Raven

Delirium #2.5

by Lauren Oliver

This captivating story set in the world of Lauren Oliver’s New York Times bestselling Delirium series focuses on Raven, the fiery leader of a rebel group in the Wilds.

As a teenager, Raven made the split-second decision to flee across the border to the Wilds, compelled to save an abandoned newborn—a baby girl left for dead and already blue from the cold. When she and the baby are taken in by a band of rebels, Raven finds herself an outsider within a tight-knit group. The only other newcomer is an untrustworthy boy known as the Thief until he finally earns himself a new name: Tack.

Now she and Tack are inseparable, committed to each other, the fledgling rebellion, and a future together. But as they both take center stage in the fight, Raven must decide whether the dangers of the revolution are worth risking her dreams of a peaceful life with Tack.

As her story hurtles back and forth between past and present, Raven transforms from a scared girl newly arrived in the Wilds to the tough leader who helps Lena save former Deliria-Free poster boy Julian Fineman from a death sentence. Whatever the original mission may have been, Raven abides by a conviction that she believes to her core: You always return for the people you love.

By turns surprising, revelatory, and poignant, Raven’s story enriches the Delirium world and resonates with a voice that is as vulnerable as it is strong.

Genres: Young Adult, Dystopia, Short Stories, Romance, Novella, Science Fiction, Fantasy

55 pages, ebook

First published March 5, 2013

About the author

Lauren Oliver is an author, screenwriter, and media entrepreneur. She is the author of the upcoming novels THE GIRL IN THE LAKE (May 5, 2026) and its sequel, THE SLEEPWALKER (May 5, 2027). Her previous works include multiple New York Times bestselling novels for teens, including Before I Fall (which spent seventeen weeks on the list and was adapted into a feature film released by Open Road), the Delirium trilogy (a two-million-copy-selling dystopian series translated into thirty-five languages), and Panic, which she later adapted into the streaming TV show on Amazon Prime of the same name, for which she wrote every episode and served as Executive Producer. Along the way, Lauren founded the IP company StoryGiants and helped to package and edit nearly one hundred other novels. She is also the co-founder of Incantor AI, a self-scaling digital media engine built on a new and proprietary foundational model of artificial intelligence that respects copyright by providing both IP attribution and royalty shares to contributing sources. Raised in Westchester, New York, Lauren attended the University of Chicago and got her MFA from NYU. She now divides her time between Maryland and Los Angeles. Subscribe to my Substack! laurenoliverbooks.substack.com

Reviews

[MischaS_ · Rating 5 out of 5]

That was soooo amazing! I really liked Raven in Pandemonium, well at some point I was really upset with her, but it doesn't really matter. I think that Raven is stronger and more stubborn.
And Tack Michael is as amazing as in Pandemonium. He's one of the best characters.
I also appreciated that Raven was thinking a lot about Blue.
The only disappointment that we didn't find Raven's name.
But, definitely better than Pandemonium or Annabel Delirium 0.5

[Ninoska Goris · Rating 1 out of 5]

Español - English

Esta novela debe leerse después de Pandemonium.

"Las mentiras son solo historias, y las historias son todas de la misma materia. Todos cuentan historias. Tal vez algunas son más veraces que otras, pero en el final lo único que cuenta es lo que puede hacer que la gente crea."

Esta novela no aporta nada a la serie.

---

This novella must be read after Pandemonium.

Nothing is contributed to the series with this novella.

[Isa Cantos (Crónicas de una Merodeadora) · Rating 1 out of 5]

Bueno... Raven no es de mis personajes favoritos...

[Kat · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a short novella that focused on mostly Raven, but also some of the Tack/Raven relationship from the DELIRIUM series. I totally loved this, as Tack and Raven are two characters I really enjoyed from the second book in the series. I liked this way this novella fleshed out Raven's character and also softened some of the sharp edges. It focused some on flashbacks to their past, and also to hers and Tack's perspectives of the events at the end of book two of the Delirium series. Overall a great very quick read.

[Alice · Rating 5 out of 5]

MAJOR spoilers in this review! Actually, I think this whole review is one big spoiler. You've been warned.

OMG WHY!?!?!?!?!

RaVeN! No. No, no, no, NO!

