Page turner, all action, twists and turns with a love element.

Having read Delirium and Pandemonium, I couldn’t wait to get into book three, Requiem. Lauren Oliver’s skills at descriptive writing are phenomenal and take you into the world that she writes about, immersing you in sight, smell and sounds while leaving you hungry and feeling unwashed. While reading Requiem I was into chapters on The Wilds and felt I needed a shower, while chapters on Zombieland made me want to go out and play in the mud to get rid of the clinical cleanliness.

Oliver wrote the three books in first person present tense which makes you feel close to the characters. Having said that, she changes style with each novel. Delirium was all through the eyes of Lena in present tense from start to finish. Pandemonium was all Lena, all present tense but in two time frames, Then and Now in alternating chapters. In Requiem, it is all present tense again, back to just the one time frame, but this time seen through the eyes of Lena and Hana, again in alternating chapters.

It does not spoil the story to say that the free thinkers of The Wilds have their chapters, the cured of Zombieland have their chapters and, as time goes on, we know that the two will somehow meet towards the end. Lena’s internal struggles and Hana’s surprising development let us know that not all is black and white in either world.

An excellent read and the first trilogy I’ve finished since Lord Of The Rings, back in the 1970s. For those now doing age calculations and wondering why this trilogy is aimed at a YA audience, I can announce that adults will enjoy all three books but will have to look for over 18 content elsewhere.

Lauren Oliver is now one of my favourite authors but I need a break so will choose someone else to read before coming back to her one-off novels.