Book Review: Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi
As the title reads, this post will be a review of the first book in the Shatter Me series by Tahereh Mafi. The first part will be spoiler free, followed by a second part which will contain spoilers. Don't worry: I will inform you when the non-spoilery part ends!
Firstly, I want to say that I am proud of myself for finally being able to say that I have read this book. I had dipped into a kind of reading slump for some months, not feeling like reading anything at all (studying was hell), but I would say Shatter Me definitely cured it, and I look forward to reading the remaining (I think 6 in total?) books! This series has been on my 'to read'-list for quite some time now, and to be able to tick the first one off as 'read' felt great. Like an itch that I could finally reach. I have officially started my journey through the Shatter Me series, and boy am I prepared to go through all the feels that follows, including probably getting my heart ripped out at some point.
The 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.
————————
AAAAHHHH. That was a good synopsis. As soon as I'm done with this post I will jump straight into the sequel!
So, the reason I decided to read this specific book at this specific time, was because I had seen a lot of promotion for Restore Me -- the 4th book in the series --which recently got published, and it reminded me of my all too long 'to read'-list and of how I've been wanting to read this series for so long.
And I think what really got me out of my reading slump and what really made me look forward to reading again, was all these hyper-anticipated fans commenting under promotion pictures of the book, saying how excited they were and how much they were looking forward to the release. It reminded me of how good it feels to fangirl over books. Because let's be honest; fangirling is the best feeling in the world. The joy, the giddines, the anticipation, the feeling of being a part of something. I want to be a part of this fandom, so now I am determined to finish the rest of the books so I can relish in the feeling of fangirling.
Okay, enough sidetracking. Let's get on with the review! Tahereh Mafi’s debut book Shatter Me is a Young Adult dystopian science-fiction/romance/thriller. The story takes place in our world, but in a perished future where people are dying, the food is limited bordering on nonexistent, and all the animals are gone. That is why an organization called The Reestablishment has taken charge of society, claiming they have the power to make things better and, well, reestablish the world.
We get to follow the story through the first person, Juliette’s eyes, a 17-year-old girl who has been locked up her whole life, feared and abominated. Why? Because anyone who touches her will die. Her skin is deadly, and she has no idea why, nor can she control it.
I flew through this book so fast, I was surprised when the last page suddenly came! I read the E-book version of it, so I didn't exactly keep track on how far I had gotten as I read.
I think the plot is great, interesting, and without saying too much, I like how the characters and the story are evolving so far. The writing style however. . .at first I was a bit sceptical. It’s not that I didn’t like it, I just wasn’t used to it in the beginning. To me, all I read at first was a bunch of nonsensical metaphors and poetic lingo that made me dizzy. Not to mention the strike-throughs. But. . .a few chapters in and it felt more natural as I got used to it. Though I must admit, some similes will never make sense to me.
Some examples are ”I catch the rose petals as they fall from my cheeks, as they float around the frame of my body, as they cover me in something that feels like the absence of courage”, and ”My eyes break open. 2 shattered windows filling my mouth with glass”. My brain after reading that: ¿¿Que??
Another example of odd writing, is this page. . .
It was very interesting to follow Juliette’s way of thinking. Some sentences would run extremely long and didn’t allow you to pause for a long time, which is intentional and fittingly so. We don’t really use commas in our heads, and seeing that Juliette has been isolated from people for practically her whole life, it is understandable that her mind works the way it does.
I would recommend this book to everyone, especially if you like books similar to The Hunger Games, The Darkest Minds and Divergent.
Now, I will go on with my opinions on the characters, so that will be it for the non-spoilery part! If you haven’t read Shatter Me, I would suggest you stop right here.
So. . .Juliette. The main character. I won't say I don't like her, because I do, but I will however say that there were more than a few times I got really frustrated and annoyed with her. Because she is so. Dramatic. Some descriptions were a little over the top, and she was very jittery throughout the whole book. I suppose it makes sense, considering her past, but that didn't stop me from getting irritated at some points. I like that she becomes more confident by the end of the book. She has a lot of potetial, and I look forward to seeing how she further develops.