I love Raven so much and I was super sad about Raven's death in Requiem but this short story just heightened my feelings! I always thought Tack and Raven made a good duo, and it wasn't really a surprise to me to find out that they were actually a couple, but after this story, I ship them so hard...SO HARD!



And then to find out she was pregnant when she died!!! And the entirety of the book of Requiem! And the last part of Pandemonium!!! What even! Gahhhh! That just made her death even worse! But I will not let their love die! Not today!



I get too emotional with my books...
:/

[Claudia Lomelí · Rating 3 out of 5]

OMG. I'm in tears right now...

[REQUIEM AND RAVEN SPOILERS BELOW]

I read this story AFTER Requiem and I'm so sad right now, literally, the last page of this story made me cry. I mean, in Requiem it was sad to see Raven die (or at least I think she died, but I really hope I'm wrong), but then I read this book and all my feels exploded, really, I couldn't stop the tears. Poor Raven! Poor Tack!

I think that, by far, this is the little Delirium story I like more (I still have to read Alex story). I loved Raven and Tack's relationship and now I ship them so hard and I'm sad because my new ship already sunk..

Lauren Oliver. YOU ARE MEAN.

[Darinda · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short novella about Raven. This story tells about Raven's current life, but also flashes back on when she first entered the Wilds.

I've read the main novels in the series, and am currently reading the novellas. So far, this was my favorite novella. This story runs parallel to Pandemonium, but should be read after reading it. I enjoyed learning more about Raven, and this book had me liking her more.

[Shar · Rating 4 out of 5]

So, I just finished reading this. I finished reading "Requiem" before I dived into this short story, and I don't know if that was a good idea? *cries*

Anyways, on to the technical aspects of this story, Lauren Oliver captivates and gives you a different side to the tough "Raven" you're used to in Pandemonium and Requiem. You see a girl whose past is bleaker than she let on in her piece of information revealed to Lena in Pandemonium, and you see a girl who dealt with an abusive childhood all her life.

Raven is the story of how a girl can find love - something that is forbidden within this society - in other human beings. It talks about all kinds of love, love for family, romantic love, duty, responsibility. Raven was one of the most fascinating characters for me in this trilogy and I loved listening to her voice, to her point of view, and to her dreams and desires.

So for that this book is great.

As for plot... Oliver, knowing the outcome of this trilogy, WHY would you do this to me?

[human · Rating 3 out of 5]

2 stars because Raven was the only character I liked from the whole series.

Bonus star because it was tragic.

[Michelle B · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Las personas son como las hormigas: Sólo unos pocos dan las órdenes. Y la mayoría, pasan sus vidas siendo aplastadas."

A Raven, siendo sincera, no le había tomado mucho cariño en Pandemonium, en Réquiem logré quererla. Pero, aquí, en su propio libro (que de nuevo se me hace demasiado corto, Oliver) aprendí a amarla.
Odié lo que pasó con ella en Réquiem, pero ahora, DIOS AHORA, todo mi cuerpo está lleno de ira, mi corazón está totalmente destruido. ¿Por qué Lauren Oliver me hace esto? ¿Dónde estaba la cabeza de Lauren cuando se le ocurrió la brillante idea de contarnos que Raven estaba embaraza de Tack? Y resulta que después ella, en Réquiem,está muerta.. POR QUÉ DIABLOS OLIVER HACE ESO. Tengo mucha, mucha rabia. Y me duele incluso más ahora después de ver todos los sueños que ella tenía con Tack. Todos los sueños que tenía de formar una familia con Tack. Y todo, absolutamente todo, se le fue arrebatado. No se lo merecía. Es más, Raven es la que más merecía ser feliz, incluso más que Lena.

Odio esto. Me arrepiento de haber leído los cortos de Delirium, sólo hizo que mi pequeño corazón sufriera y sufriera, sin tener siquiera un poquito de felicidad.

"Sola. Había estado sola toda mi vida."

[Lady · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Alone. I’d been alone my whole life.... Then he kissed me. He leaned over and just touched his lips to mine........, and I knew then that I would not be so alone anymore."

Didnt expect the ending. Nice.

