nika_nix's review against another edition
5.0
After I watched Delirium Pilot I decided that I have to reread this book. I read it about two years ago and I remembered the most of it but I wanted to refresh my memory before picking up Pandemonium, second book in trilogy. I can't believe how much emotions this book gave me even though it's a reread. I got really attached to Delirium while reading it and I think I wasn't fangirling that hard when I was first reading it (I wasn't that crazy back then, though). However, I'm really glad I reread this book and I'm totally ready for the sequel.
I will start with Lena. She was a bit annoying at the beginning with her attitude and everything. I just wanted to slap her! But later, when she fell in love with Alex, we saw her changing, slowly. I liked new Lena so much more and I liked the character development we got to see. I especially liked her at the ending, how she became strong and determined and how she was ready to die rather than go to procedure. Go girl! Alex was amazing, I love him so, so much and I hate the ending. BUT, I have a theory and I'm pretty sure it's true. He's not dead and he's in the Crypts and in second book Lena will help him escape or something. But he is alive, I know he is. When I first read this book I was so sad and hurt because he was dead but now when I think about it I know he's not. He can't be dead, these books won't be the same without him! Okay, so I love Alex and I totally ship him and Lena, they're so cute and perfect together, can't wait for them to reunite in Pandemonium (I have faith!). Hana is great, I really liked her. She's really good friend and I wonder what is going to happen to her later. I like her attitude and I hope she won't go to procedure and stay awesome but I don't know is that going to happen. Probably the most interesting character in the book is Grace, I really liked her, especially at the end and how she helped Lena and even spoke, just to help her escape. Hopefully, we'll get to know more about her in Pandemonium. All the other characters are really unimportant and I didn't care about them at all, I didn't even like anyone else.
Lauren Oliver writes amazingly, I really like her style and should read more of her books. The idea is so unique and it's unlike everything I've ever read and even the romance was kind of unique (probably because it was REALLY forbidden) and not boring at all. There are also some beautiful quotes and I really like how author described everything, especially Lena's feels, it was so convincing and just beautiful. The last paragraph of the book was probably my favourite, it was so sad and perfect at the same time. I need more! This book was very quick read, I flew through it (maybe it was because it's reread but maybe it wasn't) but it took me a while to finish it because I started it before Booktube-a-thon and then I paused it because of it and I picked it up again yesterday and finished it. I also have another theory: Lena's mom is out there and Lena will find her in the second book. I'm sure about that. This book was rollercoaster of feelings and I was bitting my nails even though I knew what was going to happen next. It's really good, when you start reading it, you can't put it down and I recommend it to everyone.
I will start with Lena. She was a bit annoying at the beginning with her attitude and everything. I just wanted to slap her! But later, when she fell in love with Alex, we saw her changing, slowly. I liked new Lena so much more and I liked the character development we got to see. I especially liked her at the ending, how she became strong and determined and how she was ready to die rather than go to procedure. Go girl! Alex was amazing, I love him so, so much and I hate the ending. BUT, I have a theory and I'm pretty sure it's true. He's not dead and he's in the Crypts and in second book Lena will help him escape or something. But he is alive, I know he is. When I first read this book I was so sad and hurt because he was dead but now when I think about it I know he's not. He can't be dead, these books won't be the same without him! Okay, so I love Alex and I totally ship him and Lena, they're so cute and perfect together, can't wait for them to reunite in Pandemonium (I have faith!). Hana is great, I really liked her. She's really good friend and I wonder what is going to happen to her later. I like her attitude and I hope she won't go to procedure and stay awesome but I don't know is that going to happen. Probably the most interesting character in the book is Grace, I really liked her, especially at the end and how she helped Lena and even spoke, just to help her escape. Hopefully, we'll get to know more about her in Pandemonium. All the other characters are really unimportant and I didn't care about them at all, I didn't even like anyone else.
Lauren Oliver writes amazingly, I really like her style and should read more of her books. The idea is so unique and it's unlike everything I've ever read and even the romance was kind of unique (probably because it was REALLY forbidden) and not boring at all. There are also some beautiful quotes and I really like how author described everything, especially Lena's feels, it was so convincing and just beautiful. The last paragraph of the book was probably my favourite, it was so sad and perfect at the same time. I need more! This book was very quick read, I flew through it (maybe it was because it's reread but maybe it wasn't) but it took me a while to finish it because I started it before Booktube-a-thon and then I paused it because of it and I picked it up again yesterday and finished it. I also have another theory: Lena's mom is out there and Lena will find her in the second book. I'm sure about that. This book was rollercoaster of feelings and I was bitting my nails even though I knew what was going to happen next. It's really good, when you start reading it, you can't put it down and I recommend it to everyone.
shonaningyo's review against another edition
4.0
You know, the New York Times Best Sellers List seems to have very low standards. What is the criteria in order to get a spot on that list, anyway? Sell 500 books or something? There seems to be a new tome that is raved to be "exciting" and "fresh" and "a page-turner". Call me Hipster Ariel, but I'll decide if the book is worth reading BEFORE it gains so much attention.
