In a world not so different from ours, science has made a breakthrough. The greatest threat to society is Amor Deliria Nervosa, a disease once celebrated as man's greatest gift. Now, scientists have cured the condition known as love. At eighteen, Lena is excited to be so close to freedom. Her cure date is set, and she can't wait. Because the government knows best, and she can't stand the fear of falling prey to the danger of the Deliria. As an orphan, Lena only wants safety, comfort, and security. That is all the cure promises for her. A nice life free from the toils of emotion and stress.
But what if...? And suddenly, Lena's life is different. She finds something worth holding on to, and begins to think that safety isn't worth the sacrifice anymore.
Oooh I was hyped for this one. Don't worry, it didn't disappoint! It was a great book! I thought I knew what the book was about, but it completely blew my ideas away. It wasn't what I expected. Most of all, there was more depth. There was so much more to the society than the "no-love" laws. It's a different world in which the government is not to be doubted, and most don't even want to resist.
Oliver really made me love the characters. The best friend, Hana, was perfect! I always love the best friends, I think sometimes authors actually put more thought into secondary characters like Hana than the narrators, like Lena. I don't know. I loved Hana, she really stuck out next to Lena, who described herself as ordinary, nondescript, and in-between. I think this made Lena relatable, but maybe a little boring. What was beautiful was Lena's development. She changed completely throughout the book. It was great to see her change from a plain, unambitious girl into a bold, strong, and secure woman. Her perception of herself and the world brightens, and suddenly she's a great main character. Alex is pretty great too. He remained shrouded in mystery much of the time, but not in that annoying, on-purpose way. It fit him so well. When you get to know Alex, he makes sense as a character, like someone I might know. He's realistic and imperfect, but also recites poetry <3 !
The relationship between Alex and Lena was so well done! I always hate insta-romance. Love at first sight is romantic, but not believable. Instead, Oliver really developed their relationship from the ground up, if that makes sense. It was slow. They meet a few times before there's even a hint of romance. I loved it, it was so easy to believe, and I fell in love along with them.
The Amor Deliria Nervosa was a constant background presence. You were always aware of it lurking in the corners, but it wasn't the central focus. The book was all about the characters trying to find happiness in a world that discourages it. That wasn't what I expected. There was so much focus on Lena, I felt there could have been a bit more on world-building. I was curious about how the government worked, and how society had changed so drastically, but it wasn't discussed in depth. Of course, it didn't distract me from how well the book was written, and how much I liked it.
I will warn you...I cried. The end was so quick, I felt like everything that had been building up finally snapped in one huge, fast explosion, and then it was done. And I had whiplash.
In short, this book was really beautiful. It made me think so much! It wasn't a book I was absolutely glued to, but I thought about it a lot when I wasn't reading it, which makes a good read in my opinion.
4.7/5
Shay-la
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