional scenes and allows herself the time to develop equally convincing portraits of all the characters, their lives and their evolving relationships. But just as the listener is lulled by a specific storyline, a new contest challenge is announced, Drew's rapid pace returns, and a scarier situation ensues. The interplay of the high-action scenes and the more revealing scenes creates tension that escalates right to the end. S.W. © AudioFile 2014, Portland, Maine

December 16, 2013
Heather and Dodge live in Carp, N.Y., a down-on-its-heels town where graduating seniors can participate in a secret annual game called Panic. Everyone contributes to the pot, with winner take all when the game begins. Players have died in the past, and Dodge’s older sister was paralyzed two years earlier; this year’s prize is $67,000. This is a purported return to realistic fiction for Oliver following her popular Delirium books, and it’s realistic in the way that Before I Fall was: in her setting and characters, if not the situations they face. The stakes of Panic are extraordinarily high; an early challenge has competitors crossing between two water towers on a narrow plank, and things only escalate. Oliver runs no risk of idealizing small-town life; Carp is stifling and impoverished, and her descriptions can be borderline disdainful (one character’s mother has a “face like a pulpy fruit”; a gas station attendant’s hair is “slicked to one side, like weeds strapped to his forehead”). Oliver brings a high-concept, high-stakes conceit to Main Street USA, and the result is as uncomfortable as it is thrilling. Ages 14–up. Agent: Stephen Barbara, Foundry Literary + Media.

March 1, 2014

Gr 9 Up-There's not much to do in tiny Carp, New York, so a group of teenagers take it upon themselves to create their own excitement through Panic, a risky game with potentially deadly sets of challenges. Panic is all about facing fears, and this year's winner will take home a pot of $67,000. Both Heather and Dodge need to win for personal reasons, and they decide to form an alliance, one that will be threatened repeatedly throughout the game. The large cast of characters slowly reveals secrets, schemes, and fears that complicate the competition and its outcome as they participate in increasingly dangerous trials. Oliver maintains a high level of tension throughout, starting right in the middle of the action and relentlessly building momentum. The desperate and broken characters are willing to do just about anything to win, making it impossible to guess how the story will unfold. A mix of fear and determination permeate the writing, often manifesting in clipped, no-nonsense tones and a straightforward approach to unimaginable situations. The bleak setting, tenacious characters, and anxiety-filled atmosphere will draw readers right into this unique story. Oliver's powerful return to a contemporary realistic setting will find wide a readership with this fast-paced and captivating book.-Amanda MacGregor, formerly at Apollo High School Library, St. Cloud, MN

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from January 15, 2014
Oliver makes a white-knuckle return to realism that will have readers up until the wee hours. They'll be desperate to learn who will win--and even more importantly, who will survive--Panic, a secret game that pits player against player in mental and physical challenges designed to push them to the breaking point. Heather Nill never planned to play, but with a broken heart and nothing to lose, once she's in, nothing is going to keep her from walking away with the $67,000 prize. Desperate to get out of Carp, N.Y., and determined to protect her sister Lily, Heather puts her life on the line time and again for a shot at a brighter future. Dodge Mason is playing for revenge, and he knows exactly how he is going to get it. After years of planning, nothing, not even the promise of new love, is going to stand in his way. Dodge is going to use the game to right an unforgiveable wrong, even if it kills him. Set in a town so run-down the grit is practically palpable, the book makes suspension of disbelief easy. Readers will understand how the deliberately built characters would and could do just about anything for a shot at getting out. The only thing more terrifying than the game itself is not getting the chance to play it. (Thriller. 14 & up)

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December 15, 2013
Grades 9-12 Oliver brings the survivalist competition of the Hunger Games series to present day New York State, where newly graduated seniors can take part in an annual game called Panic. In a small town where factory closures laid off 40 percent of the population, students are understandably concerned about financial security, and Panic awards the ultimate winner a sizable cash jackpot gathered from mandatory contributions from all high-school students. Participants are judged on physically and mentally challenging dares that culminate in a game of chicken called The Joust. The game's genesis, organizers, and judges are carefully kept secrets, and participants work hard to keep the police in the dark, as dangerous stunts have resulted in deaths in years past. Told in alternating chapters by Heather and Dodge, two players with siblings to protect and avenge, Oliver's novel is a wholly believable and compulsively readable tale of friendship, loyalty, survival, and courage. Although loose ends are tied together a little too neatly, the depressing yet realistic picture of new high-school graduates facing a bleak future balances unlikely heroism and happy endings.HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: The Delirium trilogy books are New York Times and international best-sellers. Expect demand.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)