Delirium by Lauren Oliver

author’s website: website / blog
release date: February 1, 2011
appeals to: Young Adult
genre: Dystopian Fiction
length: 448 pages
publisher: HarperCollins
overall rating: 5 of 5 stars

*the inside flap*
Ninety-five days and then I’ll be safe.
I wonder whether
the procedure will hurt.
I want 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.

*my thoughts *
Wow...I was absolutely captivated by Delirium. Lauren Oliver’s Before I Fall was one of my favorite books of 2010, and this may score as one of my favorites of 2011. Delirium is a fantastic example of dystopian fiction, but the honesty of the emotions that fill this story hit home in a way that makes it seem more realistic than futuristic.

Delirium tells the story of Lena, a teenager growing up in a futuristic America. One that prides itself on the fact that it has completely eradicated amor deliria nervosa – a disease we know as love. The book even starts with the prideful statement that, “It has been sixty-four years since the president and the Consortium identified love as a disease, and forty-three since the scientists perfected a cure.” Lena literally lives in a world in which love is seen as a debilitating disease that should be banned and destroyed if possible. While we obviously know that love isn’t a disease, the clinical descriptions of love that sprinkle the pages of this story make a pretty good argument for the disadvantages of the “condition.”

While love is forbidden, the citizens of this world can’t get the procedure that “cures” them until they are 18. Before that, every step possible is taken to keep girls and boys apart to protect them from becoming infected.

Lena is a huge advocate of the cure and is looking forward to her procedure. . .until she meets the boy that is able to change her mind. Her descriptions of falling in love are captivating, not only because they are so accurate, but because she is constantly scared of the forbidden feelings. Her internal debate between what she is feeling and what she has always been taught about the dangers of the deliria is fascinating.

I am a huge fan of dystopian fiction, so this novel appealed to me before I even picked it up, but the way that this story is written paints a picture of a world so similar to our own, that it is actually possible to imagine living there. Perhaps scarier, is the way that everyone in this new America wholeheartedly believes that love is a dangerous and deadly disease!

This is a beautiful story raging with realistic emotions and forbidden love. Lauren Oliver has delivered another breathtaking novel, and I look forward to anything (and everything) she has to offer next!

*short and snappy*
writing: Beautifully written in a way that pulls you directly into the story so that you can feel Lena’s conflicting emotions firsthand.
plot: There are several ingredients in this story, but they all come together in an easy to follow way that keeps you turning pages as quickly as possible.
characters: Amazing...Lena’s description
judging by the cover: The cover is gorgeous, but make sure you look underneath the dust cover to get the whole experience!
miscellaneous: On her website, Lauren Oliver offers fun things related to the world of Delirium, including: A Guide to Your Evaluation, A Partial List of Forbidden Books, and Testimonials of people who have undergone the cure. There is also a link to the HarperTeen Delirium page which offers a discussion guide and an excerpt from the book.
The Amazon page (link) has a pretty awesome playlist for the book.

The Dead Tossed Waves by Carrie Ryan

The Dead Tossed Waves by Carrie Ryan
(Spoiler warning: Because this book is part of a series, this review may contain spoilers of earlier books. If you haven’t read the previous books, you may want to skip this review)

author’s website: Carrie Ryan
release date: March 9, 2010
appeals to: Young Adult
genre: Paranormal / Zombies
length: 416 pages
overall rating: 5 Stars

*the inside flap*
Gabry lives a quiet life, secure in her town next to the sea and behind the Barrier. She’s content to let her friend dream of the Dark City up the coast while she watches from the top of her light house. Home is all she’s ever known, and all she needs for happiness.
But life after the Return is never safe, and there are threats even the Barrier can’t hold back.
Gabry’s mother thought she left her secrets behind in the Forest of Hands and Teeth, but like the dead in their world, secrets don’t stay buried. And now, Gabry’s world is crumbling.
One night beyond the Barrier . . .
One boy Gabry’s known forever and one veiled in mystery . . .
One reckless moment, and half of Gabry’s generation is dead, and the other half imprisoned.
Gabry knows only one thing: if she is to have any hope of a future, she must face the forest of her mother’s past.

*my review*
First, let me say that this book was absolutely fantastic. There is a ton of fast moving plot and I felt like I couldn’t put it down! I loved The Forest of Hands and Teeth, but this book was faster moving and had even more twisting and turning in the plot.

I was struck right away by the contrast between Gabry and her mother, Mary (the main character from The Forest of Hands and Teeth). The story starts with Gabry describing how she feels like the boundaries of her village are safe and protecting. She even says that the boundaries “were what held me together, what kept me safe and protected and whole” (p. 4). That struck me because her mother felt just the opposite in the first book. The whole plot of the first story was about breaking through the boundaries, so to hear this protagonist talking about needing them was interesting.

