Love in Between

Hey there, it's Lydia here. I'm really happy to be posting on the blog again, as you can see you'll be hearing from a member of our eccentric trilogy team once a week! This week I'll be discussing Love in Between by Mercy Jane Porquez Ballesteros.

Love in Between is a collection of classic and contemporary poems. It is inspired by the works of William Shakespeare and Edgar Allan Poe, both are my greatest influences. The short stories reveal a lot about human relationships, the concept of love, and how humans behave in it. This book will appeal to readers interested in contemporary romance and young adult fiction. It is inspired by the different emotions of love, for love manifests itself in many forms. At times, it can only be conveyed through words, exploring life’s lessons and suppressed passions. (Description from the author)

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Love-Between-Mercy-Porquez-Ballesteros-ebook/dp/B076Y56M94/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1537277078&sr=8-3&keywords=love+in+between

Before I properly begin my review, poetry is an extremely personal form, in which everyone writes and interprets in many innovative ways. Each author is credited for expressing themselves no matter of anyones judgement or opinion.

The collection of poems and short stories addresses the romantic themes of: heaven, truth, heartbreak, jealousy, Godly love and life after love. While being a sucker for romantic fiction myself I read this collection with anticipation and eagerness. The book is separated by two sections, in which poetry presents itself first and the short stories second.

The author's poetry drew me in very rapidly, with her use of creative imagery and descriptive techniques, as well as some dialogue amongst her stanzas which I found very refreshing. Her use of Shakespearean dialect created a sense of nostalgia from when I studied many of Shakespeare's sonnets during my GCSE's and A Levels. The author greatly illustrates that 21st century writers are still influenced by the works of Shakespeare. However, like all collections of fiction, not every piece will be liked. I found that some poems were very similar in style, structure and content. That while some stanza's were very complex, others were rather simplistic and monotonous. Some poems had a lyrical flow that reached a satisfying conclusion, while within others I felt slightly lost when I met its ending.

While reading the second half of the book, I was presented with a similar reaction. The author presented some interesting introductions within her six short stories; creating a setting that both looked back into some characters pasts, while they reflected on their present emotions and surroundings. However I felt that the stories focused too much on the plot and not enough on the language that would express the characters complex feelings. This presented the characters to be rather flat and static.

My two favourite poems from the book are 'Midnight Flower' and 'For once, My Knight'. Both have a beautiful Romantic style, through the use of rich pastoral imagery which represent the speakers deep emotions. Although, what I enjoyed most was how both poems explore the truthfulness of love, whether that be about the innocence and honesty of love or the lack of truth it emits.

I lastly felt that within both the poems and stories there was a rigid sense of heterosexuality. There was heavy focus on the physical features and attraction between the characters, yet, they were always between a man and woman. It would be more appealing to see a more gender neutral atmosphere, so all people of all sexualities may find their romantic experience within the language.

I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys getting lost within the lyrical garden of poetry and atmosphere of love.

You should also take a look at other books published by Mercy Jane Porquez Ballesteros; these include 'A Taste of Revenge' and 'Poems of Love & Short Stories', in which can all be found on Amazon. You can also find her on her website www.mjaneballesteros.com and on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/mjane207/.

When Life Gets In The Way

Hey its Lydia here! I haven't posted for a few weeks now, but here's my next book review. I ate this book up!

Author: Ines Vieira
Published: 1st August 2016
Publishers: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
Genre: Young Adult, Romance, Romantic-comedy, Teenage love
Length: 314
Rating: 18+

Description from Amazon

A wise man once said that life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans. Cassandra Mackenzie had only one plan. Get into Berkeley, University of California. That was her one purpose and nothing was going to get in her way or sidetrack her from that one goal. Her life would finally begin once she moved from the quiet streets of Plymouth, Massachusetts to the sunny hills’ of San Francisco. That is if her family doesn’t fall apart before she can make her dreams come true. Isaac Silva never made any plans his entire life. His only objective was to have the nightmare he lived day in and day out, to finally come to an end. To Isaac, graduating wouldn’t mean college, it would mean freedom. But when these two meet, all bets are off. “When Life Gets in the Way” is a story about overcoming diversity and the grueling challenges that illness and violence can cause. But it is also a story of experiencing that one feeling that surrounds us all. Love It can either make you or break you.

