Lauren Oliver is one of my favorite YA authors. Delirium stuck with me long after I finished reading, and my enjoyment of this trilogy has grown over time.

What I didn't like
The first five chapters were a little slow and corny. I found two awkward metaphors about Alex's (the love interest's) eyes in a single sentence. His hair was constantly described as "the color of autumn," which distracted me a little, for some reason.

Perhaps the funniest phrasing I found in the entire book was that "his eyes were literally dancing," and I questioned if the protagonist/writer actually knew what the word literally meant.

What I liked
As the story progressed, I began to grow more attached to the characters. My favorite character was Hana, who

Spoiler

initially came across as the hero of the story, someone Lena admired more than any other person, but she turned out to have an inability to act on her convictions, like so many do

. I enjoyed the fact that this story was set in a slightly alternate dimension of the United States, as if it was set in a 21st century, dystopian America. The symbolism and metaphors used by the author grew a little less forced and awkward after the initial attempt to describe everything about Alex's face diminished, and I began to really enjoy the style of Oliver's writing.

One of the biggest things I admired about Delirum is that it was not laden with teenage sex scenes. It realistically described Lena's innocence and timidity created by her guarded culture. The story focused on the bizarre laws of their world and the forbidden rebellion between Alex and Lena instead of on the physical details of their relationship.