Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Review #13 Delirium by Lauren Oliver

Hello my literary comrades! How is everyone? Well I hope. Anyway, lets get started. Get on your reading glasses, sit in your comfortable chairs, and lets away!

Delirium is by Lauren Oliver. It is one of the many in the slew of YA Dystopian novels since The Hunger Games, it is also another "hype" book. It takes place in a not very distant future, where love is now a disease, amor deliria nervosa to be more precise. Scientists have created a cure that rids all society of the "disease." People are evaluated to see what job they are best qualified for and who are their best matches to be paired with. Because there is no love, there is no pain. The main character, Lena, is 95 days from her procedure when you first meet her. She is adamant at first about getting the procedure, due to her painful past. But the shocking happens during the waiting period, she falls in love. What happens next in a roller coaster. And the ending. Oh my god, the ending. O.O I will just say it is a shock wrapped in a "WHAT THE HOLY HELL?!?!?!?!?"

I can not say how much I loved this book. The plot was fantastic. I was scared that people could think of love as a disease, and the root of all problems as a result. I loved how the main duo's story developed, and to see the cracks in the supposedly perfect society turn into fissures. Plus the concept of love being a disease is interesting, and is honestly a bit scary.

Characters: I loved Lena. She was a perfect heroine for this novel. You find out why she wants the procedure so desperately, and you sympathize with her. But she grows and develops into a well rounded person, who sees her world as it truly is, fissures and all. I love her as a person and as a literary character. I loved watching her realize and change and evolve over the course of the novel. Alex, her love interest, was just as interesting. I swooned whenever he spoke. (what is it about dystopia that makes authors write amazing and swoon-worthy love interests? Someone drop me a line). He was a great love interest you can get behind. I loved his way of speaking and describing things. *Sigh* I wish he existed in real life. 

Now onto writing style. I loved Ms. Oliver's way of describing things, and the way she set up the world you are reading about. I loved the quotes from the "books" and "literature" from the world of the book, it made the whole concept of love as a disease just that much more frightening. Plus Ms. Oliver can be very descriptive and pensive when writing as Lena, including Lena's dialogue. I loved the banter and dialogue between the characters, it was truly real.

I put this in the top of my recommendations list and can not wait for the next book. Anyone who loves dystopia and a good romance will love this book

Until next time comrades.

Viva la literature! 

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