25 July 2011

YA Book Review: Delirium by Lauren Oliver

Release Date: 1 February 2011
Publisher: HarperTeen
Source: Bought

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Goodreads description:
Before scientists found the cure, people thought love was a good thing. They didn’t understand that once the deliria blooms in your blood, there is no escaping its hold. Things are different now. Scientists are able to eradicate love, and the governments demands that all citizens receive the cure upon turning eighteen. Lena Holoway has always looked forward to the day when she’ll be cured. A life without love is a life without pain: safe, measured, predictable, and happy...
My Thoughts...

What if you lived in a world where love was considered a disease--one to be eradicated completely? Would you stay? Would you go along with it? Would it even bother you?  This is the world that Lauren Oliver has beautifully crafted--where love is removed from your brain so that you can live a safe, happy life.

Lena Holoway has grown up impatiently waiting for the day that she can be "cured"--never to risk falling into the madness that took away her mother so many years ago.  And she's almost there.  But then, she meets Alex and everything changes.  She's not sure what she believes or what she wants anymore.  Can the feelings that she have really be such a bad thing?

Lena is an interesting character that felt easy to connect with.  I could imagine being her friend, riding bikes to the beach, and hanging out after school.  Her strong belief in the government program to eradicate the deliria is complete and makes the world convincing--makes it scary to think that the government could become so powerful as to do something so completely invasive and take away something so personal. I loved watching her discover so much about herself and start to really think about the way her mother raised her and her sister.

I really liked Alex a lot, too.  He really challenged Lena to think and feel...and love. It was incredibly easy to get attached to him and I think, for me, it was him that made their relationship feel real and solid.

I truly can't believe that it took me SO LONG to get around to reading this book! Lauren Oliver writes like a pro--you would never guess that this is only her second published YA book.  I highly recommend it for fans of dystopia--although I will admit that is has a bit less "action" than many others (until the end--oh, the ending).  This book will leave you on the edge of your seat impatiently waiting for the second book! 

This is my second "HarperTeen July" post! (2 of 5)

10 comments:

Tee said...

I read this also for the July Harper Teen challenge. It had been sitting on my shelf being passed up for other books. After I read it I wondered why I hadn't picked it up before. I t was beautifully tragic and I look forward to the second one. I can promise it will pick it up a lot quicker than I did Delirium!

Unknown said...

Great review :)

I kind of think though that if you've never been in love you would have no qualms in not having it because you don't really know what your missing out on, especially if it's got a negative connotation in your world.

I'll be getting this from the library in a few days, along with Oliver's first book. Damn I didn't realise it'd be so much of a cliff hanger...is this going to be a trilogy or just a sequel?

Tiffany said...

Great review! I read this book not too long ago and absolutely loved it. I can't wait for the second book :)

kaye (paper reader) said...

I think I might have to re-read it. While I liked it the first time over, I didn't fall in love with it. I was having some issues with people who are cured still being overly emotional - it didn't seem cohesive.

I guess it's an excuse to buy the new paperback edition when it comes out!

Stephanie Asbridge said...

A cure...for love?

Raimy from Readaraptor Hatchling said...

Im getting this one for my birthday and I just cant wait to read it! thanks for the review!

Raimy-rawr said...

Im getting this one for my birthday and I just cant wait to read it! thanks for the review!

Raimy-rawr said...

Im getting this one for my birthday and I just cant wait to read it! thanks for the review!

Tiffany said...

Great review! I read this book not too long ago and absolutely loved it. I can't wait for the second book :)

Tee said...

I read this also for the July Harper Teen challenge. It had been sitting on my shelf being passed up for other books. After I read it I wondered why I hadn't picked it up before. I t was beautifully tragic and I look forward to the second one. I can promise it will pick it up a lot quicker than I did Delirium!

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