Review

I have many words to say about When Life Gets In The Way. My first initial reaction when I first started reading on my iPad was, why is the font so big? And that it was longer than I expected it to be. However, I came to realise that something had happened when I was sent the PDF file, and actually the book is only just over three hundred pages long - the fundamental struggles of being a reader and reviewer.

What I enjoyed most about this book was the duel narratives of Isaac and Cassandra, where in each chapter the reader hears the perspective from each of their point of views. As both a reader and writer it was quite refreshing to hear a male voice in a YA romance book, something I haven't often come across until now. It brought a sense of masculinity to a genre that is mostly seen to be read by women, and it also allows readers to see inside the brain of a teenage boy, understanding all his deep thoughts and emotions. It was wonderful to read, as for many years men weren't known to be in touch with their emotions as much was women are, however the reader has such an intimate relationship with Isaac's thoughts that really their should be no emotional division between men and women.

The language used amongst the pages was very figurative, expressive and seemed to capture the characters emotions well. However, while it was lovely to read and imagine, there were parts were I thought the language was quite dull and literal. So there was a strange sensation of euphoria combined with an ache for something more descriptive. What was also captivated well was a sense of reality. In Vieira's book, her characters battle with the unfortunate circumstances of life, one being mental illness and domestic abuse, elements which hundreds of people daily are burdened with. Even though it can be distressing and heartbreaking for a reader to imagine, it brings a sense of human life and the realistic tragedy that people face in their lives. Although I enjoyed the language, some of the dialogue irritated me somewhat. The repetitive use of the word 'baby' when Isaac and Cassandra tried to sooth each other became slightly corny and cliche at times. However, it may be a British thing, as people in romantic relationships, definitely the ones I've been around, don't refer to each other like that. It is probably me just being picky, but every time I read the word, it reminded me of a pop song.

While I'm a reader for about forty per cent of the time, the other sixty is critically analysing the book: its style, language and foundation of plot. I was really impressed with the plot, the story started quite calmly, then as the reader was introduced to more and more characters, and each event starting to unfold, the tension rose really well. Along with the sexual tension between Isaac and Cassandra, meeting the climax of when they had sex. Moving on, love and the implication of love engulfs this story entirely. Obviously, Isaac and Cassandra are at the center, but I like how the author draws comparison to different relationships and marriages, especially the parents of the younger characters. What was quite touching and sentimental is that love changed the two main characters. Isaac, who thinks that to love and be loved is impossible, discovers that, despite all the odds he is able to love. Then Cassandra learns through love that the future cannot be controlled to suit ideas and ambitions, she sees that life and love are a rattling time bomb, patiently waiting to explode, no matter how hard you try, you can't keep it honed in.

I don't particularly have a favourite characters, but the one I most relate to is Cassandra. Like her, I'm always afraid of the future, and my brain is always filled and fueled by buts and what ifs. I too always want to keep the future safe and confined, but inevitably life is anything but smooth. So I really see myself in this characters, as I don't always put myself out in the world enough or take risks, but by the end of the book she finds herself within Isaac.

All the while when reading I couldn't help but be reminded of Nicholas Sparks books, so if you enjoy him as an author, then this book is definitely for you! I hope you enjoyed my review, go check out some of the other reviews on our blog by my co-writers Heather and Shani.

Black & White

Hiya, it’s Heather posting today! Hope you’re all having a super summer, I’m not particularly well at the moment so apologies for a shorter than normal review. Many thanks to the author for letting me read this in exchange for an honest review.

Information

Author: Nick Wilford

Published: September 2017

Publisher: Superstar Peanut

Length: 180 pages

Genre: Young Adult, Dystopian

Brief Description (from Amazon)

What is the price paid for the creation of a perfect society?

