Review: Requiem by Lauren Oliver

Title: Requiem
Author: Lauren Oliver
Publisher: HarperCollins
Publication Date: March 5th, 2013
Page Count: 391
Buy The Book: Amazon | Barnes and Noble
Rating: 4.5/5

Synopsis

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.

Favourite Quotes

“Take down the walls.
That is, after all, the whole point.
You do not know what will happen if you take down the walls; you cannot see through to the other side, don't know whether it will bring freedom or ruin, resolution or chaos. It might be paradise or destruction.
Take down the walls.
Otherwise you must live closely, in fear, building barricades against the unknown, saying prayers against the darkness, speaking verse of terror and tightness.
Otherwise you may never know hell; but you will not find heaven, either. You will not know fresh air and flying.
All of you, wherever you are: in your spiny cities, or your one bump towns. Find it, the hard stuff, the links of metal and chink, the fragments of stone filling you stomach.
And pull, and pull, and pull.
I will make a pact with you: I will do it if you will do it, always and forever.
Take down the walls.”  

Few Wild Words Quickie

A torment to the heart.

My Thoughts

4.5 stars and a bit more.

I am slightly disappointed especially as I wanted to love Requiem as much as the other two books in the series. But I still loved it like crazy (gosh I contradict myself so much)

Somehow Lauren Oliver managed to break my heart, tear me apart, make me cry and somehow leave me disappointed but also in a weird kind of way thinking 'wow did that really happen?'

As always I think Oliver's writing style is what hooks me and keeps me reading. There is something so wonderful about it, the vivid imagery she creates with her words. This has always been a constant throughout all three books and made me come to love Oliver as a writer.

Usually I dislike reading from different point of views but I enjoyed seeing Hana's life and surroundings as well as Lena's. At different points, one became more interesting to read than the other and vice versa, so there was always something to keep you holding onto the book and reading.

In terms of characters, there is definitely a wide cast in this book. Some are memorable and others easily forgotten. Lena is definitely going to be one character that will stick for me, she grew and changed so much from Delirium and Pandemonium, I loved it. However, in Requiem I felt she didn't get a chance to progress anymore and become someone amazing. She seemed to be rather annoying at times but she was still strong so she managed to stay on my good side.

Now the love aspect. This killed me most of the way through. Even at the end I didn't feel enough I had enough closure for it but I think I'll be using my imagination to come up with happens next. More or less the series finishes on a kind of cliffhanger, there is so much you want to know but don't find out. Initially the lack of a solid ending drove me crazy, though now it feels right and makes it all the more unforgettable and beautiful in a way.

The last page of the book was definitely a highlight. It felt so much like a summary of Lena's journey and it was a beautiful parting message with the reader.

All in all, I've loved every moment of reading this series and I won't be letting it slip from my mind any time soon. Now I feel like crying again, please excuse me.

"Always and forever. Take down the walls."

Challenge: Dystopian Reading Challenge 2013