Review: 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 government 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.

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The concept of this book was amazing and really the best part of this book, and that's saying something because this book is AMAZING! By the time you're thirty, you're bound to have had a bad relationship, one where you cried and shouted a lot, or did stupid things, it's that that this book capitalises on. That feeling when you're in love where you're high and nothing can bring you down. This makes this book wholly relatable to emotional teenage girls every where.

Lauren Oliver's writing is beautiful, as always. The feeling that she puts into her words is amazing, I was enchanted by it in Before I Fall and loved it even more in Delirium. The writing is almost poetic without sounding fake and it was a pleasure to read. I totally got the feelings that she was writing - Lena's euphoric happiness, the desperation for freedom, her ultimate sadness at the sad parts, which made this book a rollercoaster to read.

Usually I don't like overly emotional reads, but when it's as well thought out as this one I loved it. For me, Delirium was one of those rare books that had me from start to finish without letting me go for one second, (ask my boyfriend, I read it whilst eating, whilst he was trying to sleep, on the toilet) and whilst reading it I laughed, I gasped, I sighed and I bawled my eyes out then at the very end I threw it on the floor, banged my fists on the bed and started cursing about how much I hate Lauren Oliver and how I'mma fly to her house and demand a manuscript of book two. (if Lauren's reading this review, I don't really hate you, I'm just totally jealous of your immense writing skills and angry at that ending, kay.)

This review may end up very long if I go into the characters, I just want to quickly say how well the romance is written. Lena is the brainwashed girl who knows that something is wrong, Alex is the rebel guy, totally gorgeous, who shows her what is right. Typical set up in dystopians, but the romance is so... ahhh... can't put it into words. It's bittersweet, like that feeling you get when you're totally, blissfully happy but know it won't last. all the way through reading this book I was waiting for the big obstacle, but when it came it came big.

I've gushed enough, I really can't find any flaws with this book... it was totally and utterly breathtaking and beautiful. So far, Oliver continues to impress me...

Overall rating: A+

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This book was original published February 1st 2011. The edition that I read was released in August 2011 by Hodder and Stoughton.

Book received for review from the publisher.