In Whitopolis, a gleamingly white city of the future where illness has been eradicated, shock waves run through the populace when a bedraggled, dirt-stricken boy materialises in the main street. Led by government propaganda, most citizens shun him as a demon, except for Wellesbury Noon – a high school student the same age as the boy.

Upon befriending the boy, Wellesbury feels a connection that he can’t explain – as well as discovering that his new friend comes from a land that is stricken by disease and only has two weeks to live. Why do he and a girl named Ezmerelda Dontible appear to be the only ones who want to help?

As they dig deeper, everything they know is turned on its head – and a race to save one boy becomes a struggle to redeem humanity.

(https://www.amazon.co.uk/Black-White-Book-One-Trilogy-ebook/dp/B07395MKSH/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1502791602&sr=1-1&keywords=black+%26+white+nick+wilford)

Review

This novel is set in a spotless society (they’d despise my house) called Whitopolis in which even the word dirt is confusing to the citizens. One day, a kid named Mallinger from another place suddenly appears there – and this boy is covered in dirt, so naturally the citizens are terrified and condemn him as a ‘demon’. Meanwhile, Wellesbury is bored of how routine and perfectionistic their lifestyle is, so talk of a ‘demon’ intrigues him and he decides to investigate.

I found the concept of living in an immaculate society really creative. There’s no illness, most people live until they’re a hundred, and everything is fairly uneventful. This did rub off on some of the characters too. With the exception of Wellesbury, Ezmerelda and Tindleson, everyone living there seemed content with their lives yet were distant, passive and dull, almost lacking any energy. Wellesbury was a good protagonist; I really liked how innocent he was, harbouring a sweet crush for Ezmerelda and wanting to help Mallinger, but also struggling with his peers as school. Ezmerelda was animated and passionate, her bravery and thirst for justice making her very likable and a strong character. To be honest, I felt that Tindleson was introduced too late on in the book and seemed to very suddenly gain the trust of Wellesbury and Ezmerelda.  

“Her eyes had colour. Her skin had colour. Ezmerelda longed for more colour in her world.”

Sometimes, I found myself yearning for just a little more imagery – it’s particularly hard in fantasy and science fiction books because the reader needs to feel convinced that the place could exist. It’s the little things like the shade of the paving slabs, descriptions of the hovercars and food, did they have garages? Was there any fake grass or stone patches or was the outside completely concrete? Did they have windows and statues? Teensy details like the sound of one’s footsteps on different materials can really help to develop a sense of realism for the reader. The whole concept of eradicating anything vaguely unclean does make one question how toddlers were dealt with pre-toilet-training stage and whether dust was an issue. Were paint stains frowned upon? I know that a certain amount of information should be left to the imagination, but I’m a curious person and the idea of Whitopolis sparked my interest, so these questions bugged me.

I enjoyed this novel, but felt it needed just a little bit more description. The grammar was flawless, though there was an overuse of ellipses at the start. If you’ve read it, let me know your thoughts below!  

The Bag (The Bucket Series)

Hey, this is Heather posting today. Many thanks to Pegasus Publishers for letting me read this in exchange for an honest review. The cover art for this book is stunning.

Information

Author: D.J. Cattrell
Published: June 2017
Publisher: Pegasus Elliot Mackenzie Publishers
Length: 347 pages

Genre: Children's/Teenage Fantasy

Brief description (from Amazon)

The day had finally come for Sarah to meet her sister Rachel after eight years. Being in a different world, Sarah was determined to be re-united with Rachel back in her original world, with The Bag'. But does that solve all the problems? The witch, The Esmeralda', makes her way into her new world aiming to take hold of The Bag' from Sarah. What is so precious about this bag? Sarah must protect it and its contents, and is willing to give up her life to save the world from the witch's evil doing. Will Sarah survive? And, if Sarah does survive, which world will she choose to live in? (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bag-Bucket-D-J-Cattrell/dp/1907552979/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1500472492&sr=1-1-fkmr0&keywords=the+bag+dj+cottrell)

Review

I’m a massive fan of the genre children’s/teenager fantasy so my expectations were pretty high. It’s crucial for children and teens alike to expand their imagination by reading fantasy novels. Through reading fantasy, we can manipulate our own minds to appreciate the bizarrely beautiful mundane elements of our own world that someone from another world would notice. It’s also wonderful to provide us with some escapism, I recall spending many dark nights in Harry Potter’s wizarding world, adventuring with Lyra and Will in Philip Pullman’s dark material and hobbling along with the hobbits and elves of Tolkien’s literature when my own life was stressful and sleep troubled.

