Book Review: Requiem by Lauren Oliver

Requiem
Delirium #3
Author: Lauren Oliver
Reading Level: YA
Genre: Dystopian
Release Date: March 5th 2013
Review Source: Harper Teen
Available: Amazon


Summary: (from 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.

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. 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.


You might be confused or think I've lost my mind somehow, as to why you see two ratings listed. Well let me explain why. I finished Requiem back in November and until now I just couldn't make up my mind on how to write this review, if to even write one at all. So after chatting with a few people and explaining what I was felling, I felt that I still needed to write the review. So I hope I explain myself well and you all can understand or respect what I thought of Requiem

The 4.5 star rating applies to 80-90% of the book, the other 10% (the ending) will reflect under the 1 rating. 

This series is a favorite of mines in the dystopian genre. The concept Lauren created about Love being a disease was immensely creative. I was hooked from page one of Delirium all the way to almost the end of Requiem. Out of the 3 books in the series, Requiem probably contained the most thrills and 'what next's' in its pages. I was gobbling up each page as fast as I could read. I forgot all about reading slow to savor the book, I was on a mission and that mission was to reach the conclusion without stopping. I might have gone to bed at 5am that night. 

Lauren has develop the story into so much more, its not just who is cured and who should be. The story has evolved into such a powerful movement. The resistance have changed everything. The government knows they are there and that they can no longer cover them with their thumb. So what does the the government do now because of that, they send the regulators out to the resistance in the wilds, onto their territory. So now the resistance is not safe anymore out in the wilds. Everything is flipped upside down. Actually more like the shizz just hit the fan. What has always been safe, no longer applies. 

Lena, Alex, Julian and Hana will suffer pain and heartache in Requiem. Is all that suffering worth the fight? Should they have been cured? Lena also has to deal with her past and present which we knows as Alex and Julian. After Alex appeared again after everyone thought him dead, he just isn't the same Alex. Lena is torn about that and must figure out how to deal. Then Julian that has figured out Lena's heart will always belong to Alex, is also at a crossroads with Lena. Love is a powerful ally but also a  deadly enemy at times. These characters will come to see that in its vivid glory. 

Requiem will keep your pulse jumping, heart palpating and brain working on overtime. You will race along with these characters as you are immersed in the fight against the government. Now this is where my review ends for that 80-90% of the book. If you asked me did I love it, I would says Heck yea! but that heck yea is up until I hit those last pages of the book. Then its like I was riding in a hot-air balloon and all the sudden the balloon gets rip off the carriage and I fall straight to the ground and wait my doom. Yea, so that is why you see the 1 below. Let's jump down. 
As you can see my 1 rating is mainly use when we read a book and it just wasn't what we normally like or it just didn't work out for me. Its not so much an insult, its more of a "its not for me, but maybe for you". This also makes sense on how I finally feel about the end of Requiem. I'm not giving it a 1 because I hated it, I'm giving it a 1 because the way Lauren ended the book, just wasn't my style. In my opinion I felt nothing was answered and I was still left with many questions and feelings I didn't know how to explain. The way the book ended seemed like it lead us to believe another book would be following Requiem. The ending of Requiem reminded me of the ending of Mockingjay and we all know how that ended. Well Requiem in my opinion beat Mockingjay as far as endings go. I'm not going to lie, while I was reading Requiem and reaching the end, I started to think the advance reader copy I had was incomplete and missing pages because the pages were dwindling down and the book was still at full speed ahead with what seem like no end in sight. Well was I ever wrong, the end came and left me seriously high and dry. So this is why the two different ratings. I really would have like a do over with the ending of Requiem, like an alternate ending. If I hear now that a 4th book will be released then I'll say, "now the ending of Requiem makes sense". Otherwise I will forever stay confused and wondering the 'what happens' and 'what if's'.

So after everything I have explained, I still would recommend a fan of the series to read but you are now warned and prepared for what will come. I went in blind and it killed me. Delirium is still a favorite dystopian series and I will be glued to my TV when the show airs on Fox hopefully real soon!!!


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5 comments:

  1. Love the review Yara and what a bummer on the ending. I still want to give this series a read some time though. Love dystopian!

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  2. I am just SO NERVOUS about the end. I'm so happy I have a warning, though, so now I can be prepared. I can know it's coming. And maybe I'll love it. Who knows?!
    Great review! :)

    Sierra @ Yearning to Read

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  3. After talking with you at the Opal release, I was super excited to read this review. I'm actually very scared for this one. I haven't heard the best things! I hate when an ending leaves you with what ifs. And to hear that the ending would only really make sense if there was another book to explain things has me worried. Can't wait to read this one and see what all the talk is about! Great review Yara

    Jasmine

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  4. Thank you for the warning, Yara. I've been anxiously awaiting this book and now I'll be expecting the unsatisfied ending. I like closure when a series comes to an end.

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  5. I've had people tell me they loved the ending, and others that they didn't. I guess it's a personal preference, some of us NEED closure, others like the mysterious open-ended finale.

    But I'll definitely be going in without expectations, thanks ;-)

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