Annabel: Review

Summary:

Lena's mother, Annabel, has always been a mystery—a ghost in Lena's past. Until now.

Discover her secrets in Lauren Oliver's brilliant original digital story set in the world of New York Times bestsellers Delirium and Pandemonium.

Lena Halloway's mother, Annabel, supposedly committed suicide when Lena was only six years old. That's the lie that Lena grew up believing, but the truth is very different. As a rebellious teenager, Annabel ran away from home and straight into the man she knew she was destined to marry. The world was different then—the regulations not as stringent, the cure only a decade old. Fast forward to the present, and Annabel is consigned to a dirty prison cell, where she nurtures her hope of escape and scratches one word over and over into the walls: Love.

But Annabel, like Lena, is a fighter. Through chapters that alternate between her past and present, Annabel reveals the story behind her failed cures, her marriage, the births of her children, her imprisonment, and, ultimately, her daring escape.

***

There are no surprising things in Annabel. I thought I can see more about her life with the Wilds. But then this book doesn't disappoint me. Lauren Oliver can show Annabel in a different way. The words are just as beautiful and tempting as before. 

The Annabel in this short story is more like the more vulnerable version of Lena. She is still a teenager, still caught up in so many emotions. She's more scared in dangerous situation than the one in Pandemonium. I can't say I like this Annabel, but getting a glimpse of Annabel's previous life is always beneficial.

This short story is much better than Hana, because Hana is full of jealousy towards Lena. She envies Lena's relationship with Alex, and then she stab her back, telling the regulators to arrest them. But Annabel's story is more pure, more determined. She wants to escape to the Invalid, and she will do it.

Rating: 8/10

***

(Warning: Sorry if my feels are disturbing you)

Now it's about Requiem's excerpt in Annabel. We all know that Lauren leaves us a huge cliffhanger about Alex's reappearance and saying the sentence "Don't believe her" full of venom.

The little excerpt is mind-blowing, because of Alex's strange behavior. About that I'm a little angry with him. Yeah, I know he has suffered much. And then he saw Lena kissing Julian. But then what is with his behavior? He doesn't talk to Lena, he doesn't even look at her. Surely he is uncured because if he was cured Raven and the Invalids wouldn't brought him along, not even because of Lena's pleading. I was like what the hell, man? I know that he's probably one of the jealous type, but come on with his behavior. It makes me want to kick him in the head because his actions are so heart-breaking and frustrating. I even started to think about changing my team to Team Julian.

And then there's Hana. She's cured. And I hate her. She betrayed Lena and Alex and now Lena has to deal with this new, cold, and silent Alex (ugh). And then she can still act like nothing has ever happened. She should be the one rejecting the procedure. Yet she freaking betrayed her best friend. I think Hana will reunite with Lena, somehow. But I still hate her. No joke.

This little excerpt makes me crave for Requiem. Why is March so far away!!!