Delirium by Lauren Oliver

Note: Received as an eGalley from NetGalley


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.

Review: I have to start out by saying that no other author can make me cry like Lauren Oliver can. I never cry when I read, so this is a major achievement for an author - and for me to cry at both her books, well, it’s unheard of. Anyway, onto the proper review.

I loved Delirium right from the get go. Admittedly, some of the world-building at the start was a bit slow, but I could read Lauren’s prose all day so it didn’t feel like a chore to read. The world-building was integrated seamlessly into the story and honestly loved every word of it. I also enjoyed the paragraphs above each chapter that were supposedly from this new world’s handbooks and literature, they definitely gave me more insight into the world of Delirium.

Lauren has such a talent for creating believable characters, from the protagonist, Lena, to her best friend, family and every other character. Even the main characters feel rich and well-developed, like a book could be written about each of them as well. I especially like Hana, Lena’s best friend. She was fun and rebellious, and for a while I wondered why the author didn’t focus the novel on her. And although I loved her, I soon realized why Lena needed to be the main focus. Lena was very goody-good and never questioned the rules about the cure, and so she had the most developing to do. She had the most potential for growth throughout the story, while Hana was already there.

Now onto the part you really want to hear about - the love interest, Alex. He was utterly dreamy and I loved how natural his and Lena’s relationship felt. It wasn’t wham-bam, we’re in love, but rather well thought out and their relationship developed slowly but steadily. It felt natural, but with the right amount of paranoia added to the meetings - they could not be caught under any circumstances. The suspense was also very well written - my heart was often pounding right along with these characters as they got themselves in and out of some sticky situations.

Honestly, I was not expecting Lauren Oliver’s second novel to be as fantastic as her first, but I loved Delirium equally, if not more, than Before I Fall. I fell in love with the characters and needed to know how their stories turned out. The only complaint I have is that we have to wait another year for the next installment in the series! This is a definite must-read.

Rating: 5 out of 5