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young adult book reviews & more

Delirium by Lauren Oliver

DeliriumWhat is love? According to the Consortium, love is a disease. Amor deliria nervosa is a terrible sickness that when not treated, can lead to death. Fortunately, a cure has been developed. Lena Holoway cannot wait to be cured. She can’t stand the idea of being infected; she just wants to live a calm, painless, safe life. Because for Lena, safety is a good thing. She doesn’t want to end up like her mother. But everything changes when Lena meets him. And despite all her warnings to herself and her desire to be the girl everyone expects her to be, Lena can’t stop herself, because once you’ve been infected with the deliria, there’s no going back. And Lena doesn’t know if she even wants to.

Delirium is a tragically beautiful masterpiece of dystopian fiction. I love reading about dystopias because they are removed but usually not entirely implausible situations of the world gone wrong. Oliver’s dystopia in Delirium is just riveting. The thought of love as a legitimate disease is both fascinating and appalling at the same time. And Oliver sets this world up wonderfully by giving adequate background to the development of the cure, the present procedures set in place to prevent an outbreak of the deliria, and the relationship between the deliria and society. In regards to the actual story, it’s hard not to be sucked in. A combination of the deliria, Lena’s vivid character, and an irresistible plot makes Delirium impossible to set down. Although the general direction of the plot and Lena’s change of heart is predictable, this will not lessen the reader’s enjoyment in the least. Oliver already proved herself a skilled and creative writer in her debut Before I Fall, and I think that she has outdone herself in Delirium. This powerful and heart wrenching tale will reach out to all readers and make them reconsider the little things they take for granted, like emotions as simple as love.

Delirium is a must read for all fans of dystopian fiction, including Birthmarked by Caragh M. O’Brien, The Giver by Lois Lowry, and Candor by Pam Bachorz. Oliver is an author to watch, and I greatly anticipate her next novel.

Rating: 5.0

Review copy from NetGalley

2 munch(es) :

Helen's Book Blog said...

I have got to read this book! It is sitting on my computer (from Netgalley). Ok, this weekend I will devour this book and join the ranks of those who've read it

Allison said...

I have heard so much great feedback about this book and her 1st one. I can't wait to read them both!

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