Amor deliria nervosa

What if love were a disease?

I have finished reading Delirium by Lauren Oliver, a young writer from New York, and I really liked it. Even though it is supposed to be  a young reader's book, it raises some questions that really made me think, such as love as an illness and the organization of society.

What is amor deliria nervosa?

The story takes place in a city of the USA, a country that found out that love is the worst illness and scientists have found a cure for it; therefore, all its people undergo a procedure to get cured when they are about to became adults. This creates a controlled society with no pain and almost no crimes. Nevertheless, nothing is perfect and there is a resistance of people who believe in love and have not undergone the procedure to be detached of their feelings.

What happens in the book?

Lena, the protagonist, is expecting her process of pairing (as there is no love, the government matches young people to provide for families) and the procedure for curing her willingly because her mother was infected with the illness and suffered a lot. During her evaluation process, there is a disruption and she meets Alex, unfortunately she falls in love with him. This leads to lots of adventures because their love is not only forbidden by their parents -as Romeo&Juliet's- but it is an institutionalised prohibition, by her family, the regulators and the police!! The only help they have is her best friend Hana and her cousin Gracie who has not spoken in years.

Why do I recommend this novel?

It is a well-constructed love story, it has friendship, hard family relationships and many adventures trying to get rid of the regulators and family and fight for their love. The novel ends when they are trying to get to the other side, the Wilds, where they will be able to live their love freely.

Have you read it? If you have, tell us your view in a comment!!!