Requiem (Delirium Trilogy, #3)

by Lauren Oliver

[Angie]

Well…that was a disappointment. Requiem is another unsatisfying conclusion to an otherwise great series. I fell in love with Delirium, and still enjoyed Pandemonium, although not nearly as much. I was hoping that the ending would return me to that initial love stage, but it didn’t. Honestly, all three books are extremely different. If it weren’t for the fact that they are the same series, I wouldn’t know that they are, since they each read totally different.

The POV once again has changed. This time it alternates between Lena out in the Wilds and Hana back in Portland. I oddly found Hana’s chapters more interesting. I use to think that the cured people would be robotic, but after reading Hana’s POV, I see that’s not entirely the case. They still have thoughts and feelings, but they seem more…detached, but aware. It’s almost like they know something is off, but convince themselves that it’s clarity. It’s hard to explain, but it’s just strange. But, then again, Hana may not be a typical cured.

Out in the Wilds, Lena and her companions just keep running into crisis after crisis. There’s no shortage of action, something completely missing from the first book, but it gets super repetitive. They reach a new homestead or safe house, regulators show up shooting, people die, then they move on to a new homestead or safe house. Lather, rinse, repeat. All the while Lena is using Julian for comfort while pining after Alex who seems to be bonding with another girl in their group. It was all very blah. Everything I loved about Delirium has just been lost.

The ending was probably the worst part of the finale, which makes it worse. I had to read the last few pages twice, because I thought I had missed something. There’s war and chaos and death everywhere, and then it just ends. It feels like a cliffhanger with the promise of a fourth book rather than an open ending. Absolutely nothing is resolved. It just ends. Did the Resistance overthrow the DFA? Who’s in charge now? Is Lena going to form a relationship with her mom? Does she end up with Julian, Alex, or neither? How are the cureds and uncureds going to live together? What happened to Hana? I have no idea!

It makes me so sad when a series starts out strong and leaves me with a feeling of utter excitement only to steadily head down hill and fizzle out. Requiem was almost three stars for me, but then that abrupt ending happened. I don’t mind open endings, but this one just feels unfinished.

Read more of my reviews at Pinkindle Reads & Reviews.