The pacing of the novel is rapid.  I did feel it was a little too fast at the start but had I read the prequel I’d probably not have had this issue. It’s often difficult for writers to include enough description yet still captivate their readers for this audience, but this is definitely a success story for that. Imagery, plot and dialogue were all in the ideal ratio. There are some illustrations too, whilst these aren’t really needed as the imagery is more than adequate in allowing the reader to visualise what is happening, I still enjoyed looking at them. The plot is good, certainly a page turner, though the end still leaves the reader questioning what will happen next, which is excellent if the author is planning to write another book. I was also pleased that the writer had come up with their own creatures to fill this world with, like the cuddly rocks and Jasban.

The characterisation was definitely another highlight. I adored the Jasban, which are playful critters, especially the contrast between them and the grouchy but equally lovable white tiger. The Esmeralda was an excellent villain, cruel and literally feeding from the pain of others, she struts around with a confidence reminiscent of Jadis from C.S. Lewis’ Magician’s Nephew, capturing followers through the power of her eyes. My favourite character, followed closely by the endearing Robin, had to be Mrs Mole. Mrs Mole’s perspective was such fun to follow; an avid rule enthusiast distraught from her husband leaving her and left feeling pretty desolate, she consumes herself with caring for her plants, disapproving of Sarah and being a Guide leader (I’m hoping the sequel might give her some more happiness). Her journey shows the most satisfying character development and there’s some spectacular imagery as she joins Sarah on her adventure. Rachel, however, confused me, particularly her claim that ‘ruler’ (as in the item in your pencil case) is improper, and that it’s really called a ‘rule’. I checked the Oxford Dictionary and for the British, a ruler is definitely acceptable terminology for a tool used to measure lengths and draw straight lines with. That’s not to say that she’s a badly written character though – sure, she’s pompous and a know-it-all (except about rulers, it seems), but some of the best people in this world are.  

Some authors can be pretty daunted by the children-teenager bridge in literature, so I really have to commend the writer for going for this audience. The writing style is fun to read, but uses mature language, a lovely balance that should help younger teenagers to keep reading. However, throughout there was a case of overly ‘enthusiastic’ punctuation in which a lot of sentences ended with an exclamation mark. I’d really advise writers and editors to check before publishing to reduce exclamation marks – they should be used only sparingly to make full impact when necessary. Children’s literature does tend to use more exclamation marks than most, but even so, consider that authors like Jane Austen, Virginia Woolf and F. Scott Fitzgerald all used less than 500 of them per 100,000 words. It’s a minor thing to nag about, and normally I’d completely ignore it, yet the book itself is written so well that it doesn’t require them.

Only one element of the novel did I really dislike: the rabbit incident. This is a really small part of the book and not really needed to fabricate the storyline, it’s more included to demonstrate how poorly Sarah adapts to our world as she takes the Guides rabbits and makes rabbit stew with them… then uses the skins to make the Guide leader, Mrs Mole, slippers. Maybe I’m a little biased? I’ve kept rabbits since the age of three – my bunny Tilly is currently parading round my bedroom floor as I write this (she was rather startled by the lightning last night so was owed some cuddles). So, I’ll admit it, I adore rabbits and the thought of someone doing that to Tilly quite frankly is horrific. This meant that for the remainder of the book, I was ‘stewing’ about why rabbit stew is even a thing! I know I’ve ranted too much on this one point, but needless to say I was not amused by it, particularly for the age group it's aimed at. As a counterpoint to this, I know that rabbits are eaten in the wild and that Sarah did not realise how traumatising her actions would be to the other children… but I still don’t forgive her.

