courtneym93's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Minor: Suicide and Suicidal thoughts
foreverbeautifulbooks's review against another edition
4.0
Ok.
This book.....
Yep.
THIS BOOK!
Well, I'm going to take a breath first because this book ended to the point where I HAVE to continue and I don't think I really want to because I honestly don't think it can get any better than this. I feel that these trilogy series belittle the book that should have just been.
Remember back in the day when really good dystopian was like 200 pages and it moved you to the point of tears. Well, this book had that, honestly, I felt like I read reading something very similar to Fahrenheit 451 it did things to me and I was reaching the same way I did to Fahrenheit. The book pulled you, and yet it had some of those draggy parts where they are world-building at you to the point where you want to scream, I GET IT ALREADY!
Now, I bet your wondering why I didn't give it FIVE stars.
That's simple, the world building went TOO far for me. I was already convinced 30% in that this effed up reality existed and believed it could happen. I didn't need it dumped over my head repeatedly. I thought the chapter beginnings with the rewritten bible and the history of the world was really really clever. I did a lot of eye rolling and so saw people these days thinking that way or trying to create the world into that. Because lets face it, the world is peopeled with radicals.
Anyways, then the author tosses in this light love story, in a world were love is illegal. Clever, clever, clever. It wasn't instalove either, and I honestly think that's why this failed as a show, because people are OBSESSED with insta-love, the idea that it might take some time to fall in love with someone is unheard of these days.
As a whole, I'm impressed.
I have to say this author really locked onto the feel of the old school dystopians, and that's a hard feat.
Oh, and this book ends on a HUGE cliffhanger, so if you all butt-hurt by cliffhangers go read something else, cause your whining gives me cramps.
This book.....
Yep.
THIS BOOK!
Well, I'm going to take a breath first because this book ended to the point where I HAVE to continue and I don't think I really want to because I honestly don't think it can get any better than this. I feel that these trilogy series belittle the book that should have just been.
Remember back in the day when really good dystopian was like 200 pages and it moved you to the point of tears. Well, this book had that, honestly, I felt like I read reading something very similar to Fahrenheit 451 it did things to me and I was reaching the same way I did to Fahrenheit. The book pulled you, and yet it had some of those draggy parts where they are world-building at you to the point where you want to scream, I GET IT ALREADY!
Now, I bet your wondering why I didn't give it FIVE stars.
That's simple, the world building went TOO far for me. I was already convinced 30% in that this effed up reality existed and believed it could happen. I didn't need it dumped over my head repeatedly. I thought the chapter beginnings with the rewritten bible and the history of the world was really really clever. I did a lot of eye rolling and so saw people these days thinking that way or trying to create the world into that. Because lets face it, the world is peopeled with radicals.
Anyways, then the author tosses in this light love story, in a world were love is illegal. Clever, clever, clever. It wasn't instalove either, and I honestly think that's why this failed as a show, because people are OBSESSED with insta-love, the idea that it might take some time to fall in love with someone is unheard of these days.
As a whole, I'm impressed.
I have to say this author really locked onto the feel of the old school dystopians, and that's a hard feat.
Oh, and this book ends on a HUGE cliffhanger, so if you all butt-hurt by cliffhangers go read something else, cause your whining gives me cramps.
tallyvauthor's review against another edition
3.0
Like the old saying goes "don't meet your heroes." I feel should be expanded to "don't reread dystopian books that you liked in 8th grade." They both only lead to disappointment.
Honestly, I know full well that the story never changed. Maybe I'm older but man oh man is this insta love child so naive. I get the teenage rebellion and all that and the poetry in the books is amazing and flawless for not even being the focus. I still recite the "Mama Mama" poem to myself on a minimum of a weekly basis.
Love is illegal and punishable by death. What does our teenage heroine do but immediately fall in love with the first non-relative boy to talk to her? Alas, we can't all be happy. There were also a couple of scenes that just made me hate Alex. Like pretty sus buddy if you ask me. But hey, this book brought me joy once. and I thank it for that.
Honestly, I know full well that the story never changed. Maybe I'm older but man oh man is this insta love child so naive. I get the teenage rebellion and all that and the poetry in the books is amazing and flawless for not even being the focus. I still recite the "Mama Mama" poem to myself on a minimum of a weekly basis.
