Requiem (Delirium Trilogy) by Lauren Oliver (2013-03-05)

I was supposed to get Requiem.... I was sent Delirium which I already have...

The girl on the book is my sister!!! So proud of her💜

SPOILERS ALERTI just finished reading all three books back to back (plus, the accompanying myopically focused character mini stories). So, let me preface my review with my thoughts on the first two books. The first book had me completely in love with Alex and gutted (but not entirely shocked) when he sacrificed himself so Lena had a chance to make it into the Wilds. After reading that book, I was expecting to find out more from Alex (from his point of view). I hoped beyond hope that one of the character focused stories would be from his perspective and when that didn’t occur, I hoped to see or hear from Alex in the second book (but not in the very last paragraph) which is what happened (which was a little toooo predictable).I still held out hope in this closing book of the trilogy, but to no avail - all I got was a lot of Hana - when a separate mini book was already devoted to her. And that book already divulged she reported Lena and Alex. So, I didn’t care to know why she did it and what her boring life as a cured was like. Hana wasn’t the reason why I fell in love with book one. The reason was ALEX and I feel like the author shouldn’t have tried to justify any of the other characters such as Lena’s mother, Hana, Raven, etc.When Alex was Lena’s way out of the “cured” world and he was the one who she fell in love with and who the reader fell in love with.Why not do a mini book on Alex and his time in prison and then leading up to seeing Lena? Or why not do a character back and forth in book three with Alex when it was Alex who taught Lena about love. About sacrifice and real friendship. And the reader (i feel), needed to understand what was happening with Alex and what his struggle was in grappling with Lena's betrayal. Which was a betrayal, because Lena had no idea what happened to Alex. If she miraculously was able to survive the Wilds, then why was it easier to imagine Alex dead?? That’s a horrible thought and honestly made me dislike Lena. And when Julian was on the chopping block and about to die, she risks everything to save him. And get this, Julian never sacrificed himself for Lena like Alex did.But with Alex, she just stayed with Raven’s group and moved on when I (the reader) was far from moving on and was left confused as to why Alex was just an afterthought, an apparition and just a means to an end.Back to book three, I understand Hana was a central part in Lena’s life and childhood but Hana could have been wrapped up in one chapter in the third book after finding out she reported Lena.But despite the author’s choice to minimize Alex, the last chapter had me in immediate tears. I mean, their short exchange filled me with more admiration, love, respect, awe and feeling than the entire “relationship” Lena had with Julian. And Julian was given a lot of page time with Lena and I felt sorry for him but he was a little mysterious and vague to me. And more so a lost soul trying to find himself. He was a far cry from Alex and obviously just a distraction.In the end, the closing book of this series was underwhelming. And it made no sense to me in a lot of ways (i.e. a book is devoted to Raven and it’s revealed she’s pregnant but then nothing more comes of that - nothing). But it managed to go to a deeply touching place at the end with Grace and Alex. And I hope when Mrs. LO writes more books, I hope she focuses MORE on the characters -the soulmates so to speak to the central character - rather than the antagonists and the side kicks. Stay true to the heartbeat of the story rather than trying to do too much with too many characters. if she does that, I think she will have classic masterpieces.