Here are the basics ...Book: Delirium
Author: Lauren Oliver
Blog: http://laurenoliverbooks.blogspot.com/
Category: Young Adult - Dystopian
My thoughts ...
Short summary: Lena Haloway lives in a society where love is a considered a disease and everyone receives the "cure" when they turn 18. Once freed, the government will choose her career, her husband and she'll live a worry-free content life.. or so she thinks. But 95 days before her cure, she meets Alex, a mysterious young man who challenges her to question all that she's been taught.
The good: I loved (hah!) the concept behind this book. Imagine a world where all types of love (romantic, friendship, family) or even passion for music, books and nature is completely forbidden and that is the world Lena lives in. It's hard to picture living like that and the author does a great job of filling in the details. Lena was also a great protagonist for the story. At first, I have to admit I was a little frustrated with her. I wanted her to challenge everything and rebel immediately (I tend to like heroines like that) but that wouldn't be realistic. Part of what made the story compelling is that you're with Lena every step of the way, shedding each fear instilled by the government and slowly transforming as a result. And the romance between Lena and Alex was well done too. It didn't feel too fast and the characters actually LIKED each other first instead of that instantaneous love YA novels are sometimes guilty of.
The bad: This isn't really a bad thing and I did get sucked into the story right away, but there were a couple moments in the beginning that felt a bit slow. But I'm also just really impatient. I think it was right to build up the story slowly to give readers a feel for the society. Plus it's the first book of a trilogy - so there's a lot more to come!
The bad: This isn't really a bad thing and I did get sucked into the story right away, but there were a couple moments in the beginning that felt a bit slow. But I'm also just really impatient. I think it was right to build up the story slowly to give readers a feel for the society. Plus it's the first book of a trilogy - so there's a lot more to come!
Do I recommend?: Yes! If the concept appeals to you, I'd recommend giving it a shot. The 2nd book comes out in February and before then, I think I'll be picking up some of her other books. I really enjoyed her writing.
Happy reading!
I really, really need to read this book. So many people I know have read it and loved it - and I've even heard Lauren Oliver talk about it (which made me want to read it) so I have no excuse ;)
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