Book Review: Delirium by Lauren Oliver

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Delirium by Lauren Oliver

Who has heard of the term “lovesick”? How about “heartbroken”? As a society, we sometimes use these terms to describe what love can do to our minds. If you’ve ever been in love with someone then it is quite true that your entire mind is overcome with feelings and thoughts of the person that you love. Love is a strong emotion and it can do some crazy things to our brains. In Delirium by Lauren Oliver, love is literally a sickness. Government has taken over and has taught people that love or “amor deliria nervosa” will destroy mankind and that love was the cause of the prior destruction of civilization. Strict laws have been set in place that forbid citizens to show any type of emotion or feeling. Certain types of books and music has been banned and stories like Romeo and Juliet are taught to children to showcase the devastating outcome of “amor deliria nervosa”. When citizens turn 18 years old, they must undergo the “cure” which is a mandatory surgical procedure done to the brain to prevent feelings of love and the delirium. Electric fences and borders are set around cities to “keep citizens safe” from the infected outside of the cities. The people behind the gates understand that love is a terrible disease and unless you get the cure, you will die from the delirium.

The story focuses on Lena, a girl that cannot wait for her cure within just a few months. Lena’s mother suffered from the deliria and so did her sister so she understands very well how dangerous amor deliria nervosa can be. Lena’s life is turned upside down when she meets a boy named Alex. Alex smiles, laughs, and shows Lena a different world than what was taught to her by the government, her family, and her teachers. Lena discovers the secrets the government has hidden from the rest of the world, the amazing feelings of love, and what it means to sacrifice for the people who mean everything to you.

Delirium is an outstanding book and Lauren Oliver does an wonderful job at painting a world full of emotionless zombies where love is sucked out of the lives of these amazing people. The Delirium series is a trilogy and it is quite the page turner. I bought the first book in the series and realized how fast I was reading it so I had to check out Pandemonium and then Requiem, the two books after Delirium, so I could immediately find out what happens to Lena and the rest of the characters. I’d recommend this book to people who enjoy dystopic fiction and those that really enjoyed The Hunger Games series. If you ever wished that you could never fall in love because you were hurt, this book will really make you think differently!

 

 

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