Review -- DELIRIUM by Lauren Oliver

Title: Delirium

Author: Lauren Oliver

Publisher: HarperCollins

Pages: 441 (paperback)

Rating: 5/5 Owls

Goodreads Teaser

They say that the cure for love will make me happy and safe forever. And I've always believed them. Until now.

Now everything has changed. Now, I'd rather be infected
with love for the tiniest sliver of a second than live a hundred years smothered by a lie.

Review

Once in a blue moon, an author comes along whose work you can't help but fall in love with. As time passes, and more and more of their releases pile up, they just don't disappoint. Every book is as good as the last. It's like they were made for writing novels.

That author, my friend, is Lauren Oliver. And she kicks major ass.

Delirium is the second full-length Oliver book I've read, and it enchanted me. It wasn't just her magical, lyrical prose that made me half seething with jealousy and half in awe of how wonderful it was. No, it wasn't just that, not by a long shot.

Everything about Delirium is amazing. The world, the writing, the characters, the writing, the themes, the writing -- okay, I think you get the point. Every word is carefully chosen. No sentence is superfluous. Oliver paints a magical picture, a picture that moves in my head and moves me.

Lena is quite indecisive throughout the book. When I think of Lena, I think of the angel and the devil that pop up on your shoulders. Lena is faced with a somewhat similar decision, and throughout the story, she has a yes-no-yes-no thought process. It's like she doesn't even know what she wants. And when she slips up, she sulks afterward. While this may be slightly annoying, it's human, and I give props to Oliver for making Delirium so humane and emotional.

Some people might call Delirium "slow," but I don't think the story would've had the same emotional impact and been able to get the same message across if it were more action-packed. Even though Lena's indecisiveness might be a bit out-of-control at times, she's one of the most relatable heroines I've read in YA -- I mean, who hasn't had one of those experiences where you're torn between what you have and what you want?

Even though Lena is so awesome, she's not my favorite character in the novel. That title belongs to Hana, Lena's best friend. She's the perfect amount of rebellious mixed with self-control. She knows how to have a good time and stay within the boundaries (or, if she's out of the boundaries, she knows how not to get caught). Throughout, I wished Hana would've rubbed off on Lena a little bit and she would've strengthened up, but I think Lena might be tougher come Pandemonium.

Delirium ends in a heart-stoppingly thrilling climax that will boil your blood and leave you breathless. (Trust me -- it happened.) I turned the final page and couldn't believe it was over. Luckily, I have Pandemonium right here, because honestly, if I didn't, I don't think I would've been able to survive the wait.

To summarize, Delirium was a poignant and emotional novel with a climax that will blow you away. Lauren Oliver, once again, kicks ass, and I can't wait for the rest of the series and all her future releases.

Five Owls