Before scientists found the cure, people thought love was a good thing. They didn’t understand that one love -the deliria- blooms in your blood, there is no escaping its hold. Things are different now. Scientists are able to eradicate love, and the governments demands that all citizens receive the cure upon turning eighteen. Lena Holway has always looked forward to the day when she’ll be cured. A life without love is a life without pain: safe, measured, predictable, and happy.
But with ninety-five days left until her treatment, Lena does the unthinkable: She falls in love
My Thoughts:
I received a Advanced Readers Addition of this book from Harper Collins Canada, thank you Shannon and Harper Cpllins Canada for this book. I was so excited when Shannon contacted asking if I would like to read and review this book. I have seen all the hype about this book around number of different blog and I have to say it looked very good. Book does not disappoint.
This book is not about dystopian society but rather a romance set in a dystopian society. Romance between Lena and Alex the main point of this book and the dystopian society is more of background story. As a reader you see this dystopian society through Lena’s eyes and it is apparent from the beginning that she is brainwashed. Throughout the book she struggles to deal oppression and propaganda that surrounds her every day. This is a very slow process, which I found somewhat tedious. Romance between Lena and Alex had a very slow start, it’s not till like hundred and fifty pages into the book before any serious romance starts to happen. To tell you the truth, I did not feel the connection between Lena and Alex, I did not feel that chemistry. Even though both Lena and Alex’s characters were well developed and written, I still did not feel a connection between them. I think I would prefer them friend rather than a couple. There is a lot of character growth for Lena, she goes from blindly believe everything she was told from an early age to everything being flipped 360 degrees.
I do not read to many dystopian book, usually they make me sad and angry. Angry at people for not being able to see that they are being brainwashed and oppressed. I wish that the author concentrated more so on the dystopian world rather than the romance. I wanted to see more of the oppressing society and what it does to people; I wanted Lena to run into more roadblock that dystopian society would put up for an individual. I wanted to learn more about her parents, Lena mostly talks about her mother but I wanted to learn about her father. What happened to him and why?
Even though with all the short comings of this book, there was something about it that prevented me from putting it down. This book has a lot of good things and I have to admit that the brain procedure, removing ability to love, that every adult has to go through is very disturbing. I try to image what it would be like if someone removed the ability to love from me; it makes me shudder.
Overall I have greatly enjoyed reading this book and I am looking forward to book two in this series. Like any book it has its shortcomings (at least what I think it’s a shortcoming) and its good points. I just hope that he book two gets even better. Overall I give this book 4/5 stars.
Nice review! I can't wait to read this book. I agree with you, about getting angry when reading in the dystopian genre. I think that's one of the best parts, though, that a book can make you feel all of those different emotions. That's when I know I'm reading a keeper :)
ReplyDeleteInteresting question about Lena's father! I was so intrigued by the mother that I didn't put much thought into him, but now that you mention it, I'm certainly curious.
ReplyDeletei know, i hope that we findf out more abour her father in the next book(s)
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