Delirium Review

I just finished Delirium by Lauren Oliver and I quite enjoyed it. It didn't jump to my favorites list but it is a world I look forward to visiting again.

Summary:

 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.


Setting: 
Delirium is a dystopian novel set in America in the future (how far in the future isn't mentioned) in Portland. The setting was a recognizable America with skyscrapers, money, and schools. It felt like you could have turned the corner in any city and ended up on Lena's block. This made the dystopian element all the more chilling- this wasn't some war torn country somewhere. This was happening at home.

Characters:
I have mixed about the main character Lena. I like her because everyone can see themselves in Lena- in other words, like Lena, we all think we're "nothing special". Lena shows her bravery several times in the novel but not unbelievably so and she isn't so self-confident that it is unbelievable. One thing I didn't like about Lena is that she tends to be whiny and self-absorbed at times during the book. She also seems like she needs someone to push her to do what's right or to be brave and at times she can have a horrible sense of self-worth. In spite of this, I found myself hoping the best for her.

I liked her relationship with Alex- they seem to fall together a little fast but they have a legitimate period of dating and experimenting with each other and their relationship. I think Alex was a strong male character who pushed Lena when necessary and supported her when needed.

I think my two favorite characters were Grace and Hana. Grace turns out to be crucial and she shows how strong she is. Hana is that friend we all have (or we might be that friend) who speaks a little too loud sometimes, who decides to go off on a wild idea, and who is there no matter what.

Plot:
The idea that love is a disease that should be cured is an interesting one and I liked how the author showed the society's ideas on it. The book was interesting but it wasn't un-put-down-able for me. I put it down and picked it back up several times over the past few days. The book had several action-packed moments interspersed between relationship development.

In conclusion, this book was rather amazing. I felt sad for Lena at times and cheered for her through the book. I loved Alex. He was strong and his back story made him just tragic enough. The supporting characters were developed and made the book a better read. I'll definitely be reading the sequel Pandemonium.

Have you read Delirium? What did you think about it? How do you feel about Lena and Alex? How do you feel about a society without love? Leave me a comment and let me know!