Admittedly, I was not all that excited about this book upon its release. The blurb did nothing for me. I thought a cure for love sounded silly. It did not interest me in the least. However, I have had a bit of an obsession lately with all things dystopia and Delirium kept popping up. Over and over and over and over again. Then I won a bunch of books in a Giveaway from Whitney Reads over at Burnt Pages and Pandemonium was in that bunch. So, I took it as a sign that I needed to pick up Delirium.So glad I did.The 'deliria' isn't as cheesy as I thought it would be. Oliver was clever with the world she created and the need for the cure. The panic that exists in the midst of any love or happiness was written masterfully. I believed every bit of it. What she created in Lena, the protagonist, was easy to relate to given her past and surroundings. The cure becomes a life line from the pain of abandonment and loneliness. The one sure thing in her life and she's so excited she counts the days. Until by happenstance she meets Alex and falls in love. With Alex she learns things she never dreamed of, the world she knows is turned upside down and shaken out. And now that she has found love can she still go through with the cure? Will she even be given the choice? The world sucked me in right away. There isn't a religious presence but their 'bible', for lack of a better word, is called the Book of Shhh and is full of biblical quotes and references. I found this all a bit brilliant. Romeo and Juliet is taught as a cautionary tale to children, again brilliant. Delirium is filled with these little things and I enjoyed every one of them. I will say again that Oliver was quite skillful in the way she created the question of 'to cure or not to cure'. At times you fully believe people would choose this horrible thing; to become numb from pain and misery. And then comes the end of the book...Oh. Holy. Cow. DID THAT JUST HAPPEN?Really?Okay, I know this review is a tad frantic and weird but right now... I don't care. I am off to go read Pandemonium because I NEED to know what happens next!!
