Series Review: Delirium Trilogy by Lauren Oliver

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Series: Delirium, Pandemonium, Requiem
Author: Lauren Oliver
Genre: Young Adult, Dystopian, Romance
Publisher: HarperCollins Children's Books

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Follows Lena and Alex, two teens battling against the controlling government that believes that love is a disease and forbids it from their community.
When I first got my hands on Delirium, I was excited. I was still in my dystopian phase and the idea seemed cool enough. Sadly, the series did not live up to my expectations. I guess I'll start off with what I liked before jumping into the bad stuff.

Likes

  • The writing is gorgeous. Oliver really has a way with words.
  • The worldbuilding is spectacular. Small excerpts from the society's literature really help develop the world without any of the characters having to sit down and say, "So this is how it is," for three pages.
  • Although there were a few pacing issues, I was really invested in the story of Lena and Alex, and Lena and Julian.
  • Pandemonium was the best book of the series.
Dislikes

Oh boy. 
  • Not much actually happens. This was a problem with the first book, but I let it slide because it got better, and the ending made up for the slow pacing. Pandemonium picked up, but Requiem once again retreated back into the nothing much happens category.
  • Lena. Lena, what happened to you? You were boring in Delirium, then you became amazing in Pandemonium. I was expecting you to keep growing, but instead you turn into a whiny and petty brat who leads people along to make others jealous. 
  • The love triangle, or the attempt at it. I'm not sure if there was ever any doubt as to who Lena would choose, and I wished the love triangle could have been taken out. 
  • All character development does a 180 by the last book and completely disappears. All of it. Hana was the only one who developed at all in the end. 
  • Vague ending is vague.
  • Alex is a dick.
Do I recommend this series? No. This is a series that shouldn't have been a series. Most of the plot could have been condensed in one/two books, and the story would have been much stronger. Delirium could have been a standalone and I would have been completely satisfied. 

Final Rating:

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