- Delirium ★★★★★
- Pandemonium ★★★
- Requiem expected publication: Feb 2013
Another young adult dystopia trilogy. I believe I have another YA dystopia trilogy in my to read list (The Chemical Garden). Seems like this is the "it" YA genre at the moment.
Delirium takes place in future America. The government has decided that love is a disease, amor deliria nervosa, and have developed a cure for it. Every citizen will receive the cure when they turn 18, since having the procedure early can have dangerous side effects. The procedure does not just cure romantic love, it cures love for your family, friends, pets, everything. Each citizen takes an evaluation exam and is matched with their future spouse, job, and approved number of children based on income.
There are those who don't believe in the disease, never cured, live on the outskirts of the cities, the Invalids. There are also people who are not cured by the procedure for whatever reason. They are the Resistance, the Sympathizers.
Lena is turning 18 soon and is looking forward to the cure because she is afraid of the disease. Like everyone else in the society, she has been brainwashed to believe love is dangerous and will make you go crazy, and eventually kill you. But of course, she falls in love before the procedure and begins to question her believes.
When I first started reading the book, I kept thinking about what a society without love would be like. What motivates people, what keeps things in order, and how could people possibly believe that love is a disease. As the story progresses, I began to wonder what the world must have been like right before they proclaimed love as a disease, how much pain and despair the world must have felt for it to give up love. I am sure everyone has had bad break ups and heartaches, but I have never been hurt to the point where I want to give up on love. To think this whole society has been through something so traumatizing that they want to get rid of love once and for all, I started to pity them.
SPOILER ALERT - highlight to read
The first book is great all around. Writing, characters, plot, setting, all flawless. I was so drawn to Lena and Alex's romance. When Lena made the decision to go to the Wilds with Alex, my heart almost leaped out of my chest, you go girl! So, needless to say, the ending... torn me to pieces. I kind of knew Alex wouldn't be dead, but I didn't know what to expect either. It became clear in Pandemonium that Alex definitely wasn't dead, thanks to very obvious foreshadowing. My guess what that they gave Alex the Cure, Lena finds Alex and is heartbroken, and the stories goes on blah blah blah. But NOPE! It turns out to be a freaking Twilight wannabe typical YA love triangle. Why Lauren Oliver, why? The trilogy has so much potential, why must you go down that route? Although shocking, the ending of the the second book is extremely disappointing (reason for only 3 stars). Now we know the last book will be a very obvious will Lena pick Alex or Julian scenario. It takes away from the theme of the book, cheapens the book.
Going back to the love triangle, I do hope Lena ends up with Alex. I feel so bad for Alex at the end of Pandemonium because, well, how awkward! He came back from prison after risking his life just to see the girl he loves in another boy's arms. I think I died a little inside... Yes, Lena believed Alex was dead and she is not at fault for falling for another boy, but poor Alex! Poor Lena! Poor Julian! Alex said "don't believe her" when Lena promised Julian they will be together forever. Did he say that out of desperation? As in, don't believe her because she said the same thing to me once and now she has left me? Or did he mean don't believe her because she really loves me and will stay with me forever? I wish Lena would stay with Alex and Alex would take her back. I think of Julian as a rebound. The moments Lena spent with Julian were tinted with Alex's presence. Like the morning she woke up with Julian, thinking she was in Alex's arms, and the moments Julian's face mergds with Alex's. I feel bad for Julian, but he never had a future in Zombieland to begin with. Not like he was going to get cured and matched and have a boring but good life. At least he has opened his eyes to love and know what freedom feels like.
Overall, I like the books. Disappointed in the ending of Pandemonium but will pick up the third one next year. I recommend it to all the dytopia trilogy lovers. Good story, good concept, but I am prepared to be disappointed in the last book.
|| [ 雪子 ] ||
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