Delirium

By: Lauren Oliver

Narrated by: Sarah Drew

Length: 11 hrs and 47 mins

Publisher's summary

"Ninety-five days, and then I'll be safe. I wonder whether the procedure will hurt. I want to get it over with. It's hard to be patient. It's hard not to be afraid while I'm still uncured, though so far the deliria hasn't touched me yet. Still, I worry. They say that in the old days, love drove people to madness. The deadliest of all deadly things: It kills you both when you have it and when you don't."

Lauren Oliver astonished readers with her stunning debut, Before I Fall. In a starred review, Publishers Weekly called it "raw, emotional, and, at times, beautiful. An end as brave as it is heartbreaking." Her much-awaited second novel fulfills her promise as an exceptionally talented and versatile writer.

Also included is a sneak listen to the first chapter of the next book in the series. Enjoy!

©2011 Laura Schechter (P)2011 HarperCollins Pubilshers

Thought provoking

What did you love best about Delirium?

It was a unique story and I'm planning to get the next in the series.

What did you like best about this story?

It was engaging, unique, and almost believable.

What does Sarah Drew bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Just the fact that I don't have time to read and this gives me an opportunity to enjoy stories.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I was very sad at the ending.

Any additional comments?

Great book

Wow!!!

Sarah drew!!! YOU MADE THIS STORY!! She is the best narrator I’ve come across and I listen to books every day for at least 4 hours a day.

great book

I really enjoyed this book from the beginning to end. The narrator kept things interesting.

Meh

I wish I knew this was a YA novel before I started. Not sure I'll be able to stomach the whole thing.

Great premise, falls flat.

I finished the book out of obligation. It wasn’t an unfinishable book, but it was pretty boring from around the 1/3rd to the end. Performance was great as usual.

I will not be buying the second book, but I don’t regret reading this one.

Maybe if you’re in the mood for a teenage dystopian that’s more like a group of 7 year olds and not teens, pretending to be teens.

Beautiful

This book was just beautiful. An amazing description of love and a new view to someone who might have never experienced it.

The consistency of the voice changes

I really liked the book, the main character is lowkey insufferable but I still like it. I really don’t understand what the reader said certain words the way she did like (INVALID!) or why she always did Alex’s voice so damn weird. But all in all I loved this audiobook!

Excellent narration

My colleague Emily recommended Delirium to me - it was one of her picks for the Best of 2011, and she raves about the book at every opportunity. While I didn't love the book as much as she does, I did find it entertaining. I was impressed with the concept - that love is a disease that everyone needs to be cured of - but found myself growing a bit impatient with our heroine, Lena, who took a little too long to put together that the government's restrictions were not in her best interest. And while the pace picked up in the last hour or so, which was exciting, it also accelerated Lena's transition from a young, naive girl to a mature enemy of the government in a forced way.

Despite these criticisms, I did enjoy the book - and, more importantly, I loved Sarah Drew's performance. She was able to channel all the different nuances of this full cast, and was especially chilling as Lena's already cured sister. Drew's performance alone might get me to check out the rest of this trilogy...

Gripping!

A great story from the uniquely talented Lauren Oliver. I find her style very poignant with a refreshing and novel approach to the themes explored. Sarah Drew's talented narration totally draws us in to Lena's mind and emotions as she faces a new reality and discovers a world beyond the carefully constructed and controlled "society" she has been brought up in. Very interesting dystopian premise that love is a "disease" that must be carefully prevented and controlled at all costs. A touching love story develops between the characters, and I am "holding my breath" for the next installment...please bring it on, Ms. Oliver!

Often tedious, but great cliffhanger ending

STORY - Delirium is a YA book, but it also has some very mature themes. It was too immature for me at times, but overall it is an unusual and touching story. The romance is innocent and sweet, but the young characters are very strong. I did feel like the author described the dystopia and the "cured" people in Portland way, way too often. OMG, stop!

The second half of the book is much better than the first. The tension begins to build, and the action toward the end is very tense! Cliffhanger ending is frustrating but good. You will want to continue with the series.

NARRATION - The reader has a high-pitched voice, perfect for the young characters in the book. She does a great job portraying teenaged emotions, and I really liked the young male voice she gave to Alex.

OVERALL - Delirium wasn't awesome, but I recommend it mainly because I expect a lot from the rest of the trilogy.