So much happens in the first part of the book that you are drawn in to the story and it becomes difficult to put the book down. There is a love interest between Gabry and Catcher, but after the attack (within the first two chapters), Catcher becomes infected, which obviously puts a glitch in things. Then Gabry meets Elias, and he seems to have love-interest potential too! And through all of that, there is the constant contrast of do I stay inside the boundaries or push past them.

Gabry is a very multi-faceted character. She is much braver than she ever realizes. It is interesting – she’ll describe all of her fear and doubt and hesitation, and then she do incredibly brave things anyway. She seems to believe that having the doubts make her weak, but really, her actions speak mountains for her bravery.

Overall, this story was incredible. I was completely drawn in to the world that Carrie Ryan created. The characters are so thoroughly detailed that you feel like you

*short and snappy*
writing: captivating – there is a lot of detail, but it never felt overdone to me. I think that the details added to the story by making it so realistic (even in a fantasy world)
plot: quick-paced and suspenseful – it definitely holds your interest!
characters: thorough – the characters are so detailed that you feel like you know them.
judging by the cover: I think this cover is beautifully done. It’s probably half of the reason I picked up the book.
miscellaneous: On her website, Carrie Ryan shares that there will be a third book in this series. Right now, it’s due out in Spring 2011.

The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan

The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan

author’s website: Carrie Ryan
release date: March 10, 2009
appeals to: Young Adult
genre: Paranormal / Zombies
length: 320 pages
overall rating: 5 Stars

*the inside flap*
In Mary’s world, there are simple truths.
The Sisterhood always knows best.
The Guardians will protect and serve.
The Unconsecrated will never relent.
And you must always mind the fence that surrounds the village. The fence that protects the village from the Forest of Hands and Teeth.
But slowly, Mary’s truths are failing her. She’s learning things she never wanted to know about the Sisterhood and its secrets, and the Guardians and their power. And, when the fence is breached and her world is thrown into chaos, about the Unconsecrated and their relentlessness.
Now she must choose between her village and her future, between the one she loves and the one who loves her. And she must face the truth about the Forest of Hands and Teeth. Could there be life outside a world surrounded by so much death?

*my review*
I saw this book and passed over it what feels like 100 times. I even read the cover a few times, but always put it back. Then, when The Dead-Tossed Waves came out last month, I loved the cover and read some good reviews, so I decided to start with the first book. And I am SO glad I did! This is an amazing story of adventure, romance, suspense, and difficult choices. Those ingredients and a fast paced plot kept me hooked! I read the last 250 pages in one sitting, and wasn’t ready for the story to end.

As this book started, there were a lot of things right away that didn’t really make sense. In the first 20 pages, you are introduced to the complicated romance situation between Mary, Harry, and Travis; Mary’s mother is infected; and you hear about the Guardians, the Sisters, and the Unconsecrated, but none of that is really explained.

The Sisters are very religious and nurse the sick, but when Mary is taken into their care, you also find that they are very strict and have a lot of rules and secrets within the walls of their Cathedral. Sister Tabitha, the “head” Sister is especially perplexing. I kept wondering if she was really as mean as she seemed, or if she was just testing Mary. It is within the Cathedral that two major characters are brought into the story: Gabrielle and Travis. While Travis is mentioned earlier, it isn’t until he comes to the Cathedral that you really understand Mary’s feelings for him. And Gabrielle – the outsider – is perhaps the ingredient that pushes Mary to question the outside more than anything else.

Mary isn’t content living within the city, and throughout the entire story, she seems to want more. But even when “more” comes, it isn’t enough. The other characters in this story aren’t completely developed with descriptions, but rather through Mary’s observations and interactions. You really get a sense of how her interactions with them has changed since childhood, and the characters even point out the fact that Mary always wants more. She is searching, but no one seems to know what she’s searching for.

Overall, this book was incredible. I’m not sure what exactly I expected when I started this book, but it far exceeded any expectation I could have had. There are a ton of ingredients that make this a great story. There is enough conclusion in this book for tie things up, but I’m excited to read the companion novel (The Dead-Tossed Waves) next!

*short and snappy*
writing: eloquent – Ryan describes everything so clearly that you are able to fall into the world she creates without realizing it.
plot: captivating – the suspense, adventure, and unexpected twists had me reading the last 250 pages in one sitting
characters: As the narrator, Mary is the easiest to understand, but her interactions with the others shows relationships that have grown and changed – even within this story
judging by the cover: The cover didn’t draw my in, but after reading the story, I get it.
miscellaneous: Amazon has a pretty great Q and A with Carrie Ryan here.