Justine's Thoughts: Delirium by Lauren Oliver

Delirium (Delirium #1)
By Lauren Oliver

Source: Won from Stephanie at Stephanie Reads 
Pages:  441
Book Description:

Before scientists found the cure, people thought love was a good thing. They didn’t understand that once love -- the deliria -- blooms in your blood, there is no escaping its hold. Things are different now. Scientists are able to eradicate love, and the governments demands that all citizens receive the cure upon turning eighteen. Lena Holoway has always looked forward to the day when she’ll be cured. A life without love is a life without pain: safe, measured, predictable, and happy.
But with ninety-five days left until her treatment, Lena does the unthinkable: She falls in love.

A quote:

Hearts are fragile things. That’s why you have to be so careful.

Thoughts:

Expectations: I had extremely high expectations due to the hype and praise in the blogosphere and Lauren Oliver’s previous success from her debut novel, Before I Fall. I fell in love with her stunning writing then and thus made me eager for more. Ecstatic that I finally have Delirium in my possession, I was certain it would live up to my expectations, and little did I know it would rise above them.

About Setting: The United States of America is surrounded by walls for “protection”. The main story takes place in Portland, where there is described to be beautiful scenery. There are places called Back Cove, The Wilds, Roaring Brook Farms (and much more) where I imagined looking so beautiful, especially during sunsets and at night where the stars are in the sky. Lauren Oliver truly knows when to tell her story right because those are my favourite moments in a day.

About Characters: Wonderful is all I can really say. I adore Lena despite the aching amount of sadness and longing in her. I wanted the best for her and when that certain someone came, it was as if she has woken up from what seemed like a dream all along. Together, Lena and Alex are complete wholes. He is exactly who she needs and their relationship is something so entirely genuine that it makes me want to cry. Alex is a one of a kind guy, those rare ones that seem almost impossible to find. What’s heartbreaking is that their love is forbidden yet so strong. Hana, Lena’s best friend who she goes running with, gets the chance to develop and shine in the novel. I love her to pieces as well. Other minor characters such as the ones Lena lives with provide us with never a dull moment.

About Plot: When I first heard of the summary, I thought of how someone was creative and brave and genius enough to come up with such an original plot. I was ever so happy that that person is Lauren Oliver, whom I have come to adore oh so much! The idea of love being a craze, a sickness, a forbidden thing that is looked down upon in society is something that would definitely appeal to a curious person like me. Not only that, but the message of life and love that is in plain sight is life-changing and incredibly inspiring. Especially with Lauren Oliver’s astonishing flow of writing, she can even sincerely move a person who has no conscience at all. I fell in love with her words all over again and was struck with a sense of inspiration. Seriously, right after I finished this novel, I was immediately talking with newfound poetic words and had the sudden urge to write, write, write. If you’re looking for motivation, this book would be perfect. Actually, it already is perfect in all accounts.

Oh and the ending? It was aced. Beyond perfect. It’s different than most happy or unhappy endings. And that is the right originality I look for because it has a certain, strange effect on me. Which I happen to love.

Overall Rating: Y Y Y Y Y
My review didn’t even do justice to how much goodness this book has. All you must know is that you should totally consider reading this.

Justine's Thoughts: Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

Before I Fall
By Lauren Oliver

Source: Won from contest
Pages: 470
Rating: 5/5
Book Description (from Goodreads):

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—looks, popularity, the perfect boyfriend. Friday, February 12th should be just another day in her charmed life. Instead, it’s her last. The catch: Samantha still wakes up the next morning. In fact, she re-lives the last day of her life seven times, until she realizes that by making even the slightest changes, she may hold more power than she had ever imagined.

A quote:

How is it possible, I think, to change so much and not be able to change anything at all?

Any thoughts:

I was blown away by Before I Fall. I never knew how much it would change the way I think. By the raving reviews in the blogosphere, I knew, however, that many people absolutely loved it. Now I’m one of them.

Lauren Oliver’s writing is stunningly poetic. The right techniques were used for the right times. There was rhythm and there was flow. There was emphasis and there were moments near the end when I would take my time to absorb it all in. The plot was handcrafted smoothly. There were details from the beginning that were brought again to the very end, creating a perfect circle. Sure, it was nice and slow at first, but I understand it was necessary to go through all the important occurrences that happened in that day. And boy, were there many things that happened. It was a Friday, after all.

In the very beginning, Sam and her friends were known as the bitches of the school, intimidating and making fun of everyone around them. They were annoying and cruel, but they were real. Each girl has their own thing, whether it’s a loveable trait or a simple fun fact. Other characters like Kent (my favourite) and Juliet and Izzy have either a big or small impact in Sam’s life. They are all important.

The change is evident in Sam as the same days pass. I loved how each day is different -- Sam’s mood, her purpose, her realizations. Slowly, she starts to progress, and though selfless at first she begins to see everything else in a new light.

There are numerous things that this book covers: bullying, popularity, family, love, friendship, death and life. It’s unbelievable how much you can learn from the passages. It’s filled with moving quotes and inspiring actions. They will stay with you for a long while. And it will turn around to ask you the questions.