Love is illegal and punishable by death. What does our teenage heroine do but immediately fall in love with the first non-relative boy to talk to her? Alas, we can't all be happy. There were also a couple of scenes that just made me hate Alex. Like
Spoiler
when they were behind the house and encouraged her to take her top off?emmafallsinlove's review against another edition
4.0
Finally got through it; the end was much easier to read than the beginning. All around I liked it...interesting take on dystopia.
laura_reads_forever's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
inspiring
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
lolasreviews's review against another edition
5.0
This book was briliant! I really enjoyed reading it. When I first heard about this book I immidiately decided I really liked the originality of the story. Love is a disease! But the book also has quite a few bad reviews, so I put it off for a while. In the end I decided I wanted to read the book and found out for myself whether I liked it or not. And I not only liked it, I loved it!
Let me start with the world buidling. I think this is one of the best things about this book, the world building is great. Everything is thought through and every chapter starts with a little qoute or somthing from one the rule books or other books of the society. So this really gives you an extra view in how the world works. I totally loved the idea that love is a disease, it is so original, altough I would never want to live in such a world. What I also liked is how everyone really saw love as a disease, something just as deadly as cancer or any other real disease. Really the world building was great!
The story starts off a bit slow, but still I was immediately sucked into the story, because of the great world building. I love how those worlds are described in dystophia books and this book has really good world building. I like how the world is so different from ours, but still so realistically written that it almost could be real. That's what I loved about this book. And the story aoltugh it is a bit predictable, it is just great. The lead character Lena is terrified of catching the love disease and ofcourse in the end she does fall in love. But this does not goes too quick, Lena really is terrified of being in love and the love develops slowly and believeable.
And the characters where great too. As mentioned before the story and characters are very believeable, Lena really is scared of falling in love and it is so believeable. I also liked that she slowly begane to doubt, not in great jumps, she actually keeps believing most of the governmental lies for the most part of the book. I also really liked Hana, Grace and Alex, they are great characters!
Another thing that makes me love this book is the writing style, even tough the story is a bit slowly paced I really got sucked into the story and could not put it down. The writing style is really great, it perfectly fits this book.
And then the ending. The ending is great and sad and so emotional. And even a bit rushed, but this makes you feel that more connected to the characters, because the events are rushed. Suddenly everything changes and it just left me wishing the second book was here already so I can see how it goes further.
To conclude: a great book, I loved it. The world building, the story and the characters are great! And even though the pace of the book is a bit slow I was sucked right into the story and couldn't put it down. I really am looking forward to the second book!
Let me start with the world buidling. I think this is one of the best things about this book, the world building is great. Everything is thought through and every chapter starts with a little qoute or somthing from one the rule books or other books of the society. So this really gives you an extra view in how the world works. I totally loved the idea that love is a disease, it is so original, altough I would never want to live in such a world. What I also liked is how everyone really saw love as a disease, something just as deadly as cancer or any other real disease. Really the world building was great!
The story starts off a bit slow, but still I was immediately sucked into the story, because of the great world building. I love how those worlds are described in dystophia books and this book has really good world building. I like how the world is so different from ours, but still so realistically written that it almost could be real. That's what I loved about this book. And the story aoltugh it is a bit predictable, it is just great. The lead character Lena is terrified of catching the love disease and ofcourse in the end she does fall in love. But this does not goes too quick, Lena really is terrified of being in love and the love develops slowly and believeable.
And the characters where great too. As mentioned before the story and characters are very believeable, Lena really is scared of falling in love and it is so believeable. I also liked that she slowly begane to doubt, not in great jumps, she actually keeps believing most of the governmental lies for the most part of the book. I also really liked Hana, Grace and Alex, they are great characters!
Another thing that makes me love this book is the writing style, even tough the story is a bit slowly paced I really got sucked into the story and could not put it down. The writing style is really great, it perfectly fits this book.
And then the ending. The ending is great and sad and so emotional. And even a bit rushed, but this makes you feel that more connected to the characters, because the events are rushed. Suddenly everything changes and it just left me wishing the second book was here already so I can see how it goes further.
