Requiem by Lauren Oliver

Requiem by Lauren Oliver
Delirium #3
Release Date: March 5, 2013
Publisher: HarperTeen
Source: Publisher (Edelweiss)
Goodreads Stars: 4
Rating: Essential

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. - Goodreads

While I don't think that Requiem is the strongest book in the series - that title goes to Pandemonium - I still really liked it and I am more than happy with the way things wrapped up. I think that Requiem could have been much more exciting if a few things had been adjusted, but overall it was a fantastic book! And yes, I cried.

Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver

Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver
Delirium #2
Release Date: February 28, 2012
Publisher: HarperCollins
Rating: Essential

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. - Goodreads

Has everyone bought their copy? I hope so!

Pandemonium was, quite simply, BRILLIANT. I have been waiting for this book for an entire year and I have been dying to read it. I definitely wasn't disappointed, despite having expectations that were pretty much through the roof.

Lauren Oliver has written Pandemonium in a slightly different style to Delirium. The chapters alternate between "Then" and "Now", with the "Now" chapters taking place in a city and the "Then" chapters starting when Lena was running around in the wilderness after escaping her city in the previous novel.

I really liked the new style this book had going on. I don't think I've read a book that was set out quite like this, and I found that it enhanced the story by having non-stop action right from the beginning. I think the book would have been good if it had been written the usual way - from start to finish - but the alternating chapters gave us two different views on Lena and the other characters, as well as making sure there were no boring points in the novel, and it made Pandemonium FANTASTIC. Something was always happening, and my heart was almost jumping out of my chest through most of it.

Lena did annoy me, though. She thought about Alex a lot, which was understandable seeing as she lost him, but she also compared Julian to Alex CONSTANTLY and it got on my nerves. I wish she could have been able to see him for who he is instead of a comparison to Alex.

She also kept talking about love being a disease, and I was disappointed because after everything she had been through in Delirium - and everything she goes through in this novel - I would have thought the government's brainwashing would have worn off. I guess not, though. I hope to see some improvement with her views in the final book. Other than that, Lena was a strong character and watching her grow between "Then" and "Now" was beautiful to watch.

Julian is the new love interest, and I thought he was adorable. I won't say too much about who he is or what his role is in this novel, but I loved him.

The cliffhanger got to me. WHAT WAS THAT?!?!?!?! Now I have to wait ANOTHER year for the third - and final - book in the trilogy. I'm dying to know what happens. I did see the ending coming, not because I read spoilers but because it was just something I was expecting to happen. However, there are several suprises in this novel that I wasn't expecting, and I was thoroughly impressed at how well Lauren Oliver hid these things from me.

As for if I enjoyed it more or less than Delirium, I really don't know. I think I like them both the same, some things I preferred in Delirium and other things I enjoyed more in Pandemonium. It's the same series, and I don't think it's necessary for me to compare the two. I loved them both so, so much! (I also love Before I Fall, Lauren's first novel, but that's besides the point. /book pushing).

Please go out and buy this book if you haven't already. I promise you will not regret it!

Book Review: Delirium by Lauren Oliver

Before scientists found the cure, people thought love was a good thing. They didn’t understand that once love - the deliria - blooms in your blood, there is no escaping its hold. Things are different now. Scientists are able to eradicate love, and the governments demands that all citizens receive the cure upon turning eighteen. Lena Holoway 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 with ninety-five days left until her treatment, Lena does the unthinkable: She falls in love. - Goodreads


After reading Lauren Oliver’s debut YA novel Before I Fall - and loving it - I was extremely excited to find that she was bringing out a second book this year. And, to make matters even more exciting for me, the book was going to be a dystopian YA novel. As you can probably imagine, there were various happy dances, lots of childish laughter and multiple instances in which I ran around the house telling anyone who would listen. 


Shortly after, I decided to have a look on NetGalley and was absolutely amazed to find that they offered a galley of Delirium for review. Yes. I was in heaven. So I requested the galley, received it, and here we are. 


I started reading as soon as I could, and found that - as with Before I Fall - I just couldn’t put this book down. Not that I tried that hard, mind you. 


The book begins with our main protagonist, Lena, introducing us to her world. It quickly becomes known - and by quickly, I mean in the first couple of lines - that in this world, love is considered a disease and must be cured at all costs. We immediately get a feel for what this world is like, and then as Lena and her best friend Hana prepare for their evaluation we learn even more. And what an interesting world it is. 


The plot takes off immediately, and doesn’t stop. At no point did I find that I was forcing myself to read this book, as the non stop action and events kept me going. The characters were brilliant as well.


Lena is an interesting main character, with a complex back story thrown in. Her views on relationships and love somewhat annoyed me to begin with, but I did understand that this was the way that she had been raised. And if I had been brought up in that society, I would be hesitant to get too close to anyone as well!


Lena’s best friend is a funny, bold girl named Hana. I really loved her, and although she wasn’t in the book that much, each scene she was in she was pretty much the star. Until Alex came along, that is. 


I won’t say too much about Alex, because I don’t want to give anything away, but I will say that I truly loved his character. He was cheeky, clever and also rather sneaky (you’ll understand when you read it), and this made him a brilliant and attractive character. 


The ending… what can I say about the ending other than it’s gripping, action-packed, and left me wanting so much more due to the unexpected cliffhanger! And what a cliffhanger it was. Normally, I would be annoyed at this, but as Delirium is the first book of a trilogy, I really don’t mind. I’m just so psyched to read the next book, Pandemonium, already! 


There is one instance of mild language, but it’s only one time, and I feel that it suited the situation. I’m not one to condone vile language, so you can trust me on this one. 


I highly recommend this book to just about anyone. Those who are interested in dystopian fiction, definitely pick it up, but if you’re one of those who likes a good romance, then this would also be a good book for you! Delirium definitely deserves all the hype it has been surrounded by.

Rating: 9/10

You can find this book on

Amazon|Book Depository

Delirium #1

Published on February 1, 2011 by HarperCollins

Galley, 305 pages

ISBN-13: 978-0061726828