Warning: I don't recommend you read this
review if you haven't read Delirium and Pandemonium as this review contains spoilers of the first two books.
Goodreads:
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. Of Pandemonium, ALA Booklist noted that "like all successful second volumes, this expands the world and ups the stakes, setting us up for the big finale." 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 fianc e of the young mayor. 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 will simply start out by saying that this is the ending to my favorite trilogy. The suffering is real..
You get to witness the story from two point of views, Hana's and Lena's in this book, I liked that because you got to see the how the life of Lena, the invalid develops in the Wilds vs. Hana, the cured, how her life turns out to be in Portland. Lauren Oliver does a perfect job in juxtaposing the two characters so that we could see the difference between Hana and Lena; who were former best friends.
As you all know, Alex supposedly re-appeared from the dead (in Pandemonium) and his voice had a bitter tone in it. I know some people would have mixed views about Alex and Julian, but I'm actually team Alex ALL THE WAY. It sucked that he didn't make any appearances in Pandemonium, but Lauren Oliver makes us experience Lena with Alex in Delirium and Julian in Pandemonium, so that she can put us (especially me) in agony in Requiem. It was a hard task watching Julian and Lena together.
If you have been on my blog for a while, you'd know that I'm a strong believer in love, I think it's a beautiful and a powerful emotion so I really took this trilogy as a challenge at first. I thought that a book that convinces me that love is a disease is a must read. I soon came to the realization that Delirium wasn't about proving that love is a disease, but the total opposite, it tries to prove that the world is diseased without love and that's what really got me hooked on the series, it echoes my views on love. Of course, my words don't simply apply to the love of a spouse or a bf/gf, my words apply to every one you love, whether it's a cousin, a sister, your parents, a friend.. anyone. The urge that you must sacrifice your being to save someone is just beyond me. Love is the reason they survive in this book. Look closely at the characters and you'll realize that the only shield that is protecting them isn't their weapons, not their skills to fight.. it's love.
I love Lauren Oliver's writing, it flows beautifully, the book is fast paced, it took me a day to get through it. I love how Lena develops from a girl who is afraid of a prickle and a drop of blood [As Hana described her] to such a bad-ass character. Same goes to Julian, he has developed and grown so much stronger by the help of Lena and it simply amazes me how people change under tough circumstances such as surviving and fighting for your life.
Unfortunately, I didn't feel like I've got full closure to the trilogy, I still feel that there's something missing. The ending is abrupt .. only because of one thing, the thing that I've been waiting to know throughout the whole book.
CONTINUE TO READ IF YOU'VE READ REQUIEM ONLY. SPOILERS.
PS: Highlight the black sentences below to view spoilers. Do this at your own responsibility.
It really pissed me off that Lena didn't get to properly choose who she will end up with.
It killed me that she and Alex were treating each other that way and I held back the tears at the end and was waiting for another Delirium moment, but the freaking book ended. Just like that. IT REALLY PISSED ME OFF. Who did she choose? I'm guessing Alex since she confessed her love towards him, but what about Julian? I still like him, he's a sweet character. Another thing that annoyed me, I've done to myself, I've read the last sentence in the book by mistake and I knew that they would bring down the walls, all throughout the book I was trying to convince myself that they won't and there will be a plot twist so I don't spoil it for myself, but it didn't help.
I was really bummed when Raven died too, unless they honored her death by conquering the system and making the world a better place filled with love. The ending was tooo happy for my taste, but it's a good ending. No one died, thankfully.
Please comment below if you've read the book and feel my frustration. I'd love to discuss the book with you guys :)!
Have a lovely day everyone x
