Delirium by Lauren Oliver

Thursday, December 9, 2010

Delirium by Lauren Oliver -Lena has waited almost her entire life for the day when she will turn eighteen and can finally have the cure, the procedure which will take away that horrible, horrible disease amor deliria nervosa--or, love. Everyone tells her that being without love is so much easier, and she'll be much happier, and Lena readily believes them, not wanting to be like her mother, who resisted the cure and eventually committed suicide, causing her to become a social outcast in her community. But her entire life changes the summer before her procedure takes place when she meets Alex. He's sweet and kind, and oddly mysterious. He makes Lena feel things she can't name, things that she knows are dangerous. And before she can realize it, she's fallen in love.

My Review:-

Favourite Quote: "As soon as I look up, his eyes click onto my face.   The breathe whooshes out of my body and everything freezes for a second, as though I am looking at him through my camera lens, zoomed in all the way, the world pausing for that tiny span of time between the opening and closing of the shutter."

Delirium is a gripping and intense read.  Lauren Oliver writes one sad world, where love is considered a disease that will kill you.  Where society has a cure that gives you no control over your life and I personally couldn't think of anything scarier.

Lauren Oliver writing is magnetic and powerful.  I remember when I read Before I Fall, I thought it was beautiful and it provoked such a strong emotional reaction out of me and Delirium did the same.  You can picture this world and what is happening so perfectly that you feel like you are there (which is kind of terrifying because it is a place that I wouldn't want to be).  It is a page turner not because of it's pace but because you are trying to find out if there is hope for these two characters.  A happy ending seems impossible.  So be prepared for an emotional read.

Both Lena and Alex are likeable and well developed characters that face lots of hard choices.  Lena, has the most growth as a character.  At the beginning she just wants to go along with society but as she meets Alex and begins to looks inside herself for what she really want, she becomes strong and brave.  Something she definitely wasn't at first.  Lena and Alex chemistry is apparent from the beginning and it is beautiful to watch their relationship develop.   I also have to mention that Alex is a book lover and even uses his fridge to hold books (you got to love guys who love to reads)!

The ending, WOW!  It certainly had a few surprises and the action felt like it was just beginning.  I am eagerly anticipating the next book after that cliffhanger.

Overall, Delirium is a outstanding dystopia read that will linger in your thoughts long after you are finished.

Rating: 4/5 

Want more info: Check out Lauren Oliver's website

Thank you to Netgalley and HarperTeen for providing me with a copy.

11 comments:

Nomes said...

lovely review Nic. I agree - her prose is really awesome (from before i fall ~ still hanging out to read this one - out in Aus in early Feb!) will you buy it in hard copy?

x

Nic @ Irresistible Reads said...

Thanks Nomes. I will be definitely buying a copy for my shelf. Hardcover - maybe, depends on the cash flow since they are normally $29 in the bookstore.

Vee said...

I'm a little bit into this one via netgalley, and I think it may be the first book I disagree with you on! Apart from Oliver's lovely prose (which is a big redeeming quality), I'm not really enjoying it. Not half as much as Before I Fall, anyway.

Kat said...

Delirum sounds awesome! Your review makes me want to read it all the more. Dystopia seems to rule this year, and 2011, too, from the looks of things.

Lisa said...

Great review. I really enjoyed her first book though emotionally at times it was hard to read.

Melissa (i swim for oceans) said...

I'm so glad you enjoyed this one! I loved the premise and idea, and I felt it was SO much better than Before I Fall :)

Anonymous said...

Thanks! for the great review, will add to my tbr pile

Sniffly Kitty said...

This is one of the next books on my queue~~I'm glad you liked it! The dystopian side of the book craze is making me happy ^.^

Sniffly Kitty
Sniffly Kitty's Mostly Books
New Meme: Third Sentence Thursday!

Jenny said...

Fantastic review Nic, I felt much the same way about this one. It was a little slow for me at first, but I got sucked in nonetheless and loved both Alex and Lena:) After that ending, the wait for book 2 is going to be a long one!

Miss Page-Turner said...

Awesome review! I love that you mention that Alex is a book lover, totally forgot that.I'm in love with both of them, they are such an unique couple. Lauren's writing stlye is really powerful, I should BEFORE I FALL now, right?(haven't done it yet)

You can find my review here, if you like to read it.

TheBookAddictedGirl said...

This looks sooo good! I really have to read this, asap! I loved the review, but now I'm actually desperaet to get my hands on it! So brilliant!

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