Friday 22 March 2013

The End is Nigh

Requiem - Lauren Oliver
Hodder - Available now

As promised the last installment in the Delirium trilogy is here!

With a first for this series the storyline is split between two main characters, our on-going heroine Lena and a re-surfaced character from book one Hana Tate, Lena's old best friend. Having not heard from Hana in such a long time I was quite surprised when she popped up heading up chapter two and alternates with Lena from here on in, but the story works brilliantly shared between the two girls giving you the perspective of both Lena's Delirium diseased mind and Hana's 'cured' one post procedure. It also cleverly exposes the beauty and horror of both world views - portraying the truth of the situation at large - a country at war and its people divided, the cureds of zombieland who feel next to nothing and care even less protected as they are from passion and choice, against the rabble of invalids who are forced to live like the animals they are portrayed as purely because they want the right to feel and be free or the many unfortunate displaced souls that simply have no where else to turn, caught in the grip of the war nonetheless.

Lauren has a beautifully lyrical style of writing and pushes her characters to their limits which I can't help but respect. I would have loved more resolution in the ending as I find myself wondering 'what next' for many of the characters and the not knowing kills me! There is also a special treat for those who purchase in the first print run... a small Alex back story, highlighting some of his childhood in the wilds and his time captive in the crypts.

I would also suggest that you dip into the little novella Hana (available in e-book or bound in Delirium Stories: Hana, Annabel, Raven) as it gives you an introduction to Hana as a voice and catches up her story to Lena's in the Requiem present, besides what's not to love about reading more Lauren Oliver??


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