This book was amazing. It was so beautiful and sad and different and...perfect. The idea of love as a disease infected me immediately. The world Lauren Oliver created is so like our own and yet frighteningly different. People go through their daily lives, talking and working and eating as if everything is normal, but they never laugh. They never dance. They never say "I love you." They claim to be happy but there is no joy. Love was declared a disease because love causes hate and hate causes wars, but if have lost the ability to love or hate, what is left?

I love Lena. She is shy, scared and very ordinary. She isn't a rebel, she doesn't want to break the rules, all she wants is to be happy and safe. There are so many rebellious, strong heroines out there that it was refreshing to meet one who is so very human. I can relate to her insecurities and anxieties so easily because I share many of them. I love that Lena is stronger than she thinks she is, strong enough to stand up for love when the world wants to take it from her, even when she has feared it all her life.

Alex is wonderful, but you don't get to know him as well as you do Lena. You see his bravery and sweetness through her eyes, as well as his uncommon understanding and support. And at the end...*sigh* Perfect. Absolutely perfect.

There were a few flaws in the story, but nothing that diminished my enjoyment. The fact that most of the secondary characters were nearly-emotionless adults was a little weird, but there were a few moments when I wondered if the "cure" was working quite as well as people believed. The romance was technically not very original, but the setting was totally new. Lauren Oliver's writing style was lovely. How long do I have to wait for Pandemonium???

I highly recommend Delirium to anyone who loves a tale of love and sacrifice.