Review: Deliruim by Lauren Oliver

Reviewer: Taylor
Title: Delirium
Author: Lauren Oliver
From: Bought
Series: YES
Rating:4/5


  
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.

Ahhh! I FINALLY,  finally, finally read this. and truly enjoyed it. 


The book did start out a little slow for me. I feel like there were so many pages used just to set up the story. I understand we need a good set up to help us understand the story, but I just found myself not as motivated to read towards the beginning of this book.


However, that is really the only semi-bad thing I have to say about this book. The rest was so, so good. I can't imagine living in a society where love is considered a disease. At the beginning of each chapter, Lauren Oliver would have some sort of quotation or traditional saying that referred to the harmfulness of the deliria. I loved them! They made the society seem that much more real.

Characters- I give an A+. I loved how Lena wasn't a rule breaker at all in the beginning. Too often I think we begin the story with an already strongwilled, hard headed heroine. However, in this case, Lena was stubborn, but she was being stubborn about wanting and needing to follow the rules. She did not want to break the mold of society. And, I loved witnessing the realization and evolution that came with Lena's character. Also, Alex. I loved Alex. Why? because he was NOT a jerk in any way, he treated Lena right, and he was handsome and brave. Ahhh.


but that ending. OH, that ending. Just wait and see if you haven't read it. Basically, I NEED PANDEMONIUM NOW.


thanks so much for reading!


Taylor

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Top Ten Tuesday: All The Books I Want To Read, But Just Haven't Yet.

Hosted by Broke and Bookish

Rebekah:

1. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stiegg Larsson: I can't tell you how badly I've wanted to start these...I bought the first one a few months ago and the second last month. WILL START ASAP.

2. The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky: Seriously, WHY haven't I read this?

3.1984 by George Orwell: Again. It's happening. Any day now.

4. Emma by Jane Austen: Technically, I started this over the summer just never finished. Hm....I've owned for.....2 years? what's wrong with me?

5. Eragon by Christoper Paolini. I'm skeptical to start but I want to. I promise.

Taylor:

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Wishing For

First of all,

we are SO sorry! We have been MIA for quite a few days now. Rebekah has been really sick, and I've just been super busy. I've hated having to be away!

We just want y'all to know (all 37 of you!!) that we appreciate you taking the time to follow and read our blog SO MUCH. We can't believe it, and we feel so blessed. 

Anyways! With our business and sickness, we haven't been reading too much lately. 

So, we thought we'd do a quick "wishing for" post on the books we hope to add to our collections soon!

Taylor

The Future of Us  by Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler: This book looks awesome. I remember getting on dial up internet using AOL, and I can't imagine discovering myself 15 years in the future on Facebook!

Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi: I think this book goes without saying... basically every book blogger on the planet says this is FULL of awesome. and i NEED it.

Outside In by Maria V. Snyder: I know this one isn't new, but I own, read, and loved the first one this summer, and I really want to get my hands on this one!


bekah

Article 5 by Kristen Simmons: Ok so technically I guess this is a "waiting on.." but THIS LOOKS AMAZING!!! and you all know how much we love dystopian. c'mon.

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin: Beautiful cover. The whole "oh-i-have-amnesia-i-am-tragic-and-beautiful" thing might be overdone, but i want to read this.

Linger by Maggie Stiefvater: ok, ok. I didn't think I would like the series. I just finished the first one....I gotta know what happens. Sue me.



P.S. WHO IS EXCITED ABOUT THIS:
http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1674119/hunger-games-trailer.jhtml

SO EXCITED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Review - This Girl Is Different

Author: JJ Johnson
Publisher: Peachtree Publishers
My Rating: 3.5 Stars

Evie is different. Not just her upbringing-though that's certainly been unusual-but also her mindset. She's smart, independent, confident, opinionated, and ready to take on a new challenge: The Institution of School. 

It doesn't take this homeschooled kid long to discover that high school is a whole new world, and not in the way she expected. It's also a social minefield, and Evie finds herself confronting new problems at every turn, failing to follow or even understand the rules, and proposing solutions that aren't welcome or accepted. 

Not one to sit idly by, Evie sets out to make changes. Big changes. The movement she starts takes off, but before she realizes what's happening, her plan spirals out of control, forcing her to come to terms with a world she is only just beginning to comprehend. 




Review.
All in all, this was a good book. The protagonist, naive but ambitious (kind of annoying too), goes though a journey---High School. She deals with the realities: friends, boys, teachers, school lunches, pep rallies, you name it. She also deals with herself: who is she? what's the right thing to do? what does she need?


I'm just not in love with it because I didn't become that emotionally invested in it. 
Evie was good (and I thought the author's decision on her name was GOLDEN), but she bothered me. I wanted to root for her more, and I expected myself to do so....still, she went through a transformation and by the end, I saw a better Evie. Just wish I could have seen more of her.


I don't want to give too much away about the plot, but I would have like the story more if I knew more about the other leads and their stories. Jacinda. I liked her, but I didn't know her well enough. I wanted the friendship aspect to be more important. 


I liked the love interest - Rajas - a lot. Just wish the "chemistry" between the two would have been more played out, and therefore, a little more believable.  


I thought the dialogue was SO great though. Martha, el madre, was SO funny. She was such a hippy--I loved her. But I could see how Evie was Evie because of her. Their mother/daughter relationship was unique and funny, but far from perfect. Then again, what mom/daughter combo is?


I'm in love with the cover art. It's fantastic.


All in all, I liked it. It says a lot about being true to what you believe, but more or less, believing in the people around you and not losing hope. 


And who doesn't want to read about that?

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TOP TEN TUESDAY (4)

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted over at brokeandbookish! today's question...

What are the top ten books you have read that were outside of your comfort zone?

Unfortunately, it's late. 

and, unfortunately, we have yet to do our top ten Tuesday post.

And,

Most unfortunately of all,

we are tired and have 8 o'clock classes tomorrow.

Why, college? WHY?

So, I (Taylor) threw together the best partial list I could of books outside of my comfort zone. Considering I just really branched into YA this summer (excluding Harry Potter, Twilight, and The Hunger Games), a lot of the books I have read could be considered outside my comfort zone since I am still somewhat new to the genre!

So, anyways, short and sweet.

honestly, as heart breaking as this book was, it was a seriously slow paced read for me. definitely out of my comfort zone though to be reading a book dealing with such serious issues.

this series sounded SO WEIRD to me when i heard about it. demon hunters? really? needless to say, I did not think high fantasy was my thing. let me tell you though, in these books it is TOTALLY my thing.

another one dealing with a hard topic- abuse. but I LOVED this book. it was funny, heart wrenching, and heart warming at the same time.

High fantasy, once again! This one didn't quite do it for me, though, like City of Bones and Ashes. Still cute!

finally, paranormal just doesn't appeal to me most of the time. but this book. wow. freaking hilarious and awesome! I have Demonglass on my shelf and can't wait to read it!

so, half of a top ten? that kind of counts, right? 

not really, though. sorry for the lack of list!

we shall be back next week for a more thorough top ten though!

thanks for reading!

link back to your top ten so we can check it out!

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