Review: Delirium

Title: Delirium

Author: Lauren Oliver

Publisher: HarperCollins

Publication Date: February 7, 2012

Reviewer: Annie

Summary:  (From Amazon) 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: This book takes place in a future where they have found the “cure” for love.  It was determined that all problems in their society could all be traced back to love and so by eliminating it they are a much more orderly and safe society.  The story follows a teenager who is set to accept the cure.  All her life she has awaited this and known the reasons for it, but (of course) she meets someone who turns her whole world upside down.

I’m a sucker for these books so I read it quickly and couldn’t wait find out what happened next.  But since I have read a lot of very similar books in this genre they all seem to meld together and have a very similar feeling.  This one felt very similar to Matched, and I feel like they could all be derived from The Giver.  Even though I eat these books up, I really want to find something new and good in them.  This one didn’t seem to offer that, but I still thoroughly enjoyed it!

If you read and liked Matched or any other YA dystopia with an emphasis on relationships you will like this book.  It does feel very young adult, and I know that turns some people off, so avoid it if you don't usually like YA books because they feel juvenile.  This one with the lack of love and then suddenly finding it can feel at times very much like a teenage romance (and I guess that is what it could be). One thing that everyone can enjoy is the writing, even though the story might feel young it is written beautifully and you really won't be able to put it down once you start!

~ Annie