[Marianna Neal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Out of the three Delirium stories, Raven is definitely my favorite. Unlike a lot of Pandemonium readers, I didn’t initially fall in love with this character. She confused me and, at times, she annoyed me, but most of all I didn’t understand who she was and why. Now, however, after reading Raven, I do understand and she is one of my favorite characters.

Told from Raven’s point of view, the story flips back and forth between the time she just escaped to the Wilds and current events, particularly saving Julian. We also find out more about Tack and his relationship with Raven: how the two met and what have they become throughout the years. What fascinated me even more than the backstory was Raven’s inner monologue – the personality hidden behind the tough façade. I suspected there was more to her than meets the eye after reading Pandemonium, but some of the things revealed in this short story exceeded my expectations.

The book wouldn’t be complete without Laren Oliver’s signature vivid language and an unexpected twist at the end. What more could I ask for? More Raven, I guess. I devoured this story so quickly, that it seemed shorter than the others. The lack of chapters might have had something to do with it, but honestly I think it was just the fact that I wanted to know so much more, now that the veil has been lifted. I have to say, with everything that happened in the first two books and the short stories, Requiem should be one explosive finale. Fingers crossed, because my expectations are pretty high.

[Elisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

WHY, LAUREN OLIVER, WHYYYYY



I love Raven. I loved her since the first chapters of Pandemonium.
Strong, courageous, loyal, tough: she’s a true leader. But behind all of this, behind the impenetrable wall she built up around herself, there is more. This short story gives us the opportunity to go behind that tough facade and get to know the Raven who loves, who suffers, who can be scared or worried.

Through her monologue, Raven reveals her feelings, her story, including her abusive past, and her personal journey toward the person she becomes.

AND RAVEN AND TACK OMG I KNEW THEY WERE PERFECT FOR EACH OTHER
I SHIP THEM SO HARD
THEY’RE MY BABIES
*curls into fetal position and cries*


I love this short story so much. I love Raven so much it hurts.
Thank you, Lauren Oliver, for destroying my heart.
(I still love you, though)

[Angela Auten · Rating 5 out of 5]

Raven Review

Novella Rating: 5 stars out of 5.

Story Line: 5 stars out of 5. This novella was nicely written. It made me love Raven again. She had kinda pissed me off at one point in Pandemonium. It showed how she and Tack fell in love! It was really cute to be honest. I never expected them to actually be in love. Raven's past was hard. Her father was abusive. That should not have happened. I was happy when she ran to the Wilds with Blue. She also is still having a hard time accepting Blue's death. It was sad. I actually could tell from the beginning of this novella that she was pregnant. The ending didn't really come as a shock for me. I'm now even more excited to start the next book!

Writing Style: 5 stars out of 5.

[Mica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Raven no era uno de mis personajes favoritos, de hecho ni me agradaba... digamos que con esta historia algo cambió.

[Brooke · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wish I had read this before I read Requiem. If I were to make a recommendation, I would probably say you should definitely read this in order. Then again, had I read it first I would have been really annoyed. And this is why, because there is stuff that happens in Raven's story that is not at all addressed in Requiem. And that is just so annoying to me. Why would Oliver put this stuff out there and then not do anything at all with it?
If you have not read Pandemonium, there are spoilers below, so don't continue to read! You've been warned.
In any case, this was a great glimpse into Raven. It is told in a now and then type of scenario but only broken up by paragraph separations. The before is Raven's life right after she escaped to the Wilds and a few years after as she forms relationships with the other Invalids. The now is when they get Lena after she saves Julian from sure death in the clinic.
I liked reading about Raven as a younger girl, after she escaped into the Wilds and how she adapted. The story hit a nerve especially because there is information about Blue in it that tugs at your heart. I so missed her after she was gone. We also get a glimpse of Raven's relationship with Tack. We learn about their love and how they express it to each other, how they met and how their love grew.
As always, I just love Oliver's writing. She just has such a way with descriptions and words it's impossible not to get pulled into her stories.
Without telling spoilers, I will say that things are revealed in this novella that are never again addressed in Requiem. As I said above, no matter when I would have read this it would have bothered me. Oliver drops a big bomb about Raven, but you never ever see it in Requiem. Why she put it out there when she wasn't ever going to address or have it come up at all is beyond me.
So, I will give this 4/5 stars because the writing is great and I love Raven's character, despite my annoyance by knowing things are left in the wind in the next book. I was jaded by having read the third book of this series before this novella and I can't get that out of my mind.

