Review - Delirium By Lauren Oliver

"There was a time when love was the most important thing in the world. People would go to the end of the earth to find it. They would tell lies for it. Even kill for it.

Then, at last, they found the cure.

Now, everything is different. Scientists are able to eradicate love, and the government demands that all citizens receive the cure upon turning eighteen. Lena Haloway 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 then, with only ninety-five days left until her treatment, Lena does the unthinkable"

I have been eagerly awaiting the release of this book for so long.  I've heard so many rave reviews for it so I literally started to read it, the day I got it.  Here's what I thought......

Firstly the cover - I love it!  I love that they went with hardback.  For me hardbacks really are the best way to read a book.  They just look amazing.  The cover art I felt was very simple, but so effective.  For me it kind of sums up the way the characters live.  Like they are all basically hidden.  I also love the use of the birds.  For me birds always symbolise freedom & that again is something I feel the characters don't have & what Lena the lead character is searching for.

The premise for this book is amazing.  As soon as I read the blurb I wanted to read the book.  I was really interested to see how a world without love would be depicted.  I can confirm that the world that is written about is tragic & somewhere I never want to live!  But it is such an interesting place to read about.  I found it shocking that even parents don't have a strong love for their children.  I'm incredibly close to my Mum & it made me feel sad to think that our relationship wouldn't exist as it does now, in this book 'world'

For me Lena was really easy to relate to, even down to the small things like her height & views, we are scarily similar in some ways, except I don't have an Alex and I REALLY want an Alex!  He is Divine.  Just the kinda new Fictional Husband I have been searching for!!

Whilst reading this I couldn't help thinking of a couple of films.  The cureds were just like 'The Stepford Wives' for me.  I found them kind of robotic, and just functioning for whatever purpose is chosen for them.  Whereas the kids or Uncureds reminded me of the dancers in 'Dirty Dancing' Its like they are doing stuff that the adults won't approve of, but actually aren't doing anything harmful.  I love that a book could make me think of those.

At the beginning of every chapter Lauren writes a passage, sometimes they are poems, sometimes they are from medical journals of this world.  All of these I found incredible & I couldn't wait to start a new chapter to see what was written.  I particularly like the Rhyme at chapter 6 - check it out!!

The name for the illness of love is so awesome!  'Amor Deliria Nervosa'  I will forever try to keep this ailment in my life!!!

I found the end of this book brought out so many emotions in me.  It was thrilling, then heart warming, then heartbreaking.  But ultimately enjoyable!  I'm really eager to see what happens in the next installment.

As you can probably tell I really did enjoy this, but I didn't enjoy it quite as much as I hoped I would.  As always I blame myself for this, because I over hyped it for myself & it would have been really hard for any book to have reached the expectations I had set.  I'm going to try really hard to set my sights so high - yep its gonna be a struggle.....

Rating 4 Out Of 5

Published In The UK By Hodder & Stoughton

This can be purchased HERE and at all good bookstores