Delirium – Delirium Trilogy Book 1
Summary
Publisher: Harper AudioCan you imagine a world without love? Can you imagine a life without love? Can you imagine being able to love and then it being taken from you, never to feel it again? Yes love can and does make people weak at times, but isn’t love the root of everything good in the world? How could a world that views love as a disease be anything but unstable? True, yes that love is probably the root for most of the evil in the world too, don’t they balance each other out? I am fascinated by this mind set and grateful that the present day world does not view love in a negative light. Excited to understand how this could of happened and to witness a world that, in my opinion, is broken, I press play.
Delirium reminded me a lot of 1984: New Classic Edition, with a more youthful point of view. Instead of Thought Police there are Regulators, that are constantly on the lookout for rule breakers. Instead of Big Brother looking down on you making sure that you conform there is the mandatory conformity by way of brain surgery, at the age of 18, to remove love, or the delirium, from everyone. They both have the back story of forbidden love. Delirium takes place in the not so distant future in Portland, OR. I found myself wondering what the rest of the United States or even the world were like while this was happening in Portland. While my initial thoughts on what Delirium was going to be like were pretty much dead wrong. There was no back story on how the ritual surgeries started, but there were hints with the excerpts read at the beginning of each chapter. Was it only Portland that removed the delirium? Oliver has me hooked and I will be listening to the next book in the series and could see a very awesome movie in the future.
I read some of the other reviews about Sarah Drew’s narration and I do not completely agree. Some said that she is the best narrator they have ever listened to with the ability to create very different voices for each of the characters. While she was a great narrator choice for Delirium I feel that all of the character voices blended together after awhile and found myself having to pay extra attention to fully know what was happening and any given moment. Oliver’s writing style combined with Drew’s exceptional narration created an very easy listen.
Publishers Summary
“Ninety-five days, and then I’ll be safe. I wonder whether the procedure will hurt. I want to get it over with. It’s hard to be patient. It’s hard not to be afraid while I’m still uncured, though so far the deliria hasn’t touched me yet. Still, I worry. They say that in the old days, love drove people to madness. The deadliest of all deadly things: It kills you both when you have it and when you don’t.”
Lauren Oliver astonished readers with her stunning debut, Before I Fall. In a starred review, Publishers Weekly called it “raw, emotional, and, at times, beautiful. An end as brave as it is heartbreaking.” Her much-awaited second novel fulfills her promise as an exceptionally talented and versatile writer.
©2011 Laura Schechter (P)2011 HarperCollins Pubilshers
Disclosure
Audiobook borrowed from my local library.
