Review: Delirium by Lauren Oliver

Delirium by Lauren Oliver

Intelligent post-apocalyptic sci fi...

Love, and everything that goes with it, is a curse in Delirium. People have operations to change the part of their brains that causes them to love, to hate, and even to feel. Society is perfectly in order, and there is little crime. But is it worth the price?

After meeting Alex, Lena doesn’t think so. She’s feared that the virus of love has run through her veins her whole life because her mother succumbed to it. After meeting Alex, she learns to embrace her emotions. The society built around her is a bunch of lies, and the only way to break free is to escape and never go back again.

I loved this book. The constant intensity of an oppressing society held my attention throughout. The characters are all very well rounded, (even the flat toned ones that have had the operation-which I’m sure is hard to write). The best relationship is between Lena and her best friend, Hana. I enjoyed reading about them whenever they were together.

This book ends on quite a cliffhanger! I’ve already preordered the sequel, Pandemonium. Excellent job, Lauren Oliver. You’ve got my attention!

The Forest of Hand and Teeth by Carrie Ryan

Book Info:
Genre: YA, Horror, Post Apocalyptic
Publisher: Delacorte Press


Mary lives in a secluded village surrounded by wire fences that keep out the Unconsecrated, an army of living dead. Ruled by the Sisterhood and the Guardians, the village may be the last one of its kind. Life is not about love and risk, but commitment and adherence to the policies dictated by the Sisterhood. Betrothed to a man she doesn’t love and tempted by her best friend’s intended, Mary has trouble believing in the Sisterhood’s rules. Even more, she craves what lies beyond the village walls, seduced by her mother’s tales of a vast ocean beyond the forest of hands and teeth.

The Forest of Hands and Teeth is gruesome and dark with love at its core. Set in a post apocalyptic society of religion and fear, the story draws on freedom verses imprisonment and predestination verses choice. Ryan weaves a complex web of passion, love, and jealousy. Filled with tension, strained relationships, and lots of teen angst drama, this tale is hard to put down. A great sense of irresolution keeps page after page turning at light speed. But if you want answers, this book is not for you. Written in a literary style with elegant prose and poignant descriptions, Ryan is more focused on the journey than the end result. Perhaps she will give us more answers in the second installment, The Dead-Tossed Waves.