My review of Requiem

Requiem (Delirium #3) by Lauren Oliver
Release Date: March 21, 2013
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It is the rule of the Wilds.

You must be bigger, and stronger, and tougher.

A coldness radiates through me, a solid wall that is growing, piece by piece, in my chest. He doesn't love me.

He never loved me.

It was all a lie.

'The old Lena is dead', I say, and then push past him. Each step is more difficult than the last; the heaviness fills me and turns my limbs to stone.

You must hurt, or be hurt.

Lena can build the walls, but what if there's no one left to take them down? The powerful, heartbreaking conclusion to one of the most eagerly awaited, talked-about series is here.

**If you have not read Delirium or Pandemonium please don't read this unless you want to spoil the story for yourself**

Requiem is the breath-taking and highly anticipated conclusion to the Delirium trilogy. We venture one last time into a world where love is a disease and something to be avoided. We also meet new characters, but lose old ones, too. Readers will not be expecting the twists and shocking truths that Requiem contains. Hold on to your seat, grip Requiem tight, and prepare yourself to be whisked away by Lauren Oliver's flawless writing.

Lena is in the Wilds where she is free to love and free to make her own choices. But her heart was torn when Alex reappeared and complicated her relationship with Julian. Now she does not know how to feel or what to do. One thing she is sure of is that Alex hates her. He can't bear the sight of her or stay anywhere near her; he's not the Alex she once knew. Then again, she isn't the same Lena that first ran into the Wilds. She is stronger; physically and mentally. She is ready to fight. And no one will make her lose sight of that.

I fell in love with the characters, the plot, and Oliver's writing style from the moment I started reading Delirium. Lena and Alex grew on me from the beginning, and now in the final book, it pains me to let them go. I've watched them grow from being shy, innocent and completely oblivious to the world, into two really strong and daring people who are willing to stand for what they believe in. 

Of course, like everyone else, I wanted this book in my hands as soon as possible after the big bombshell that was dropped at the end of Pandemonium, but I was also desperate to find out how Lena would get around two boys: one that she's loved since the beginning, and the one that she thought she was slowly falling for. I know some of you guys out there really despise love-triangles, but Oliver manages to make it bearable and extremely interesting. Not to mention the fact that she wraps it up very well.

Alex or Julian? That is the ultimate question. Though it's not as simple as, "Lena, just go back to Alex, you love him, right?" It's not simple because Alex is not the same. Nope, he's not the smiley, happy Alex anymore. At first I found this absolutely heart-breaking because Alex is one of my most favourite characters ever, and for his personality to change completely was just devastating. He doesn't smile, he gives short answers and he can barely look at Lena. And you know what makes things worse? A girl shows up and shows an interest in Alex! I wanted to kill her and I'm sure you will, too.

Enough of death threats. Lauren Oliver delivers a satisfying ending that might not be enough for most readers, like me, who wanted the perfect: Lena ends up with *insert boy of choice* and they ride of into the sunset and don't look back and they live happily ever after with their 12 children. Nope, not that type of ending. The ending leaves you thinking of what is to come, but also gives time for you to go over your whole journey with the characters before breaking down in tears realising that there isn't going to be another book. 

Overall, Requiem was perfect. How could I say anything other than that? It had the action to keep us hooked, drops of humor to keep us smiling, and the romance to keep us guessing. Not only that, but we also get a glimpse into Hana's head because the book alternates between her POV and Lena's. Pretty awesome, I know. It also contains some extraordinary secrets that will probably just shock you off your chair. Yep, that good. 

The Delirium trilogy has been a wonderful roller coaster full of emotion and I have thoroughly enjoyed reading the books and the journey it has taken me on. I hope that Lauren Oliver carries on writing unique and beautiful sets of books because I am craving to read about another original and crazy world (with more boys like Alex, of course).

Rating

A review copy was provided by Hodder & Stoughton