Book Review: Delirium by Lauren Oliver

AUTHOR: Lauren Oliver
PUBLISHER:  HarperTeen
PAGES: 441
STAND ALONE/SERIES: Series (Pandemonium, Requiem)
SOURCE: Bought
OUTLINE:
Lena Haloway is content in her safe, government-managed society. She feels (mostly) relaxed about the future in which her husband and career will be decided, and looks forward to turning 18, when she’ll be cured of deliria, a.k.a. love. She tries not to think about her mother’s suicide (her last words to Lena were a forbidden “I love you”) or the supposed “Invalid” community made up of the uncured just beyond her Portland, Maine, border. There’s no real point—she believes her government knows how to best protect its people, and should do so at any cost. But 95 days before her cure, Lena meets Alex, a confident and mysterious young man who makes her heart flutter and her skin turn red-hot. As their romance blossoms, Lena begins to doubt the intentions of those in power, and fears that her world will turn gray should she submit to the procedure. 

MY THOUGHTS

Do you have Amor Deliria Nervosa? I'm pretty sure I do! Why you ask? Because I loved this book.

Why? Why did I wait so long to finish Delirium, please tell me? I started this book back in 2011 I think when it was on Netgalley. I read half of it and never finished it so I figured with the dystopian kick I seem to be on I'll give it another try, and start from the beginning again. I suck at life. Just saying. I really should have listened to all the hype and finished it the first time around (Sometimes I think maybe that's why I don't read books right away. I let the hype die down and then maybe I can enjoy it.) because ummm *whispers* I loved it. No other dystopian book has this "love thing" as a disease, and it was refreshing to see besides all this fighting *cough* hunger games -esque*cough* stories. Maybe, not so nice for the characters in Delirium that are cured though because they basically walk around like zombies and are emotionless per Lena.

There were times in my life as I'm sure everyone elses that the cure might have been seen as a good thing to have. Sometimes my emotions definitely get the best of me. I have this tendency to I guess cling on to others emotions. Let's say if Ryan (my husband) is having a bad day and I'm having a great day and I see he is in the dumps then I automatically feel like he does in the dumps. Yes? No? Yeah, so having emotions sometimes sucks, but then I think about it and realize it makes me who I am. It's what makes people...people and not zombies and the fact that we don't eat human brains (at least not that I know of) I know totally off topic. There are somethings that don't need to be fixed.

CHARACTERS
Most characters you either hate 'em or love 'em. With Delirium it was 50/50. I loved Lena, Alex, Hana, and Grace they all had personalities I enjoyed reading about,  while the aunt, Jenny, Rachel, and Regulators not so much. 

Lena's love for Grace is one thing I admired about her. When everyone thought Grace was stupid and slow, Lena knew better.  Her sense of what friendship meant was another quality I liked. Even when Hana and hers friendship was bumpy she was still there for her friend to try and keep her safe. As the book went on Lena grew as a character she realized that the life she was living and the things she was told weren't necessarily true.

Grace was so adorable although we didn't see her much. She reminder me of my niece Karlie, very quiet, but smart for a little kid. I can't understand having a kid and then treating them the way that Grace was treated by her parents and everyone. I guess it's a side effect of the cure so just another reason the cure hurts instead of helping.

Hana...these are the best friends I love. The kind you can sit in silence with and know life is good with them by your side. Knowing that you don't necessarily have to have a conversation for it to be good. At times Hana was stubborn, but I also saw that determination to go against what was expected of her. Too try and be that indiviual. I guess I need to read the short story about her.

I took me a bit to warm up to Alex, but by the end of the book I could easily understand why so many loved Alex. He showed Lena what life was really about. How it could be so much more than just a cure.  He gave up a lot to be with Lena. 

DOWNFALL
The only thing that bothered me was definitely the pacing of the book. I love fast-paced books, but I understand that sometimes need the details to understand.

ENDING
Oh, Lauren what an ending that was! I think I kind of wanted to throw the book at my wall, but I didn't because then I would feel bad. Also I figure there's always the second and third book so you have time to redeem yourself. :) If you haven't read this series which I'm not sure how many people haven't since I'm late on the train here, but I recommend having all 3 books so you can read them back to back. If not you will be holding your breathe til you get that next book.

QUOTES

• The deadliest of all things deadly. It kills you both when you have it and when you don't.
• You know you can't be happy, unless you're unhappy sometimes right? -Hana
• You came from different starts and you'll come to different ends.
• It's amazing how words can shred your insides apart. Sticks and stones may break your bones, but words can never hurt me---such bullshit.
• I prefer the ocean when it's gray, or not really gray but a pale in between color. It reminds me of waiting for something good to happen-Alex
• Everyone you trust, everyone you think you can count on will eventually disappoint you. -Lena
• When left to their own devices people lie and keep secrets and change and disappear, some behind a different face or personality, some behind a dense early morning fog, or beyond a cliff.
• I know life isn't just life if you float through it. I know that the whole point---the only point---is to find the things that matter, and hold on to them, and fight for them, and refuse to let them go. -Lena