by Lauren Oliver
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Goodreads summary:
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.
What I thought:
In case you don't know, I generally don't like love triangles. So, it is a little surprising to note that I liked this series and specifically this book, since there is definitely one in Requiem. Let me tell you, this is a tough triangle too! Both relationships actually worked for me, so trying to work out which one I liked better and knowing either way Lena went was going to be heartbreaking in one way or another was a little depressing. I'm not saying that I didn't know who I wanted her to choose, I did (Alex!!!). It's just that the circumstances that developed each of Lena's relationships with Alex and Julian were both so real, gritty, and meaningful. There is no instant-love or easy here. Both relationships were developed through an entire book with plenty of challenges in the way. SPOILER ALERT: If you haven't read the other books in this series, then you may want to skip the next paragraph. :)
Alex is a vital part of Lena's life in the first book. He's the instigator or the spark that turns over what she has already been struggling with or trying to decide. He's the main reason she ends up leaving. I loved Alex in Delirium! So heartbreaking! Then in Pandemonium Lena has changed so much because of what has happened. She's not sure about trying to love someone again, but Julian kind of sneaks in there anyway. She has just decided to really let him in and then Alex reappears. I really wasn't sure which way Oliver was going to go. Again, either way is heartbreaking in some way, even though I was rooting for Alex.
Of course the love triangle isn't the only thing going on. There's Hanna and her intended or "matched" husband, who I really, really disliked. Hanna is torn between her former memories and who she has become or at least who she thinks she has become. I loved her character! The struggle she is going through, the relationships she is dealing with, and her choices!
Then there is the society and its conflicts. Are the "diseased" going to be completely destroyed? Will Hana's match, who will be the new mayor of Portland, get his way? How inhumane the society can be and the unfairness of it all!
It definitely made me think and feel! I thought it was a great ending to the series! It's not one I could re-read a lot because obviously it's a little depressing as a whole. However, I would say that it is definitely worth a read!
Content: Some innuendo, violence, language (several s-words)
Genre: YA Dystopian
Publication date: March 5th 2013 by HarperCollins Children's Books
Source: Library
Rating:
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