Book Review: Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver

February 28th, 2012
HarperTeen
375 pages (Hardcover)

I'm pushing aside the memory of my nightmare,
pushing aside thoughts of Alex,
pushing aside thoughts of Hana and my old school,
push,
push,
push,
like Raven taught me to do.
The old life is dead.
But the old Lena is dead too.
I buried her.
I left her beyond a fence,
behind a wall of smoke and flame.

Lauren Oliver delivers an electrifying follow-up to her acclaimed New York Times bestseller, Delirium. This riveting, brilliant novel crackles with the fire of fierce defiance, forbidden romance, and the sparks of a revolution about to ignite.

A girl I used to take dance classes with called this book "a waste of paper" on her Facebook.  Uhm, what?  You can't be serious.  Okay, so a couple things annoyed me, but, damn, did I like this book.

The structure was frustrating at first.  The book flips between "Then" and "Now", and it took nearly the whole book for me to get used to that.  I mean, the events aren't hard to separate, but I found it just messed with the flow of the book.

Then I couldn't keep track of the characters in the "Then" chunks.  Plus, the only one I held ANY interest in was Hunter, who there was not nearly enough of.  I wanted more Hunter.  And more character development here.

Yet, with an ending like this one had, I was left wanting so much more.  Seriously, that was brutal.  Just when I started to REALLY like Julian...

Much love, Samantha  

Book Review: Delirium by Lauren Oliver

February 1st, 2011
HarperTeen
480 pages (Hardcover)

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 government 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.

 What took me so long to pick up this freakin' book?!?!

Instantly I related to Lena.  She felt mediocre next to Hana, but was afraid to step out of line.  She had been taught to be one way, and was scared to embrace another way of life.  And I do not blame her.  I would have been that same.  I need that extra push to step out of my comfort zone.

And Alex!  Oh god, that romance was almost disgustingly cute.  Ah, first loves, not that I would actually know...

Overall, I really liked it.  Medicalization is one of my favourite topics.  It amazes me how anything can be turned into a disease.  So you say you feel sad today?  Here's some anti-depressants.  It's part of the reason I want to get into the pharmaceutical industry.  I hate how there is big money in medicating life.

Anyways, good thing I have Pandemonium right here.  Expect that review to be up soon!

Much love, Samantha