Delirium
Ratings226
Average rating3.7
The summary of the book was unique and it caught my eye. So I started reading. Here's a review of what I think of it.
The book wasn't really THAT interesting for almost the first-half of it, and soon the excitement I had from the synopsis died. I even debated whether I should abandon it. But now, I'm glad I didn't. Because the last 100 or so pages, while they dont quite make up for the rest of the book, do make it a worthy read.
The plot of the book, the story line, it's all great. Lauren Oliver did a great job at creating this whole new world in the dystopian future and hats off to that. All the details about the Book of Shh and all of those cautionary tales and quotes and rules she mentioned in parts of the book really gives you an overall idea about the world that they live in, with it's boundaries and restrictions.
As far as the romance goes, it wasn't on that cliche level which makes it all the better. I'd give it 5 stars, but at first it seemed really boring and dragged on a bit. Though I do recommend it at the same time.
i really love this book, but i didn't really like Lena. I wish I got to see more of Alex's point of view. The concept and the world was awesome. I especially like how each chapter began with a quote.
Ugh maybe I would've felt different about this if I'd read this when it came out but, ten years later... I'm just annoyed at the characters, at the plot, at the dialog.
The plot feels so dated and honestly, rather stupid and contrived. What society is going to scientifically alter it's population just to remove their ability to feel love? It's ridiculous, it's not like not feeling love would keep them from uprisings and that removing all poetry/classic romantic literature (except Romeo and Juliet conveniently) would do anything of value. The characters are insipid and predicable most of the time, and I just didn't want to be in Lena PoV after awhile. I understand Alex and Lena are suppose to be in ‘young love' but it's too cringy and too dramatic to be romantic. The ‘we've got to runaway together and then we'll be happy' cliché is so overdone.
The first half is interesting enough but the world-building is terribly thin and without rationale so the tale doesn't hold up. There's never any explanation for why a society would choose to do away with love or what end is served by such a decision.
Its such a forgettable book that it wasn't until I wrote the above review that I realized I had started reading this book 6 years ago and abandoned it due to lack of interest halfway through.
I thought I was done with dystopians. This is a fascinating book. It's so interesting how being in love resembles a state of temporary insanity. I find the main character relatable an and I enjoy her internal dialogue. I think I'll give the next book a try.
I have to admit that when I started to read Delirium, I thought it would be a nice, pleasant reading. I hoped so at least. And when it figured out i was right, obviously it was also so much more than that.
“You can't be happy unless you're unhappy sometimes”
Example :
Conclusion
it will be beautiful
Lauren Oliver has got a special way of writing. At first, I didn't like it very much but then I realice how much I love her writing.
The characters and actions are so well explained it all seems posible and great.
The end is the most beautiful end ever written in my opinion because it's like a marvelous tragedy, a marvelous fight for liberty, a marvelous comparation with a classic book.
Recomend it.
As someone that doesn't usually go for dystopian novels, Delirium wasn't really a game changer for me. That being said, the love story embedded into the plot made my inner thirteen year old want to continue reading. The novel had some elements for a good plot (a totalitarian alternate present, an Invalid living among the townspeople, a tainted family reputation, etc), but ends up falling short as it came off more superficial than Oliver had probably intended. Throughout the novel certain key events were so heavily foreshadowed that even the climax of the plot could have been predicted less than halfway through the book. Delirium definitely didn't give me any ‘feels' and I probably won't be reading the rest of the series. Two stars for a setting that has potential and a satisfactory plot line that by no means exceeded my expectations of this book.
This is a story about what happens when people live in a society where love is forbidden and it's something that can be cured.. After finishing this book I'm still not sure what rating to give it, but 3 stars seems fair.
The book is definitely many pages too long. It takes a while to get going and at times I'm not sure what the point is.
The characters are... okay. The main character sure likes to change her mind a lot, and she gets awfully dramatic near the end. I'm not exactly sure I understand her motivations.
And of course, there is a boy in the story who just magically falls for her, even though we never get a good explanation as to why. Just more of, “I saw you and seemed so full of joy.” Really, that's it? That's what convinced you to pursue this girl and risk SO MUCH to do so? I'm not buying it. But it's YA. It doesn't have to make sense, right?
I'm not sure what i thought of Lena's friend, Hana. She was just content to play the third-wheel the entire summer and didn't long for a boy of her own? Also didn't seem legitimate.
