The Caffeinated Diva reads...

Why did I wait so long to start reading this amazing series?! I love the premise of this story, that love is not only the root of all that is wrong with the world, but a disease in and of itself. The implications are terrifying, the thought processes and sheer control of the government in their attempt to subdue basic human emotions in the name of social order.

I love, love, love dystopian fiction. Every dystopia is the result of an attempt at Utopia, an attempt that goes horribly wrong. It is chilling to see different aspects of our own world seen in a different way, seen by the new society as the root of all problems. These novels make you think, make you question your values, your beliefs, your priorites. They make you ask what price you are willing to pay for a "better" world? And is what you're striving for really what you want?

In this one, it is love that is the root of all that is wrong with the world, a basic human emotion that is wiped out in the name of peaceful society, with often horrific results. It is interesting that this is a society based on social order and science, and yet so much of what is done to the citizens is barbaric. Every aspect of life is controlled. Every social norm, every law... all in place because of the views on the destructive nature of love. It is terrifying.

Lena is a fantastic heroine, spending her life believing in the society's views on love and life. She yearns for her turn to be cured, wanting nothing more than to be assured of her safety and future. Her best friend Hana is the wild child, flying in the face of the rules. Lena's transformation is slow, caught between her fear of deliria and the overwhelming feeling that there just might be something more. But she isn't Hana. She is a bit timid, and has her own baggage to add to her fear. But then she meets Alex and he opens her eyes to the world she lives in. Everything she thought she knew about her life, her past, and her future flips and nothing will ever be the same for her again.

The ending. Oh, the ending. I am still having a hard time dealing with it and I am almost done with the second book as I am writing this. And that is all I am going to say about that!

Things to love...

--Lena. She wasn't a cookie cutter heroine. When we meet her, she is a bit timid, fully in line with the social order. Her transformation is slow and considered and I liked that.
--Hana. She's a contradiction, seemingly everything Lena is not. Brave, fearless, rebellious. Yet, in the end, it is Lena that risks everything, not Hana.
--Alex. There is so much more to him than just a love interest. He is deep and represents everything that should be in their world.

My Recommendation

This is a fantastic dystopian read, with a chilling premise!