Aside from the rabbits, I really enjoyed this novel and will definitely try to get hold of the prequel sometime. If you’ve read or are reading this book or even just love the genre like I do, please let me know in the comments below.

Fangirl

Hello, it's Shani here! Today I wanted to discuss one of my favourite books, which I was able to reread again! I'm back once again to discuss another Rainbow Rowell book, Fangirl! I hope you all enjoy this review and if you haven't read Fangirl, I would definitely suggest you pop to your local bookshop and purchase it!

Author: Rainbow Rowell
Published: 10 September 2013
Publisher: St Martin's Press
Length: 479
My Rating: 4.5/5

Fangirl, written by Rainbow Rowell, is about an eighteen year old girl named Cather Avery who is attempting to survive her first year of College (or University), however she finds herself struggling due to her obsession with writing Fan Fiction for the Simon Snow universe.

In a sense, I have never related to a book character quite like I have to Cather's. Cath lives and breathes through her reading and writing, it is the only way she is able to make it through her everyday life. Her anxiety about starting a new chapter in her life, going to University and moving away from her family home, make her a very realistic character and I have found that a lot of people my age have found themselves being able to relate to her. Cath's obsession with the Simon Snow universe, which is a series made up entirely by Rowell but in the novel is written by Gemma T. Leslie, has numerous elements of Harry Potter by J.K.Rowling. I found this interesting because I had never seen a Young Adult novel acknowledge the fact that Fan Fiction is an active, almost essential part, of a novel's 'hype'. There are over 637,063 Fan Fictions of Harry Potter on the internet alone, and never I have seen a writer such as Rowell acknowledge that Fan Fiction exists. Not only does Rowell acknowledge it, but she encourages it, and many other writers have begun to as well. This was one of the main things I loved about Fangirl so much, it presented the reader with a character who cared deeply for two characters - Simon Snow and Baz - and used them as a coping mechanism in her every day life. It makes the reader realise that caring about fictional characters isn't a bad thing and should be more encouraged rather than disregarded.

The subject of mental health is handled beautifully in this book. Not only does Cath suffer from GAD - General Anxiety Disorder - but her father Arthur, referred to as 'Art', suffers from mental health issues as well. Rowell breaches subjects, such as parental abandonment, without any reluctance whatsoever and presents the reader with Cath's various different emotions throughout the stages of her school year. Though the book is written in third person, the narrative is around Cath throughout the entire novel, and in a sense it almost feels as if it is written from a first person account. Cath's conflicting emotions over the rift with her twin sister, Wren, and her estranged mother, Laura, are written beautifully by Rowell and show the complex emotions that one goes through when faced with challenging circumstances. Rowell is unafraid to show her young adult audience that it is okay to be upset when faced with these type of issues, her writing presents a certain fragility and vulnerability that many young adults go through.

Another aspect which was wonderful about this novel was that at the end of certain chapters, Rowell would include an extract from Cath's Fan Fiction. This was so wonderfully written and added new life to the novel, making it more interesting as the reader went along because you are almost reading two stories at once. I think perhaps my favourite thing about this novel though, was Levi's encouragement of Cath writing Fan Fiction and how blatantly obvious his love for Cath was. Cath first meets Levi when she finds him in her room on the first day of moving into the University dorms. Cath is initially terrified of Levi, she doesn't quite know how to behave around him which I found hilarious. Her awkwardness seems real and Rowell has crafted Cath's anxiety so well that we as readers can feel it ourselves as we read along. Levi is unbelievably supportive of Cath and her Fan Fiction, going so far as to ask her to read it out loud to him. I thought the dynamics between them were unbearably sweet, portraying an accurate depiction of 'first love'.

Other characters such as Wren and Reagan had me laughing uncontrollably at times during Fangirl. Though the novel has serious issues addressed, and has wonderfully written romance, the book is first and foremost a comedy. Rowell's humour is perhaps my favourite thing about this book. The witty and sarcastic language makes the novel an entertaining read which has me returning to read it again, and again!

