Book Review: Delirium

Delirium by Lauren Oliver
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

It's been a while since I've felt so passionately about a book's ending.

WITHER's ending annoyed me. DELIRIUM's ending infuriated me.

It was an ending that made me feel like the 400+ pages that came before it were all pointless. Here we are, in a society where love is considered a dangerous disease, and, of course, the MC, Lena, falls in love. Though at first she is just another sheep following the government's edicts, she falls in love and begins to realize just how horrible and wrong the government is. She risks discovery, death and ostracism to be with Alex. And when her disease is finally discovered, there is almost a whole chapter devoted to how she would rather die than be cured . . .and therefore be without Alex.

Ah, melodrama, right?

But I'm okay with that. In fact, I love melodrama, sappiness and doomed romance. But then there was the ending. An ending where Lena not only abandons her love, she doesn't even LOOK BACK. Alex tells her to run and there is no arguing, no second guessing, no great exclamations of "I won't leave you," she just runs. And that soured the whole book for me, and, in fact, made me feel like the whole message--that love is worth everything--was completely undermined.

I've given this ending a lot of thought, mind you, and I didn't miss the whole "love is sacrifice" theme going on. But Lena did not sacrifice. She ran. She saved her own skin and let her love die. The coldest act in a love story possible. Seriously, WTF? Babble to me about how it works all you like, but I will never believe it was love that made Lena run. It was self-preservation. I don't care what my significant other told me to do, I would not leave him to be gunned down, captured, tortured and/or cured. I just wouldn't. THAT is the sacrifice. Sacrificing your own safety/well-being/life to be with the one you love. Sacrifice is NOT running because your boyfriend tells you to.

In the end, I simply believed that the only love that existed was the one Alex had for Lena. And she didn't deserve it.

There, now that I've gotten the ending out of the way (grr), there was another thing about this book that REALLY bothered me.

The pets.

In a world where love, affection and caring is frowned upon, why do they have pets? I can see livestock or guard dogs, but there is one neighbor who has a dog that seems to serve no purpose other than being the dog (who we get to watch die in such a heart-breaking way--thanks for that, Ms. Oliver). It makes no sense. Why do people have pets? Because they want to have something to CARE for and LOVE. I see this as a major flaw in the story. Such a flaw, in fact, that I spent a great deal of time frustrated about it and even more time appalled that this poor animal (yes, it's fiction, but sue me) served no other purpose than as a plot device so the main character can ruminate on how WRONG everything is becoming. Grr.

Okay, I will have to admit that I didn't hate the whole book (just the ending). In fact, I really enjoyed most of the book. Lauren Oliver is an amazing wordsmith. She brings a rare, fresh beauty to her writing and her descriptions seriously make me curl my toes in pleasure. Her first novel, BEFORE I FALL, is one of my all-time favorite books, and while I can't say that I will ever think of DELIRIUM with anything less than aggravation, it didn't completely spoil my love for the author. Instead, I look at my impression of the book as just that: MY impression. Some readers might love the ending. They might think it is the best thing in the world. I just can't say the same. Which is why I gave a potentially 5 star book only a 3 star rating.

P.S. If there is a sequel, I will read it in hopes that Lena redeems herself.


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Book Review: Before I Fall

Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver is another book I've had my eye on for a while. The idea that you can come back and live your last day alive over and over until you get it right is intriguing. But it's also one of those ideas that can go very wrong if you don't do it right. Ms. Oliver did it right. (I also love the cover!)

According to the book's blurb:

What if you had only one day to live? What would you do? Who would you kiss? And how far would you go to save your own life?
Samantha Kingston has it all: the world's most crush-worthy boyfriend, three amazing best friends, and first pick of everything at Thomas Jefferson High--from the best table in the cafeteria to the choicest parking spot. Friday, February 12, should be just another day in her charmed life.
Instead, it turns out to be her last.
Then she gets a second chance. Seven chances, in fact. Reliving her last day during one miraculous week, she will untangle the mystery surrounding her death--and discover the true value of everything she is in danger of losing.

First off, Ms. Oliver can WRITE. Lordy, can she write. Everything felt fresh, and so true to a self-concerned high school girl's perspective. The shallowness of the MC wasn't overdone to the point where I wanted to smack her (or myself) but had just the right tone. In fact, Samantha seems very aware of how mean-girlish she can be and, for some reason, I liked that better than an MC who was completely clueless or even an MC who was on the other end of the spectrum (being the object of the cruelty). This was an MC with the potential to change. But would she?

I read this book in one day. Yep. That's how much I loved it. How much it absorbed me. I kept hoping that Sam would find a way to make everything right. I winced at her almost successes and understood the times when she just let it all go and did something crazy. This felt real to me, true to me, and something that I, if given the chance, could see myself doing.

I don't want to ruin the experience of discovering this story for yourself, but I will say that the end...shocked me. Made me cry. Not a happy ending, but not necessarily a sad one. If anything, a very, very fitting one. The ONLY one, I think. This is a book I not only recommend, but believe MUST be read.

Rating (out of five stars): 5 stars (amazing!)