Friday, May 18, 2012

Book review: Delirium


Delirium by Lauren Oliver

Description from Goodreads (below) can be found here along with other reviews. Linking up with Blonde... Undercover Blonde for Book Club Friday.

Before scientists found the cure, people thought love was a good thing. They didn’t understand that once love -- the deliria -- blooms in your blood, there is no escaping its hold. Things are different now. Scientists are able to eradicate love, and the government demands that all citizens receive the cure upon turning eighteen. Lena Holoway has always looked forward to the day when she’ll be cured. A life without love is a life without pain: safe, measured, predictable, and happy.

But with ninety-five days left until her treatment, Lena does the unthinkable: She falls in love.


I really, really liked this this book. I'm listening to the next book, Pandemonium, right now! I'm doing another list of thoughts because I'm not sure I can articulate likes and dislikes. Ready, set, GO!

1. I can't decide how I feel about Lena, the protagonist. She's very slow to move. I think I've become used to BAMF main characters in dystopian books who see that something is wrong and are like WE MUST CHANGE THIS.

But Lena isn't like that. Because of things that happened in her family and the inescapable influence of the society in which she's raised, she has been completely brainwashed. She drank the kool-aid. And even when she falls in love, even when she begins to dread the date of the procedure that will make her incapable of love instead of looking forward to it, she doesn't do anything but whine about how close it is. It pissed me off that she was so passive...

but it was maybe more realistic to have the main character be scared than the protagonists who are ready and eager to change things. It took time for her to see the light and change her mind. I was just impatient and ready for action way before it happened.

2. I mentioned this when I started reading it but for any audiobook friends out there, this one is read by Sarah Drew, an actress from Grey's Anatomy. She is stellar. She sounds young enough to be Lena and really emotes well.



3. I've heard other people say they thought it started slow, but I was really hooked all the way through from the beginning. And there are more and more surprises throughout the book.


That's all I've got for now. I'm starting to wonder what I usually say in these lists. Idk. I don't have a lot to say. But I highly recommend this book, especially if you like dystopians. (Anban, if you're out there, read this!)

Have any of you read it? What do you think?

7 comments:

Amy said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Amy said...

So many of these books are similar now! It's like the same plot line but slightly different.
"Matched", "Uglies" etc....
Have you read those!? Hmmm maybe i'll look into this book.

Robyn said...

sounds interesting.plus, i've never thought about audio books (well, since I listened to famous five!)-would be great for the car

Shoshanah said...

I did enjoy this one, although I think because I hyped it up so much it didn't live up to my expectations. I do want to pick up Pandemonium, but haven't had a chance to yet.

And I had no idea that Sarah Drew read the audio book, but I think she is perfect for reading Lena's story.

Anban said...

it sounds good big seester! right now i'm reading the sequel to Matched but i put this one on my list. And don't worry about what you write, your good at this stuff! miss you Ab!
<3 Anna:)

Heather said...

I heard this was a good one!

Janie said...

I read this one recently and I agree - I was hooked the whole way through. I also was a bit confused about how I felt about Lena. She was raised in the society that believes love is a disease - so she knows no better. She seemed weak at first, but I think she really grew on me and I do like her. I'm excited to read Pandemonium!

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