Over the Edge

Hello, this is Heather! I was on holiday at a Scottish Island last week so bade goodbye to wi-fi except in Internet Cafes, which meant reading conditions were ideal. Sadly it also meant I couldn't post this review until now, so apologies for that. Hope you enjoy :) 

Author: L S May

Published: May 2016

Publisher: (unknown)

A friend of mine recommended that I try a mocha a couple of weeks ago and the experience was similar to reading this book. There were aspects in the mocha that I enjoyed immensely, such as the sprinkling of cocoa and familiar hot chocolate like taste, but ultimately the coffee left an aftertaste of the same bitterness that seven-year-old me felt when my brother beheaded my Barbie dolls (I got my revenge a few weeks after). It was then that I concluded that coffee just isn’t for me – however the incident was not one that I regretted, much like this book. The story goes like this: Cierra tries to commit suicide by jumping off a cliff, yet it just so happens that she falls into a portal instead. Here, she meets a lad named Justin, his boisterous brother-like companion, Zach and Ruth, who threatens her to return to her world and never come back. Naturally, the rebellion in Cierra dismisses this threat and she latches onto the first bit of light that she has felt in a long time by fishing notes through the portal to communicate with Justin. They soon open up to each other and Cierra attempts to ‘have a go’ at life despite home life being somewhat hard. This is a spoiler for those that do intend on reading the book, but in the end Ruth is revealed to be like the creepy mother from Coraline and acts in a rather psychopathic way. The book ends on the stereotypical ball scene in which Justin, who lost his memory along the way, dances with Cierra and recites various fluffy memories of their time together that happen to be drifting back to him.

To begin, I will address the chocolate and cream combo of the book. I read the book very quickly; I even declined an Uno game to finish it. The plot is far from dull, yet at the same time it is extremely easy to follow. I also really appreciated the fact that the author chose to focus on a few characters instead of introduce a new person on every page. The description of Cierra’s depression was very well written at points, this quote being my favourite; “It took her whole world and made it as cold and empty as the weight in her chest. It made the very air unwelcoming. And worst of all was the darkness. The way the sun never pierced the clouds, but struggled through, coming out weaker on the other side.” I found this an impressive way to demonstrate the affects of depression and give the reader some real imagery of the way 350 million people view the world. Like my mocha, the book was pretty cheap costing just a little over two quid and I did enjoy it so cannot complain. I feel that May has a lot of potential as an author, with such a creative storyline I will be looking out for her other books.

However, there were elements of the book that I thought could be improved. I know that in states of severe depression one can get caught in a rain cloud of their own to put it lightly, but Cierra came across as the epitome of selfish at times. No, I am not referring to how she tried to commit suicide just after a fight with her father: I get that at this point she was too distressed to care about the damage – or even consider herself worthy of causing any. I thought her kiss with Justin was, though, remarkably selfish and a little unrealistic. Someone with self-esteem as little as hers I thought odd to even initiate a first kiss, particularly after having broken down so much prior to it. Justin was not all that obvious about liking her in that manner, hence the very idea that she expected him to kiss her back and had not contemplated that she was not ‘good enough’ or ‘worthy’ or ‘his type’ when her depression and self-esteem were so extreme on both ends of the scale struck me as peculiar. After a while, they did get together, but to the reader it did seem a bit like Justin had no other choice. He explained that he just wasn’t sure how their relationship could work and did actually like her: but what would you do if after you rejected someone, they had tried to end their life? Moreover, if you were the person that had attempted suicide, would you believe the person that had rejected you prior? It all just seemed rather forced. I would like to read a book about depression that does not rely on a romantic relationship to make the other person ‘live happily’; a relationship is not the only way life can be beautiful. I also found that most of the book could do with more development; there were few paragraphs over three lines long, which meant that everything felt a bit rushed. For instance, Olivia seemed to go from a stranger to best friend in less than a day and a little rude about prodding Cierra for information about her depression. I did not get Ruth at all. She had no motives to stab Cierra’s dad… or try to kill Cierra really… or give Justin amnesia. I suppose her instability and protective nature over Justin after the car accident is an explanation, but honestly it seemed very dramatic and far-fetched.

