"Requiem" by Lauren Oliver

Genre: YA Dystopian
Series: Delirium #3
Publication: March 5, 2013
Format: Hardcover, 391 pages; 1st Edition
Cover Rating: 5/5 Stars

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'm not even sure where to begin. I think I'm still in shock that it's actually over. I don't know how to feel! I'm lost, confused, and yes, slightly upset? Maybe? I'm not sure.

I was absolutely DYING when I finished Delirium and Pandemonium because the cliff hangers were just too much for me (but in a good way). But with Requiem I find myself still flipping the pages for more.

Okay, let's get one thing straight before I go into this: I freaking LOVE Lauren Oliver. I do. Her writing is breathtaking and beautiful and will suck anyone into the story. And I LIKED Requiem. Really, I did. The only thing was though... I didn't fall in love with it. Oh, I tried. I really did. But by the time I flipped the last page I felt myself saying "No, please. Don't let it end like this. There has to be MORE."

So here's my brief (and NON SPOILERY) problems with it:

1. It's told from Lena AND Hana's POV. Honestly, I think the story would have been better for me had I just had Lena's story. Sometimes switching up POV is a good thing by the third novel. But with Requiem I just found myself saying "Okay, okay. Hana. Shut-up. I want to get back to Lena now." Not that Hana's story wasn't interesting... but I think it would have been better as a short story.

2. There's no closure. When I read what is presumably the last and final book of a trilogy, I want some freaking closure! However, it's really rare that I actually get this. I loved the last page of this novel- it was insightful, beautiful, and personal. But I still felt like there were questions, very important questions, that were left up in the air.

3. It felt rushed. There is a lot going on in Requiem, and I felt like some of that was lost on me because the story didn't go as in depth as the previous books. Especially since we we're getting two different, but coinciding, stories.

Is that to say you will totally be disappointed in Requiem? No way! Despite my issues, I thought it was a great story! I loved the action and I loved how the war between the cureds and invalids has been amped up. And, like I said, Lauren Oliver is an amazing writer. She really makes you feel like you are part of the story. It is definitely an amazing trilogy and I will be recommending it to anyone I come across!

My Rating:

It was great! Worth buying!