Anyway, that's a tangent-rant that really has nothing to do with this book.
Onto my review.
Wow, this book was great. I loved it. As mentioned above, I'm reluctant to read anything that 1) Is a new YA series, 2) IS a series, 3) Is a tome of a book (400+ pages).... To me it looks like the formula for a same-old, same-old story that everyone's read before.
But I picked it up and started reading it. And I kept reading. And I kept reading. Usually for books, even when it's very interesting, I take a break and then never muster up the drive to resume reading it. I'm a very slow reader nowadays. A 200 page book takes me, like, 4 days instead of say, 3 hours. Sigh.. My brain isn't what it used to be. I'm a 50 year old man living in a 17 year old girl's body!!
Anyway..I kept reading and it took me a week, but I kept reading. It was so good, I don't know why.
The book is about alternative universe "present time", where before Love was labelled a disease and everyone now has to be treated for it when they turn 16. People who refuse have no choice, or they're thrown in jail. There are people who haven't been cured called Invalids that live out of the cities in untamed wilderness rightfully called the Wilds. Those who aren't cured are "at risk" of falling love, and there are many measures taken to prevent that from happening.
Our main character is Magdalena "Lena". She comes off as whiny and spineless, but I've come to realize that JUST BECAUSE you don't like the main character doesn't mean the book is all that bad. To me, the fact that you give a crap about the character means you're engaged in it, and that's one of the factors that make a good book in the first place.
Anyway (again), Lena, surprise, surprise, falls in love with Alex. And stuff happens. Read the book.
This book was very engaging and I loved it, haha. The world was classical "Big Brother is watching out for you" and Lena's blind trust towards the government and the laws in place to prevent people from falling love was very sheep-like, but she really just wants to be normal. Hana, her best friend, is my hero in this story. She actually "thinks", which is kind of a no-no in this kind of universe. What was also cool were the excerpts from the "Book of Safety, Security, and Happiness" which was basically the story's "manual" that everyone in the world had to read and memorize. Think of it like the Bible and the Constitution of the US put together, except it's required you know it by heart.
At the beginning of each chapter were excerpts of that book, or quotes that have been labelled and seen as "dangerous" or something or other..basically "Bad". Example would be the phrase "live free or die hard"; the phrase's meaning was --funnily enough--"forgotten" or "indeterminable" or some crap like that.
All in all, this book is good. The synopsis is what-you-read-is-what-you-get.
I found that the author used A LOT of similes. I don't know why my brain was drawn to them and pointed them out, but it did. I do think it's a very teenagery thing to do, though, since our brains aren't wired to think in metaphors, haha. I also think that the similes were very accurate and I could actually picture how and what more accurately with them. Maybe it's just my hormones right now..
Sorry I'm so all-over-the-place. I feel like breaking something right now. [spoiler]GOD DAMNIT FUCKING SHIT WHY CANT I WRITE A SIMPLE REVIEW?! DAMNIT DAMNIT DAMNIT (stabs keyboard) FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU - [/spoiler]
Ahem. JUST READ IT, OKAY?! READ IT.
Anyway, that's a tangent-rant that really has nothing to do with this book.
Onto my review.
Wow, this book was great. I loved it. As mentioned above, I'm reluctant to read anything that 1) Is a new YA series, 2) IS a series, 3) Is a tome of a book (400+ pages).... To me it looks like the formula for a same-old, same-old story that everyone's read before.
But I picked it up and started reading it. And I kept reading. And I kept reading. Usually for books, even when it's very interesting, I take a break and then never muster up the drive to resume reading it. I'm a very slow reader nowadays. A 200 page book takes me, like, 4 days instead of say, 3 hours. Sigh.. My brain isn't what it used to be. I'm a 50 year old man living in a 17 year old girl's body!!
Anyway..I kept reading and it took me a week, but I kept reading. It was so good, I don't know why.
The book is about alternative universe "present time", where before Love was labelled a disease and everyone now has to be treated for it when they turn 16. People who refuse have no choice, or they're thrown in jail. There are people who haven't been cured called Invalids that live out of the cities in untamed wilderness rightfully called the Wilds. Those who aren't cured are "at risk" of falling love, and there are many measures taken to prevent that from happening.
Our main character is Magdalena "Lena". She comes off as whiny and spineless, but I've come to realize that JUST BECAUSE you don't like the main character doesn't mean the book is all that bad. To me, the fact that you give a crap about the character means you're engaged in it, and that's one of the factors that make a good book in the first place.
