by Lauren Oliver
Genre: Young Adult dystopian
Publisher: Harper Collins
Publication date: March 5th 2013
Source: ARC from publisher
Author's website | GoodReads
Now an active member of the resistance, Lena has transformed. The nascent rebellion that was underway in Pandemonium has ignited into an all-out revolution in Requiem, and Lena is at the center of the fight.
After rescuing Julian from a death sentence, Lena and her friends fled to the Wilds. But the Wilds are no longer a safe haven. Pockets of rebellion have opened throughout the country, and the government cannot deny the existence of Invalids. Regulators infiltrate the borderlands to stamp out the rebels.
As Lena navigates the increasingly dangerous terrain of the Wilds, her best friend, Hana, lives a safe, loveless life in Portland as the fiancée of the young mayor. Requiem is told from both Lena and Hana's points of view. They live side by side in a world that divides them until, at last, their stories converge.
With lyrical writing, Lauren Oliver seamlessly interweaves the peril that Lena faces with the inner tumult she experiences after the reappearance of her first love, Alex, the boy she thought was dead. Sophisticated and wide-ranging, Requiem brings the Delirium trilogy to a thrilling conclusion.
"I've started dreaming of Portland again.
Since Alex reappeared, resurrected but also changed, twisted,like a monster from one of the ghost stories we used to tell as kids, the past has been finding its way in. It bubbles up through the cracks when I'm not paying attention, and pulls me with it's greedy fingers.
This is what they warned me about for all those years: the heavy weight in my chest, the nightmare-fragments that follow me even in the waking life.
I warned you, Aunt Carol says in my head.
We told you, Rachel says.
You should have stayed. That's Hana, reaching out across an expanse of time, through the murky-thick layers of memory, stretching a weightless hand to me as I am sinking."
After waiting for so long for Requiem, the final installment of the well-loved Delirium trilogy, I wanted to read it as soon as my hands caressed the smooth cover and didn't mind (or scream at) the slightly scary cover girl at all. Time came that the release date was just around the corner and I finally allowed myself to start reading and transport myself back to The Wilds. Surprisingly though, that didn't happen and I was still lying on the sofa wondering if the book will ever start to get interesting.
Requiem was so painfully slow. The roller coaster journey that I expected was replaced with a railroad track: turtle-paced and straight. I understand that the plot had to build up before it reached it's climax, but the book was filled with a lot of unnecessary scenes and tedious dialogue. There were a lot of times where I found myself getting bored and wanting to skip entire paragraphs.
A lot of conflicts presented in the story were causeless and frustrating to read about. I didn't care too much for the characters, either. They annoyed me to death and it was like they were just using each other. The depth of the relationships in Delirium and Pandemonium were evident but I just couldn't feel them in Delirium. The intense love, regret, thirst for vengeance, and hope that he book was supposed to focus on was near invisible.
Lauren Oliver's writing was masterful as always. Lena's and Hana's point of view were equally well-written and gave voice to the characters. The world-building was magical, believable, raw, and real. I ended up envisioning myself going to places that Lena and Hana went to, and the way the rebellion progressed and how it was planned and executed was well thought of. Lauren's words and sentences were beautiful, fluid, and song-like. She could effortlessly and seamlessly weave and bend words to her liking, making me want to keep on reading despite the slow pace.
Requiem was not a bad conclusion to the trilogy but it just didn't reach my high expectations for it and I am disappointed because of that. The book eventually picked up and got my attention a few chapters before the book ended, though. The climax crept up on me and receded as quickly as it came. Most fans are complaining about the ending because the series was concluded with uncertainty and a lot of questions to be answered but I actually liked it; it was more of a sign of a new beginning than an ending, really. The message it echoed reached me and the last few paragraphs were so raw and truthful; I feel like they would always be a part of me.
I am still hungry for a proper epilogue, though.
I am still hungry for a proper epilogue, though.
THE NUB AND GIST: 3 STARSBuy the book from: Amazon | The Book Depository | Fully Booked
