Review: Delirium by Lauren Oliver

Goodreads summary: Before scientists found the cure, people thought love was a good thing. They didn't understand that once love - the deliria - blooms in your bold, 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 fall in love.


I have to start off by saying what a wonderful writer Lauren Oliver is. Both the style of writing and the story line blew me away. I loved this book.

The story opens with Lena explaining the world she comes from. A place where Love is a disease, something to be feared. A country surrounded by an electric fence to keep the disease out and the people in. Regulators patrol the streets making sure people conform to the rules. But worst of all, it is a world where at 18 you get 'the cure'; an operation that eradicates all feelings of love, regret, and even true happiness. Once you are cured you are paired with a suited match and married. 

Lena cannot wait to have her operation. She is literally counting down the days when she will no longer have to be afraid of contamination. That is, until she meets Alex. Suddenly Lena's world is thrown upside-down as she is forced to question her surroundings and the people she has grown up with. One of my favourite parts on the story was when Lena discovers that she has been talking and dancing with an uncured boy (Alex). I could feel her absolute panic and terror as she tries to get away from him. 

I adored Alex's character. He is a bit cheeky and he likes to tease Lena now and again. He is brave and selfless and can recite banned love poems! What more can a girl ask for? Their love is real. The story was quite slow at the beginning but I think it really helped bring depth to Lena and Alex’s relationship. It made their relationship more real and brought a sense of tension to it all. They didn’t just fall head over heels for each other the minute they met, like in so many other young adult books. It was refreshing to see it drawn out a bit. 

Overall it was an excellent read. The ending was spectacular! It was gripping and dramatic and I find myself thinking about it all the time, even though I finished the book last week. I am so excited about book 2, which I am going to talk about below! 5/5 Stars

WARNING! I am posting up the synopsis for Book 2, Pandemonium. If you haven’t read Delirium yet then READ NO FURTHER as it will contain SPOILERS!

Goodreads summary: Pandemonium continues Lena’s gripping story. After escaping from Portland, Maine, Lena makes it to the Wilds and becomes part of an Invalid community, where she transforms herself into a warrior for the resistance. A future without Alex is unimaginable, but Lena pushes forward and fights, both for him and for a world where love is no longer considered a disease. Swept up in a volatile mix or revolutionaries and counterinsurgents, Lena struggles to survive – and wonders if she may be falling in love again.

Expected Publication: March 6th 2012

I would love to know what people think of this? It really upsets me :( I can't understand how someone can love another person so completely and be prepared to die for them, and then turn around and fall in love with someone else. I guess that Lena does think Alex is dead, and maybe he is? But I just don't want to see her fall in love with someone else when I love Alex so much! March is too far away.

Review: Divergent by Veronica Roth

Goodreads Summary: Beatrice ‘Tris’ Prior has reached the fateful age of sixteen, the stage at which teenagers in Veronica Roth’s dystopian Chicago must select which of the five factions to join for life. Each faction represents a virtue: Candor, Abnegation, Dauntless, Amity and Erudite. To the surprise of herself and her selfless Abnegation family, she chooses Dauntless, the path of courage. Her choice exposes her to the demanding, violent initiation rites of this group, but it also threatens to expose a personal secret that could place her in mortal danger. Veronica Roth’s young adult Divergent trilogy launches with a captivating adventure about love and loyalty playing out under the most extreme circumstances. 

I had very high expectations for this one, having seen 5 star reviews on so many blogs recently. While the story was a bit slower than I had imagined, it still drew me in and deserves this 5 star rating. If you enjoyed The Hunger Games, (which I did) then you’ll love this too. It does feature teenagers beating the shit out of each other in a somewhat controlled environment.

Beatrice is faced with a choice that will define everything she is: Should she go against everything she knows and grew up with or should she stay where she is, in a faction that she doesn’t feel she belongs in. The five factions are:

Abnegation (Selfless)

Candor (Honesty and Truth)

Amity (Peace)

Erudite (Knowledge and Intelligence)

Dauntless (Courageous and Brave)

Going against her family, she chooses Dauntless and so begins her journey of self-discovery. Tris is a strong, likeable character who just gets on with things and doesn’t complain. You can’t help but admire her bravery and loyalty when it comes to her friends. She has some very difficult choices to make throughout the book and she consistently stays true to herself. All of the background characters were well developed and they each brought something to the table. I particularly liked Al and Christina.

And then there’s Four, Gah! What a guy. I see Four as the strong, silent type. In my opinion he often seemed a bit cold in some of the more intimate scenes but it worked so well! The romance seemed solid and real and didn’t take over from the rest of the plot.

Overall, I thought it was an excellent read. It was full of twists and turns and was often brutal and violent which actually made it particularly thrilling for me. Tris definitely has some maturing to do in the next two books to make her a more likeable character. I don’t doubt that she will have countless opportunities to show us what she is really made of.  5/5 Stars

Have you seen the cover of book two? INSURGENT! I love it :)