Anyway (again), Lena, surprise, surprise, falls in love with Alex. And stuff happens. Read the book.
This book was very engaging and I loved it, haha. The world was classical "Big Brother is watching out for you" and Lena's blind trust towards the government and the laws in place to prevent people from falling love was very sheep-like, but she really just wants to be normal. Hana, her best friend, is my hero in this story. She actually "thinks", which is kind of a no-no in this kind of universe. What was also cool were the excerpts from the "Book of Safety, Security, and Happiness" which was basically the story's "manual" that everyone in the world had to read and memorize. Think of it like the Bible and the Constitution of the US put together, except it's required you know it by heart.
At the beginning of each chapter were excerpts of that book, or quotes that have been labelled and seen as "dangerous" or something or other..basically "Bad". Example would be the phrase "live free or die hard"; the phrase's meaning was --funnily enough--"forgotten" or "indeterminable" or some crap like that.
All in all, this book is good. The synopsis is what-you-read-is-what-you-get.
I found that the author used A LOT of similes. I don't know why my brain was drawn to them and pointed them out, but it did. I do think it's a very teenagery thing to do, though, since our brains aren't wired to think in metaphors, haha. I also think that the similes were very accurate and I could actually picture how and what more accurately with them. Maybe it's just my hormones right now..
Sorry I'm so all-over-the-place. I feel like breaking something right now. [spoiler]GOD DAMNIT FUCKING SHIT WHY CANT I WRITE A SIMPLE REVIEW?! DAMNIT DAMNIT DAMNIT (stabs keyboard) FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU - [/spoiler]
Ahem. JUST READ IT, OKAY?! READ IT.
mhysaofdragons's review against another edition
5.0
A dystopian where the government declares love a disease. This book was so good. The ending had me in tears sobbing. I was unable to read another book, even the second in the series, for two weeks because I was so emotionally distraught. I was so in love with Alex and Lena and I’m so hurt that Alex had to stay behind.
melagrossi's review against another edition
5.0
A world where romantic love is a disease, and the government has a cure for it. Another dystopian type novel, I read a ton of them over the spring, this and its sequel are two of the better written ones.
noranaziz's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
final rating: 3/5
middle-school me would’ve slurped this up like chicken noodle soup. but present me thinks this book is very… mid.
it’s obvious that i am above the intended reading audience, but still, i’ve found that this book is very, very similar to other dystopian books i’ve read. forbidden love, mandatory procedure, “i’m not like other girls”…
wait, what? 😭 YEAH. our MC is exactly that. honestly, if she wasn’t so annoying, i would’ve rated it a little higher. the bane of my existence.
but hey! at least the ending was tense 👀 on to pandemonium!
hiltzmoore's review against another edition
4.0
I thought this was a very interesting (although unbelievable) premise. The writing was rich and I thought Lena's voice was believable throughout, even if the plot wasn't. The characters were richly written and still managed to stay unpredictable. I never knew which characters were going to be the good guys.
madwonder's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed reading this book, but it wasn't one of those books that I couldn't put down. I actually found myself a little bored throughout parts. It wasn't really until most of the way through the book when the story became more vibrant and entertaining. It was still refreshing to find a book that wasn't the same as all of the rest. The idea of love being a sickness is something that hasn't really been done yet wasn't so far fetched. The one thing that I really didn't like is it just left too much open for me in the end. I guess that's just one way to keep you aching for more. I am looking forward to reading the next one.
1klew's review against another edition
4.0
ugh I loved/hated the ending. A lot like The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood. But much better than most YA dystopian novels, for sure.
cheyenneisreading's review against another edition
3.0
Chapter twenty Two is gut wrenching, heartbreaking and swallows your imagination. You can picture and imagine every smell, every step, every emotion that Lena is feeling.
This story is gripping once you get to the very core of the story and while I did predict, to an extend certain things, I was left with my mind on full blast. Love is something we deserve to have and reading this makes you think in a very honest way. This novel grabbed at my heart so many times I felt devastated consistently that a reality like this could occur one day and people would just accept it. Except the few who don't. That gives me hope.
This story is gripping once you get to the very core of the story and while I did predict, to an extend certain things, I was left with my mind on full blast. Love is something we deserve to have and reading this makes you think in a very honest way. This novel grabbed at my heart so many times I felt devastated consistently that a reality like this could occur one day and people would just accept it. Except the few who don't. That gives me hope.
read_what_i_want's review against another edition
2.0
Delirium was too riddled with an attempt at a dystopian romance and coming of age story-line that just didn't hook me immediately. I tried very hard to get past page 100 because the concept was good, but it never hit that right note to keep me interested. So, even though I wanted to give it a chance I had to finally give up, especially knowing there are so many compelling dystopian stories out there waiting to be read.