Delirium by Lauren Oliver
published 2011
441 pages
Synopsis from publisher:
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.
My thoughts:
Hmmm. Something about this novel didn't QUITE work for me, and it appears I might be the only person in the blog-o-sphere who feels that way. Interesting.
I loved the idea, and the story itself moved along quickly, building tension and keeping me wanting more. It just felt like I didn't quite know enough about the world, or how it worked, or WHY exactly everything changed. Oliver gives readers a United States that is significantly different from the one we see today, and yet I never quite felt like I figured out when or how it became the way it was.
I liked Lena - she was funny, and smart, and had a bit of spunk. But I never quite felt like I could believe that she would ultimately make the decision she did. Or maybe the decision just came too quickly. Or perhaps we were supposed to believe it was inevitable, that the seeds for it were inside her just waiting to bloom, but I never quite got there. And honestly, I liked her best friend Hana just a little bit more.
The writing was good, but never quite spectacular. Somehow it just didn't quite grab my emotions they way I had hoped it would, though many of the ideas explored were interesting and thoughtful.
""Most things, even the greatest movements on earth, have their beginnings in something small. An earthquake that shatters a city might begin with a tremor. a tremble, a breath. Music begins with a vibration....and God created the whole universe from an atom no bigger than a thought.
Grace's life fell apart because of a single word: sympathizer. My world exploded because of a different word: suicide.
Correction: that was the first time my world exploded." (p. 145-146)
It was a fun read, but never quite captivating. I wouldn't try to disuade you from reading it if you think it sounds interesting, and I will probably read the next book in the series if I see it after it is published. However, lots of other readers LOVE it, so obviously it does something right!
Finished: 4/8/11
Source: South side library
MPAA rating: PG for some tense situations and the beginnings of teen love/sexuality
My rating: 6/10
5 comments:
Sorry you didn't love this as much as everyone else has.
I often feel like I'm the only person in blogosphere to feel a certain way about a book. I know exactly what you mean. I know this book has been reviewed many times and often with rave reviews, but it just doesn't really appeal to me that much for whatever reason...
You know, I have stayed away from this book because I am afraid that it won't live up to the hype, and I am actually glad to see that you felt a little tepid about it, because I can imagine feeling the same way. I agree with Aarti. Often I feel like I am the only person in the blogosphere that just doesn't get whatever is being raved about. I guess I just have weird taste. Thanks for sharing your honest feelings with us about this one. I do truly appreciate it.
bermuda - hey, it happens. just makes the good ones seem even better.
aarti - it's always good to know I'm not the only grinch out there. =)
zibilee - I think there are more of us than we think. That's the great thing about book blogging - there is always someone who will tell you what they REALLY think. =)
Delirium is a very interesting read. It allows you to see love in a way you've never imagined before; as curable disease. Lauren Oliver is a very detailed writer, often times trailing off topic, only dragging the point of climax. The story was not as thrilling as I anticipated. It was not intense or emotional, until the last two chapters, which made the story a bit dull; not reaching what could have been an exhilarating tale. With all that set aside, I do recommend Delirium and most surely I will be picking up the second series; hoping for more romance and suspense.
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