Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi Book Review
“The moon is a loyal companion.
It never leaves. It’s always there, watching, steadfast, knowing us in our light and dark moments, changing forever just as we do. Every day it’s a different version of itself. Sometimes weak and wan, sometimes strong and full of light. The moon understands what it means to be human.
Uncertain. Alone. Cratered by imperfections.”
About
Author: Tahereh Mafi
Genre: Young Adult Dystopian
Series: Shatter Me book #1
Click here to learn more about Tahereh Mafi and her other books
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Synopsis
I have a curse
I have a gift
I am a monster
I’m more than human
My touch is lethal
My touch is power
I am their weapon
I will fight back
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.
Review
Spoilers contained below
Dear humbled reader,
Last year, I reread the Shatter Me series because it has been yeeeeeeaaaaaarrrrrrs since I read them and I wanted a refresher before diving into Restore Me. This was the best decision I could have possibly done before reading the newest installment because everything was just so fresh in my mind from all the little details to the big moments. I also fell in love with all the characters all over again.
It was like a big family reunion!
I never read a book that was so literal on its intent on what it does to a person—–shatters you. Let’s take a moment of appreciation to just talk about the way Tahereh Mafi writes! I just love the poetic, melodic, and intricate way that she uses words and strings them into sentences. She writes with such a natural poise and it’s so easy to vividly imagine and get into the story. I also love the little details from the 264 days, 4 walls, the number of seconds, days, hours, and the bird that represented how Juliet wanted to fly free. Then she meets Adam. Adam, Adam, Adam, Adam.
Going into this book, I knew what already happens and what would happen in the next books, so it was hard for me not to root for Warner when Juliette had a thing for Adam. But at the same time, I was cringing at Warner and his maniac antics and the cruel but sweet way he treated Juliette.
But back to Adam.
Adam who took her bed and her blanket when in Juliette’s prison cell. Adam who knew who she was, but cared like he didn’t. And then he touched her and it was like magic and something so intimate she craved because no one has ever touched her before and always believed her a monster. I appreciated the way Adam cared for her and always showed her kindness. But I feel like since he was the first person to not look at her as inhuman and could freely touch her, she fell for him—-fell for the first thing that came along that showed her kindness. She knew who Adam was in the past, but she never really knew who Adam was at the moment. So to me it felt like Juliette liking Adam was more of an infatuation or a convenient love for her rather something deeper.
I kind of forgot that Adam had a younger brother named James. He’s the cutest little bean of sunshine who loves his brother and is so eager to help out. He’ s such a strong kid too.
The ABSOLUTE BEST part of the book was KENJI.
He’s such a highly under appreciated side character with such good wit and a humorous, dirty mouth. I loved the way he would shamelessly flirt with Juliette in front of Adam who would threaten to kill him. Kenji’s a real one. Part of me also forgot that he could turn invisible, but imagine all the sneaking up he could do to woman with that kind of power. Gross. I know he would never do that though, or gosh, I hope not. But he’s still a favorite of mine!
Now let’s talk about sweet, sweet, Warner, king of district 45 who is just so misunderstood at this point in life because he’s a just a 19 year old boy with an ungodly amount of control that he doesn’t know how to handle.
I think Warner’s relationship with his mom was special. His father on the other hand was deranged. Warner’s dad created this power hungry boy who wanted nothing but to make his dad proud. So Warner grew up cold, detached, mechanical, and heartless—-just like the father. But that’s not his fault, he’s just a product of his environment. I feel like if the mom raised Warner, he would have turned out more compassionate, but I think because Warner still remembered his mom and knew her, he was still able to have some human part in him that was kind. It kind of goes back to that scene where Juliette saw Warner in the alley feeding or taking care of a dog. You know a man is a true monster if they don’t like a dog. I mean, dogs are man’s best friend ; ) So when Warner was being compassionate to the dog, it was like a big, “Oh, he’s not so terrible after all.”
But don’t get me wrong, Warner had his truly awful moments.
I thought it was such a sick twisted game when he had the baby be in that spiked chamber and Juliette had to save the baby or the baby would be impaired. Like what kind of sicko puts a baby through that kind of trauma? What kind of mother would let Warner put a baby through that kind of trauma? Honestly! Could not stand him at that moment. You could harm Juliette and test her, but OH, when you bring a child into the mix, darn, my detestement for him spiked to the roof.
Then during this scene Juliette she broke the wall with her hands like the Hulk she was and nearly choked Warner. I was LIVING! I mean, she’s not wrong for wanting to choke him.
I think Warner underestimated her feistiness for a second.
The thing that I remembered the most when reading the first book was how gross, but kind of interesting the whole Warner liking Juliette thing was. I don’t know, it was gross in a way because he was such a low-life, cruel, heartless, cold person, but it was interesting because he was a low-life, cruel, heartless, cold person. You know what I mean? ; ) UGH, it’s like Joe from You, but magnified 100 times down because Joe is the ultimate WORSE!
I found it weird when Warner would give Juliette these not so subtle looks that said he wanted her and liked her. Juliette’s funny too because she’s so handsy and wants Adam and Warner shirtless. Like girl, I know you’ve been in a cell for 264 days, but you don’t need to be so demanding as to have TWO attractive shirtless boys. She sure moves fast, but I can’t really blame her? I mean, Warner and Adam ; ) Enough said.
The other part of this book that I loved was the Omega Point underground facility with Castle and Winston. I’m excited to see Juliet conquer and destroy like she was born to do! When she puts on the slick purple body suit at the end——-OOOH, I was so giddy with happiness because she just exuded confidence and pride in her own skin and powers. It was such a superhero moment to see the main character “suit up” and come into their own skin. It was very momentous because it highly contrasted to the girl we met at the beginning of the book who was frail and scared. She was so isolated, reserved, and despondent because she felt like a monster in her own skin. But now she was bold and she was free. She was confident in who she was, maybe not fully, but she would get there. And that’s the beauty with character growth. Juliette’s going to find out who she wants to be and how she could use her powers to help others like her from the oppression of Warner. I LOVED that.
I know that in the next books, Juliette grows even more and is a real force to be reckon with, and I’m excited to jump back in and see how my sweet baby dove bursts into full blown bald eagle or something magnificent! I’m also to see the evolution of Warner because that man is a character to keep an eye on, if you know what I mean.
If you read Shatter Me, what was your favorite parts? Least favorite parts? Are you Team Warner or Team Adam? Let me know in the comments : )
Until next book in the Shatter Me series,
As always, with love,
Rating
5 full bloom flowers
Characters: Love the characters! Favorite character is absolutely Kenji and Warner. I have no shame.
Plot: Loved the plot and the build up of the storyline.
Writing: Tahereh Mafi’s writing is like looking at the moon on a dark nigh—–light, bright, and breathtakingly beautiful
Action: The action scenes are the best scenes.
Romance: Warner ; ) Again, no shame.