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kellyhager's review
4.0
Hana and her best friend Lena have been friends for ages but lately things are changing. They're going to be Cured soon, but before they do, Hana is determined to experience life. She's been matched, yes, but she sneaks out at night to go to parties and dance and make out with a guy. Lena doesn't really approve, and that's driving a wedge between them.
But what Hana doesn't know is that Lena is also keeping her own secrets.
Okay, wow, this book. It's really a short story, probably only about 100 pages, but it changes everything. I can't wait for the third book in the Delirium trilogy and I hope that there's going to be another short story to bridge Pandemonium and book three.
I think the most impressive thing about Lauren Oliver's books is that everything is just so beautifully crafted and deliberate. Does that make sense? Nothing is wasted and everything is essential.
I'm glad that so far, she's released a couple of books a year (there will be a middle-grade release in the fall). I worry that she won't keep this pace up, but that's a concern for next year, I suppose.
If you haven't read her books yet, absolutely start now. They're all amazing. I think Before I Fall is my absolute favorite, but they're all amazing.
Highly recommended.
But what Hana doesn't know is that Lena is also keeping her own secrets.
Okay, wow, this book. It's really a short story, probably only about 100 pages, but it changes everything. I can't wait for the third book in the Delirium trilogy and I hope that there's going to be another short story to bridge Pandemonium and book three.
I think the most impressive thing about Lauren Oliver's books is that everything is just so beautifully crafted and deliberate. Does that make sense? Nothing is wasted and everything is essential.
I'm glad that so far, she's released a couple of books a year (there will be a middle-grade release in the fall). I worry that she won't keep this pace up, but that's a concern for next year, I suppose.
If you haven't read her books yet, absolutely start now. They're all amazing. I think Before I Fall is my absolute favorite, but they're all amazing.
Highly recommended.
jessmac25's review
4.0
At first I struggled to get through it but when I sat down and emersed myself in the book I really loved it. At the start I was still in a Book Hangover from The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chobosky. I feel in love with Alex then hated him then loved and hated all the way through but you killed him Lauren!!! The end was rushed to much for me but it gave me anticipation to go and read the second book. It was a longer book but I powered through and loved it.
I gave it 4 stars.
I gave it 4 stars.
creads's review
3.0
I was disappointed. Just straight up disappointed. And from the beginning too. Lena is probably the most annoying main character ever (she beats Anna Oliphant, by far). One would expect the main character to be brave and understand the wrongness that is the procedure she is forced to undergo. But no, Lena is just too much of a goodie-two-shoes to even go to a party with Hana, even when Hana wants to get over the fact that Lena completely ignored her (she eventually went at some point but I still rolled my eyes). Honestly, the only part I actually loved was Alex, and he's just too good for Lena, to be honest. I will continue the series for Alex and Hana and to see if Lena has any common sense whatsoever.
*I might have exaggerated out of massive annoyance with Lena.
*I might have exaggerated out of massive annoyance with Lena.
vidp's review
2.0
Though I love the concept and tone of this novel, I was disappointed mainly with the pacing. So it's set in a world where love is considered a disease and boys and girls are separated and spied on until they undergo the surgery that dulls their emotions. Anyone who loves is killed or imprisoned unless they escape and live in the Wilds. Just from reading that you can predict much of the plot! The main character meets a boy, falls in love with him, and questions everything she has been taught. Unfortunately, that is pretty much the extent of the story. Nothing surprised me, and though the writing style was enjoyable for the most part, I read the majority of the book waiting for something amazing to happen. It never did. I will still read the sequel to see if this story leads anywhere, and despite all my negative feedback, did enjoy reading this. However, if you are looking for a unique, unpredictable, or thrilling plot, this may not be what you are searching for.
willherondaleswidow's review
3.0
I liked the insight this novella gave me on Hana's life but I think I would of preferred it if it included an epilogue to her life after Requiem. Everything you read in this short story, you have already learnt in the books so it wasn't as thrilling as I feel Hana's story should be because she's one of my favourite characters.
