If I were in an alternate universe, I think I would have really liked to get into Brown University. According to this book, you don't need o study, ever, you can go MIA in some other country for a few months and come back to resume studies like nothing ever happened and no questions asked, and you can be one serious demon ass-kicker and still get a four-point-oh GPA without even trying.
Either that or the characters in the story must be really smart. Freaking smart. Like some Einstein genius. As if their smartness is so freaking.
Funny, from Nina's actions when it comes to saving the world and preserving the delicate balance between heaven and hell, it seems to me otherwise - that she is just one big helpless bimbo, who needs saving all the time.
Besides Nina, Jared is also one unlikable character. A highly-paid personal bodyguard/babysitter/stalker/personal slave, Jared seems to never tire of Nina's antics and whiny demands. But Jared himself is one whiny fella too, with some serious needy clingy issues. Which girl would ever want a guy who needs someone to boost his ego 24/7 by assuring that he is the girl's pretty bouncy bubbly bunny boy? Eck.
Nevertheless, I gave this book a rather high rating because despite listening to the characters scrounging and complaining about being apart for even two days and making out, I found Requiem mildly entertaining. Some parts were a bit scary too. Like when someone with supersharp senses says, "They're coming!" (if you can guess what they refers to), it really heightens the suspense as the characters who are in the middle of something try to flee from "them". Get the picture?
If you are slightly interested in Requiem but put off by my review, I implore you to reconsider - read Requiem but for the sake of Claire. She is pow-wow awesome! Claire brings the definition of bad-ass to a whole new level. She fights, plays with guns, is ruthless and competitive, somewhat elusive when it comes to boys (fangirling!), can knock out the boys (including Jared) anytime, and that she had to work doubly hard initially to gain recognition as she was a girl should make Claire all the more idolized by female folks. Moreover, I love the fact that she too had moments of weakness and helplessness when even she couldn't keep up her usual smirk and attitude. The book would have been so much better if she were the main character. To better convince you of Claire's greatness, I'd like to bring in a snippet of conversation between Claire(the babysitter) and her Taleh (the baby).
“So you would literally take a bullet for me.”
“No,” Claire said, with zero emotion.
“No?” Claire's Taleh said, surprised at her answer.
Claire rolled her eyes, annoyed that she had to answer. “If I have time to stand in the way of a bullet, you have time to move.”
And I love Bex, the youngest sibling among the Ryels. He's adorable, obedient, caring and helpful, but unfortunately these qualities allow him to be trampled all over by Jared and used too often. I hope that one day in the third book he wakes up to realize what a jerk Jared has been to him.
All strengths and weaknesses considered, I have to admit I'm hooked to the series - and dying to know what happens next. I'll be picking up the third book in the very near future, no doubt.