Hello and WELCOME to DELIRIUM READ-A-LONG's SECOND DISCUSSION POST!
Thank you to all who have signed up for our second Read-A-Long this year, I hope you guys enjoyed reading Divergent with us and are having just as much (or more!) fun with Delirium! Today we'll be discussing chapters 8-14 of Delirium!
In case you missed it, the first discussion post for Delirium was hosted by Rachelia over at Bookish Comforts, you can find it HERE <- click!
Before we move on to the discussion questions Rachelia and I have prepared for you, here's a quick re-cap of what happened!
- Lena catches Hana listening to illegal music streamed from an illegal website. .Hana explains how she found out about the website and that there is more than one out there. She tells Lena about the people who write about the cure and the government- people who don't agree with the cure. She seems very excited about her discovery. Lena is very uncomfortable, scared and worried. She freaks out and accuses Hana of being reckless and putting her life in danger.
- Later that night, Lena is lying in bed and thinking about what happen. Her thoughts drift to a memory from when she was just a little kid and she hurt herself while riding a bike. Her mom lifted her to her feet, held her tight in her arms and told her everything will be OK. A woman passing by told her mom that she "should be ashamed of herself". After that her mom made sure to never display any emotions in public.
- After giving it some thought, Lena decides to go to the party. She sneaks out, hops on her bike and makes her way to Roaring Book Farms. There she sees a crowd of uncureds, both boys and girls laughing, dancing, drinking alcohol, having fun. She finds Hana and is introduced to her friend, Drew.
- As she is about to leave the party, Lena runs into Alex. He explains that he is there to listen to the music. When Lena tells him that he is doing something illegal, Alex shrugs and says: "Nobody's hurting anybody." When Lena tries to ask him about the incident on Evaluation Day, Alex sticks tells her it was just a mix up, and he was only there to get a coffee. He also tells her that he saw her before the Evaluation Day, running past the Governor anymore, and that he even left a note for here there. The dance and agree to meet again tomorrow.
- Lena and Alex meet on the beach. Lena opens up and tells Alex about her mom, how she died and how that made her feel. They race, laugh and for the first time Lena is truly happy and worry-free.
- Alex confesses that he was never cured. He also says that he came from the Wilds. Lena panics and runs away.
- We learn more about Lena's sister, Rachel, how she fell in love with Thomas and had to be forced to be cured. We also learn now both Rachel and Thomas were successfully cured and they're now both married. The couples even meet sometimes, making polite small-talks, not remembering anything about their tragic pasts.
- The days that follow are foggy. Lena is doing her best to make sure she didn't contract the deliria from Alex. She is evaluated and scores a high score of 8. She is matched with Brian Scharff.
- Lena runs into Hana, they talk briefly and part on not-so-good terms.
- On the night when Hana attends an illegal party there is a raid. Lena decides she has to do anything it takes to warn Hana and the party attendees. She sneaks out of the house after midnight. On her way to the party she stumbles upon Riley (the neighbors' dog). The dog, badly beaten by the raid officers, passes away.
- Lena is too late. Shortly after her arrival at the location of the party, the place is raided. Lena's leg is badly wounded, but thanks to Alex she manages to escape.
In case you missed it, the first discussion post for Delirium was hosted by Rachelia over at Bookish Comforts, you can find it HERE <- click!
Before we move on to the discussion questions Rachelia and I have prepared for you, here's a quick re-cap of what happened!
Chapters 8-14 RECAP:
- Lena catches Hana listening to illegal music streamed from an illegal website. .Hana explains how she found out about the website and that there is more than one out there. She tells Lena about the people who write about the cure and the government- people who don't agree with the cure. She seems very excited about her discovery. Lena is very uncomfortable, scared and worried. She freaks out and accuses Hana of being reckless and putting her life in danger.
- Later that night, Lena is lying in bed and thinking about what happen. Her thoughts drift to a memory from when she was just a little kid and she hurt herself while riding a bike. Her mom lifted her to her feet, held her tight in her arms and told her everything will be OK. A woman passing by told her mom that she "should be ashamed of herself". After that her mom made sure to never display any emotions in public.
- After giving it some thought, Lena decides to go to the party. She sneaks out, hops on her bike and makes her way to Roaring Book Farms. There she sees a crowd of uncureds, both boys and girls laughing, dancing, drinking alcohol, having fun. She finds Hana and is introduced to her friend, Drew.
- As she is about to leave the party, Lena runs into Alex. He explains that he is there to listen to the music. When Lena tells him that he is doing something illegal, Alex shrugs and says: "Nobody's hurting anybody." When Lena tries to ask him about the incident on Evaluation Day, Alex sticks tells her it was just a mix up, and he was only there to get a coffee. He also tells her that he saw her before the Evaluation Day, running past the Governor anymore, and that he even left a note for here there. The dance and agree to meet again tomorrow.
