Title: Delirium
Author: Lauren Oliver
Publisher: Harper Teen
Pages: 441
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 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 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 absolutely loved the book. Lauren Oliver’s proven herself (in my eyes) as a fantastic writer with great ideas. In this book she managed to make me actually like the protagonist (and root for her) whereas in Before I Fall, it took much of the book before I was on Sam’s side.
The idea behind the book is so intriguing to me, the way these people are brought up to believe that ‘love’ is such a bad thing. I loved watching Lena’s gradual shift between fully supporting what the government has planned for her life to fully rebelling against it.
The only thing I did NOT like, and the reason this one didn’t get five stars from me is because of that epic cliffhanger!! I understand authors wanting to sell more books, but that was just cruel. I loved the book, however, I now wish I would have waited for the second one before starting the series.
I’ve been struggling with exactly what I want to say about this book. I don’t want to be spoilery, and I’ll try really hard not to, but you know…it will probably be slightly spoilerish…
Lauren Oliver’s beautiful words are almost poetic as she constructs this intensely rich dystopian world for us. This is my first time reading anything by Oliver, and I think she’s utterly amazing. The rules of the society and histories of the characters are well thought out and the general concept for this story are simply brilliant. The idea of love being forbidden holds so many possibilities, and I think that it’s great.
Some of the characters fell short for me, though, and it seemed like the author got caught up in making her words pretty more than she wanted us to be swept up the true love part of the story. I felt like Lena, though likable enough, wasn’t someone that I identified with. Constantly flip-flopping between allegiance to the “cure” and the quest for the truth, she didn’t want it enough for me. I loved Alex–he’s totally hot and I get their relationship from his perspective. I didn’t feel that they were overwhelmingly in love though, and kinda thought that was essential to this story’s plot. I needed to feel more passion between them. I wanted Lena to be consumed. *shrugs* Maybe I just don’t get it.
By now, you’ve read other people’s reviews and know that this book ends with an evil cliffie. I wasn’t incredibly shocked by the cliffie, tbh. It made me sad, for sure, but I wouldn’t say it was unexpected. I felt like there was all of this heart-racing clutching-your-chest action, action, action then…stop.
Don’t get me wrong. I thought it was good. It just didn’t own me. The idea is amazing, and I really want to know what happens next. I’m definitely looking forward to the next book!
and 
Oh my gosh, but wait until you read the second!!! <3
WAITAIMINUTE…you’ve read it?!
I REALLY liked this book too. I read it, not knowing much about it, or that the 2nd wasn’t out yet. (This is something I told myself to not do after Divergent!). I flipped out a bit when I realized I was left hanging for a while.