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A review by emilyusuallyreading
Requiem by Lauren Oliver
5.0
I don't know why this book has gotten worse reviews than the previous two, because it was my favorite in the trilogy.
What I Liked
Lauren Oliver has this ability of knotting all my emotions up into a tight little ball and making me feel so anxious and tense over the fates of these beloved characters for the entire duration of the book... in a good way. I read Requiem in two sittings. I didn't have a choice. Even if it meant sleepily marching on until 4 in the morning, I had to keep turning pages until I knew what happened.
I hate love triangles. I truly, truly hate them. So I started Requiem thinking I would feel rage as long as there was a love triangle. But I didn't.
Honestly, I hate love triangles where the main character is thinking, "Oh my gosh, who do I love more? I just can't decide!" because that must mean that she does not truly love either. Oliver's relationships aren't like that. It was always clear that in a heartbeat Lena would have chosen Alex over Julian, and I think even Julian realized this to the very end.
The idea of a world where love is outlawed may seem far-fetched, but that isn't the point. This is a love story about love. Not only romance, but the "I will die for you, I will live for you, I am a mother, a daughter, a friend, a sister, I am family" kind of love as well. "You can't be happy unless you are unhappy sometimes" is a perfect motto for this trilogy.
Perhaps my favorite quote in Requiem is on page 43: "With the cure, relationships are all the same, and rules and expectations are defined. Without the cure, relationships must be reinvented every day, languages constantly decoded and deciphered. Freedom is exhausting." So true.
I love the Biblical metaphors within the book.
Also, Lauren Oliver is just a beautiful wordsmith. She could write about gravel on the road and I would be happy to sit and read.
What I Didn't Like
Occasionally the POV switch between Hana and Lena felt forced. Particularly in one instance when Hana is dreaming of velvety fingers and on the very next page, Lena is thinking,
I wasn't quite sure why the character of Coral existed. The reader never bonds with her or hears much of her side of the story.
About the Ending
It was vague. It was abrupt. It didn't answer every question or heal every relationship. But I actually thought it was a perfect ending for each character. I was left wishing more than anything for a Delirium #4.
What I Liked
Lauren Oliver has this ability of knotting all my emotions up into a tight little ball and making me feel so anxious and tense over the fates of these beloved characters for the entire duration of the book... in a good way. I read Requiem in two sittings. I didn't have a choice. Even if it meant sleepily marching on until 4 in the morning, I had to keep turning pages until I knew what happened.
I hate love triangles. I truly, truly hate them. So I started Requiem thinking I would feel rage as long as there was a love triangle. But I didn't.
Spoiler
I'm pretty sure it was clear to everyone from the very first chapter who Lena actually loved: Alex over Julian. While it occasionally made her seem a little childish and petty that she would lead Julian on in certain moments in order to make Alex jealous, I think it also showed how everyone wants to be loved. Everyone has insecurities about being unloved. And as soon as Lena thought, "Alex does not love me," she was desperate to find that love in another place.Honestly, I hate love triangles where the main character is thinking, "Oh my gosh, who do I love more? I just can't decide!" because that must mean that she does not truly love either. Oliver's relationships aren't like that. It was always clear that in a heartbeat Lena would have chosen Alex over Julian, and I think even Julian realized this to the very end.
The idea of a world where love is outlawed may seem far-fetched, but that isn't the point. This is a love story about love. Not only romance, but the "I will die for you, I will live for you, I am a mother, a daughter, a friend, a sister, I am family" kind of love as well. "You can't be happy unless you are unhappy sometimes" is a perfect motto for this trilogy.
Perhaps my favorite quote in Requiem is on page 43: "With the cure, relationships are all the same, and rules and expectations are defined. Without the cure, relationships must be reinvented every day, languages constantly decoded and deciphered. Freedom is exhausting." So true.
I love the Biblical metaphors within the book.
Also, Lauren Oliver is just a beautiful wordsmith. She could write about gravel on the road and I would be happy to sit and read.
What I Didn't Like
Occasionally the POV switch between Hana and Lena felt forced. Particularly in one instance when
Spoiler
curedSpoiler
"I wonder what it's like for cureds to not have to dream about fingers reaching for them in their sleep."I wasn't quite sure why the character of Coral existed. The reader never bonds with her or hears much of her side of the story.
Spoiler
Her indifference to Alex after he runs away is a little confusing. Was she there only to complicate the love triangle even further? I'm not sure.About the Ending
It was vague. It was abrupt. It didn't answer every question or heal every relationship. But I actually thought it was a perfect ending for each character.