Requiem by Lauren Oliver

Release Date: Out now!

Publisher: HarperCollins

Pages: 400pgs

The Story

As her country erupts in open rebellion, Lena fights for the resistance and must make a heartbreaking choice between two loves.

After saving Julian from a death sentence, Lena escapes with him and other members of the resistance. But as she embraces her love for Julian, a boy from her past returns and causes her to question everything. 

In the meantime, Lena's best friend, Hana, is engaged to Portland's young mayor and is living a safe, proscribed, loveless life. The story is told from both Lena and Hana's points of view.

As Lena struggles to save the people she loves, everything comes to a head in this exciting finale to Lauren Oliver's epic trilogy. REQUIEM is a sophisticated, wide-ranging novel that explores the large issues of society, government, and resistance, and of course, there is romance.

The Review

After all we've been through in Lauren Oliver's first book Delirium and its sequel Pandemonium, I thought the author was going to deliver us this mind-blowing final conclusion to her YA series with REQUIEM and make her characters shine, not to mention make us go . . . whoa, now that's what I call a final book! But, from where I'm standing, which may not be a very popular opinion for the fans of this series, I was clearly wrong. In fact, I was wrong on all accounts. I mean, just when I started to love this book more and more, and just when the action flowed seamlessly throughout it, it just all went downhill from there. Sadly.

Now don't get me wrong here: I enjoyed the book. It was certainly an improvement compared to the two other books in the series. But once the book hit that middle mark for me and landed in its so-called 'final conclusion', everything I was preparing myself for - this giddy excitement and grand anticipation of it all - just left me feeling annoyed, confused, deflated and utterly disappointed.

But look on the bright side, I really loved Lena's perspective. I wished it was ALL in her perspective. She's a great character who has finally grown up to be her own person and she has quite a lot of stories to tell to keep you fascinated all the way through the book. Especially with her latest romantic dramas between her two boys, Julian and Alex. But really? Adding Hana's perspective into the mix? I just didn't see the point of it really. I literally skimmed her chapters because I couldn't get interested in her character. I couldn't of cared less about her because I just wanted Lena. Just Lena. And, speaking of Lena's character, honestly what happened with her, Julian and Alex? First Alex comes back (a slight spoiler from the sequel) and you're like 'YES!' and then once you read this book you're like, 'WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH HIM?', and then you're like, 'I HATE HIM FOR BEING LIKE THIS!'. Then there's Julian who I love so much but then with him you're like, 'LENA STOP USING THIS PERFECT GUY!', and then by the time you're finished with the book you're left saying, 'WHY DID YOU INTRODUCE HIM IN THE FIRST PLACE?'. Le Sigh. I just don't get it and all I can say is . . . this book was not what I expected.

And to add onto this major downer of mine, I wasn't impressed by the ending either. I. Was. Not. Impressed. With. It. At. All. I mean, I literally threw the book across the room because after everything that happened to the characters and after all of the tough battles they fought through, this 'ending' just randomly hits us like a tidal wave. But wait - it was not a tidal wave, more like a passing cloud with no effect on us what-so-ever. It was absolutely terrible if I was being brutally honest here. It was so opened ended, boring and it was just like . . . nothing. Poof! Gone. Nada. No closure. No feelings. No freaking clue what-so-ever on what happened in the actual book. Honestly it felt more like a sequel cliffhanger rather than a final conclusion to a series. Argh. I don't know what to think really, other than its an editing error or something. Clearly it's not though because it's the end everyone is talking about and I'm really mad about it. I mean, was Hana's perspective too important to focus on rather than the ending itself? Was it because the book had to be a certain amount of pages that the ending had to be cut off so quickly? Man . . . I just don't know. Please explain it to me!

Overall, REQUIEM was nothing like the final book I was expecting it to be like. It had its highs for sure . . . but that ending and what happened in that ending alone . . . I'm just very, very disappointed. Lena go home. Hana run away somewhere. Alex just leave all over again. Julian . . . well I miss you terribly. Where are you, my friend who is taken for granted all the time? Yeah, this book was not what I wanted at all except that there were some Julian scenes . . . so two stars are definitely worth that!
The Rating

2/5 stars

Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver

Release Date: Out now!

Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton

Pages: 375pgs

The Story

I'm pushing aside

the memory of my nightmare,

pushing aside thoughts of Alex,

pushing aisde thoughts of Hanna

and my old school,

push,

push,

push,

like Raven taught me to do.

The old life is dead.

But the old Lena is dead too.

I buried her.

I left her beyond a fence,

behind a wall of smoke and flame.

Lauren Oliver delivers an electrifying follow-up to her acclaimed New York Times bestseller, 'Delirium'. This riveting, brilliant novel crackles with the fire of fierce defiance, forbidden romance, and the sparks of a revolution about to ignite.

