Dark Days of Winter: REQUIEM by Lauren Oliver Review & Giveaway

Requiem by Lauren Oliver (Delirium #3)
Harper Teen
Release date: March 5th, 2013
Reviewed by: AmyG (big sis)
Sister's Say: A Resiliant,  Rebellious and Remarkable conclusion to the trilogy!

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.

**SPOILERS FOR DELIRIUM AND PANDEMONIUM LIE AHEAD! READ AT YOUR OWN RISK IF YOU HAVE NOT READ THOSE YET!**

Welcome to the 2nd leg of Dark Days of Winter Blog Tour.  These have indeed been Dark Days, not only with winter looming upon us, but also in the Delirium series.  Lena's life is on the cusp of complete fall out.  The revolution is at hand, but the cureds are not going to "go gentle into that good night." (Dylan Thomas)  Regulators are everywhere even in the Wilds just waiting to pick off the rebels.  Lena is also torn between 2 boys, Alex and Julian, her past and her present.  Everything around her physically and emotionally is crumbling.  Lauren's writing is poetically beautiful, and no one but her could bring to life the heartbreak and turmoil that Lena is facing not only inside herself but in the physical world around her.

This is the 1st novel, where we get to see Alex and Julian together with Lena.  The dynamic is very interesting, but we only get to see it from Lena's point of view.  We get to experience her heartbreak and uncertainty, but also try to understand what is going on in the boys head also.  I wonder how the story would have been different seeing the tension and seething of jealousy right below the surface from a different prospective?  We see all of Lena's thoughts but none of the boys.  It takes awhile to actually get to really see anything between them, but then how was Ms. Oliver chooses to unleash the final showdown in the love triangle is perfect and poignant.  And, I know basically what all of you really want to know is did she choose Alex or Julian.  Well, I will tell you she chose.... nah....just joking! Seriously, you have to read it to find out!

I would be remiss in not mentioning Hana who has just as big a role in this book as Lena.  The POV is split between her and Lena.  Hana offers a unique perspective.  We actually get to be inside the mind of  a cured.  We also see her stuggling with her past and how she remembers it.  We also find out some secrets that aren't to easy to digest.  We are able to see the corruptness of the government and it's leaders from the inside.  It honestly made me more sympathetic toward the rebels.  I wanted them to succeed all the more after seeing the absolutely evil of the ruling parties.  It mentions in the blurb, that Lena's and Hana's fates finally cross paths.  And let me just say, it is explosive!  

Now, I have to say a little about Lauren Oliver's writing.  Her writing is one of my favorites in the YA genre.  If you want to know what it feels like to be torn between 2 loves, slowly suffocate from a swarming fire, or have bullets rain down all around you without ever truly being in danger?  Then read this series by Lauren Oliver.  She will make you feel like you are right next to her characters in the midst of the action and at any moment your life could be snuffed out.  This was an amazing series, and I'm so sad to have it come to an end.  It's hard to say goodbye to characters that I have grown to know and love.  The conlusion of this series left me on the edge of my seat, heart pounding in my chest and begging the characters to just stay alive!   Lauren Oliver a remarkable writer, and I'm so excited to see what she has coming next! 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

DARK DAYS TOUR LEG 2

Leg 2

Blog Tour:

Feb 8      Fragments @ Emily's Reading Room

Feb 12    Requiem @ YA Sisterhood

Feb 14    Spellcaster @ Two Chicks on Books

Feb 19    Mind Games @ IB Book Blogging

Feb 21    Mila 2.0 @ Addicted 2 Novels

Feb 26    Fragments @ Emily's Reading Room

Feb 28    Requiem @ YA Sisterhood

Mar 5     Spellcaster @ Two Chicks on Books

Mar 6     Mila 2.0 @ Addicted 2 Novels

Mar 7     Mind Games @ IB Book Blogging

Author Twitter Chat:

Feb 26    #PitchDarkDays     8:30PM EST

Tour Stops:

Mar 6     Provo Library, Provo, UT                   7PM

Mar 7     University Books, Seattle, WA           6:30PM

Mar 8     Barnes & Noble, Clackamas, OR       6:30PM

Mar 9     Tualatin Library, Tualatin, OR           10AM

Mar 9     Eugene Library, Eugene, OR             4PM

http://www.pitchdark.com/blog/the-dark-days-are-back/

Giveaway of a SIGNED COPY OF REQUIEM by Lauren Oliver from Harper Teen!

a Rafflecopter giveaway