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

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...

36 of 38 people found this review helpful

Delicious Narration

I loved this book -- the positive reviews are warranted. This is one of those books that falls into the category of "must listen to instead of reading" where I feel listening enhances the experience to the max. The narration was superb and the tone of Alex and Lena’s voices -- so real and appealing. The concept is slightly dystopian, where love is not allowed in America (strictly enforced), which caught my attention. The storyline is not predictable, as it could easily be.....I thought I knew where it was headed, but I'd be proven wrong every time. Although a YA book -- definitely would appeal to those of ALL ages -- especially women --but I think boys and girls would enjoy it equally. What a great listen !

47 of 51 people found this review helpful

Engaging story, entertaining narration

While a young adult novel, it certainly has plenty of questions to ponder for adults. I think the author did a wonderful job capturing the angst and emotionality of first love as did the narrator. I considered using it for a book club choice because I thought the discussions would have been quite interesting.

Other reviewers felt it may be too similar to other current popular YA fiction. I think good vs evil, adult vs teen, rebellion, governmental control, etc have always been themes seen in novels and the author does a great job of putting those to use in unique ways.

I wouldnt hesitate to listen to another of her books regardless of subject.

24 of 26 people found this review helpful

DOUBLE FIND!!!

I am so glad I ran across this book! YesterdayI was looking for something to listen to until Twice Tempted came out today. I stumbled across this series and talked to a friend to see if she had read it yet. She had not read it, but it WAS in her wish list. SO we decided to start at the same time. I COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN! By the third chapter I was hooked and couldnt sleep. I finished it this morning and have already bought the second audiobook.
I was HIGHLY impressed by the narrator, Sarah Drew. She showed the type of deep connection to this book that is rare to find. She really put her all into it. She is one of those narrators that can take a good book and make it fantastic! But in this case both writer AND narrator were spot on.
Your turn Lis!

15 of 16 people found this review helpful

You have to LISTEN to this one!

I'm an adult who is a sucker for ya dystopian fiction, and this one has become one of my favs. To be honest, I'm not certain I would have enjoyed reading it as much as I loved listening to it. The narrator is wonderful - she brings Oliver's wonderfully descriptive prose to life. Can't wait for the next book!

26 of 29 people found this review helpful

Wonderful narration, so romantic

Who would have thought that this 62 year old geezah could enjoy YA novels? Turns out, I do. I ripped right through The Hunger Games and bought this one on a whim and the numerous good reviews.

The narrator just about took my breath away, what a wonderful talent. I don't know how old the reader is, but she sure sounds to my addled old head like a teenager ought.

There are sections in the second half, where the two lovers are recognizing the pace and power of their passion and melted me right away. Never heard Browning or Cummings quite like that, beautiful.

The pace tears along a bout de souffle.

I purchased the second part of what I believe to be a trilogy immediately upon finishing the first.

A cracking read, and a wonderful narrator.


brendan

23 of 26 people found this review helpful

MEH.

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

So I agree with several reviewers - I don't really like Lena. Its hard for me to recommend a book where I can't get behind the heroine. There are some interesting moments, but the book is SLOW, painfully slow for those of us who are not buying the chemistry between Alex and Lena. I can't get into those quotes/thoughts/speeches about love, especially when the reader's voice impression of Alex, reminds me of Pauly Shore.You wont be TOTALLY disappointed, you will just be MEH. Then you will have to decide if the cliffhanger is enough to get you to use a credit on Pandemonium. I

13 of 16 people found this review helpful

Wonderful

I became a fan of Lauren Oliver with her last book Before I Fall. She provides a new perspective on time honored themes. If you enjoyed Before I Fall, I would recommend spending a credit on this book. It is well written and narrated. This is not a romance novel in my opinion, but more a commentary on the power of society and the things that can happen when we grant
our leaders too much authority. It illustrates how we can lose what is really important. It has a similar feel to Unwind by Neal Shusterman or Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin. It could even be compared to Suzanne Collins Mockinjay series--though it is not action packed as that series but does make a similar statement about society. It is Lauren Oliver's twist on what could have happened had our society proceeded with the 'frontal lobotomy' mentality we once had.

25 of 32 people found this review helpful

How it earned the extra star

This book, despite its clichés and the way it buries it's important details under three feet of rancid similes, did one thing I didn't expect. While the publishers won't market it as such, love, in this world, is not just between lovers. It is the love between family members and between friends. It spends a significant portion of the book focusing on her mother's illegal love for her. The romance seemed, at least in my opinion, to distract from the stronger points of the novel.

As for the voice acting, the reader did an amazing job imitating a teenaged girl. If there weren't any male roles, she would have been a 4 star performer. Her male voices, on the other hand, made me cringe.

Not the worst thing I've ever listened to, but pretty close.
2/10

5 of 6 people found this review helpful

Love Lobotomy

Would you try another book from Lauren Oliver and/or Sarah Drew?

Yes, and I've read other Lauren Oliver books that I liked much better. I just think the concept of this was not well thought out or entirely convincing.

Would you recommend Delirium to your friends? Why or why not?

No. I mean, trying to cut love out of your brain as the concept sounds cool until you think too much about it, and then you're like, "uhhh, what?"

Did Delirium inspire you to do anything?

No :(

Any additional comments?

Not a bad story, just didn't hold my attention. I feel like there was a ton of backstory and history that writer maybe wanted to inlcude, but didn't end up having the space for it. And knowing more of how and why this world came to be would have been really helpful at creating more tension. As readers we all know that love can't be chopped out of your brain, but this world of people believed it was possible...and I just couldn't connect with that.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful