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This article contains major spoilers about the Delirium Trilogy.
How did I love her? Let me count the ways. The freckles on her nose like the shadow of a shadow... how she smiled. Like she had a secret... How she burped her way through the alphabet once, and I laughed so hard I spat soda through my nose. And how she looked at me like I could save her from everything bad in the world. This was my secret: she was the one who saved me.

–Alex , Delirium Stories: Alex

Alex Sheathes
Alex.png
Alias(es) Alex Warren
Eye color Gold
Hair color Auburn
Age 19
Home The Wilds (birthplace)
Portland, Maine
Gender Male
Status Invalid
Fate Living
Appearances Delirium
Pandemonium
Requiem
Alex
Delirium (TV Series)
Mentioned Raven
Relationships Warren Sheathes (father)
Unknown mother
Lena Haloway (love interest)
Coral (unknown if friend or love interest)
Thomas (friend)
Carr (friend)
Crazy Caitlin (friend)
Grandpa (friend)
Brent (friend)
Julian Fineman (romantic rival)
Portrayed by Daren Kagasoff

Alex Sheathes, also known as Alex Warren, is considered an Invalid in a society where love is considered deadly and a disease. In said society, all citizens get evaluated on their personalities and matched with a few different people. People can choose from a list of the evaluation results whom they marry. Most people get cured at 18, and as a result of the cure, people become more withdrawn and cut off from their emotions. The cure was invented to prevent wars, stabilize citizens' emotions, and save them from heartbreak.

However, Alex was born into a forbidden place called The Wilds, where people love freely. Even though he is 19, Alex is not cured and disagrees with the idea of the cure. He secretly works inside the walls of this society undetected and under a false identity. During this time, he falls in love with a girl inside this society, Lena Haloway, who is to be cured soon.

Biography (WARNING: Spoilers are below!)[]

Early Life

Alex has been an Invalid since birth, having been born and grown up in the Wilds. He originally grew up in Rhode Island but was transplanted into Portland to join the resistance at the age of 10. Alex lived with sympathizers until he started attending college. They were cured and cut off from some of their emotions but still dedicated to the cause.

Later on, Alex discovered his mom died giving birth to him, and his dad was captured and died in the Crypts (Portland’s prison for resisters) when he was 15. Alex visited the Crypts to trace his father’s name into his unmarked grave. Alex wished he could have known his father.

Additionally, Alex lived in a studio apartment near his school campus. He also owned a small trailer in a community in the Wilds that he visited only on rare occasions.

Delirium (WARNING: Spoilers are below!)[]

Main article: Delirium
Wink

Alex winking at Lena by chrysalisgrey, DeviantArt.

Alex makes his first appearance in Delirium at Lena's evaluation. He is laughing over the evaluation deck at a stampede of cows. This stampede of cows got released as a protest against the cure. Alex winks at Lena before he leaves.

Then, Hana and Lena trespass upon government property, where Alex is working as security. There, Alex officially meets Lena and her friend Hana. Alex makes an excuse as to why he was on the evaluation deck that day to put Lena's mind at ease. He heard her say her favorite color was gray and gives her a secret message about a time and place to meet, but supposedly, Lena was too late on getting there.

Next, Alex decides to go to a party at Roaring Brookes Farm, likely to hear the music, get away from his life as an Invalid, and have some fun. Alex told Lena that he put a note saying “Hi” to her in the governor's fist (a statue that Hana and Lena used to run past). Alex also shared a brief dance with Lena and asked her to meet him again later on.

Believing Alex was safe and cured, Lena met him, raced him through the waters of Back Cove, and told him about her mom. After revealing some personal information about her mom, Alex reveals that he is not cured, that his scar is fake, and that he grew up in The Wilds. Alex then told Lena that he liked her. Frightened, Lena ran away from Alex, and Alex put a note in the governor's fist, saying he was sorry to her.

Kiss

Lena and Alex kissing in the shed by arhatdy, Tumblr.

Ironically, Alex also happened to be at another party Lena went to at Deering Highlands. A raid starts and a dog attacks Lena viciously. Alex swiftly rescues her from harm and gets her to a shed nearby, where he heals her. Lena is still hesitant to be around Alex. Alex tells Lena again that he likes her, and Lena questions why he likes her. Alex tells her that his parents are dead and that he was raised by many "aunts and uncles." He says he joined the resistance at the age of 10 and disliked the borders and walls outside the Wilds. Finally, Alex reveals that he likes Lena because when she ran past the governor's statue, she looked positively upbeat and happy, like a bird soaring free. Alex says everyone seemed asleep while she seemed awake and that he is tired of sleeping. Lena tells Alex he does not know her, and Alex responds by saying that he would like to get to know her. Then, Alex and Lena kiss, Alex walks Lena home, and they agree to meet up the next day at her job.

Alex persuades Lena to meet up with him on several occasions. When Alex meets Lena at her job, Hana catches them, and Lena reveals her relationship with Alex and his status as an Invalid. Luckily, Hana covers for them for a while. Alex and Lena met at Back Cove and then more frequently at 37 Brooks, which becomes their regular meeting spot and their hideaway from society. Throughout the time Alex and Lena dated, they would occasionally let Hana third-wheel them, play Scrabble, dance, talk about their pasts (to which Alex comforted Lena sweetly when she missed her mom), and Lena was even comfortable enough with looking at Alex without a shirt on and letting him look at her without her shirt on. Alex told her she was beautiful, and eventually, Lena begins to believe this herself.

Wilds

Alex reading Lena poems by chrysalisgrey, Deviantart.

On one occasion, Lena is taken beyond the fence lines of her society and into The Wilds by Alex. He shows Lena what life could be like. Alex and Lena look at the nighttime stars through Alex's trailer, and Alex introduces Lena to poems, which were banned once the cure was introduced.

Supposedly, Alex saw Brian holding Lena’s hand at her house on a day they were supposed to meet. Lena went to her and Alex's usual meeting place at 37 Brooks to see their games cleaned up. Not too long afterward, Lena began to break down, and Alex showed up. Lena told Alex that her aunt forced her to meet Brian and that she never truly knew what anything meant until she met him. Alex was sweet, full of understanding, and told Lena that he did not want to see her crying. Alex showed Lena some poems he had brought back with him from the Wilds, and Lena described her mom's pendant to Alex. Shocked, Alex told Lena he believed her mom might be alive and in the Crypts. When Alex had worked at the Crypts, he believes he saw that same pendant.

So, Alex and Lena went to the Crypts. Alex revealed that his father had died and was buried in the Crypts. He bitterly speculates that he was captured for thinking outside the box and believes his mom wanted to believe he was dead because it was easier than believing he was suffering inside the Crypts. Meanwhile, Lena found her mom was alive and had escaped the Crypts. That was when Lena realized everyone was lying to her and that she should escape with Alex permanently into The Wilds. Lena was also hurt, wondering why her mom had not come back for her, and snapped to the conclusion that she didn't care. Alex insisted that wasn't true, and that Lena's mother didn't come back to get her for her safety. Alex was hesitant about leaving with Lena permanently because even though he had originally suggested it, he knew it would be dangerous. Then, Alex told Lena he loved her, Lena said she loved him back, and they planned their escape together.

Escape

Lena and Alex's escape by leabharlann, DeviantArt.

Unfortunately, when Lena met up with Alex at 37 Brooks again, she was captured. Supposedly, Hana hid a note inside the governor’s fist, which Alex found because he came to Lena’s house to save her from getting cured. Lena flees from her window to Alex below with a motorbike. A chase follows, and when they are being shot at, Alex switches places with Lena on the motorbike. Upon reaching the fence, Alex tells Lena to climb and run while he sacrifices himself in the process. Alex is shot, and it is believed Alex died.

Afterward, Lena flees into the Wilds, and the book ends.


Pandemonium (WARNING: Spoilers are below!)[]

Main article: Pandemonium

Alex is revealed as alive by the end of the book.

Requiem (WARNING: Spoilers are below!)[]

Main article: Requiem

In Requiem, Alex is portrayed as silent and angrier, supposedly due to his time spent in the Crypts. After avoiding each other for three days, Alex and Lena talk. Alex told Lena that he was taken to the Crypts and got beaten, and there were times when he wished they would have killed him but that the belief he would find Lena again kept him going. He also seems to dislike the fact that Lena moved on from him so quickly. Then, Alex tells Lena that he never loved her and that what they had would stay in the past. Heartbroken, Lena did not want to believe him. But once Lena saved Alex and herself from a bear, Alex is shocked, claiming that the 'old' Lena would have bolted. Then, Lena claimed the 'old' Lena was dead and walked away.

Next, Lena's group begins to face conflict with the people on the other side. Cureds cut off their water supply and invaded their space in the Wilds, killing off a guy named Pike and others in the group.

Additionally, Alex got close to a new girl, Coral, after he attempted to save someone from her group. It was unknown if they were in a relationship since Coral seemed to be the only one initiating physical contact. Yet, despite Alex distancing himself from Lena, he still showed signs of loving her, such as wanting to comfort her when regulators invaded the Wilds and being upset when she almost got shot.

Later on, Alex and Julian (Lena's new lover) got drunk, and Hunter told Lena that Alex was teaching Julian how to fight. Lena woke up to see Julian's nose dripping with blood, and Alex looked guilty. Alex insisted that they stop their practice, but Julian punched Alex, and Alex punched Julian back. Tack broke up the fight, and Alex told Lena he was sorry for everything. Lena could not look him in the eye, and Alex left the group, giving Lena a note saying that The Tale of Solomon was the only way to explain things.

Lena eventually talks to Coral, who tells her that Alex still loves her. Afterward, Lena's mother tells Lena about the real Tale of Solomon story. Instead of splitting the baby in half, one mother agrees while the other mother lets the baby go because she does not want to see the baby injured. Lena thinks back to when Alex first sacrificed his life for hers. When Lena realizes that Alex sacrificed his happiness for hers yet again, she begins to avoid Julian and claims that she cannot love Julian as much as Alex.

After rescuing Grace from the burning house in Deering Highlands, Lena finds Alex helping out an injured guy named Colin and sees there is no more anger in his eyes. Alex approached Lena, and Lena asked him if it was true that he still loved her. Then, Alex told Lena that he still loved her. Lena claimed they had both changed, and Alex admitted that was true too. Lena admitted to Alex that she also did not stop loving him but thinks of Julian, his patience, and his goodness, and wishes that she could pretend nothing changed between her and Alex, but she can’t. Alex told Lena he wouldn’t run away again, and Lena told him she didn’t want him to. Then, Alex cups Lena’s cheek, lets her let out her emotions and kisses her. As people are tearing apart the wall, Alex tells Lena that he’ll find her and won’t let her go again.

It is unclear whether Alex and Lena got back together or if the characters lived or died after Requiem. The author, Lauren Oliver, claimed that she wanted fans to create their own ending to the series.

Physical Appearance[]

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Alex (realistic - Fotor AI)

Alex has a fake three-pronged scar (a sign that someone has had their cure) and golden brown eyes that Lena has compared to honey, gold, and the syrup on pancakes. He is approximately a foot taller than Lena. In Delirium, he is described to have caramel-colored skin and golden brown hair framing his scar that Lena compared to autumn leaves. However, in Pandemonium and Requiem, Alex is described to have pale skin and auburn hair. Supposedly, Lauren Oliver may have forgotten what Alex looked like. The only feature that remained constant about him throughout the book series was his eyes.

Additionally, in Requiem, due to his time in the Crypts, he supposedly got skinnier (even more so than he was in Delirium) and had a scar harshly going through his left eye.

Personality[]

In Delirium, Alex is shown to have a fun-loving personality. Lena describes him as constantly smiling or laughing, if not both. Despite this, he does show a serious side; showing empathy and anger when Lena revealed what happened to her mother and sadness and anger when talking about his own backstory. He is also a proficient liar; lying to authorities, and even on occasion, to Lena, without suspicion or detection.

At the end of Pandemonium and within Requiem, Alex shows almost a complete reversal of personality. He is shown as being harsh and bitter, rarely smiling, and mostly silent due to his time spent in the Crypts. Despite his belief that Lena has betrayed him, it is shown he still loves her at the end of Requiem.

Skills and Interests

Because of his time in the Resistance, Alex has gotten good at lying and acting. In Requiem, it is also revealed he knows how to hunt.

In Delirium, Alex shows a liking for poetry and music. In his short story, he shows a liking towards an art museum he used to visit.

Trivia[]

  • He is the only male character in the entire series to narrate a book or short story.
  • Alex's alias surname "Warren" coincidentally is the first name of his father.
The Characters of the Delirium Trilogy
Main Characters Magdalena HalowayAlex SheathesHana TateJulian Fineman
Other Delirium Characters Annabel HalowayRachel HalowayCarol TiddleWilliam TiddleJenny TiddleGrace TiddleBrian ScharffFrank DorsetThomas DaleDev HowardDavidAngelica Marston
Other Pandemonium Characters Thomas FinemanRavenTackHunterBramLuSarahBlueRoachGrandpa
Other Requiem Characters Fred HargrovePippaCoralCassie O'DonnellSteve HiltElyse HargrovePikeAnne KilleganHenleyTony
Unseen Characters Warren SheathesConrad HalowayMarcia TiddleEldest Fineman SonAndrew Marcus
Other Characters Ren
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