To conclude: a great book, I loved it. The world building, the story and the characters are great! And even though the pace of the book is a bit slow I was sucked right into the story and couldn't put it down. I really am looking forward to the second book!
dlberglund's review against another edition
2.0
This dystopian novel was set in Portland, Maine, in a fenced-in settlement (to keep everyone safe from the Wilds). As usual, the society is based upon fear and government propaganda. Like the Scott Westerfeld Uglies series, there is also a medical procedure when you hit the age of adulthood to transform you into the new and improved you, free from the irrationality of youth and the possibility of feeling the symptoms of the disease of love. The main character looks forward to it, until she doesn't.
I think I need to take a break from teenage dystopian futures.
I think I need to take a break from teenage dystopian futures.
emiliebookworld's review against another edition
Dystopians are well on their way to becoming my favorite genre, especially within YA. I had already read Lauren Oliver’s debut Before I Fall and thought it was amazing. Now after having read Delirium, I am even more blown away by this fantastic author and her books.
Lena has always been told that love is dangerous, a disease that can result in destruction. She saw what it did to her mother and then to her sister, but the cure makes it all better. Now Lena is counting down the days until she gets the cure and then start the peaceful life that comes with being cured. But just weeks before Lena was supposed to receive the cure, she meets Alex. Now Lena questions everything she has ever been told about love and a day she was looking for has become one she dreads. But what should Lena do when she realizes she has been lied to her whole life. Will she give up everything she ever wanted all for love?
Lauren Oliver is a phenomenal writer and knows how to write a story that will really move her readers. Delirium was no different. Right from the beginning, I was riding an emotional roller-coaster and it was a ride I didn’t get off of until I read the last page. As for the world without love Oliver created, it was at the same time amazing and terrifying. Personally, I don’t think I would be able to live in a world without love because that means there are basically no other emotions, and for me that’s quite terrifying. And that leaves the ending. I didn’t see it coming and it left me crying like a baby. It was amazing.
I love Lena. She is an amazing character and one that grew and developed in the best way possible. She was a completely different at the end of the book. I loved the way she went from a good girl who followed all the rules to someone who broke out of her chains and stood up for what she believed in. A lot of the change in Lena came from her relationship with Alex. Normally I am opposed to a girl losing her head over a boy but in this case it was just perfect. And Alex was the best boy to do that over. I don’t know how to explain Alex other than to say he was a genuinely good guy and there was never a doubt in my mind that he loved Lena. The relationship between these two made the book for me.
Delirium was absolutely incredible and just reinforces that Lauren Oliver is an amazing writer. I can’t wait to see where she takes the story next in Pandemonium. Waiting until next February will be difficult.
Lena has always been told that love is dangerous, a disease that can result in destruction. She saw what it did to her mother and then to her sister, but the cure makes it all better. Now Lena is counting down the days until she gets the cure and then start the peaceful life that comes with being cured. But just weeks before Lena was supposed to receive the cure, she meets Alex. Now Lena questions everything she has ever been told about love and a day she was looking for has become one she dreads. But what should Lena do when she realizes she has been lied to her whole life. Will she give up everything she ever wanted all for love?
Lauren Oliver is a phenomenal writer and knows how to write a story that will really move her readers. Delirium was no different. Right from the beginning, I was riding an emotional roller-coaster and it was a ride I didn’t get off of until I read the last page. As for the world without love Oliver created, it was at the same time amazing and terrifying. Personally, I don’t think I would be able to live in a world without love because that means there are basically no other emotions, and for me that’s quite terrifying. And that leaves the ending. I didn’t see it coming and it left me crying like a baby. It was amazing.
I love Lena. She is an amazing character and one that grew and developed in the best way possible. She was a completely different at the end of the book. I loved the way she went from a good girl who followed all the rules to someone who broke out of her chains and stood up for what she believed in. A lot of the change in Lena came from her relationship with Alex. Normally I am opposed to a girl losing her head over a boy but in this case it was just perfect. And Alex was the best boy to do that over. I don’t know how to explain Alex other than to say he was a genuinely good guy and there was never a doubt in my mind that he loved Lena. The relationship between these two made the book for me.
Delirium was absolutely incredible and just reinforces that Lauren Oliver is an amazing writer. I can’t wait to see where she takes the story next in Pandemonium. Waiting until next February will be difficult.