Juliette hasn’t touched anyone in exactly 264 days.
The last time she did, it was an accident, but The Reestablishment locked her up for murder. No one knows why Juliette’s touch is fatal. As long as she doesn’t hurt anyone else, no one really cares. The world is too busy crumbling to pieces to pay attention to a 17-year-old girl. Diseases are destroying the population, food is hard to find, birds don’t fly anymore, and the clouds are the wrong color.
The Reestablishment said their way was the only way to fix things, so they threw Juliette in a cell. Now so many people are dead that the survivors are whispering war – and The Reestablishment has changed its mind. Maybe Juliette is more than a tortured soul stuffed into a poisonous body. Maybe she’s exactly what they need right now.
Juliette has to make a choice: Be a weapon. Or be a warrior.
The last time she did, it was an accident, but The Reestablishment locked her up for murder. No one knows why Juliette’s touch is fatal. As long as she doesn’t hurt anyone else, no one really cares. The world is too busy crumbling to pieces to pay attention to a 17-year-old girl. Diseases are destroying the population, food is hard to find, birds don’t fly anymore, and the clouds are the wrong color.
The Reestablishment said their way was the only way to fix things, so they threw Juliette in a cell. Now so many people are dead that the survivors are whispering war – and The Reestablishment has changed its mind. Maybe Juliette is more than a tortured soul stuffed into a poisonous body. Maybe she’s exactly what they need right now.
Juliette has to make a choice: Be a weapon. Or be a warrior.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
First: Oh my goodness... that cover! Wow... Book-gasm!
Shatter Me is a good start to what I hope will be a good series. I don't think it is AS fantastic as all they hype, but it is a must read if you are into the distopian/love plot. Very character driven with some very unique and beautiful writing. Side note: I listened to this as an Audiobook and it was a very pleasant experience. Sometime audiobooks can be a real miss but this one was dead on.
Shatter Me is a good start to what I hope will be a good series. I don't think it is AS fantastic as all they hype, but it is a must read if you are into the distopian/love plot. Very character driven with some very unique and beautiful writing. Side note: I listened to this as an Audiobook and it was a very pleasant experience. Sometime audiobooks can be a real miss but this one was dead on.
~Spoiler Free Review~
Writing: I would say this is the category in which this book excels! Tahereh Mafi has really displayed a beautiful writing style here that is really breathtaking. It’s has a very poetic elegance and Mafi’s metaphors are wonderful. I would pick up more of her work in the future (especially if she writes something more adult) mainly because I think she has the potential to not just be an author. I see her evolving into an artist of words. Love.
World: This is the category where the book is lacking… there is very little world building which is a shame. Don’t get me wrong, I love good strong characters that don’t need world building but when those characters are combined with a well described backdrop and foundation THAT is where real magic is made. There is literally no world building in this book, mostly because the main character has seen so little of this world. I’m hoping this changes as this series unfolds.
Characters: I’m torn here. Now don’t kill me, but I’m not a fan of Juliet. I don’t hate her, but I’m just not AS in love with here as I feel so many people are. I don’t think she’s bad by any means, I just find her to be a tad of a pushover. That being said, I really enjoyed her raw thoughts, she’s very intriguing. Juliet does needs to develop more for me though I think. Adam, meh. I’m neither here nor there. Warner? I’m intrigued. I’m really excited to see what roles these characters grow into. At this point I don’t really get the whole Team Adam vs Team Warner. I’m just team c’mon-Mafi-don’t-let-me-down right now.
Plot: I really loved the beginning. It was mysterious and raw. The whole middle section was alright and fast paced and then that ending! I love me a good love story but as I’ve said before, not a huge fan of insta-love. This book wasn’t as bad as some but it is still mildly present.
Overall, this book was decent but I’m really more excited to get further into this series. I think that Mafi has a good start to what could potentially be a fantastic series. She’s got most of the foundation started but I would like to see more world building in the books to come. If you enjoy the YA/dystopian/romance genre then you will probably enjoy this. For me, Shatter Me is more of a 3.5 but I will round up because of the high hopes I have to come.
---
“I spent my life folded between the pages of books.
In the absence of human relationships I formed bonds with paper characters. I lived love and loss through stories threaded in history; I experienced adolescence by association. My world is one interwoven web of words, stringing limb to limb, bone to sinew, thoughts and images all together. I am a being comprised of letters, a character created by sentences, a figment of imagination formed through fiction.”
---
Really Liked It
★★★★
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
If you enjoyed this then you may also enjoy:
