Delirium by Lauren Oliver

About the Author:

Lauren Oliver, the author of Delirium, was born 1982 in New York, New York. She worked as an editorial assistant and then assistant editor at Razorbill, a division of Penguin Books; currently, co-owns the literary development company Paper Lantern Lit. Oliver had studied at the University of Chicago in 2004 and NYU’s MFA program in 2008. Oliver says that she started writing "as a way of extending her love of reading" and when she read a good book she would 
"write sequels for it". Later on, she began working on her own stories.

Key Characters:

• Lena Haloway: The first main character of the novel. Throughout her 17 years of her life, Lena has always thought of herself as a girl who isn't important to anyone and isn't very beautiful. When she is about to be eighteen and is ready for her procedure that cures the infection of 'love', she falls in love with a very handsome young man that changes her view on love and helps her believe in it once again.
• Alex Sheathes: The second main character of the novel. Alex is the one person to help Lena change her mind about her views of the infection of love. Along the way a very unfortunate event happens that breaks Lena's heart but boosts her spirit and faith.
• Hana: A major character of the novel. She is Lena's best friend and has always been there for her. She is supportive of everything, but is much more outgoing than Lena.
• Aunt Carol: Another major character of the novel. She is the one who raised Lena ever since her mother had 'passed away'. She has always restricted Lena from doing what she wants and has protected Lena from the infection by teaching her the ways of the non infected and speaking about the horrendous events that come as a consequence of falling in love . 

Key Quotes:

• Lena: "His hair golden brown, like leaves in autumn just as they're turning, and he has bright amber eyes. The moment I see him I know that he's one of the people responsible for this. I know that he must live in the Wilds; I know he's an Invalid. Fear clamps down on my stomach, and I open my mouth to shout something-I'm not sure what, exactly-but at precisely that second he gives a minute shake of his head, and suddenly i can't make a sound. Then he does the absolutely, positively unthinkable. He winks at me." (Oliver 38)
• This quote contributes to Lena's character because she is surprised that the Invalids even exsist. She believe's what people tell her because that's what she was taught to do and she never seems to question it. 

• "Mama, Mama, help me get home

I'm out in the woods, I am out on my own

I found me a werewolf, a nasty old mutt

It showed me its teeth and went straight for my gut

Mama, Mama, help me get home

I'm out in the woods, I am out on my own

I was stopped by a vampire, a rotting old wreck

It showed me it's teeth, and went straight for my neck

Mama, Mama, put me to be

 I won't make it home, I'm already half dead

I met an Invalid, and fell for his art

He showed me his smile, and went straight for my heart"

(Oliver 69)

• This quote is significant to Lena's character because for her to be thinking this means that she was wrong about the Invalids being what people said or thought they were. They were actually the opposite of what people had said/thought about them. 
• Alex: ""Are you sure that being like everybody else will make you happy?" (Oliver 231)
• This quote contributes to theme because he is trying to get Lena to see that she doesn't need to be like everyone else to be happy. He wants her to see that falling in love is okay.
• Lena: "I've been alone with him countless time, but this feels different. Here there are no eyes waiting to catch us, no voices waiting to shout at us, no hands ready to tear us apart-just miles and miles of space. It's exciting and terrifying at the same. Anything could happen here, and the velvety darkness around us, the soft flutters of the trees, the pitter- patter of the unseen animals, come beating into my chest, making me feel as though I'm dissolving and expanding into the night. When he pulls away it takes me a few seconds to catch my breath." (Oliver 291)
• This quote contributes to the setting because when she finally gets to experience the thrill of being free in the Wilds, she doesn't seem to want to leave it. It also contributes to her character because it shows that she likes the feeling of being in love without hiding it.
• Lena: "I love you. Remember. They cannot take it." (Oliver 441)
• This quote contributes to Lena's character because she finally sees why her mom had fallen in love. She likes the feeling of being in love and now understands that it doesn't kill you.

Theme:

The theme of this novel is being similar to others will not always bring you happiness, being your own independent person will bring you joy in your life. The characters that mostly represent this theme would be Lena, Alex, and Hana. Lena learns how to be herself rather than follow everyone else because of the fear about dying the way her mother did. Alex is an Invalid and already knew how to be himself by disobeying the government in which he supposedly lived in. Hana is very unique in a way that she is similar to other people, but at the same time she is different because she likes to bend the law once in a while. 

Works Cited:

Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com, n.d. Web. 16 May 2013.

"The Free Automatic Bibliography and Citation Generator." EasyBib. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 May 2013.

"About Lauren Oliver." About Lauren Oliver. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 May 2013.