| Delirium | |
|---|---|
| Author(s) | Lauren Oliver |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Series | Delirium trilogy |
| Genre(s) | Young adult/ Romance/ dystopian |
| Publication date | January 1, 2011 |
| Media type | Print (Hardback) |
| Pages | 383 |
| Followed by | Pandemonium |
Delirium is a dystopian young adult novel written by Lauren Oliver, published in January of 2011 about a young girl, Lena, who falls in love in a society where love is seen as a disease.
Contents |
In Delirium, a cure for amor deliria nervosa (love) had been discovered and is mandatory for citizens 18 years old and over. Before the procedure, patients had to conduct a test to obtain a score, which would determine their future. Lena has looked forward to the procedure for years, convinced as she is by the government that love is a horrible disease that must be destroyed from mankind's system.
However, mere months before her scheduled procedure, Lena fell in love with an invalid (people who had not taken the cure) named Alex. As an invalid, Alex pretended to be cured to escape imprisonment, and doesn't have a standard ID number because he was born in the wilds outside the city. In order to pursue love with Lena, he tries to persuade her to run away with him and to join the rebels who are against the procedure and the government. Although Lena struggles with the thought of leaving everything behind, she ultimately decided to go just seven days before her procedure.
They are discovered meeting together a few nights before their planned escape and Lena is captured and held in her home under guard until she can have her procedure to cure her of her lovesickness. Alex rescues her and they both make a dash for the fence to escape the city, but Alex allows himself to be captured to save her. Lena runs off into the jungle, not wanting Alex's sacrifice to be in vain.
Author, Lauren Oliver, says that the inspiration for Delirium happened one day at the gym. She had heard that the best novels feature suspense and romance and was watching a news report about an epidemic and thought about what would happen if the government convinced everyone love was a disease.
Delirium is the first installment of a trilogy. The next two books are titled Pandemonium and Requiem, they are set to be released 2012 and 2013 respectively.
Delirium has been optioned by Fox 2000 to be made into a movie.