Review: Requiem by Lauren Oliver

Requiem (Delirium #3) by Lauren Oliver
Publication Date: March 5, 2013
Publisher: Harper Collins
Format: Hardback
Number of Pages: 391
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They have tried to squeeze us out, to stamp us into the past.

But we are still here.

And there are more of us every day.

Now an active member of the resistance, Lena has been transformed. The nascent rebellion that was under way 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 now infiltrate the borderlands to stamp out the rebels, and as Lena navigates the increasingly dangerous terrain, her best friend, Hana, lives a safe, loveless life in Portland as the fiancée of the young mayor.

Maybe we are driven crazy by our feelings.

Maybe love is a disease, and we would be better off without it.

But we have chosen a different road.

And in the end, that is the point of escaping the cure: We are free to choose.

We are even free to choose the wrong thing.

Requiem is told from both Lena’s and Hana’s points of view. The two girls live side by side in a world that divides them until, at last, their stories converge.

I've been dying for this book ever since the end of Pandemonium. The third and final book in the series, picks up three days after book two ends. I'm a little disappointed in this. I really wished it picked up right at that last scene. I would of loved to see the outcome of Alex just popping up out of nowhere. From the beginning you can feel the tension between Julian and Alex. Not to mention they won't even look or speak to one another. Or the fact that Alex won't even acknowledge Lena. The first scene we get in between Alex and Lena broke my heart.

I do love how each chapter alternates between Hana and Lena. For about the first half of the book oddly I was more interested in Hana. Even though she has been cured, I don't think it actually worked on her. If you haven't read the first short story, Hana, you don't really need to since the big revelation is revealed in this book. Hana feels guilty about what she did to Lena, and worries about her family. She sets out to find them and help however she can. Not to mention that she has second thoughts about her match, Fred, whom since his dad was killed is about to become mayor. Curiosity gets the best of her, and she is determined to find out what happened to Fred's first wife, Cassandra.

One of the things I love about the book is Lena is finally reunited with her mother. I feel like those parts were passed over. I would of loved to see more in dept, and see Lena telling her about Alex and even Julian. Which speaking of, I never really wanted him and Lena together. But I felt bad for him in this book. Lena kind of strings him along. Which she thinks Alex doesn't love her anymore, but that I wanted to slap her. Alex tells her that he had never loved her, and she actually believes him!

There's quite a few deaths in the book. One was a big shocker and I couldn't believe it happened! I just wanted to yell and cry. There were certain plots in the book that I thought was pointless. All the trouble Hana went through to find Cassandra, and to seems for nothing. All that came from it was her telling Hana what an evil man Fred is. And Lena and Hana finally coming face to face. So disappointed! I expected more. They did end up saving each other. But through out the whole book it seemed so obvious that she wasn't cured, and then when Lena was there she was acting almost completely cure! For how Hana acted and though through the whole book she was acting kind of ooc.

I thought the first half of the book was amazing. But the ending almost felt rushed. Not just rushed, but I turn the page expecting more and that was the end! I think it's obvious who Lena chooses to be with in the end, but it was left open ended. I know Lauren had said she did that she the reader can decide for themselves how things turned out. But I think it was a cowardly war to end the book. Especially on Hana part. It just left her wandering around on the streets. I had expected so much more from this book. It really didn't feel like an ending to the series.

Rating: 3.5/5