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Edit: So some of you have been asking where you can find this story. It is an extra that comes with first editions of Requiem. It's printed at the back. I have no idea if it will be released separately, but I genuinely hope so.


How weird was it to read this after everything else in the series? This took place right after Delirium and it really took some effort on my part to get back into that mindset of Alex still being completely in love with Lena, while she had already completed her story arc and was much more conflicted.

I can't help but think a lot of potential was lost here and I think it's because we get Requiem Alex and not Pandemonium Alex. Honestly, the image of Alex at the end of Pandemonium is dark and I was hoping for some seriously disturbing shit to be revealed, but it seems like Oliver quickly got that over with so we could focus on the love aspect again.

I get it. She probably wants to send out a message of hope and the things that make us keep hope even in the darkest of circumstances but I think it would have added a level of depth to both Requiem and Alex if we actually saw him dealing with his torture, because seriously, (view spoiler)[shaving the insides of someone's eyelids? (hide spoiler)], I repeatedly tried to imagine that and it was horror - but good horror. Not to be masochistic here, but I wish Lauren had given more of that. Sorry Alex, nothing against you, I'm just creepy like that.

What I think Oliver does very well is the little moments that make the characters and relationships come across authentic. In Delirium it was Hana shouting Lena's full name when trying to reprimand her and Alex's cute reaction of "Your middle name is Ella?". In Pandemonium it was Julian's curiosity when Lena was taking a shower, although that came across a bit creepy, but Julian was so innocent at the time that I think it was genuine curiosity. Now, in Alex it's the small things he remembers of his time with Lena. Her burping the alphabet for example. Me thinks someone has to be quite a bit in love with you for that to come across as charming, but apparently Alex is that someone.

Oh well, I guess we'll just have to accept that he will forever be obsessed with that one Elizabeth Barrett Browning poem.

And now someone has to make an awesome fancover for this story, because the beige/brown rectangle is seriously bothering me. Obviously, autumn leaves are a given, because 1. Alex's signature and 2. They tie in with Pandemonium's colour scheme, so time-frame wise they would match.


Edit: something weird is going on with the records of this short story on goodreads. To be safe, I've added this to my Requiem review.