Review: Delirium by Lauren Oliver

It's been a while, hasn't it? I promise I'm not dead, just dormant.

I have a bundle of posts to do, so without further ado, I present to you... Delirium by Lauren Oliver

They say that the cure for Love will make me happy and safe forever. 

And I've always believed them. 

Until now. 

Now everything has changed. 

Now, I'd rather be infected with love for the tiniest sliver of a second than live a hundred years smothered by a lie.

Delirium by Lauren Oliver
2.5 Stars

Genre: Dystopic romance
Series: Delirium #1
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
Pages: 398
Additional Notes:
Been on my to-read list a while, pretty much since I joined goodreads. Will continue with the series, despite not liking this one as I heard that Pandemonium is amazing.
Goodreads
Amazon

Yesterday on the radio they were talking about scientific and psychological research done on the nature of love, through recent DNA and brain analysis.

Now whilst I was reading this, I questioned the plausibility of being able to simply cut out an emotion because as much as they try to pretend otherwise, love is an emotion, not a disease... and why they would even find it necessary. And why just love, not any other emotion, like jealousy or anger, like in The Giver? I know they say that anger and jealousy stem from love, but I still don't buy it. At least listening to this this has helped me along a bit, kind of demonstrating that it is possible, although I do question brain damage, because many of the brain parts which would have needed to be cut out to prevent love (as that is what they say they do in the book) are also essential to other emotions.

I know I should just accept it as sci-fi and move on, but my logical brain does not see how this could possible work. Maybe that is why you have to be over 18. It is obvious that Lauren Oliver has done some research into this, as her idea of a cure is, despite all, quite plausible. At least she hasn't tried to give them needles or something.

Onto the book.

This book comes up a lot when talking about Books Which Are Like the Hunger Games. Many people said it was like a better version of Matched. But I didn't really think so. To me the two are very similar, both set in a futuristic dystopic society where things are tightly controlled and two teenage girls, brought up obeying the rules, are now rebelling thanks to love.

The plot never really took off anywhere, plodding especially in the middle.

As characters, Lena and Alex both fall flat. Lena was especially irritating with her frequent claims that she is 'pain', 'ordinary' and 'nothing special.' More then once she wonders why Hana hangs out with her, when Hana is so obviously prettier and more popular then she is.

You have self esteem problems.

And of course despite all her complaints that she is not pretty, Alex still loves her and says she is beautiful, yada yada yada.

There are also quite a few world building flaws:

Sometime during the book, she says that she has never dared to say the wored love. Love is supposed to be this big forbidden concept. And yet right at the beginning of the book, when she and her carer are rehearsing her evaluation, she says "I like children" and, after her carer corrects her, she says "I love children.

I'm sorry?

This is probably a simple editing mistake, but it is quite annoying.

I also didn't understand why it was set in the future, yet seemingly without any advance in technology? They have mobile phones, which shows that they haven't decided technology is harmful or anything along those lines, but I would have liked either something like the tablets of Match to show advancement or an explanation as to why they don't use technology.

I would also have liked to know what happened to the rest of the world. They say that the USA simply put up borders, but does this not mean that the other countries are living uncured? Whats to stop people simply leaving the country if they disagree? Instead of staying and starting an uprising (I assume that's what they'll do), thus ruining the society that a lot of people are perfectly happened with? Is there something stopping them? If so, I would have liked to know. Maybe the rest of the world has been destroyed. It's not believable, but even so I would have liked something to explain why these people decided to stay and live in the Wilds.

I was also extremely dissatisfied with the ending. Honestly, I would have preferred if Lena hadn't been so stubborn and just undertaken the operation. After all, hadn't nearly the same thing happened to her sister, and after her sister had the cure she forgot all about the boy. I suppose it wouldn't be much of a story, but it would have been much easier for everyone if Lena had been cured, even if she tried to resist like her sister did.

Overall, I guess that it wasn't a bad book, it was just incredibly underwhelming and I had many issues with the premise. It is hard to like a book when you are constantly suspending disbelief at what is happening.

Nonetheless I can see why people would like it, and indeed its not terrible. I just had some... issues with it.

Review: The Iron King by Julie Kagawa

Meghan Chase has a secret destiny- one she never could have imagined…

Something has always felt slightly off in Meghan’s life, ever since her father disappeared before her eyes when she was six. She has never quite fit in at school…or at home.