marcyjmf's review
5.0
First read February 1-4 2011 aloud with my best friend while she was in Texas visiting me. :)
bookgoonie's review
3.0
Original review posted @ www.bookgoonie.com March 2011
http://wp.me/p1h3Ps-1V
This dystopian novel revolves around love being a disease. Oliver makes it work, but it was hard for me to buy in or wrap my brain around how or why they would decide that. To think that the US is walling their towns off from people "who love." A good part of the beginning of the book explains why Lena is looking forward to the day that she won't love. I had to kind of slug through this, because I wanted to shake Lena. But stay with it, it does get better. Lena's mother committed suicide. She had the procedure three times and it failed--she failed to stop loving. Alex is a breath of fresh air to the story and to Lena. He is an "invalid," someone not cured from love. Alex has a great spirit and poetry about him, enough to even pull Lena into the light. Hold onto your seats, there is a hard-core revelation toward the end, a Bonnie & Clyde moment, and the ultimate sacrifice. Need to read to find out. I think the next book will up my star rating. I love a good Revolution.
Quotes: "Love turns the whole world into something greater than itself." "I would rather die my way than live yours
http://wp.me/p1h3Ps-1V
This dystopian novel revolves around love being a disease. Oliver makes it work, but it was hard for me to buy in or wrap my brain around how or why they would decide that. To think that the US is walling their towns off from people "who love." A good part of the beginning of the book explains why Lena is looking forward to the day that she won't love. I had to kind of slug through this, because I wanted to shake Lena. But stay with it, it does get better. Lena's mother committed suicide. She had the procedure three times and it failed--she failed to stop loving. Alex is a breath of fresh air to the story and to Lena. He is an "invalid," someone not cured from love. Alex has a great spirit and poetry about him, enough to even pull Lena into the light. Hold onto your seats, there is a hard-core revelation toward the end, a Bonnie & Clyde moment, and the ultimate sacrifice. Need to read to find out. I think the next book will up my star rating. I love a good Revolution.
Quotes: "Love turns the whole world into something greater than itself." "I would rather die my way than live yours
lulu_loves_conan_gray's review
5.0
Beautiful writing. Didn't fall in love with this until Lena fell for Alex but after that...wow. But SERIOUSLY? Does everyone have to die?
dulosis's review
1.0
i read this book roughly five years ago and have held such a grudge against it since then that i vividly remember how upset it made me to this day. this book had a lot of potential, i guess? wild, a world in which love is forbidden and outlawed!!! there's absolutely no modern parallel that could possibly be made, right?
(full disclosure: i'm queer, and that last sentence was sarcastic).
anyway, the throwaway line about how there's no more gayness because love was cured is gross and just that: a throwaway line, weak and very lazy for an author often lauded for world-building (as other reviews seem to suggest). at least give a throwaway line that expands to 'and same-sex couplings [(or whatever the phrase is; thankfully i've forgotten by this point)] are outlawed; families are headed by one man and one woman by law' for a LITTLE BIT less laziness. also, what about queer kids before they get 'cured'? ha ha i guess they don't exist anymore either. i fully 100% thought that's where she was going with hana until...... she didn't go there at all. which, bee tee dubs, having hana be queer and in love with lena the whole time would have at least made hana's weird actions make sense instead of being just... bizarre! so! bizarre!.
it's like oliver was like, 'how can i shut up people who want diversity in love interests? oh right, i'll heavily imply that it got cured.' NO THANK YOU.
anyway, to my memory the book got progressively weaker and more implausible with increasingly weirder storytelling decisions as it went on. for example:having all the major action at the end happen mostly off screen? weird choice! poor heterosexuals cured of and banned from love. sounds real rough for them! my heart bleeds.
(full disclosure: i'm queer, and that last sentence was sarcastic).
anyway, the throwaway line about
it's like oliver was like, 'how can i shut up people who want diversity in love interests? oh right, i'll heavily imply that it got cured.' NO THANK YOU.
anyway, to my memory the book got progressively weaker and more implausible with increasingly weirder storytelling decisions as it went on. for example: