A Review of Delirium by Lauren Oliver
What would it be like if love were diagnosed by science and state as being a curable disease? Such is the case with Delirium, a spectacular adventure about love and all of the good and bad things that go with it. It is always pleasant to write reviews on such kind of stories. In this tale, we are taken on a journey filled with exciting characters that live in a world where every citizen is required by law to be cured of love when they turn 18. Our main character, Lena, is going to turn 18 in 95 days and will then receive the cure; however, things get a little complicated.
The Story
Not only are the citizens in this world required to be cured of love, they are also told what job they will have and how many children they sire. The definition of the word freedom in this world takes on a whole new type of meaning. They are free from the strongest human emotion, and their intellects are allegedly allowed to benefit from this condition.
On the day that Lena is to be cured, a herd of cows is released into the facility where she is to have her procedure performed. This prank is pulled by the invalids, a group of people who live outside of society and have not been cured. They are making a social statement and proclaiming that the cured citizens of this world are like a bunch of cattle. A few moments later during the midst of this turmoil, Lena meets Alex, a cured boy from Portland, Maine.
The two of them then begin hanging out together. Later, at an illegal party (where underage, uncured girls and boys get together), Lena is injured when the event is raided by the authorities. Alex rescues her and reveals that he has not been cured. He takes her out to the Wilds where many of the uncured people live. The couple then decides to run away and live together; however, there are several other things that happen.
The Characters
Lena is fearful at the beginning of the story and gradually begins to overcome this debilitating emotion with the help of Alex. She constantly changes her mind and is often confused about many of the emotional issues that confront her. She continually feels compelled to do the right thing, whatever that may be.
Alex is Lena’s boyfriend and is a character that is only developed to a certain degree. His primary role in the story seems to be that of providing Lena with a love interest. He is a simple character and doesn’t complicate matters too much by being an intellectual with emotional depth. Lena is obviously more interested in his abs than his mind.
There are two other characters worth mentioning. The first is Hanna, who is Lena’s BFF. She is constantly getting them in trouble by going to the forbidden gatherings of boys and girls. She is not portrayed as being as strong as Lena; however, she comes from a wealthy family. The other character is Brian, who is the male that has been selected for Lena by the state, but he is a geek and she rejects him.
The primary themes that run throughout the tale are those of fear and love. At many times throughout the narrative, the two emotions almost seem to be identical. Although a cure has been established by society to confront these often deadly emotions, it turns out that in many ways, the cure only ends up making things worse. Oliver does a magnificent job with handling the various emotions of the main characters and makes them interesting by always allowing them to be fully expressive of their feelings.
If there were a cure for love, would it be wise to accept the procedure? One can only guess at the answer because in the real world, everyone is forced to live with this emotion, so it would seem prudent to deal with it in a healthy way so that life is good and happiness is always within reach. Reviews on such kind of novels are always great to write because you better understand the plot, characters and main motives. If you don’t know how to write a review, it is not a problem as you always can get writing help from services like AdvancedWriters.com to get the idea of this process. So, read books and write reviews! It is always fun.
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