Review Detail

WOW. Lauren Oliver just blew my mind. I knew I would like this book, but other than that, I didn't know what to expect. This was very subtle and, at some points, a little slow. I didn't truly realize how extraordinary and unique this was until the end. As I read, I slowly realized how much I loved this story and cared about the characters.

The story and world in this book are unlike any I've ever encountered before. A world without love; it sounds terrible, but the author wrote it in such a way that it's possible it could happen. She gave us background as to how this idea of love as a disease came about, and I was fascinated. It was a very different experience reading this, but different in the best way possible.

The most prominent thing about this novel, along with the story, was the writing. The author's descriptions and word choices made this dystopian world and these characters come to life. There were too many stand out lines in this book to count. Here's one that really caught my attention:

Love: a single word, a wispy thing, a word no bigger or longer than an edge. That's what it is: an edge; a razor. It draws up through the center of your life, cutting everything in two. Before and after. The rest of the world falls away on either side.
Before and after-and during, a moment no bigger or longer than an edge.



I also really enjoyed the characters. Lena was very likeable but also complex. It was interesting watching her thinking and feelings change over the course of the book as she meets Alex. Alex was very sweet and nice. I also liked Hana; seeing her and Lena's relationship play out was fun.

Overall: While the pacing is slow at times, this book will have you mesmerized. A must read!