Delirium by Lauren Oliver

Release Date: February 1st, 2011

Publisher: Harper Collins

Pages: 448

Buy The Book: Amazon

"Ninety-five days, and then I’ll be safe. I wonder whether the procedure will hurt. I want to get it over with. It’s hard to be patient. It’s hard not to be afraid while I’m still uncured, though so far the deliria hasn’t touched me yet. Still, I worry. They say that in the old days, love drove people to madness. The deadliest of all deadly things: It kills you both when you have it and when you don’t."

After reading Before I Fall I decided to seek out some more of Lauren Oliver's work. I was a little bit undecided whether I liked her previous book but I felt like her dreamy prose had promise and so I decided to see what else she'd written.

Delirium is one of the most beautiful books I've read for years. Not since I read A Certain Slant Of Light by Laura Whitcomb have I felt so completely moved by a book. The basic concept is original and intelligent, with a convincing backstory that makes for uncomfortable reading (especially with excerpts from the Book Of Shhh). A life without love is bad enough but a life without the capacity to even feel emotion... unimaginable. Those who have been 'cured' of love lose enjoyment in their hobbies, food tastes bland, friendships dissolve; it is difficult reading at times.

Lena, the lead, is convincingly straight-laced at the beginning of the novel. Abiding strictly by the rules is all she's done for her whole life, believing the stories force-fed to her by her adopted family and the government which has taken over. Her awakening to the truth of what's going on in this dystopian world does not just happen overnight; the realisation takes time. Lena struggles convincingly with the truth and struggles with trying to resist what has been drilled into her for her entire life. She is wonderfully brave and honest, with a good heart. You can't help but like Lena. Seeing her and her beliefs fall apart and build herself back into the person she is at the end of the book is thrilling and satisfying. You like to think that, should you be in her place, you'd be as brave as her.

But this is just the start. I had no idea when I picked up Delirium that it was the first of three novels, and so when the ending came I was in SHOCK (I convinced myself my book must have some chapters missing because it could just NOT END THERE). Having thought it was a standalone novel I was devastated with the ending, but now that I know it's just the beginning of the trilogy I see that it's a fantastic cliffhanger. 

Delirium feels like a more adult novel than Before I Fall. Concepts are echoed in both books, with themes of loss and identity represented strongly, but Delirium feels like a much more polished work. Lauren Oliver's prose is lyrical, fluid and beautifully written; the last few pages especially stick in my mind. This dystopian world is intriguing and I am truly excited to see what happens next. Check back for my review of Pandemonium, the next installment in the Delirium Trilogy, in February 2012.

Special Review! The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins
Released: Book 1 - 2008, Book 2 - 2009, Book 3 - 2010.
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Pages: Book 1 - 374, Book 2 - 391, Book 3 - 390.
Buy The Books: Amazon



"In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV. Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she steps forward to take her sister's place in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before—and survival, for her, is second nature. Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender. But if she is to win, she will have to start making choices that will weigh survival against humanity and life against love."


Okay, I resisted for a while, thinking that maybe for once I'd watch a film trilogy before I read the books, to see how that works out. But the intrigue got too much for me and I bought the Hunger Games trilogy. It took me four days to get through all three books and, as I read them so quickly, I have trouble distinguishing where one finished and the other began, so I'm going to do a joint review. 


Before I get carried away in discussing the politics or the plot or the fantastic world created by Suzanne Collins, I'd just like to say how much of a relief it is to find a book with such an absolutely kick-ass heroine. There are quotes attributed to Stephenie Meyer on all three covers of my copies; it must have been hard for her to read what is essentially a masterclass in creating a flawed, likeable, exciting, believable lead female for a book series. Katniss is everything a leading lady should be, in my opinion.


I'll forego the plot synopsis, it would take me hours to do it justice, and just get straight down to the nitty-gritty. Suzanne Collins' dystopian vision of the future is realistic and terrifying, mostly because it doesn't need much suspension of belief to consider that the world could really end up like this. When I wasn't reading the books, I was thinking about them. The first book never lets up in terms of action, and never compromises - I would say it's not really for younger readers because some of the death scenes and themes touched upon are fairly traumatic. But the first book's parting shot reveals a much bigger story, bigger than Katniss ever anticipated, and then we are sucked into a full-on war.


Taking into account the non-stop adventure of the first book, I expected much of the same in the second, Catching Fire. However, what I found was an incredibly intelligent account of war propaganda and an unmatched unpredictability I have rarely come across in teen novels. The emotional complexity of the situations Katniss faces is never played down and the second book is more intense than the first. And then comes the cliffhanger...!


I won't give it away. Now we come to the third book, the big finale. I'm still struggling with how I felt about it, to be honest. Again, it was intense and unpredictable and everything a great action novel should be, but the ending... it's hard trying to say how I felt about it without spoilers but the ending wasn't the ending I wanted, or the ending I'd have chosen if I was Suzanne Collins. However, I strangely felt it was the right ending for the characters.


This review isn't to say that the trilogy is all action, action, action. Oh, no. There is a love triangle right at the centre of the plot, and unlike the majority of love triangles in novels, I genuinely couldn't predict who would end up with who. While there were no long, steamy romance scenes, you get more of a sense that the characters care for one another, which is sometimes lacking in books aimed at this age group. 


I'm still working out how I feel about the novels, but isn't it the mark of a great book that you're left thinking about it long after you've put it down? I would recommend The Hunger Games Trilogy to absolutely anyone and I would defy them not to be entranced and enthralled.