Title: Delirium Stories: Hana, Annabel, and Raven
Author: Lauren Oliver
First published February 28, 2012
208 pages, Paperback
ISBN: 9780062267788 (ISBN10: 0062267787)
Rating: 3.9
Overview
Lauren Oliver’s Delirium Stories: Hana, Annabel, and Raven, is a captivating collection of short stories that provide readers with a deeper understanding of the Delirium world. This anthology features three novellas that revolve around the lives of Hana, Annabel, and Raven, respectively.
Through these stories, we get to see the world of Delirium from a new perspective and gain valuable insights into the lives of these characters. The collection also includes an excerpt from Requiem, the final novel in the series, which will leave readers eagerly anticipating the conclusion.
Hana, Annabel, and Raven’s stories are poignant, gripping, and intense, with each character’s journey illuminating a different aspect of the Delirium world. These stories are a must-read for fans of the series and anyone looking for an immersive dystopian experience.
About the Author
Meet Lauren Oliver, president of production at Glasstown Entertainment, a media and content development company she co-founded. Lauren is a renowned New York Times bestselling author of several Young Adult novels, including Replica, Vanishing Girls, Panic, and the Delirium trilogy (Delirium, Pandemonium, and Requiem).
Her work has been translated into over thirty languages.
Lauren’s writing career has also seen some of her books being turned into major motion pictures. The film rights to her debut novel, Before I Fall, and Replica were acquired by AwesomenessTV.
Before I Fall was released in theaters in March 2017, while the Replica sequel, Ringer, hit the stands on October 3rd, 2017.
In addition to her work in YA literature, Lauren has also authored other books for middle-grade readers, including The Spindlers, Liesl & Po, and the Curiosity House series, which she co-wrote with H. C.
Chester. She also wrote one novel for adults, Rooms.
Lauren is a graduate of the University of Chicago and NYU’s MFA program. When not writing or producing content, she divides her time between New York, Connecticut, and frequenting airport lounges.
You can learn more about Lauren Oliver by visiting her online.
Editoral Review
Delirium Stories: Hana, Annabel, and Raven is a collection of novellas set in the same universe as Lauren Oliver’s bestselling young adult dystopian trilogy, Delirium. First published in 2012, this book is a must-read for fans of the series who want to know more about some of its side characters, as well as for those who are new to the series and want to explore the world-building and themes of the original books from different perspectives.
Lauren Oliver, the author of Delirium Stories, is a well-known name in the young adult literature scene. She has written several novels, including Before I Fall, Panic, and the Replica series, and her works have been translated into more than thirty languages.
In Delirium Stories, Oliver takes a different approach to storytelling by giving voice to three female characters who have different backgrounds, motivations, and relationships to love and rebellion. The novellas in Delirium Stories are titled Hana, Annabel, and Raven, respectively, and they follow the experiences of Hana Tate, Annabel Haloway, and Raven Reyes, who are secondary characters in the Delirium trilogy, but each has a significant role to play in the overall plot.
Hana, for instance, is Lena Haloway’s best friend, who rebels against the arranged marriage and the cure for love. Annabel is Lena’s mother, who struggles with memory loss and grief.
Raven is Alex Sheathes’s friend and lover, who leads a resistance group against the government that enforces the cure for love. Each novella can be read as a standalone story, but they are interconnected by the same theme of love, loss, and survival in a world where emotions are regulated and forbidden.
Readers who are familiar with the Delirium trilogy will find some moments of revelation and connection to the main story, while new readers will be intrigued by the world and the characters that Oliver has created. The strengths of Delirium Stories lie in Oliver’s prose, which is both poetic and poignant, and her ability to create believable and relatable characters who are flawed, but also brave and compassionate.
Oliver addresses some of the issues that are relevant today, such as the tension between individual freedom and social conformity, the consequences of complacency and apathy, and the power dynamics of communication and storytelling. The weaknesses of Delirium Stories are few but notable.
The novellas are shorter than a full-length novel, which means some of the subplots and character arcs are underdeveloped or rushed. Some readers may find the ending of each novella abrupt or unsatisfying, as they leave some questions unanswered or rely on a certain trope or cliche.
Overall, Delirium Stories: Hana, Annabel, and Raven is a well-crafted addition to the Delirium canon, which enhances our understanding of the world and its inhabitants. The novellas are a good balance between introspection and action, and they showcase Oliver’s talent as a storyteller and a world-builder.
I would recommend this book to readers who enjoy dystopian fiction, YA romance, and feminist literature, as well as to those who are looking for a quick, captivating read that challenges and entertains. I would give this book a rating of 4 out of 5 stars, based on its creativity, readability, originality, and relevance.
