Requiem (Book #3)

Requiem (Book #3) by Lauren Oliver

(Summary taken from amazon.com) "This exciting finale to Lauren Oliver's New York Times bestselling Delirium trilogy is a riveting blend of nonstop action and forbidden romance in a dystopian United States.

Now an active member of the resistance, Lena has transformed. The nascent rebellion that was underway 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 infiltrate the borderlands to stamp out the rebels.

As Lena navigates the increasingly dangerous terrain of the Wilds, her best friend, Hana, lives a safe, loveless life in Portland as the fiancée of the young mayor. Requiem is told from both Lena and Hana's points of view. They live side by side in a world that divides them until, at last, their stories converge.

With lyrical writing, Lauren Oliver seamlessly interweaves the peril that Lena faces with the inner tumult she experiences after the reappearance of her first love, Alex, the boy she thought was dead. Sophisticated and wide-ranging, Requiem brings the Delirium trilogy to a thrilling conclusion."

What is the one word I would use to describe this book? INTENSE. Wow. It is everything in the first two books and more. If you read the first two....you've probably already read this one! Once again, the writing style is fast-paced and action-packed. There are a lot of the same characters as in book two, and a few more are introduced. I loved that it went back to Hana. I really liked her in the first book, and it was fun to get back to her and bring her back into the story. For the most part, I liked the direction the book took, and felt it was a good ending for the story. It didn't wrap everything up in a perfect little package, but it wrapped it up enough that I felt like it was realistic and it was a good ending. 

There was a lot of violence in this book. They are at war. People die, including a main character. There is fighting and everything that goes with a war. There is quite a bit of language, including a few "f" words. I also thought it was a little "Twilighty" (Yes, I just made up that word) with Lena and those two boys, but not quite as bad. It did make me a little crazy though. 

I enjoyed the book a lot and read it very quickly. I think I actually read the entire series in a matter of three or four days (Keep in mind, I was on vacation at the beach and read for the good part of the day as I sat lounging in the sun. Here....just in case you want to be jealous or go there too. It was fabulous.) Hopefully I described each individual book correctly because I read them so fast they kind of blended together in my mind. I definitely recommend this book and series, but not as a YA series. 

Rating: R (This doesn't follow the movie ratings exactly, it is just my way of saying that it is not appropriate for younger readers.) Profanity, including a few "f" words, violence, war-time atrocities, death.

Recommendation: 18 years-old and up

Pandemonium (Book #2)

Pandemonium (Book #2) by Lauren Oliver

(Summary taken from amazon.com)

"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.

In this electrifying follow-up to her acclaimed New York Times bestseller Delirium, Lauren Oliver sets Lena on a dangerous course that hurtles through the unregulated Wilds and into the heart of a growing resistance movement. This riveting, brilliant novel crackles with the fire of fierce defiance, forbidden romance, and the sparks of a revolution about to ignite."

Wow....wow. What else do I say? If you liked Delirium, you need to read Pandemonium! I was so mad at Lena throughout this whole book! I could NOT believe that she just left Alex at the fence at the end of Delirium. Ugh. Stupid girl. She didn't even look back. And throughout this whole book she just assumes he is dead. But he's not, right? I mean.....he's tough and smart....he got away, right??? AAhhhhhhh!! This book is full of twists, turns, and surprises. Lena joins the resistance and does ok. She meets a lot of new people, and gets captured. I didn't like the story line as much as I did the first book, but it was still a page turner and I read it in a day or so. Like I said, Lena drove me crazy in this book. I did like the growth she experienced, and I liked that she became stronger as a person. She learned to think for herself, which was really good. I didn't really know what to think of Julian. I never knew if I should trust him or not. And I kind of felt the same way about Raven. I think she was good, but there was a side of her that I didn't trust. I think part of it was that they didn't really trust each other. None of them did. They had to band together to survive, but it was as if they had to  prove themselves trustworthy every day.

There is a lot of violence in this book, and some of it is quite graphic. There is also profanity, including several "f" words. There is some kissing, but no real intimacy scenes. This is NOT a YA approved book. I did like it. I read it in a day or so. If you liked the first book, you really need to read this one!

Rating: R (This does not follow the movie ratings exactly, it is just my way of saying it is not appropriate for younger readers.) Profanity, including the "f" word, lots of violence, kissing.

Recommendation: 18 and up.

Delirium (Book #1)

Delirium (Book #1) by Lauren Oliver

(Summary taken from laurenoliverbooks.com) "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 government 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."

I know there have been quite a few books written lately about a controlling government, and I've read a lot of them. I've read "Matched," "Divergent," "Hunger Games," and there are probably more. Even so, I had heard good things about this book so I decided to pick it up for my trip to Mexico. It did not disappoint. I finished it in less than two days......mind you I was sitting on the beach reading for hours at a time (no kids...). I fell in love with the characters and with Ms. Oliver's writing. Lena, Hana, Grace, and Alex were my favorite characters. I thought Ms. Oliver's character development was very good and I felt as if I had known these people all my life. Hana was a really fun character and I liked her most of the time. She just seemed like your typical, fun, outgoing teenage girl. Lena reminded me of myself. She was not good at spontaneity, she liked order, safety, and seemed mature for her age. Hana was good at adding in the fun. And so was Alex. He intrigued me from the first time Lena saw him. I liked the reality he brought her, along with the romance. Ms. Oliver's writing drew me in from the beginning. It was easy to read, and read quickly, and had this way of just pulling me in. The story was a little predictable, but that didn't keep me from finishing. I did not like the ending at all! I was so mad! I can't tell what happens, but--ahhhhhhh!!!!! I was incredibly angry at Lena. So what did I do? I picked up number two and started reading. Haha, yep, I was hooked.

The language in this book is bad, at times. The "f" word is used at least three times, and there is other language as well. There are some harsh scenes in the prison and some violent scenes as well, with beatings and fighting. There is also some kissing.

Rating: R (This does not follow the movie ratings exactly, it is just my was of saying it is not appropriate for younger readers--language, violence, beatings)

Recommendation: 18 and up. I know my kids, when they are teenagers, will hear this kind of language at school, but I don't want them reading it. I would not classify this book as young adult approved.