Review: Delirium by Lauren Oliver

Title: Delirium

Author: Lauren Oliver site

Format: Audiobook

Voice Actress: Sarah Drew site

Published: 2/01/2011

Publisher: Listening Library

Source: eMedia Library

“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.”

-Goodreads

Characters:

I really liked that Lena isn’t your typical dystopian heroine. She’s clumsy, awkward, shy, naïve, and always follows the rules. Many of her reactions and emotions throughout the book were very well conveyed and believable. She’s also described as a plain Jane. (But actually described, unlike a certain “book that shall not be named”) Lauren Oliver did a great job at creating a very authentic and human character. Though I wasn’t surprised, having read her debut Before I Fall, which also has a great main character.

Plot:

I liked the flow of Delirium’s plot. It was very well paced, without many time gaps.  And it has plenty of different twists and turns to keep you on the edge of your seat, and your eyes glued to the pages. And the ending is just mind-blowing!

Writing Style:

Delirium’s your basic first person POV from the point of view of Lena.

Overall:

When I first read Delirium early this year, I was a little skeptical seeing as I am not a fan of romance, and this book is all about forbidden love. This review is based on my recent rereading with the audiobook (sequel coming out soon, so I needed a refresher), and I’m happy to say that I enjoyed it a lot more the second time around. I give Delirium 4 stars. It is one of the best dystopians to come out of 2011. 

Holiday Break Reading Challenge Day 14 - Collage of All Books Read in 2011

Without further adieu all the books I've read (so far) in 2011. 

Holiday Break Reading Challenge Day 7 - Your Favorite Book Character of 2011 in Pictures

Today's challenge activity was to write a post about your favorite character you read about in 2011. Hands down (or hand and "whiphand"), that would have to be Drake Merwin from the Gone series by Michael Grant. Anyone who has ever met me or read my posts has probably had the pleasure of hearing me gush about the Gone series, which I discovered earlier this year. Out of the many lovable characters in the series, of course, my favorite would have to be the psychopathic, immortal, and whiphanded killer. Here's a collage of some my favorite Drake fan art found through deviantart.com.

Fan art artists from collage, left to right: "Mr. Whiphand" by kangel, "Drake Merwin Fanart" by FallsApart, "Gone -- Drake Merwin" by Zexionluver4ever, "Beware the Whiphand -- Drake Merwin" by Malsavaidity, and "Drake Marker Sketch -Gone-" by TheIronyIsPalpable.

Where's Waldo?

I know some of you are wondering, "What happened to Emma B., my favorite YA blogger?". Well, lots of holiday busyness paired with a family emergency and generally being tired. But rest assured, more reviews and the like are on their way shortly. Including reviews of My Beating Teenage Heart by C.K. Kelly Martin, and Delirium by Lauren Oliver. And if you don't hear from me sooner, here's wishing you a Happy Holiday!

E-Book & Self-Published Reading Challenge

I decided to join the 2012 Ebook Challenge and the 2012 Self-Published Reading Challenge, both hosted by Workday Reads. I have an ereader, but I don't use it as often as I should. And of course I'm always looking for ways to support self-published authors. I'm going with the "DVD level", 25 books, for the ebook challenge. And the "Paragraph level", 10 books, for the self-published challenge. Here's a list of some ebooks (some self-published, some not) that I've already committed to reading.

-Quest of the Demon by M.J. Sawyer

-Happy Birthday to Me by Brian Rowe

-Notes to Self by Avery Sawyer

-Unearthed by Rebecca Bloomer

-Ugly to Start With by John M. Cummings

If you're participating with either challenge, feel free to link-up in the comments section. Clicking on the challenge image will take you to the challenge sign-up page.

Zombie Reading Challenge

I decided to join Book Chick City's Zombie Reading Challenge. I decided to start off with the lowest level, "One Chomp", for reading six zombie themed books.  I love books about zombies, and hopefully this challenge will motivate me to read more zombie fiction. Here are some zombie themed book from my "to-read" list I might read for the challenge. (I fly by the seat of my pants in choosing books. No committing for me.)

-Dearly, Departed by Lia Habel
-Dust & Decay by Jonathan Maberry
-My Life As a White Trash Zombie by Dianna Rowland
-Bad Taste In Boys by Carrie Harris
-Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion
-Married With Zombies by Jesse Peterson

-Feed by Mira Grant

-World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War by Max Brooks

If you're participating in the challenge, link up your post page in the comments section so I can check it out. Click on the image at the top of this post to go to the challenges sign-up page.

Top Ten Tuesday (#6)

Top Ten Tuesday is a bookish meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

This week's Top Ten is...

Top Ten Childhood Favorites

1) Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbit

One of my absolute favorite books of all time. When I first read the audio book, I reread it at least 3 times after. It was also the first book that moved me to tears. 

2) Junie B. Jones series by Barbra Park

I loved this series when I was in the first and second grade. My favorites were Junie B. Jones and the Stupid Smelly Bus, Junie B. Jones and the Yucky Blucky Fruitcake, and Junie B. Jones and Her Big Fat Mouth.

3) Amelia's Notebook series by Marissa Moss

I always thought these books were so cool. They were written as though they really were some girls journal. Full of hand drawn illustrations, and lots of funny stories.

4) Magic Tree House series by Mary Osborne Pope When I was in elementary school, I'd had a fascination with ancient Egypt and mummies.  So, of course, the first one I'd ever read was Mummies in the Morning. I also really liked Night of the Ninjas.

5) Sweet Valley Kids: A Curse on Elizabeth, and Trapped in Toyland by Francine Pascal

I probably read almost all of the Sweet Valley Kids books in about 3rd or 4th grade. The ones I read again and again were A Curse on Elizabeth and Trapped in Toyland. 

6) Nate the Great series by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat

These were pretty short chapter books about a kid detective in San Francisco, solving mysteries in his neighborhood. My favorite was The Case of the Fleeing Fang. 

7) The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler Warner

I loved The Boxcar Children. The whole idea of kids surviving on their own in the wilderness really appealed to me. I didn't even read any other books in the series because it wasn't about survival, they were solving mysteries. (Didn't make sense then, doesn't make sense now.) 

8) Goosebumps series by R.L. Stein

I read every Goosebumps book my library had. The only one that ever gave me nightmares though, was Night of the Living Dummy. Some of my Favorites were One Day at Horrorland, The Cuckoo Clock of Doom, How I Got My Shrunken Head, It Came From Beneath the Sink, and Welcome to Camp Nightmare. 

9) Amelia Bedelia series by Peggy Parish

The classic stories of the house keeper that takes instructions too literally and bakes a mean pie. Anyone who said they didn't laugh reading Amelia Bedelia stories are lying to you. 

10) Frog and Toad series by Arnold Lobel

The, also, classic stories of two best friends that may not always get along but always have lots of fun. 

Here are some other favorites that didn't fit on the list. 

-The Berenstain Bears in Maniac Mansion by Stan & Jan Berenstain

-Cam Jansen Mysteries series by David A. Adler

-Encyclopedia Brown series by Donald J. Sobol

-A Bargain for Frances by Russell Hoban

-The Littles Go Exploring by John Peterson

What was in your Top Ten this week? Don't forget to link-up in the comments section.