Delirium
by Lauren Oliver
I've
always been a huge book reader, always. But I've never been the type to read
non-fiction or fantasy. I like reading books that are realistic, where things
could actually happen in this world today. Then I came across Delirium. A twist
of some real, some fake, and a book that definitely gets you questioning a lot
of things. A friend of mine, Michelle Sharp, is my go to book chooser. Anytime I need
a book to read she has a list of things that she thinks I should read, there I
got introduced to my new favorite book series.
I’m definitely the type to judge a book by its
cover and I always read the first page of the book, if it doesn’t interest me
or leave me asking questions, I automatically put it down and go on to
something else. This book was different. I finished it in about 1 week, for a
book that’s 441 pages that is an extremely quick time, especially considering I
have 7 other classes to worry about. I’m sure you’re wondering what I feel is
so special about this book that I couldn’t put it down. Well let me break it
down a tad bit for you.
This book is set a little farther in
the future, where government is a huge part of people’s everyday life, which
isn’t necessarily a shocker considering the government is trying to have us by
chains now, but that’s a different story. At the beginning you meet a girl named
Lena who believes everything the new government does is all correct. Even
curing and preventing the delirium of love (Hints to the title of the book).
The government believes that the mandated cure of amor deliria nervosa will lead to a “safe, predictable, happy”
life. Lena believes so. It’s all she’s known. Especially having to deal with
her mom committing suicide because of deliria, when Lena was only 6. She doesn’t
want to end up like her mother, having to get the procedure over and over again
and becoming an Invalid, part of the Wild.
Lena gets more and more excited as her
18th birthday approaches, which is when you’re required to get
cured, get your evaluation and start your new “happy” life that’s made for you.
You forget about everything in your past, your bestfriends, your crushes, and
anything unpleasant and scarring. Lena is ready. But then she meets Alex. A
cured one, at least so she thinks. He’s someone who makes her question everything
she believed in before. Now everything has changed. She seems to rather be
infected with love for the smallest second, then live in a lie. In a trapped
bubble. Something that she used to her whole life she’s finally starting to
question what’s really true.
This
book sends you through ups and downs, twists and turns. In just a few pages you’re
hooked and want to know what happens next. It’s fast paced and you end up
feeling just as Lena. What would you do if our government became like this?
Would you follow the path like everyone else or rebel and become an invalid. Would
you follow through with the path that was already set up for you? Is love
really a disease? Is the government really trying to protect Lena and her town?
Are they really worried about their safety and as great as they make themselves
seem? Can love really exist and be happy or does it kill you in the end? Read
Delirium to find out.
“Symptoms of Amor Deliria Nervosa
PHASE
ONE:
-preoccupation;
difficulty focusing
-dry
mouth
-perspiration,
sweaty palms
-fits
of dizziness and disorientation
-reduced
mental awareness; racing thoughts; impaired reasoning skills
PHASE
TWO:
-periods
of euphoria; hysterical laughter and heightened energy
-periods
of despair; lethargy
-changes
in appetite; rapid weight loss or weight gain
-fixation;
loss of other interests
-compromised
reasoning skills; distortion of reality
-disruption
of sleep patterns; insomnia or constant fatigue
-obsessive
thoughts and actions
-paranoia;
insecurity
PHASE
THREE (CRITICAL):
-difficulty
breathing
-pain
in the chest, throat or stomach
-complete
breakdown of rational faculties; erratic behavior; violent thoughts and
fantasies; hallucinations and delusions
PHASE
FOUR (FATAL):
-emotional
or physical paralysis (partial or total)
-death
If
you fear that you or someone you know may have contracted deliria, please call
the emergency line toll-free at 1-800-PREVENT to discuss immediate intake and
treatment.”
―
Lauren Oliver, Delirium
