Delirium by Lauren Oliver

Title: Delirium

Author: Lauren Oliver

Series: have a feeling it will be first in a series

Published: February 2011 by Harper Teen

Pages: 440

ISBN: 9780061726828

Source: Around The World Tours

Description: Before scientists found the cure, people thought love was a good thing. They didn’t understand that one 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 governments demands that all citizens receive the cure upon turning eighteen. Lena Holway 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 Give This ... 

  

Put me in the camp of those who weren't sure Lauren Oliver's next novel would top her debut Before I Fall.  I think with this one, she proven she has something to offer the young adult genre and will be here to stay.  While I have to say I didn't like it as much as Before I Fall, it is still one of the best books I've read this summer and right behind my 5 star books for the best of the year.  I highly recommend getting it as soon as it's released.

I've really enjoyed books set in a future society.  Although, I'm not sure why it's always rigorously controlled by  whatever government system is in place.  It always works with the storyline though, and this one is no exception.  I think it's because everyone is so afraid to break the rules, that when they do it makes it that much more exciting.  I love how the characters believe they live in a Utopian society, when actually the opposite is probably true.  I do have to admit that for half the story I thought it took place in Portland, Oregon.  I had a hard time adjusting my thinking when I realized it was actually Portland, Maine.

I grew to love Lena by the end of the story.  Some characters push the rules from the very beginning of the story.  Lena fights it every step of the way.  She's trying her best to be a model citizen and accept what's society has chosen to give her.  I think she hopes by doing this, she can overcome her own families failures.  She doesn't want to be different.  Alex is wonderful.  I knew what he was, but was surprise at how well he seemed to blend into society.  I loved how he pushed Lena into finding out what she really wanted.  He was always right there when he needed her most.  I also enjoyed watching Lena and Hanna's relationship evolve.  At first they were trying to accept how their relationship will be different after they are both cured by stepping away from each other before their operations.  But, then they realize that how they feel about their friendship now is just as important.

The story itself is beautiful.  Oliver has a way with story telling that just captures you from the first pages.  I picked it up and finished it less than 24 hours later (I stopped to sleep lol).  The ending left me breathless and craving more.  The only reason I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 is some of the ideas of this society weren't entirely believable to me.  The idea that people could be cured of loved but then expected to raise a family just didn't sit well with me (I didn't buy into the idea of not experiencing love would prevent such incidents as children being drowned in the bathtub as explained at one point).  I also was reminded greatly of Uglies by Scott Westerfeld.  The story lines were very similar.