Waiting On Wednesday (36): Requiem by Lauren Oliver

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine, in which bloggers talk about the books they are most eager for! 
 

This Week's Pick: Requiem (Delirium #3) by Lauren Oliver

Publisher: HarperTeen

Release Date: March 5th, 2013

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. 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.

This book makes me nervous. I'm always weary (and excited) to read the last book in a series. Endings are really hard to do, and I'm always worried that the big finale will really be a big flop. For Requiem, my fear is doubled. I wasn't a Pandemonium fan (you can read all about why here) but I absolutely LOVED Delirium. I adored the concept, characters, the writing, and the overall stunning beauty of what it means to love. Although the beginning of Pandemonium and many parts throughout were well done, I felt it undermined the message explored in Delirium. 

Now, in saying all of that, I'm really looking forward to reading Requiem. Lauren Oliver is an undoubtedly talented writer, and I'm ready to dive back into this shocking world she has created. I hope it'll restore my faith in this series, and I know that it'll be one heck of a story. 

- Ciara (Lost at Midnight)

Review: Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver

Title: Pandemonium (Delirium #2)

Author: Lauren Oliver

Publisher: Harper Teen

Release Date: February 28th, 2012

Source: Won (from Emilie's Book World)

My Rating: 4/5

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. 

*Warning: Plot spoilers for Delirium and Pandemonium*
I was pretty nervous to read this book. I absolutely, totally, and completely LOVED Delirium. The last paragraph still gives me goosebumps, and I want the quote "I love you. Remember. They cannot take it." tattooed somewhere on my body. While I had heard solely good things about the novel I also heard it was, in typical Lauren Oliver fashion, a heart-breaker. I couldn't resist the temptation long (or the frantic tweets from my friend Crim) and finally picked it up. 

There were lots of things I loved about this book. In Delirium we were exposed to life in regular society: rigid, controlled, and loveless. Lena, as part of this society, follows the rules and doesn't question them. After the events at the end of the novel, Lena is a changed woman. She is brought into The Wilds and turned into a self-reliant survivor. It was very interesting, and a part of the novel I loved, to see Lena transform from this docile young girl, to a fierce member of the resistance. Lauren Oliver switched styles beautifully, darkening the tone of the series and giving us a harsh glimpse of life outside society's walls. I really liked having an overall view of this world, something I find is often lacking in many books. And the writing! Man, Lauren Oliver is crazy fantastic. She knows how to write a powerful and engaging story with believable characters and a fantastic plot line. Her writing itself never fails to amaze me. She gives me chills!

There were a few new characters introduced Pandemonium that left me with mixed emotions. I really liked Raven but I constantly felt suspicious of her intentions, and could never completely bring myself to believe in her. The same went with many members of The Wilds. And then there was Julian. Although I thought he was a perfectly fine person, what he caused I was not a fan of. So, this is when I talk about why I couldn't give Pandemonium five stars. It's a bit spoiler-y, as I mentioned above, so read on with caution.

Julian and his relationship with Lena kind of ruined the book for me. In Delirium the idea of love conquering everything was so prominent I felt like it defined the book. I've been a bit frustrated with YA romances recently, but Delirium was different and I loved all the messages it was sending. It was strong, powerful, and consuming. It made me want to get up and preach love from the rooftops! It made me so happy to live in a world where love was cherished. But, I felt like this message of hope that was said in Delirium was undermined in Pandemonium. For Lena to very quickly and easily fall into a new love, so soon after the loss of her previous one, confused the message of "love conquering all" for me.

I was also frustrated with the ending. Lauren Oliver is a fantastic writer and the Delirium series is superb both in concept and in execution. So, was it necessary to throw in that cliffhanger? I knew it was coming, and it was frustrating to have it thrown in at the end. Readers of the Delirium series will pick up Requiem without question. I felt it unnecessary to leave us hanging that way, and lessened the impact of the novel for me. I love cliffhangers, but I was not a fan of this one.

Now, I did love Pandemonium, don't get me wrong. It was a fantastic sequel in almost every way. Yes, there were a few things that irked me, but they didn't ruin the book for me. The Delirium series is one of the best romantic dystopians out there, and I highly recommend them! I'm very, very excited for Requiem and I can't wait to see how it all ends.

- Ciara who is lost at midnight

Find this book: Amazon | Goodreads | Lauren Oliver's Website

In My Mailbox (2)

Hey guys and gals!

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi over at The Story Siren, in which bloggers post about the books they got during the week!

So, I didn't think I'd have an In My Mailbox this week. I'm trying my best not to buy any books in the month of March, because I'm running out of spending money and April is going to bankrupt me. I didn't purchase any books this week, but I did receive a few, and that's all thanks to the super awesome Emilie at Emilie's Book World. In my previous IMM I mentioned how Emilie let me borrow her ARC of Fever, which was fantastic of her. We made a plan to meet up and she told me she had a few books that I could borrow. And here they are!

Borrowed:

- (ARC) Embrace by Jessica Shirvington (Amazon | Goodreads)

- (ARC) Purity by Jackson Pearce (Amazon | Goodreads)

- (ARC) Freshman Year and Other Unnatural Disasters by Meredith Zeitlin (Amazon | Goodreads)

- (ARC) Black Heart by Holly Black (Amazon | Goodreads)

Last week my Waiting on Wednesday pick was Black Heart, and I can't believe I'm lucky enough to get to read it early. (Cue the jumping up and down and cheering!)

Won:

- Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver (Amazon | Goodreads)

This was also from Emilie, who's contest I won about a month ago! Thanks! I'm so excited to read it!

What did everyone else get in their mailbox this week?

- Ciara who is lost at midnight