ARC Review: Requiem by Lauren Oliver

Release Date: March 5th, 2013
Hardcover: 400 pages
Publisher: HarperTeen




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.

As always, I´ve been blown away by Lauren Oliver´s writing. Her writing is flawless and the pace is so pleasant to read. I don´t know many authors that can write the way she can, somehow everything sounds so truthful and moving.With Requiem is no different. certainly a worthy conclusion to one of my favorite YA series.

So much is happening in Requiem, finally everything should come together. I liked the alternate perspective between Lena and Hana, we not only get to experience what is happening in Lena´s hometown but also what Lena and the other Invalids have to go through. Everything comes nicely together in the end, even though it is an open ending. It was such a fitting idea for this series because in the end, Oliver is giving us the chance to decide for ourselves. I have no words for this novel, it is that simple. The love triangle is so realistically-written and not only that but also anything else in this novel, the bad and the good things are relatable.

What makes this series so special is that you can identify yourself easily with any of Oliver´s characters. I like each and every one of them. Lena became a strong character, so easily discernible from the character she was in Delirium. Hana is a different character, as well, but is it that bad? Even Lena has to ask herself sometimes if the procedure is such a bad thing. Finally love can become a disease but sometimes it is just worth the risk.

All in all, Requiem is a fantastic conclusion to one of my favorite series, ever. I´m a huge fan of Lauren Oliver and all of my expectations were met in Requiem. Certainly some will be mad, sad and even desperate with this ending, but I, for one, was happy with the way things ended. It was a very satisfying conclusion and as always, you will be taken into a rollercoaster ride of different emotions. I cannot wait for Lauren Oliver to write more unbelievably unique novels, which I will most certainly read.

Pandemonium - Lauren Oliver

Release Date: February 28
Number of Pages: 375
Publisher: Harper Teen


I’m pushing aside the memory of my nightmare,
pushing aside thoughts of Alex,
pushing aside thoughts of Hana 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.

375 pages of pure awesomeness. Is it even possible for Lauren Oliver to write a bad book? It's really hard for me to write an objectively review for Pandemonium, since Lauren Oliver is one of my favorite authors, ever! Even though Before I Fall and Delirium were ,to say the least, perfect; Pandemonium surprisingly surpasses both of them.

The book is divided in two parts: now and then. The book begins in the present time, a few months after the escape and Lena finds herself sleeping during a school lesson. The book doesn't waste any time in making you wonder: what the hell? So it's no wonder that after reading the first few pages, it seems you can't finish this book fast enough. It felt like a marathon to get to the last word (and what a last word indeed!). The alternation between the then and now only made this book the more interesting and enthralling. Furthermore Oliver's writing is one of the best there is! It flows so that you can read hundreds of page without even realising it.

We are introduced to a lot of new characters. But first let's talk about Lena. Another advantage of the then and now strategy is that Lena's growth is even more noticeable. She changes and matures in Pandemonium, the chance is almost tangible. Furthermore her mourning is so real, Oliver describes it really well, also the transition to a new lover and new beginning is so subtle, which only makes the character the even more realistic.
The new characters like Tack, Sarah and the others who live in the Wilds weren't that fascinating to me. We didn't find out a lot about them which didn't bothered me that much. Raven, the one in charge, appears much more often and we learn a lot about her but I wasn't that a big of fan until the last few pages. The lenghts that the Resistance is willing to go to take charge are also a great theme in this book.
Julian, the new love interest, is sweet and swoon-worthy. At first I didn't want to like him (similar situation as Lena) but with time it just isn't possible to deny it anymore, he is great! (Sorry, Alex!)

I don't want to say much about the plot because I don't want to take a lot of its impact away. But in short Lena, Tack and Raven are in New York on a mission for the Resistance and for that they must observe the actions of the DFA (Deliria-Free America). Lena is given the task of keep watch on the head of the movement's son, Julian. During a DFA's rally both Lena and Julian are kidnapped. And during their time together they learn many disturbing things about the DFA and the Resistance but they also learn to love. Lena begins to heal and Julian begins to realise that love is not a disease, and if it is, maybe it's a disease worth having.

With an action-filled ending and an enormous cliffhanger, Lauren Oliver shows us once again that if love is not a disease, then her book most certainly are. While reading Pandemonium you may experience lots of crying, shocks and stress. Not to forget the fact that reading it becomes an addiction you can't overcome. The weak-hearted should read this with caution.
Now please get me some Requiem? I'm already suffering from withdrawal..


PS: You should also read HANA, the short story about Lena's best friend. You experience the last weeks leading up to Lena's escape from Hana's point of view (before she was "cured"). I loved it and with its shocking twist, no surprise there, leaves you completely astonished.




In the world of Delirium, love is a disease. And like all eighteen-year-olds, Lena and Hana must take the cure.

At the start of their last summer of freedom, they were the closest of friends. Until Hana made a decision that tore them apart... In Delirium, we heard from Lena. Now, Hana gets to tell her side of the story. And nothing is what we first thought.