"THEY SAY that the cure for Love will make me happy and safe forever. And I've always believed them. Until now..."
I have actually seen this book read by one of my friends a few months ago but once I heard the word "LOVE", I refused having some interest toward this book. Not because I am loveless neither am I "bitter" but because I am not into that kind of genre when it comes to novels or books. I want those thrilling, adventurous, and mysterious type of novels. But since we have a long weekend ahead of us, and I got stuck up with a lot of stressful things to think about, I grabbed the opportunity to read it to take my mind off even just for a while.
So, the story, really, is about love. But not just an ordinary love story between a boy and girl, nor those Romeo-and-Juliet-kind of a story. It's one of kind, I must say, for me. For it is about a story in a place where LOVE - the one that people feels towards their family, friends, and lovers that gives happiness (sometimes sadness) - is recognized a a disease. A deadly one. The one that drove people to madness. The deadliest of all deadly things: it kills you both when you have it and when you don't.
The main protagonist is Lena, a seventeen year old girl waiting (and counting for the days) for her 18th birthday, since the procedure of the cure will be at that time. So like I said, love is known as a disease, but scientists have created a cure for it. The procedure can only be done when you're eighteen years old because there are side effects when it is done ahead of time, but there are some cases wherein it happens - mainly because the patient have been infected. But Lena got to meet Alex - a boy that has been a resistor or an Invalid. He appears to have been cured, when in fact he's not. He also had live in the Wilds - the restricted place wherein a lot of uncured / Invalids live. They fell in love. And at the last part of the story, they've decided to leave for the Wilds. To leave together and live together. But a tragic thing happens.
Most of the times, I take a peek of the last few paragraphs of each novels I read before actually starting to read it. But this time, I forgot (unintentionally) to do that. So when Alex came into picture, and their love story started to grow, I was actually imagining the plot of the next two books of Delirium - since it is actually a trilogy. I was imagining that the book 2 will be about their lives in the Wilds, and the book 3 will be about defeating the governors/rulers in their city, of course lead by them. But the ending was a shock for me. I actually felt like crying especially in the part where Lena looked back and saw Alex was taken up by all the guards and regulators.
But, come to think of it, maybe Alex is still alive. Locked up in the Crypts. Planning for an escape to the Wilds. Thinking about Lena. Well, I guess that's for me to find out by reading the remaining two books of this trilogy.
My favorite characters would be Hana (Lena's bestfriend) and Gracie (Lena's cousin). I really hope they will still be in the story. :))
"... Now everything has changed. Now, I'd rather be infected with love for the tiniest sliver of a second than live a hundred years smothered by a lie."
Ratings: 4 out of 5 stars. ☺
