2 Minute Book Review: Delirium

Reading time for this post: 2 minute, 26 seconds. Read it Later



Book: Delirium
Author: Lauren Oliver
Audio book read by: Sarah Drew (Grey's Anatomy anyone?)

After reading the book "Before I Fall" by the same author, I decided I wanted to read more from her. The story is well written, and really like Sarah Drew's voice for the main character, Lena. The premise of the book was a bit of a stretch for me because I find it difficult to believe the human race could be convinced (by their government no less) that it's safer to have a lobotomy rather than to risk feeling love. The word love has itself been vetoed and now is known as "amor deliria nervosa." Much like the main character in Before I Fall, Lena seems too scared to do anything out of her highly pressured comfort zone. In Lena's case, the government enforces the societal rules, and in Samantha's case, her friends do. Both are not living their true natures, both conform to their societies. In Lena's story though, she didn't know she there was another option. Once she learned about the truth, she rejected the idea that love is dangerous.

What I didn't like:
It takes Lena a long time to break away from her obedient, brainwashed persona. She was very indecisive for most of the book, and I found her best friend to be a more interesting characters at times. It was a little slow, and from what I can tell, by the end of the book she's still not the ballsiest heroin that I've read. However, I do feel like there is potential for serious growth. The book had the feel of a very long set-up for the real story to begin in the second installment.

What I did like: 
The writing is almost like lyrics and prose. In a way, although Lena was not the typical brave heroin, I did find her believable, just not relatable. I’m a sucker for love stories, even if this one was a little bit of a stretch. True love in teenagers is a tough one for me to swallow no matter who’s book I’m reading. And maybe that is the point. Maybe viewing this story through the eyes of a near 30-year-old adult, makes it easier to see into the future of this love story. Teen romances rarely last, and this is only the first book of three, so maybe the flaws in the love story are intentional.

Verdict:
I'd recommend this book. It's an interesting story, and dystopian books are really popular at the moment. I am really anticipating the second and third installments of this book, despite originally choosing the book because I thought it was not a part of a series. I want to know more about the rest of the world Lena lives in and I expect that the subsequent books will fill in the picture a little more for me. I can’t wait for the next book, as the buildup in this one was just getting heated at the very end.