by Lauren Oliver
Interesting. . . this is one of those ideas that seem to come out of nowhere. I give the author props for her imagination and for taking on the seemingly impossible. However, at times things just don't add up when it comes to the "disease". What I mean is that the symptoms don't always seem to stay consistent but I imagine that holds true in reality for any disease.
What is wrong with this society? Oh yeah, that is right, they are missing part of their brains. They get all worked up about feelings and take drastic measures to avoid the oh so terrible symptoms but still sell cigarettes? Now those are proven by science to actually kill people. If you don't believe me about how wacked this society is check out page 169.
Lukewarm at best as far as dystopian goes. The whole book except for the last twenty pages reads as a teenage romance. Guy meets girl attraction mounts lots of kissing. What teenager doesn't try to sneak around for some time without chaperones? The danger element felt so distant for me, until the end. I wasn't surprised by the end since I knew something would be coming that made up for the lack of terror and despair. Funny as it may sound those last pages have made me very curious as to where this story will go.
Although, speaking of the ending and such, (SPOILERS), what is so terribly scary about teenagers falling in "love". When I was a kid I remember crying my eyes out and people telling me I am too young to know love, someday you will understand. Not one of them ever even worried that all those crushes were the real deal, more like passing infatuation. And you know what they were right. What boggles my mind is how this society is so terrified of a couple of teenagers being in love that they call out the entire police force, the border patrol, and a helicopter to bring them in. What ?!! Note to self: Removing part of my brain that is responsible for feelings will also take away my power of reasoning and logical thought.
