There is no before. There is only now and what comes next

In a dystopian society where love is a disease, Lena soon discovers the secrets the government is hiding. She manages to escape her life in "prison" over into the "wild". But, the boy she fell deeply in love with, Alex, did not make it over the fence with her. Despite this difficult situation, Lena finds herself becoming part of the Invalid community, where the talks of a rebellion are quickly spreading. She is swept into the fight forward in order to create a world where love is not a crime. Lena is thrust into a situation where she must use her senses in order to survive. Will her ability and strength keep her alive, and is she beginning to fall in love again?
Pandemonieum by Lauren Oliver was a great sequel to her first, Delirium. I really enjoyed the fact that the entire book was not focused on Lena's love interest. It, like The Hunger Games, focuses on the government and the people who are defending "the cure". In a world where it is wrong to have strong emotions and love towards another human, Lena and her group are trying to take a stand against this. Love is never wrong, and this book shows two distinct sides: those for the norm and getting people cured for the better of society, and those for the revolution and being open to love and the pain and joy it may cause. Of course we are introduced to the extremists, the Scavengers. These are people who are extreme in their ways, violent, and not really for or against anything.
I found it extremely interesting when they spoke of the riots and the government's hold on the society. It hits home in quite a few ways: conservatives vs liberals and of course you have your extreme outliers. Certain government issues that are constantly rioted about, and those people who would give everything for change.
I felt that is the part I liked the most about this book. Of course, Lena's love for Alex and the constant guilt she carries with her about him is so romantic and tragic. Her feelings of giddy adolescent love are very sweet, so it's hard not to love that part of the novel. But in my opinion, the government issue is the main idea here. Love is the delirium that needs to be cured, but in a society where love is wrong, what can possibly be right? The fight gets more exciting with each turn of the page, and it is very interesting to see how Lena transforms from a naive teenager in book one to a strong young woman in book two.
I look forward to seeing her progress in the third, especially because it appears the dilemma I TOTALLY CALLED FROM THE BEGINNING will be very much a part of her life.
I recommend this series. Even though the love and romance is a heavy part of the series, it stands for a different cause. It's not fluff, but it is a quick read because you're not going to want to leave it.