Review for Delirium by Lauren Oliver

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. I’m a huge fan of Lauren Oliver’s debut novel Before I Fall and so was excited when my blogger friend gave me her ARC to read and review early. Having loved Lauren’s first book along with the amazing sounding synopsis I started Delirium with only the highest expectations and overall, I loved it, although I did have a few problems with it. I noticed a few- not plot holes as such- but a few things that didn’t add up whilst reading that I won’t go into as I don’t want to spoil this book at all. Not huge things, but just little things that niggled at me and didn’t ring true. I’m sure a lot of people wouldn’t even notice them they were that small but I did and I couldn’t help but being irritated by them. On top of that when I picked this book up I expected it to be very faced past, with none stop action, end of the world type stuff like other books that I’ve read in the dystopian genre but this book wasn’t like that at all. It isn’t slow exactly it just wasn’t action packed and because I’ve come to expect that from dystopian themed books I couldn’t help but be disappointed. This is in no way the book or authors fault, I just built it up in my head to be something very different. When I got past all of that and was half way into it I started to see the book for what it was – an epic love story. It was then that I fell in love with Delirium. Although I found main character Lena slightly annoying at the beginning I really began to like her when she met Alex and her opinions on Amor Deliria Nervosa started to change. And what can I say about Alex? I ADORED him. But which girl wouldn’t? He’s such a lovely guy and he recites poetry for gosh sakes! He’s definitely a new book boy crush of mine and I’m sure other female readers will fall in love with him too. One character who I loved throughout was Lena’s best friend Hana. I loved Hana so much she’s such a brilliant friend to Lena and I really hope that we get to see more from her in the rest of the books. Lauren Oliver sure knows how to writer her romance, when Lena and Alex were together they positively shone and the forbidden love aspect to it made their love feel even more convincing and tragic. I loved them as a couple and was desperate for them to find a way to be together. Lauren’s writing is hugely powerful throughout. She has such a beautiful way with words that really makes you feel what the characters are going through- resulting in lots of crying from me from start to finish! I also loved the little quotes at the beginning of each chapter it gave the book a really nice touch with a little bit of an idea of what our characters will be going through in this chapter. What really made this book for me though was the ending, oh the ending! Delirium has one of the most intense, heart wrenching endings I have ever read. I wouldn’t have put it down if you paid me. I simply could not stop reading (other than when I had to quickly run and grab another tissue to wipe away my tears!) and when I closed this book I’m not ashamed to say I broke down into huge baby, red faced, puffy eyed, snotty tears and stayed that way for half hour re-reading certain parts and taking the book in. I loved this book so much that it actually pains me not to be able to give it the full 5 stars but because of the reasons I gave at the beginning of this review I just can’t. It’s not that I built it up in my head to be better not at all just different so of course I was disappointed when it wasn’t what I thought it would be which is why I wanted to make my reasons clear in this review so you guys now hopefully won’t feel the same way as me when you come to read it. Please don’t let these reasons put you off reading this book because it truly is brilliant. Pick it up expecting an epic love story instead of action packed, end of the world stuff and you will not be disappointed –promise. I cannot wait for the next instalment in this fantastic new trilogy Pandemonium. Highly recommend even with the problems I had with it. I could over look them, I hope you will too. 4.5 stars. My Rating 4.5/5 stars ****1/2 Synopsis taken from goodreads