Children's booksChildren's booksThe Delirium Trilogy by Lauren Oliver - Review
'The point of these books is seeing Lena grow from a timid teenage girl into one who could be a leader fighting for freedom'The Delirium Trilogy follows a teenage girl called Lena in her adventures and battles against a government that claims Love is a disease. In this society, once you reach 18 years old you are required to have an operation that "cures" you of the Love Disease – amor deliria nervosa. This cure pretty much stops you from feeling emotions and you are matched with someone to marry based on your interests, class etc. Before Lena is due to have the procedure that will cure her of all emotions forever, she meets a boy, called Alex. Alex teaches her about the places beyond the fences and barbed wire – called the Wilds.
Through out the first installment of the Trilogy (called Delirium) we see the relationship between Lena and Alex bloom. This book really is exciting as it gets you imagining all sorts of situations that could befall Lena if she was caught when sneaking out to meet Alex, or both of them if they were seen together. We see their relationship challenged towards the end as they endure all sorts of different things, such government officials and the capturing of Alex when they both try to escape to the Wilds. Lena fears that he is dead. Pandemonium is the second book in the trilogy – do not worry, it's just as exciting as the first one! Lena has escaped to the wilds and meets a group of people who take care of her as she misses Alex and everyone that she once knew and loved. Throughout her journey she meets lots of new and exciting characters and builds bonds with them that last through out the whole of the final two books.
Further into the book, Lena is sent to Washington "undercover" where she meets Julian. He is the son of one of the highest people who fight against the disease and the Invalids (those who live in the wilds), but she knows there's something different about them. In a blur of action and drama, the two are kidnapped together; they are forced to learn to trust each other, and the relationship between the two blooms, just as it did with Lena and Alex. Many things happens to them during the course of the book, and in the end, they escape back into the Wilds together. However, there is a twist at the end which will be in favour by all those who love Alex!
Finally, we have the last installment of the trilogy, titled Requiem. During this book the Invalids grow stronger and try to build a resistance to break down the barrier between the city and the Wilds. Also, the relationship between Alex and Lena is not the same, neither is it really between her and Julian. New characters are introduced into the book, and we also see first person narrative done by Lena's best friend from book one, Hana, as she goes through the cure, and her engagement to the mayor of the city. This book contains everything! Relationships, conflicts and uprising action! The only way in which I could fault this trilogy at all is that I think the ending of Requiem could have been better. I felt that the ending was rushed, and we didn't really see the answer to the question that everyone wanted to know: Alex or Julian? However, I do suppose that the point of these books haven't been about that. They have been about seeing Lena grow from a timid teenage girl into one who could be a leader and help bring down the barriers – fighting for freedom.
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