That's not to say the whole book is bad - some parts are definitely better than others. There are times when the book is fascinating, too. I found the “mother” sub-plot very interesting, and I'm curious to see where it goes.
Apparently I've been told Pandemonium is a better book, and why start a trilogy if you're not going to finish it, right? So off to the second book I go!
Really loved the concept and idea behind this book! And the writing was beautiful and so poetic! But I think I've read too many post-apocalyptic books and could anticipate what would happen :/
For the most part, I really didn't like Lena. Not a good protagonist or role model. But she did grow throughout the book, which was a bit of a saving grace. I'm expecting more action and drama in the second book! Gonna read that now kthxbai
A very entertaining read. Not quite “The Hunger Games” , but it more then satisfied my craving for frivolous dystopian YA fiction :)
I really give this book a 3.5 stars. I liked it, but didn't love it. The beginning was slow to me, but I enjoyed the book more when it picked up in the second half. I'm never a fan of romanticism of Romeo and Juliet, so I wasn't a big fan of that pat. Also was not a fan at all of the ending, although I did somewhat expect it.
The premise was interesting, but it was just too mushy! Also, too much pining, not enough action. Also also, the main character was an obvious self-insert :/
I can't do it. I read about 1/3 of the book and I can't continue. Perhaps I'll pick it up again and try to read it another time, when I'm desperate for something to read. The story, in a word, sucks. The only thing I am happy about is the fact that I caught this on discount and only paid $2.99 for it.
What a great book! This one had an ending to die for. It made me incredibly excited for the next book in the series. Lauren Oliver really has a hit series on her hands with this one.
Oh, I read this when it was called [b:Uglies 24770 Uglies (Uglies, #1) Scott Westerfeld http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1296159834s/24770.jpg 2895388]. Zing!! Not that Oliver stole from Westerfeld or anything, and they do have different dystopian concepts (this one cures “love”, his cures “ugliness”) but they had a similar feel. But Uglies was much faster-paced and more intense and I just kept comparing Delirium to it and had a hard time getting into it. Still, it's pretty well-written and I really liked the “religion” created within it, especially the quotes from the new Bible. But if you're only going to read one new YA dystopia, well, I'd say make it Uglies.
The writing's beautiful, but the concept is a little more than hard to believe. I think it's another one of those books where the characters' feelings felt like they bloomed in too short a time, but I'll still read Pandemonium. I really wish that they would stop making trilogies though. It feels like every ‘big' book I read this year was part of one. Ugh.
At first, I was disappointed in this book. It seems as if every dystopian novel has the exact same plot, but eventually this one managed to stand out on its own. By the end, I was completely emotionally invested - bawling my eyes out while driving to work, no less.
I'm definitely looking forward to the rest of the trilogy to find out if Lena and Alex are united and if they manage to make a difference in the world.
Please see my article at: http://www.suite101.com/content/book-review-delirium-by-lauren-oliver-a374829
Really, really similar to Scott Westerfeld's Uglies series. Everyone in Delirium who has been cured is basically ‘bubbly' just less fun. Creepy and sad and slightly predictable. Not as good as her other book Before I Fall, but still a good, good read.
For those who have not yet had the privilege to dive into Lauren Oliver's fabulous book, I promise you that there will be no spoilers here. If there is one thing that drives me crazy, it is having a book spoiled for me before I get a chance to devour it. So, I'll be mostly dealing with how the book affected me personally and leaving things mostly vague. Sound good?
Let's tackle the characters first. I love Lena with all my heart. She is a perfect example of how a brainwashed society can affect young people, but also of what happens when they start to question. Lena falls in love when she least expects it, and ends up torn between two worlds. The safety of her current life calls to her, but the unknown does as well. It is this very human dilemma that drew me to Lena. She is flawed in such a realistic way. The other characters in the book revolve around her, but she is the true star of Delirium.
I must admit that this book did terrify me a bit, because of how set in their ways these people are. Since the government has told them that love - deliria - is a disease, they commit themselves to a life without love. No love means no heartbreak later. Watching the people in Lena's life walk around like automatons reminded me a lot of The Hunger Games to be honest. A government that can have complete control is based on people who do what they are told with detached indifference.
This review must end here so that I don't spoil anything. I even made sure to leave out Lena's love interest, since I really want you to experience that for yourself! Suffice it to say that this book is fantastic. In fact that word doesn't even describe it well enough. Delirium is beautiful in it's own way, and you'll find yourself falling in love with it. I know it won't be out for a while, but please keep your eye on this one! You won't be sorry.