Title: Delirium
Author: Lauren Oliver
Publisher: Haper Teen
Synopsis: Ninety-five days, and then I'll be safe. I wonder whether the procedure will hurt. I want to get it over with. It's hard to be patient. It's hard not to be afraid while I'm still uncured, though so far the deliria hasn't touched me yet. Still, I worry. They say that in the old days, love drove people to madness. The deadliest of all deadly things: It kills you both when you have it and when you don't.
Love has been the driving force behind some of the greatest artistic endeavors of the world. Men and women have constructed grand temples, written literary masterpieces, and sacrificed their very lives for the salvation of their loved one. It is a concept so present in our lives that many people base their existence on attaining the greatest love of all. Many books feature love as a central theme, motif, or symbol. Despite its permanence in our world, Lauren Oliver was able to craft a novel centered on love that is so original and thought-provoking.
Delirium tells the story of Lena, an almost 18 year-old girl living in Maine in the near future. In her society, the government has declared love a disease (aptly named amor deliria nervosa) and made it illegal, punishable by death or worse. On their 18
th birthday, each person receives the cure. Lena, having suffered greatly because of the disease, anxiously awaits her own procedure and the cure. That is until 95 days before she is scheduled for it, when she falls in love.
Lauren Oliver has written a very unique, creative, and touching story. Her writing style nicely complements the plot and is very descriptive. Oliver shows you (with her words) Lena’s world, feelings, and thoughts. I had trouble with this at first because I read this immediately following the first Percy Jackson novel, which has a very different style to it. I was so busy reading the descriptions, I couldn’t get into the story. If you feel this way, read on! Once I became accustomed to Oliver’s style, I couldn’t put the book down. The writing that once held me back propelled me into the story.
In turn with the writing, I love the characters that she has created. Not only are they relatable and accessible, but they actually remind me of myself. I could really relate to Lena and the things through which she was going.
Plus the action was ever present in the novel. I was turning the pages throughout the novel. Likewise, the ending did not disappoint and left me dying for the sequel, Pandemonium. This is one of my favorite books of the year!
Go read this book!
Theresa
The Book Nook
