PANIC by Lauren Oliver

Living in Carp, New York, doesn't offer many opportunities.  Most teens hope to graduate and find some way to get out of town.  One possibility is to win a contest known as Panic.  Everyone pretends not to know about Panic, but the fact is, everyone knows about the game and its potential for disaster.


Every year high school students are expected to contribute one dollar a day throughout the school year.  The collection becomes the pot the eventual winner of Panic will earn.  This year the pot totals $67,000.  Only seniors can compete and winning that huge pot makes even the most reluctant willing to risk life and limb.


The first round of the game involves jumping from a high cliff into the quarry off Whippoorwill Road.  Scary, but not bad when compared to the rest of the stunts participants will face as the game continues.  People have been seriously injured and there have also been deaths attributed to Panic over the years.  A secret group of judges arranges the events while most of Carp turn a blind eye to the dangerous tradition.


Dodge, Heather, Nat, and Bishop are all competing this year.  Each has his or her own reasons for risking everything for the $67,000.  The contests will involve some of their greatest fears - heights, a haunted house, spiders, tigers, and even Russian Roulette.  Will the risks taken end in reward or regret? 


PANIC by Lauren Oliver is the perfect summer read.  Breathtaking, edge-of-your-seat action will keep readers turning pages from start to finish.