REVIEW : Delirium by Lauren Oliver

REVIEW : Delirium by Lauren Oliver

   2:50 PM       Elisa

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Delirium

Author     : Lauren Oliver
Publisher  : HarperCollins Publishers
Source     : Bought
Pages       : 441

Summary from cover jacket :

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

They say that the cure for LOVE will make me happy and safe forever.
And I've always believed them.
Until now.

Now everything has changed.
Now, I'd rather be infected with love for the tiniest shiver of a second than live a hundred years smothered by a lie.

Honestly at first I didn't really interest on Delirium. The synopsis didn't sound really convincing me at that time. 'LOVE' is a disease? What the story would be? I expected a slow and a bit dragged story about disease called LOVE and I was afraid I wouldn't enjoy it. But then someday I saw this book sitting nicely at a import bookstore at the airport, with the same cover as I placed above which is veeeeeeery pretty and eye-catching. So I confess, the cover did make me buy this book xD
And then you ask me, do the story as good as the cover? Without a doubt, I say "YES". It's really beyond my shallow expectation! I'm infected with 'Amor Deliria Nervosa' because of this book!

Delirium is my very first book from Lauren Oliver and I fall in love with her writing style. She uses many symbolization and play with your imagination through her words which is so fascinating, so beautiful and poetic. Oliver also created characters that steal my heart because their real-ness, their conditions are make sense to me. And of course, at reading process I admitted Delirium is very well written, all things happened are connected to each other (especially those blurbs of 'Book of Shhh' or other songs and poetries), create a unique, touching yet heart-breaking dystopia story *sobs*.

Like everybody said, the first half book moves a bit slow because the author tried to give an image of this society, and for me, it helped me to understand more about the situation and background, what kind of things that built an obidient Lena for 16 years her life and reasons forced her transformation. I found it moves in a right path, not too rashly and I who naturally like to analyst something (lol) really enjoyed digging it.

Magdalena 'Lena' Haloway (I really like her name, so gorgeous!) lives in a future where the goverment of U.S. has indentified 'love' or called 'Amnr Deliria Nervosa' as a disease since 64 years ago, even the scientists have developed and perfected the cure of it. So at their young age, people will get a procedure (which isn't always work too) to get rid deliria's roots inside their body. So imagine you live at a place with no love songs, no love poetries, no touching for young uncures, no cuddling and hugging to each other for family or lover; everything related to love, even religions are prohibited and you'll get heavy punishment, could mean death if you break it. Everyone lives loveless like a robot, people married to someone who already set for them and parents have and raise their children just as obligations. All is fine and under control.
Horrible right? But not for Lena.

She has been living for 16 years with cured sister, uncle and aunt, been stirred and believing the society rules and she feels unsecured because of her family history, her Invalid dead mother and a 'sympathizer' brother-in-law (symphatizer is a person who helps Invalids and against cure procedure). They make Lena scared she would become like them and she can't wait to get a cure procedure so she will save and happy. Although there was a time I was a bit annoyed of Lena's pursuance, I also understand that she is actually a good and naive girl, look out for herself not to be a daring and rules-breaker. But then everything gradually change after she meets Alex

Alex is a catalyst of the whole story. He's the one who make the story brighter, and I found myself waiting for his appearance at every chapter like Lena does. I like Lena more after she meets Alex, although in book context he's a bad influence for her (okay, good influence actually xD). She becomes more lively and spunky, she learns facts about insurgents called 'Invalid', 'The Wild', a place beyond the electric fence and more important she realizes that everything she knows is a big lie and finally she decides something that change her life forever. I really adore Alex for his love to Lena, his loyalty and courage, and because of him I got a bit teary at the last part T^T.
Oh no, better I'm not revealing more things here.

Lol, I think I write an essay, not a review. And don't you think I always blabbering while reviewing dystopia books? xD

Overall I think this book tells about many good things : family, dare to love and sacrificial for other's happiness. I really enjoyed this book, the story progression and surprises that shocking and heart-breaking. I now can't wait to get Pandemonium in my hand and read more about Lena and know more why the goverment creates this 'loveless society'.

For Indonesian fellows, Delirium was already published her under Mizan Publishing. Hm... I have to say I'm not really a fan of the cover they use, although actually it's interesting /:
Well, if you find one grab it fast and see yourself how awesome it is ;D