When a dark stranger begins watching her from afar, and her prankster best friend becomes strangely protective of her, Meghan senses that everything she’s known is about to change.

But she could never have guessed the truth – that she is the daughter of a mythical faery king and is a pawn in a deadly war. Now Meghan will learn just how far she’ll go to save someone she cares about, to stop a mysterious evil no creature dare face… and to find love with a young prince who might rather see her dead then let her touch his icy heart…

The Iron King by Jule Kagawa
4 Stars

Genre: Urban fantasy/adventure
Series: The Iron Fey #1
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Pages: 363
Additional Notes: Look at that font! So pretty! Pity the cover is green...

                                                                                                                       

The Iron King is like a classic Disney movie – predictable and unbelievable, but enjoyable all the same.

It’s been a long time since I read a traditional adventure novel – one that features the whole Hero’s Journey structure, with the protagonist going from one place to another to reach her goal. I can’t say whether I enjoyed it or not, as I had some mixed feelings.

My main problem with the book was that Meghan’s journey seemed a little too ‘easy.’ However, I do enjoy a good old-fashioned quest, and this book definitely doesn’t fail there. Meghan and her friends have a long way to go before reaching the realm of the Iron fey, and many bargains to make. It just felt like everybody was too willing to help – I wish somebody had caused some trouble which lasted for more than a couple of sentences.

Remember how I said that this was like a Disney movie? Yeah, that’s what I meant. The little conflict is resolved quickly – I just didn’t feel like anything bad ever happened to them. All was resolved nice and easily, and that was that. The plot never really develops, and the ‘climax’ felt forced - it was always obvious that Meghan would get her brother back in the end.

That’s not to say that I didn’t like it, because I did. The winners of this book were the characters – Grimalkin and Puck. Puck. Puck is absolutely amazing, and somehow Julie managed to give him lines which were so fitting for his character. Grimalkin was obviously based off the Cheshire Cat, right down to the disappearing act, but you know what? I didn’t mind. I love the Cheshire Cat, and Grim definitely does him justice. The two are by far the best characters I’ve read in a long time.

I could find so many good quotes, but I’ve got the feeling nobody would stick around to read everything Puck said, so I’ll go with a few.

“I’ve always wanted the IQ of a rock. No wait. That would be an insult to the rock.”

 “Oh, we’re playing nice now? Should we have tea first? Brew a nice pot of kiss-my-ass?”

“Bravo. The winter prince and Oberon’s jester agreeing on something. The world must be ending.”

Again with the Disney comparison – there are so many Disney characters that make me laugh every two minutes. Yes Timon and Puba, I’m looking at you.

The only probably with having such AWESOME minor characters was that they completely eclipsed the protagonist… I would ordinarily have found Meghan flat, but next to the complete, utter awesomeness that is Puck, Meghan’s boringness is just enhanced. I’ve heard that Meghan’s characterisation picks up, so that’s something to look forward to, but in this book she has absolutely no development whatsoever.

Ash is definitely a character I want to learn more about. This book barely touches on his personality, but in this case I feel like it was done purposefully, as if Julie is deliberately keeping us out of his mind.

                                                                                                    

I do wish though that Julie Kagawa hadn’t thought it necessary to throw in semi instalove just because everyone else is doing it. I really would have preferred if she just added in the romance in a later book, once their friendship had properly developed. The story wouldn’t have suffered and the relationship would feel more organic. I didn’t mind too much though, because the attraction didn’t interfere too much and at least the two weren’t declaring their love for one another after having known each other a week ;) *cough* *cough*

I would probably say that the world was a kind of collision of every traditional (and contemporary) fairy myth and legend; Oberon, Tatiana, Winter and Summer courts, binding contracts, reaction to iron, oracles, dwarves etc. etc. I do feel however that it was handled very well, and the world was  built up excellently. Though not too imaginative, it was well thought out, well-constructed and rich with detail. The fact that Julie Kagawa ‘borrowed’ most of her mythology didn’t bother me, because at least everybody acted like they were supposed to. Julie has obviously done her research, so snaps to her for that. I was completely sucked in by the world of the fey, and I love the concept of fey immune to iron.

Overall, I definitely enjoyed this book, despite the rather flat plotline and semi instalove. A well-deserved 4 stars. This is definitely an author I’ll be looking out for in the future.