Following the gripping end to Pandemonium, I had high expectations for the final installment of the Delirium trilogy.
Like Pandemonium, Requiem employs a dual narrative – but this time it is split between the protagonist, Lena, and her best friend from Portland, Hana. As part of the resistance against the ‘cure’ for love and the governments that enforce it, Lena’s life now revolves around raiding, rationing and running. However, her feelings for two men make her wonder whether the freedom she is fighting for is worth it. Meanwhile, Hana is preparing to marry, or be ‘paired’ to the mayor of Portland, Fred Hargrove. Despite her relative privilege and wealth, Hana is also conflicted as her cure seems unable to block out the guilt she feels for betraying Lena. Sadly, Requiem proved to be the weakest component of the trilogy and an ultimately disappointing end to a promising series.
The most prominent issue with Requiem (and the Delirium trilogy itself) was its ambiguous conclusion. Left open ended, it was incredibly anticlimactic. The few blank pages at the end of the book seemed to be screaming for an epilogue. However, by this point there were so many loose ends and half introduced characters that another novel would be needed if the storyline was to achieve any semblance of closure. Many relationships and sub-plots were left unresolved as a result of this. Take the introduction of Lena’s mother, for instance, so integral to Lena’s background and character in Delirium – which appeared to amount to nothing and seemed almost inconsequential to the protagonist by the end. Despite a mammoth build up, Lena and Hana’s relationship was also left on a frustratingly ambiguous note. Too much of the storyline was devoted to what had become a petulant love triangle between Lena, Julian and Alex. Although it may have been intended as a depiction of ‘real’ adolescent relationships, showing us the precarious nature of love, their squabbles seemed more appropriate for a soap opera than a war zone.
Following the impressive wealth of character development in Pandemonium, there was also a sense of regression when reading Requiem. Key characters in books one or two were either sidelined or used as pawns in order to further the plot. This may have been due to Hana’s intersecting narrative, or because of a focus on the resistance; nevertheless, it was saddening as significant characters seemed to have lost their substance. Deaths were also handled insensitively due to the rushed ending.
Nonetheless, there were some redeeming qualities. Hana’s narrative finally gave the reader a valuable insight into what it must feel like to be ‘cured’: to be devoid of strong emotions and the mere capability to form romantic attachments. The introduction of minor yet interesting characters such as Coral and Cressida was also refreshing.
Overall, the Delirium trilogy is worth reading – two thirds of it, anyway. While the concept of love being condemned as a disease initially seems inconceivable, it does draw parallels with our own world: there are authoritarian state systems which condemn love as ‘unnatural’. The concept alone merits the read.
Words by Rose