[Gaby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Raven is perfection!

It tells a wonderful story. At first, it never really occured to me to have Raven's Pov, but after reading this, I can honestly say it was perfect.

Truthfuly, there were some moments I just wanted to burst into crying (just as in any other book from Lauren Oliver). It LITERALY breaks your heart and makes you want to roll into a bundle and cry. Cry for the hardships, the failures, basically for everything they've been through. It drops a bomb involving Raven pretty early in the novella and the end is frankly heart-breaking (even more if you've read the ending of Requiem).... I regret not reading Raven before Requiem (I have this insane urge to re-read it just to grab hints or something that shows what happens next in Raven's "timeline").

So, yeah... Raven is amazing (but really short) and you should read it while holding your favorite stuffed animal and with tissues at arms-lenght.

[Γιώτα Παπαδημακοπούλου · Rating 3 out of 5]

Επειδή δεν στεναχωρηθήκαμε αρκετά για τον θάνατο της Raven, ας διαβάσουμε κι ένα short story γι' αυτήν. Βέβαια, για να πούμε και του στραβού το δίκιο, της άξιζε το ν' αφιερώσει κανείς λίγο περισσότερο χρόνο σε αυτήν και μαθαίνουμε ορισμένα ενδιαφέροντα πράγματα για εκείνη που μας βοηθούν να κατανοήσουμε ακόμα περισσότερο τον εσωτερικό της κόσμο και τον χαρακτήρα της.

[mariana ʚĭɞೃ · Rating 4 out of 5]

omg my fav novella so far! I love Raven so much.

I really loved getting to see more of her background. Her & Blue 😭 I really can’t deal with that. & Tack? Ugh they’re so cute.

Raven has been so mysterious since we met her. Refusing to talk about the past & her earlier days. But seeing how she came to be in the Wilds & her how she grew over time gave me a new perspective of her.

& the ending?? my heartttt

[Sarah Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not bad, I was excited for Raven and her pregnancy, but I just hope nothing goes wrong for her x

[Rae (Bookmark Chronicles) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this, but maybe just because I wanted to learn more about Raven. For my review, check out my website. https://raecoleman91.wixsite.com/book...

[Michele at A Belle's Tales · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m always a stickler for reading books in order -- including their novellas -- but it was really hard to keep myself from diving into Requiem first. Especially because Raven wasn’t exactly one of my favorite characters. I’ve said it before, but so many times it’s true: the book you expect to like the least will end up being the one you love the most. Raven was my favorite of the novellas from The Delirium Series. I have a whole new opinion of this head-strong, fiery character; and her relationship with Tack led to some extremely beautiful moments in this short story:

“So we've made up our own language, in the way we press chest to chest and the way we touch noses when we kiss. I get to say his name - his real name. A name that brings a taste of sunshine, and of sunshine raising mist from the trees, and of mist reaching toward the sky. His secret name, which belongs to me, and to him, and to no one else.”

The details in the ‘then and now’ of Raven’s life were extremely captivating. I loved seeing the more vulnerable side of Raven, and there were several revelations that brought me to tears.

“… when I knew we’d both been saved – that night, I thought I knew God, just for a second.”

Raven’s backstory intermixed with the accounts of what happened at the end of Pandemonium but told from her perspective was not only enlightening but a great recap before beginning the next book. It refreshed the details for me and put me in the perfect place to begin the final book.

“Lies are just stories, and stories are all that matter. We all tell stories. Some are more truthful than others, maybe, but in the end the only thing that counts is what you can make people believe.”

I’m so glad I read this first, because there is a particular piece of information included that is never brought to light in Requiem. A detail that really impacts the way a certain moment in Requiem affects the reader. Even if you didn’t read Hana or Annabel or if you’ve already read Requiem, this short story is not to be missed. It’s a stunning reminder of ‘never judge a book by its cover’ and of just how extraordinary Ms. Oliver’s writing is!

“That’s what you do for family. Anything.”

