Delirium

Delirium by Lauren Oliver

Publisher: HarperTeen
Publication Date: February 1, 2011
Hardcover: 448 pages
ISBN: 978-0061726828
Price: $17.99
Recommended for: Grades 9+

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Lena Haloway is a 17-year old girl living in an alternate present in Portland, Maine. She lives in a time and place that love is considered to be a dangerous, fatal disease. Boys and girls are kept strictly apart to avoid any problems and books and websites are censored. And at the age of 18, everyone is "cured" of the disease, and matched with a suitable mate to live out their scripted lives in complete neutrality.

Lena's checkered past has been difficult and heartbreaking. Her dad died young, her mom committed suicide and her cousin's husband was found to be a "sympathizer" of those who want to do away with the cure. Lena, however, is counting down the days until she can be cured, because only then will she feel safe.

But then Lena meets Alex and the world as she knows it changes completely...

This young adult dystopian novel has elements of both The Giver and The Hunger Games. It's fast-paced, thought-provoking, and has a great romantic angle. (Alex looks just like Zac Efron to me!) I felt the world-building has some internal inconsistencies and some of the descriptive language was a little repetitious. But I can't imagine that this book won't fly off library and bookstore shelves. This is the start of a trilogy and there's a serious cliffhanger at the end. I, for one, am waiting anxiously for the next book in this series.

Things to know: There are some sexual elements and some brief, strong language.

Also reviewed by: The Eclectic Reader ~  Thoughts of Joy... ~ Open Mind, Insert Book ~ Bart's Bookshelf ~ Your link here?

Source: Copy provided by netGalley for review purposes.