Imagine a world without love. In this world love is considered a disease, you can be infected by what we know as a feeling of deep affection. Although Delirium may be considered just another futuristic sci-fi romance book, it has one very interesting story line. The novel Delirium by Lauren Oliver gives an entirely unfamiliar viewpoint of what our future may hold. The citizens living in this story have been told that once love (the deliria) takes hold of you, there is no escape. The disease will take over your body, mind, and it will inevitably drive you to madness. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes dystopian, romance books. Although this book is mainly a love story, there are still plenty of action scenes for those who prefer more intensity. Delirium is a very interesting story, and Lauren Oliver did an amazing job in creating a futuristic story with a new perspective.

   Delirium follows 18-year-old Lena Haloway throughout her transition from conforming to the society and anxiously waiting to be disease free, forever, to living a life full of rebellion and betrayal of her past life.

“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”.

Lena continuously attempts to escape her and her families past reputation. Particularly her mother’s reputation, who killed herself because of the disease, Lena was left with the judgmental stares from former friends and neighbors. She was desperate for an end to the constant critiques coming from those she used to know, and being deliria-free, would give this to her. But little did she know that what she had been told was nowhere near the truth, until she met Alex. Alex, was adventurous, intriguing, funny, mysterious and charming, and he brought out the intelligent and independent girl hidden within Lena. He was the one who stole her heart and freed her from the frame her society forced her to live in. Alex and Lena’s secret relationship inevitably made Lena question her society’s theory. Could love in fact, not be a disease?

Delirium is a phenomenal book that manages to capture the minds and hearts of many readers. Part of what made this book spectacularly unique was the alternate reality Lauren Oliver created. The theory that love is a disease made many young readers dive deep into thought about our society, and the theory became a possibility with the many arguments given in the book. The disease carries four main stages, each one builds upon the previous with deadly symptoms.  The Deliria’ begins with distraction, dizziness, racing thoughts, perspiration, and impaired reasoning skills. Phase two becomes more serious with symptoms such as, heightened emotions, loss of appetite, insomnia and insecurity.  As the disease continues, it becomes critical, involving fantasies, pain in various body parts, violent thoughts and hallucinations, and finally in the last stage, the disease physically paralyzes and kills the victim.  The realism of the story was phenomenal, and the fact that Lauren Oliver could transform this idea into a whole relevant riveting story was shocking.

Oliver managed to write a phenomenal book that has grabbed many young readers from around the world and reeled them into an intense story line. Lena Haloway’s story full of betrayal, love, and shocking and rebellious adventures makes this book worth reading. I would 100% recommend Delirium, and even if you are not a big reader, this book will snatch you right up into a troubled futuristic world.