This review also appears on my blog, A Belle's Tales

[Ferdy · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars - Spoilers

Even though I've never particularly liked the worldbuilding, plot and characters in the Delirium series, there's something about the books that I can't get enough of. I think it's probably just one of those bad series that you can't help but be addicted to.
Anyway, I genuinely liked Raven's novella. There was quite a lot of stuff covered in such a short story - Raven's history and relationship with Tack/Blue/her parents, her role in the Resistance and the reasons why she is the way she is. I wasn't that much of a Raven fan in Pandemonium but after reading this, she really grew on me.
It was a pretty decent read and I would have liked to read more of her POV. Raven was far more interesting than Lena, actually all the protagonists in the novellas have been better heroines than Lena. Lena is just a boring cow. I would have much rather preferred Raven, Hana or even Annabel over Lena's narration — it would have made the books far more engrossing.

[Carol [Goodreads Addict] · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very short little novella about Raven concentrating on two events. First, she talks about when she first went to the wilds with the brand new baby she had found, Blue. We had first heard about her finding the baby when she told Lena about it but this time she is talking about her life right after she crossed into the Wilds. Then, she is talking about the day she and Tack save Lena and Julian from the surgical center when Lena had gone to rescue Julian. Up until now I was sort of on the fence concerning Raven. She is a tough girl and I wasn't sure how I felt about her. But this really helped me to see her differently. It gave us a lot more insight into her relationship with Tack. She really is just a girl, deep down inside, that wants all the normal things other girls want. Someone to love, a family, a safe home. But, during the times they live in, this seems like a lot to hope for.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5/5 stars


It's sort of interesting to read this book after Requiem (#3) considering all that happened in that book. But I am loving this ebook.

It goes back and forth between the past (when Raven first arrived in the Wilds) to the present (including parts of Pandemonium that we now see from Raven's POV).

I had read the two other novellas in the Delirium series (Hana and Annabel). But for some reason I did not get around to reading Raven before reading book 3 (Requiem).

I wish that somebody had told me that Raven (the novella) was going to be Raven telling her side of what was happening in Pandemonium.

And I feel like there are some key things that happen in this Raven novella that were not mentioned in Requiem and should have been.

This is a must read for anyone reading the Delirium series.

[Anahí ✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Esta fue la mejor historia corta de Delirium. Y por poco no la leo. Vamos, que las otras historias me habían aburrido un montón y no me gustaron, pero esta valió la pena. Me hubiese gustado leerla antes de leer Requiem, ya que Raven nunca me gustó particularmente y cuando pasó lo qué pasó, ejem, no me importó. Se desarrolla durante el final de Pandemónium así que bien pude haberla leído antes.

Otra cosa es que me habría gustado es que Lauren hubiese desarrollado el tema de el final de esta historia; yo no recuerdo que fuera mencionado en Requiem. Y esto reafirma mi creencia en que Delirium pudo ser increíblemente bueno si alguien más lo hubiese desarrollado.

[Anto Tilio · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ay amé leer la historia de Raven. Esta chica me cayó bien y mal a la vez en Pandemonium. Es de esas que se hacen las duras pero cuando muestran su lado débil te dan ganas de abrazarlas. En Pandemonium me gustó conocer un poco de su historia, pero cerca del final medio la odié y medio se resarció rápido. Y acá en su historia corta conocemos un poco más de su pasado y nos cuentan sobre la misión de rescate que ocurre al final del segundo libro. Pero lo que más me sorprendió y agradó leer es su romance... y sí! Insisto en que suena bobo y cursi, pero la Oliver aprovecha el romance en un mundo donde el amor está prohibido y es de lo peor 🤷‍♀️ Ay ya quiero empezar Requiem pero ya!

[Elle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awww I love Raven 😭 such a touching story

[Tiersa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love that this novella goes deeper into Raven and confirms her and Tacks relationship. In the second book I feel they are very vague about what type of relationship they have. And also holy crap she's pregnant!!! 😳

[Patricia Miller · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall kinda meh -like most short stories in my opinion- but I appreciated getting some of Raven's backstory and the fact that we see how she and Tack arrived at the end of Pandemonium plus that ending surprise was nice, so yeah, this actually has useful content to the series so, better than most.