Reading Response #1 : Delirium

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 18^th 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