The Review

PANDEMONIUM is the second installment of Lauren Oliver's Delirium series. For those who have yet to read the first book, this book is set sometime in the distant future, where love is viewed as a disease and all young people are cured for it so they can no longer feel love. However, the last time we saw the main character, Lena, she was on the run after narrowingly escaping her so-called perfect and 'cured' society, and she's now living her life in the wilds. While her mind will never forget a boy named Alex, someone she loved dearly and whom was captured, she is trying her best in surviving the outside world and all sorts of trouble that soon comes her way: New dangers. New rules. New society. New love.

Now I'm happy to say that I was really, really surprised by this sequel. Not only was this book far more enjoyable but it also exceeded my expectations. Delirium, the first book in this YA trilogy series, was an okay read for me but it didn't really offer anything special to me despite its received high praises. But in this sequel's case . . . I'm officially back on board with this series. PANDEMONIUM had everything of a reader's dream - a fast-pacing plot, non-stop action-packed sequences, a few little surprises I didn't see coming, and also some new characters that entertained me at their very best. Sure, the only thing I struggled with was the switching of the past and the present scenes, which wasn't a favourite method of mine, but it was nonetheless thrilling and captured my full attention!

Concerning the characters, I was yet again surprised by the detailed of them and the depth Lauren Oliver pulled them through. Lena was an okay main heroine in the first book, but I wasn't a fan of her. Since then and since reading this sequel, I've completely changed my mind about her. Shocker, I know! Lena this time was much more stronger and she had a much thicker skin when she began fighting for what she truly believed in, and while she continues to miss Alex with all her heart and soul, a love interest from the previous book, she still manages to push through everything and continue living her life the best it can be. For now at least.

The same goes with another introduced character, a boy named Julian, whom is also another possible love interest for Lena's future. For those readers who know me well, I'm not a huge fan of love triangles unless they are written perfectly and in the way I like them to be written. Though in this sequel, I think Lauren Oliver did such a great job in handling this upcoming love triangle ahead of us. For sure, Alex may not be present at all in this book, so it was completely understandable why Julian was introduced to offer some complication and some heartache for our Lena, but while Alex was a great love interest and opened up our Lena to the real world, I still couldn't help myself in adoring Julian despite his own issues he presented to us. By adored, I mean . . . I think I like him even more than our man Alex or rather they are both on the same playing field now and I'm - like right now - struggling whom to like more than the other. Though I have to admit, Julian was really refreshing and I loved how he helped Lena through her grief . . . so of course I couldn't help but love, love, love him! Yes, as you can see, I can't stop gushing about him!!!

Overall, PANDEMONIUM was the redemption of a book series that I was so desperately looking and it was also a sequel worthy of all the high praises it has been given recently. If you weren't a fan of Delirium like I was, than this sequel will most definitely change your mind as soon as you start reading the book and with a shocking cliffhanger being delivered towards the end of the book . . . it will have you gearing up for the final installment, which won't come sooner enough! Argh!!!

The Rating

4 1/2 / 5 stars

Delirium by Lauren Oliver

Release Day: February 1st, 2011

Publisher: Harperteen

Pages: 441pgs

The Story

There was a time when love was the most important thing in the world. People would go to the end of the earth to find it. They would tell lies for it. Even kill for it.

Then, at last, they found the cure.

Now, everything is different. Scientists are able to eradicate love, and the government demands that all citizens receive the cure upon turning eighteen. Lena Haloway has always looked forward to the day when she'll be cured. A life without love is a life without pain: safe, measured, predictable, and happy.

But then, with only ninety-five days left until her treatment, Lena does the unthinkable...

The Review

I've heard a lot of buzz about this book and I loved Before I Fall, the first debut novel for Lauren Oliver. The thing I love about the author's writing, is how she writes - it's well-controlled, stylized in a way that is almost lyrical, the kind of words that you would often see in elegant poetry. And that's one of the reasons why I love her books. As for this particular book, Delirium, I felt very drawn to the world Oliver brings to her readers and I can definitely understand how the Government can control you and the people around you - fearing everything they want you to fear and not questioning their 'beliefs'. To have a sense of security on your side. While the world building strengthened by each page and chapter, I felt the characters themselves weren't as built well as they should've been.

My first problem with the book was the length of the paragraphs and sometimes I found myself skimming a few of them, just to get to some character dialogue. Which then leads me to my second problem: there wasn't much dialogue to make you feel more emotionally tied with the characters, but there's two more books after Delirium...so we'll see. Despite that, I loved Lena and how the author made you feel confined just as the main character felt, which is a real talent in my opinion. As for her suppose "love interest" Alex, I really loved his character because he showed both Lena and us as the readers...a whole different world away from this strict way of life, and also testing the system Lena has always grew up in.

When it comes to the ending...oh don't get me started! I kind of expected the ending to be like it was, but man...it was a killer! And by the end of the pages, I was left to say, "Oh, is that it???" Personally I was depressed by this book, and ironically enough...the society Lena lives in is also depressing, so Lauren Oliver has even more talent to write a book that made you feel like the main character does. In saying that, if you love dystopian worlds, a little hint of Romeo and Juliet, and Before I fall - Lauren Oliver's first book - then, you'll love this!

The Rating

3/5 stars