Delirium by Lauren Oliver

“I love you. Remember. They cannot take it.”

Okay, so this book has pretty much left me speechless. I literally finished like, a few minutes ago and my mind is still seriously blown.

Lena lives in a world where love is the enemy, where passion is anathema, where poetry and art have fallen by the wayside, and romantic tendencies must be put down at all costs. some seriously hardcore brainwashing helps guide young citizens through the complexities of these norms, while upon reaching their majority a more comprehensive (invasive, horrifying) solution is offered: a procedure, not so far removed from a lobotomy, that results in a total dulling of the emotions. Recipients of this procedure feel nothing. Love, happiness, anger are null.

Lena does the unthinkable – she falls in love.

Okay, so this book has pretty much left me speechless. I literally finished like, a few minutes ago and my mind is still seriously blown. And the cliffhanger? GOD, WHY?! I need to know what happens! I also absolutely loved the way that bible stories, Shakespeare and other literature were intertwined into the narrative – either left unaltered and banned by the government for its subversiveness or altered in order to conform to the dystopian ideologies. Final verdict? 5/5. This book was utterly perfect.

“Love, the deadliest of all deadly things:
It kills you both when you have it, and when you don’t.
But that isn’t it, exactly.
The condemner and the condemned;
The executioner the blade; the last-minute reprieve;
the gasping breath and the rolling sky and the thank you, thank you, God.
Love. It will kill you and save you, both.”

Lipstick Laws by Amy Holder

Here, we’re introduced to April “boobless” Bowers, a fifteen year old high school sophomore who’s only friend has been transplanted in another state, leaving April to fend for herself. When she catches the eye of beautiful, popular Britney in her gym class, she’s more than overjoyed. Soon, she becomes Britney’s protege and becomes initiated into her clique of mean girls. However, when April breaks the Lipstick Laws, she is promptly kicked out of the group and Britney vows to ruin her life. Not one to stand by idly, April discovers that there are other girls out there like her- girls who have been shunned by Britney and her group; and they all want revenge. While the characters each fit into the typical roles necessary for this type of story – mean girl and her devoted followers and nice but socially awkward girl – the author has made April charming, witty, sarcastic, awkward and insecure, but not without a spine — plus, there’s a lesson to be learned! I would absolutely recommend this for any preteen girl. 

This plot follows the film, Mean Girls almost verbatim (Britney being Regina George, and April being Cady Heron). It’s an overused story line, but Amy Holder does it in such a fun, refreshing way and really makes the story her own. 

Final verdict? 4/5 stars!

This book is due for release on April 4, 2011.

Jane by April Lindner

Okay, so this book was the biggest timesuck of my life. A few of the passages were actually painful to read. Like a good little reader, I just kept slogging right though because I had high hopes for this. I kept hoping that it would get better because I really did enjoy Jane Eyre when we read it in my english class. 

We follow Jane Moore through her many unfortunate situations, affairs, etc. How much more pitiful could she have gotten? I’ll tell you. Her parents died in a car accident, her mother constantly berated her for being plain, and unpretty, choosing only to dote on her prettier and more talented older sister, was bullied by her older brother (Yea, I know right? Boo fucking hoo.), Had an AFFAIR with an older man/rock star only to find that he was keeping his previous wife who suffered from schizophrenia locked up in his attic.. the list goes on. 

Stay away if you can’t stand pitiful female progatonists who cease to exist when they don’t have a man in their life, because that’s exactly what this was. 

Final verdict? One star. Out of five. Yea.