Books "REQUIEM"

Title : “REQUIEM”

[ book 3 of DELIRIUM Trilogy ]

by Lauren Oliver

Copyright © 2013 by Lauren Schechter

Cover design by Erin Fitzsimmons

Cover photograph © 2013 by Michael Frost

Printed in the United States of America

Published by HarperCollins Children’s Books | a division of HarperCollins Publishers (www.epicreads.com)

First paperback edition 2013 | 470 p + additional bonus from ‘PANIC’ and ‘BEFORE I FALL’ | ISBN  978-0-06-2232577-8 (mass market international edition)

Rate : 3.5 of 5

~ Conclusion in Bahasa Indonesia at the bottom post ~

After excruciating experience through Delirium follow by Pandemonium, Requiem just like a fresh-air, just a little bit different than the previous books. Following the journey of Lena Halloway who now must face both Julian and Alex in daily life, but still she cannot get any further step to confront her confussion, her mixed feelings or even how to choose between two man that already make special marks in her heart. Before she could decided what to do in this weird situasion, there is so many things in her group as the Invalids who now more like a group of Resistance – organize to deal with government. War between them now openly and spread through country.  The dead of Thomas Finneman – founder and head of DFA (Deliria-Free America), who also Julian’s father, just makes things worse. The true Invalids who living in the wilds and keep protected by government, are destroy, killed brutally, man-woman even children and infant, burn to death. Not only the Regulators or even DFA who hunt them, but they used the Scavengers to make chaos everywhere, giving bad-name and worse reputation to the Resistance.

In this story, we will follow another story, the journey of Hana Tate – former Lena’s BFF before she escape and becoming fugitive by government. Hana who since the beginning always the rebel between both of them, shocking by the fact that Lena – Miss Goody-Two-Shoes who always obeying rules and good girl, dare to take real action by living into the wilds, joining the Invalids. Since the tragic incident that separated them by two strict-lines : the fugitive and common citizen, now Hana supposely ready to take another higher step into her future. She taking ‘the prosedur’ – operation to remove her ‘illness’ and getting married with man that choosen by the perfect system. Soon, Hana Tate will be Mrs. Hargrove – wife of Fred Hargrove, that busy preparing his position as the new mayor of Portland. Hana should be greatful and even thankful on how lucky she are, but something when wrong, ‘coz Hana still got ‘unhappy’ feelings, even after the operation on her done perfectly.

Between life of Lena and Hana, two girls who once so close like sisters, they choose a different and separated life, but the truth hidden inside their heart, drown them back to face each others, to confront what is it the one that they desire in their life. That Lena still thinking about her family left behind, specially little Grace who so close to her heart, but she did not know how to find or how to meet with Grace again. That Hana in her busy schedule to preparing her new future, coming crossed with little Grace, who apperantly living as homeless in the street. That Lena finally find and meet with her mother, but finding her imagination of woman she called as mother, now become different woman. That Hana cannot stop thinking about Lena, how she keep secret inside her, that what happens to Lena and Alex that makes them target and hunted, are because of her, how she betray her bestfriend simply the act of jealously and rage, without thinking further the consequences ...  

I don’t know why the author choose to write different perspective on the thirth instalment of Delirium, but I’m glad and like it this much better than the previous books. Specially on Hana’s side of story – I could see another new and old story, collide into one and giving clear path on how this book will ended, or at least ended in my mind ... with twisted (surprising) scenario. In Requiem, readers are asking, what choices will be taken, how far to take risk or taking responsibility on everything already done, accepting guilt and move-on from the past, creating new future even without clear vision, at least at first step ... Lauren Oliver even gave such strong words by the end of the story. Words that give me strong impression and understanding what message she wanted to passed by through this story. I write down some of them, not only because is good and strong, beautiful and full with deepest thought, but because to me, the author left several bread-crumbs that also makes readers (me as an exampler) just plain boring and confuse to get the meaning of this story ...

Take down the walls.

You do not know what will happen if you take down the walls; you cannot see through the other side, don’t know whether it will bring freedom or ruin, resolution or chaos. It might be paradise, or destruction.

Take down the walls.

Otherwise you must live closely, in fear, building barricades against the unknown, saying prayers against the darkness, speaking verse of terror and tightness.

Otherwise you may never know hell, but you will not find heaven, either. You will not know fresh air and flying.

All of you, wherever you are : in your spiny cities or your one-bump towns. Find it, the hard stuff, the links of metal and chink, the fragments of stone filling your stomatch. And pull, and pull, and pull.

I will make a pact with you : I will do it if you will do it, always and forever.

Take down the walls.

[ ~ from REQUIEM by Lauren Oliver ]

Conclusion :

Ok, singkat cerita, setelah membaca Delirium dan Pandemonium yang mengecewakan, tidak ada ekspetasi khusus saat diriku memulai membaca Requiem, hanya sekedar memuaskan rasa penasaran agar bisa mendapatkan gambaran lebih jelas tentang trilogi ini. Tidak akan kusinggung lebih jauh tentang perjalanan dan petualangan Lena yang terbelah antara dua sosok pria yang sama-sama mengisi hatinya, Julian dan Alex (yang awalnya dikira telah tewas, ternyata muncul kembali secara mengejutkan). Entah mengapa konflik tentang cinta segitiga selalu menjadi topik utama kisah sejenis ini, ada beberapa yang cukup menarik untuk disimak (dan dibicarakan) lebih lanjut, but for me, enough about Lena and her boyfriend(s). Untungnya, entah mengapa penulis membuat format yang berbeda untuk Requiem, dengan mengambil sudut pandang dua orang narator yang tampil secara bergantian, kisah yang dituturkan oleh Lena, dan oleh Hana. Masih ingat siapa Hana Tate – sahabat karib Lena sebelum ia bergabung bersama kaum Invalids.

Melalui narasi (dan benak) Hana, berbagai lubang pertanyaan yang menghantui benakku sepanjang dua buku sebelumnya, sebagian besar akhirnya terjawab. Dan jujur, diriku jauh lebih menyukai saat versi Hana muncul, agaknya petualangan yang dialami oleh Lena pun sudah tak mampu menggugah rasa penasaranku lebih jauh. Tanpa adanya ‘kisah Hana’ bisa kukatakan Requiem menjadi bacaan yang jauh lebih membosankan daripada Pandemonium. Beberapa poin yang cukup menarik, saat penulis membuat versi twisted dengan menampilkan cukilan ‘the Book of Shhh’ pada kisah ‘the Story of Solomon’ – kisah yang seharusnya menampilkan sifat bijaksana dan keadilan pada diri Raja Solomon, yang berubah menjadi kisah horor untuk menekankan rasa takut dan teror pada masyarakat. Sayangnya, hal-hal yang cukup menarik seperti ini, hanya muncul sekilas hingga nyaris tidak mampu memberikan kesan yang lebih kuat bagi pembaca. Jika kalian mencari bacaan ringan yang (cukup lumayan) menghibur, silahkan memilih bacaan serial ini, namun jika mencari ‘sesuatu’ yang lebih berbobot ... well, you might just skip this as your choices.

[ more about this author & related works, just check at here : Lauren Oliver | on Goodreads | on Wikipedia | at Twitter | at Tumblr ]

~ This Post are include in 2014 Reading Challenge ~

8^th Book in English Challenge

224^th Book in TBRR Pile

Best Regards,

Hobby Buku