Delirium by Lauren Oliver

Good Reads Description:

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.

Thoughts...

This book was brilliant. I have caught onto the hype that is the dystopian novel. I have read two wonderful dystopian series to date (Hunger Games and Divergent). That caused me to be a bit skeptical about this book. When you have read what you thought is the best out there, how is something else even going to compare? While this wasn’t as good as Hunger Games or Divergent, this book was still great. I would rate it at 4 stars which I am stingy with my stars (lol).

Seriously, the whole idea of this book is mind blowing. First off, I think this book appeals to a reader who enjoys analyzing things. The idea that a government would “cure” love is blasphemous. But yet, if you really think about it, it would solve so much. Love and Hate are two sides of the same coin. As much as they are two radical extremes, they are also only a shred of difference between the two. You have to love something so much to end up hating anything else in return. Without love (and in return hate), there would be no violence because you can’t contain the emotion to care enough about anything to act out. You would constantly have a feeling of contentment because there is no other way. Now, do not think I am in any way in favor of eradicating the disease that is love (even if it were possible). I am just saying that I can see the reasoning behind a government wanting to eradicate the emotion.

I often put the book down to just sit and think about what I actually just read. The government gave many reasons as to why love was a horrible disease, but yet you can figure out the meaning behind it. Once you have the procedure and are cured, you are a drone. You are just a robot that follows the governments plan for you. They tell you who to marry, what job you will have, and even how many children you must have. You are always just content. Content is good, but imagine never experiencing any heightened emotion; Never being euphoric with excitement or depressed with grieving. Nothing.

I could go on and on about the meaning behind this book, but I will stop here. I found this plot original in the sense that I have never heard of a dystopian novel controlling emotions to get the result that they want. I have heard of many ways to control the population, but this was new to me. It contains great characters that are easy to like. The love story is sweet and almost sappy at times. You are fighting right along with Lena and Alex, just hoping that there is a way for them to be together. But, let me just say, the ENDING. OMG. I NEED THE NEXT BOOK LIKE RIGHT AWAY. I can’t believe that Lauren Oliver would do this to us. I will admit to shedding a few tears and having chills at the end.

"I run for I don't know how long. Hours, maybe, or days. Alex told me to run. So I run. You have to understand. I am no one special. I am just a single girl. I am five feet two inches tall and I am in-between in every way. But I have a secret. You can build walls all the way to the sky and I will find a way to fly above them. You can try to pin me down with a hundred thousand arms, but I will find a way to resist. And there are many of us out there, more than you think. People who refuse to stop believing. People who refuse to come to earth. People who love in a world without walls, people who love into hate, into refusal, against hope,and without fear. I love you. Remember. They cannot take it."