The book was quite abstract in that the ideas and themes were there, but there was a dearth of development and realistic explanations. May did show depression in quite an accurate way most of the time, so I think this is an area she has a lot of potential in building on. I am unsure on who the audience would be for this book since there were several cliché moments and the language was simplistic so would appeal to what the urban dictionary refers to as ‘tweens’, but depression and suicide is too heavy for this age so maybe over 14s. Those that like a fast-paced story with some sweet aspects would really enjoy this book. 

Delirium

Hiya, it's Heather! Here's a little post on Delirium, I ramble a bit here, so apologies in advance but I hope you enjoy regardless ^-^

Author: Lauren Oliver
Published: January 2011
Publisher: Harper Collins

In a state of procrastination, I found myself scrolling down the social science fiction Wikipedia page, one of the listed books being Delirium. The plot is the part which initially drew me to reading it, to sum it up: Lena lives in a society where love is seen as a disease, so is completely forbidden, thus when deemed old enough the individual will be assessed and then paired with a partner, a little after this they are injected with a substance that revokes the instinct to fall in love.  

The general idea of the novel is impressive to say the least. A fundamental aspect of our culture is that love is positive, be it through Disney and children’s television to horror and comedy films. It hence struck me as intriguing to go to a world whereby love is a disease. This led my thoughts into how some people view certain types of love negatively because of that socialisation they have had teaching them so, sadly homosexuals are sometimes thought of this way by certain people. Could it be that Oliver is trying to demonstrate that love is always positive?

The plot was brilliant and the general pace of the novel fast, making it an easy read. There’s a point where Lena and Alex, whose a boy that changes her perspective on love being diseased, dance which is adorable (I squealed and started singing Taylor Swift under my breath). The ending was on a real cliff-hanger and to be honest I would have read the next book immediately. HOWEVER, I read reviews on what the next one is about to avoid the book being scarred and found that there is a love triangle situation! I am not patient enough to read about another girl that cannot pick a boy – if you cannot choose between two boys, your feelings for them are not strong enough to be considered true love. Anyway, back to Delirium… Hana (Lena’s bestie) was a fantastic character. She’s that typical friend that challenges you to go out of your comfort zone and tells you to ‘chillax’ despite having few moments of spontaneity themselves.

Whilst I must underline that the book was an enjoyable read which I devoured in less than a day, there were some elements of it that I feel could have been improved. For instance, the start of the book was so focused on getting the reader to comprehend the social situation that the description was somewhat lacking. Though I do understand that this can be really hard when a vital aspect of the story must be obvious to the reader and a rose cannot grow without the soil being laid down first, it did frustrate me at first. Also, Alex, the male love interest in the novel, was frustratingly persistent to the point where he reminded me of Gatsby from The Great Gatsby. The protagonist was terribly rude to him at the start, making her intentions to stay away from him so clear (as was protocol in a place with gender segregation laws) that I thought it odd that he still tried approaching her. It can be argued that love makes people try hard to gain the affection of those they feel attracted to, yet I think when anyone is that obvious that they want to stay away you should respect that decision. Furthermore, Lena very suddenly changed her attitude towards him; she went from hating this guy to spending nearly every day with him? The last point I would like to address is that Lena is very difficult to visualise, maybe she’s very humble or maybe I skipped a page but Lena is scarcely ever described except as short and not pretty but not ugly. This is great but what about hair colour, eyes, for all I know she could have a tattoo of a badger on her leg. Also, a little game for you, count the amount of times that Lena is sweating because I’m worried about her.

What did I do after finishing this book? I cried. I'm a sucker for romance and I genuinely really loved this one (regardless of the sweating problem). If you want a cute love story involving internal conflict and teenage rebellion then I would definitely tell you to read it.

Alright, if anyone has any thoughts on Delirium then I'd love to hear from you! Have a lovely day or night or in between.