This was interesting. A unique take on a future, totalitarian government. The book was, just a little bit, like Matched. Though, I think, Matched was much stronger and better done overall.
I'd describe this novel like a very modern, totalitarian Romeo and Juliet. I must admit, I am not a huge fan of the Romeo/Juliet theme ... so the book wasn't that engaging for me.
The characters were likable and interesting. But, once the whole falling in love started to happen, I thought the characters lost all sense of logic and reason. It IS possible to be in love AND rational ... something that eludes these characters.
I gave it 3 stars as it kept me reading, and I thought it was pretty well written.
"It has been sixty-four years since the president and the Consortium identified love as a disease, and forty-three since the scientists perfected a cure. Everyone else in my family has had the procedure already. My older sister, Rachel, has been disease-free for nine years now. She's been safe from love for so long, she says she can't even remember its symptoms. I'm scheduled to have my procedure in exactly ninety-five days, on September 3rd. My birthday."- Opening from DELIRIUM.
This novel is set in the future where the government has declared love a disease, known as deliria. In order to control the disease everyone gets "the cure" at age 18, basically a laser guided lobotomy to make you forget about feelings, fears and other things that may make you want to rebel against authority. Strictly enforced by regulators, everyone has to have the procedure and then live the life the government has planned for you, from your job to your spouse to the number of children you will have.
This is the world where Lena Haloway lives. She is weeks away from high school graduation and her 18th birthday, when she will be "cured". Her past harbors a dark secret: when Lena was eight years old her mother committed suicide because she was infected with love. Despite three attempts at a cure, none worked and she was left to suffer all the emotions associated with the disease. Lena's memories of her mother include laughter, gleeful dancing and her whispers of "I love you," something unheard of in their world. As she prepares herself for the cure she begins to notice the world around her. She notices how calm and serene those who have been cured seem. In fact they are robotic people, void of emotion and who mindlessly follow what the government tells them to do. Then she meets Alex who introduces her to an underground world where people believe that love is not a disease and that the cure should be avoided at all cost. She learns how they live in the world beyond the restricted borders of her town.
Lena begins to question everything she has been told about the disease of love, especially when she begins to fall for Alex. We follow her awakening to the feelings of love and to her realization that her mother was not crazy, just a woman in love. We follow her journey as she learns more about her mother and tries to escape the mandated cure.
I found this to be a terrible premise that could happen in a society where people do not have the ability to question authority. It would be so easy for a government to control people who feel no joy, love or pain. And I think there are leaders in the world who would welcome having this type of control.
The book is beautifully written and a joy to read. It made me think about how emotions can alter your perception of the world and how different the world would be without love. Lena's journey and her discovery of love reminded me of those early feelings of love one discovers during the teen years. A sample of the wonderful prose is found when Lena realizes she is falling in love:
"I know what the problem is, of course. The disorientation, the distraction, the difficulty focusing - all Phase One signs of deliria. But I don't care. If pneumonia felt this good I'd stand out in the snow in winter with bare feet and no coat, or march into the hospital and kiss pneumonia patients." (p.237).
The book stayed with me for days after I finished it, thinking about Lena's heartbreaking and painful journey to discover herself. In fact, the more I thought about it, the better the story became and I came to appreciate the deep inner meaning of the book. I was sorry to see the story end, but pleased to learn that there is a sequel in the works. I can't wait to find out what happens next for Lena.
After I consumed Ally Condie's "Matched," I yearned for another dystopian novel. "Delirium" definitely hit the spot. There's something uniquely mesmerizing about what the future holds and what our society might become. Will our society be anything like Condie or Oliver's versions? There are similarities in each that I found interesting, yet realistic, in both. What if love was considered a disease? Would you rush to get "the cure" if the government offered one? Oliver's use of love as a disease set up a fascinating plot that I found shockingly creative. Would I give up love and everything that made me - well - me? NO! What would you do?
The realistic emotion of Lena's character really made it easy to feel her pain and cheer her on as she realized love might not be as bad as everyone made it out to be. Honestly, there were times that I wanted to slap Lena and tell her, "Take a risk you might be surprised." She was excitedly counting down the days to her scheduled cure date until she met Alex. With Alex's help, Lena learns that the stories about her mother may have been fabricated. This adds a twist to the story that I hope brings forth more action in the next installment. When Alex came into the picture, I wasn't sure if he was cured or not. His character really surprised me, as did Lena's. They really added a thunderous spark to an already intriguing story.
Overall, Oliver breathed life into a fantastic dystopian novel that's filled with realistic, yet raw, emotion. The added touch of mystery in regards to Lena's mother and the heart pounding events that occurred during the raids is more than enough to keep a reader turning the pages. The ending was a complete and total shock. I don't know what I was expecting but it definitely wasn't the same as Oliver's ending. I look forward to reading the next installment to find out where exactly Oliver will take Lena and Alex?
"Delirium" is a great book to get you started in dystopian novels. There is a perfect balance of love, action, and mystery to keep you enthralled in Oliver's tale. Add it to your must-read list right now. You won't regret it!