- Lena and Alex meet on the beach. Lena opens up and tells Alex about her mom, how she died and how that made her feel. They race, laugh and for the first time Lena is truly happy and worry-free.
- Alex confesses that he was never cured. He also says that he came from the Wilds. Lena panics and runs away.
- We learn more about Lena's sister, Rachel, how she fell in love with Thomas and had to be forced to be cured. We also learn now both Rachel and Thomas were successfully cured and they're now both married. The couples even meet sometimes, making polite small-talks, not remembering anything about their tragic pasts.
- The days that follow are foggy. Lena is doing her best to make sure she didn't contract the deliria from Alex. She is evaluated and scores a high score of 8. She is matched with Brian Scharff.
- Lena runs into Hana, they talk briefly and part on not-so-good terms.
- On the night when Hana attends an illegal party there is a raid. Lena decides she has to do anything it takes to warn Hana and the party attendees. She sneaks out of the house after midnight. On her way to the party she stumbles upon Riley (the neighbors' dog). The dog, badly beaten by the raid officers, passes away.
- Lena is too late. Shortly after her arrival at the location of the party, the place is raided. Lena's leg is badly wounded, but thanks to Alex she manages to escape.
"Most things, even the greatest movements on earth, have their beginnings in something small. An earthquake that shatters a city might begin with a tremor, a tremble, a breath. Music begins with vibration. The flood that rushed into Portland twenty years ago after nearly two months of straight rain, that hurled up beyond the labs and damaged more than a thousand houses, swept up tires and trash bags and old, smelly shoes and floated them through the streets like prizes, that left a thin film of green mold behind, a stench of rotting and decay that didn't go away for months, behan with a trickle of water, no wider than a finger, lapping up into the docks.
And God created the whole universe from an atom no bigger than a thought.
Grace's life fell apart because of a single word: sympathizer. My world exploded because of a different word: suicide.
Correction: That was the first time my world exploded.
The second time my world exploded, it was also because of a word. A word that worked its way out of my throat and danced onto and out of my lips before I could think about it, or stop it.
The question was: Will you meet me tomorrow? And the word was: Yes."
"I'd never understood how Hana could lie so often and so easily. But just like anything else, lying becomes easier the more you do it."
"Sometimes I feel like if you just watch things, just sit still and let the world exist in front of you - sometimes I swear just for a second time freezes and the world pauses in its tilt. Just for a second. And if you somehow found a way to live in that second, then you would live forever."
Now, onto the discussion!
1) Lena says she is looking forward to the cure because it is a "chance to be reborn: newer, fresher, better". Although we don't have "the cure" can you relate to Lena?
2) What events do you think shaped Lena's world view? Why do you think she is so eager to accept the cure and be rid from love once and for all?
3) Music plays an important part in these chapters -- when Lena goes to the party in the field she experiences been swept up by the unauthorized music and it moves her. Have you ever had a similar experience? If you were to make a Delirium playlist what songs would you include?
4) Carol said that believing in Invalids living in the Wild is similar to believing in werewolves or vampires, make-believe stuff, but then we learned that Alex is from the Wild. What do you think is really out there?
5) We learned a bit more about the society Lena lives in, particularly about the cure and the often violent raids. What do you think about the worldbuilding in Delirium after reading chapters 8-14? Why do the raids have to be so violent and humiliating?
6) Which particular event do you think caused a breakthrough in Lena's perception of the political system and cure? When do you think she first started having doubts? What affected her the most?
These are all the questions we have for you today! Please leave your answers in the comments below. Feel free to break them apart (1 comment per 1 answer!), or omit the questions you do not feel like answering! I am looking forward to discussing Delirium with you guys!
Meanwhile, happy reading and remember Discussion Post for CHAPTERS 15-21 will be posted over @Bookish Comforts!
Discussion Schedule for February: Delirium by Lauren Oliver
- 2/8: Chapters 1-7 (hosted @ Bookish Comforts)
- 2/17: Chapters 8-14 (hosted @ Bookish)
- 2/22: Chapters 15-21 (hosted @ Bookish Comforts)
- 2/27: Chapters 22-27 (hosted by @ Bookish)
Wrap-up:
- 2/28: Favorite quotes and moments, reflections, review and a place for YOU to link up your review/thoughts! (posted at @ Bookish and @ Bookish Comforts)
Great news for you guys! I just heard back from the lovely Harper Collins and we've got a prize to share with the participants!!! And guess what?!?! You can win a copy of the last book in the DELIRIUM Trilogy, Requiem!!!
This contest is open INTERNATIONALLY - Harper Collins can only ship within US, but if an International participant wins, I will ship the book to them personally!
You know what to do?! Tweet your thoughts, pictures with Delirium, favorite quotes etc with the #TBRRaL hashtag and you're entered to WIN! :)