I find the fact that Adam is the only person she can touch, as James said: awfully convenient. I mean. . .it's simply too much of a coincidence! The only one who has ever looked at her like a human being, the only one who has stood up for her, the only one who has ever cared. You're telling me that he is also the only one immune to her lethal touch? And that we find out that Warner, the other guy who's in love with her, is later also immune? No, I don't think so. I think that Juliette somehow subconsciously controls her powers, switches them on and off, but that she just doesn't know how to do it consciously yet.
Moving on to Adam. Imma just say it: there's something about him that I don't like. He's boring and annoying, and he kept going on and on about how much he aaaalways loved Juliette and how beautiful she is and how sexy she is and 'oh Juliette I love you so much' and yada yada yada. It feels like he just manipulated her to side with him so he could escape from The Reestablishment, and seeing that Juliette seems very gullible and easily convinced, I'd say that wouldn't be too difficult for him. But who knows, perhaps he will grow on me and I will warm up to him eventually.
Another person I didn't like was Warner. Or. . .I have mixed feelings when it comes to him. I find him the most complex and interesting character so far, and although he is portrayed as the villain, I actually find him more tolerable than Adam. But it is hard to picture a 19-year-old brat with mommy issues as one of The Reestablishment's biggest leaders, in charge of a whole. . .whatever it is that he's in charge of.
I am pretty sure Kenji is my favorite character of the bunch, probably because he is the comedic relief in this dark, tragic dystopia. He was the funniest person, or -- scratch that -- he was the only funny person in the entire book. I love the way he talked and kept using 'man' when he spoke, and he was just really entertaining to read about.
I did definitely not see the whole Avengers/X-Men twist coming at the end, but it got me really excited for what is coming next! It opens up so many possibilities for awsome action scenes, but also funny interactions between the characters. Imagine Kenji sneaking up on Adam and annoy him with his invisibility! And that other flexible guy who could wrap his arm around his waist two times? Awsome!
I am so hyped for what will happen to Juliette next, and it was so fun to write this review! This is the first review I've ever written! So it might not be the best, but practice makes perfect, right?
Have a good one,
-E
Firstly, I want to say that I am proud of myself for finally being able to say that I have read this book. I had dipped into a kind of reading slump for some months, not feeling like reading anything at all (studying was hell), but I would say Shatter Me definitely cured it, and I look forward to reading the remaining (I think 6 in total?) books! This series has been on my 'to read'-list for quite some time now, and to be able to tick the first one off as 'read' felt great. Like an itch that I could finally reach. I have officially started my journey through the Shatter Me series, and boy am I prepared to go through all the feels that follows, including probably getting my heart ripped out at some point.
The synopsis:
I have a gift
I'm more than human
My touch is power
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.
————————
AAAAHHHH. That was a good synopsis. As soon as I'm done with this post I will jump straight into the sequel!
So, the reason I decided to read this specific book at this specific time, was because I had seen a lot of promotion for Restore Me -- the 4th book in the series --which recently got published, and it reminded me of my all too long 'to read'-list and of how I've been wanting to read this series for so long.
And I think what really got me out of my reading slump and what really made me look forward to reading again, was all these hyper-anticipated fans commenting under promotion pictures of the book, saying how excited they were and how much they were looking forward to the release. It reminded me of how good it feels to fangirl over books. Because let's be honest; fangirling is the best feeling in the world. The joy, the giddines, the anticipation, the feeling of being a part of something. I want to be a part of this fandom, so now I am determined to finish the rest of the books so I can relish in the feeling of fangirling.
Okay, enough sidetracking. Let's get on with the review! Tahereh Mafi’s debut book Shatter Me is a Young Adult dystopian science-fiction/romance/thriller. The story takes place in our world, but in a perished future where people are dying, the food is limited bordering on nonexistent, and all the animals are gone. That is why an organization called The Reestablishment has taken charge of society, claiming they have the power to make things better and, well, reestablish the world.
We get to follow the story through the first person, Juliette’s eyes, a 17-year-old girl who has been locked up her whole life, feared and abominated. Why? Because anyone who touches her will die. Her skin is deadly, and she has no idea why, nor can she control it.
I flew through this book so fast, I was surprised when the last page suddenly came! I read the E-book version of it, so I didn't exactly keep track on how far I had gotten as I read.
I think the plot is great, interesting, and without saying too much, I like how the characters and the story are evolving so far. The writing style however. . .at first I was a bit sceptical. It’s not that I didn’t like it, I just wasn’t used to it in the beginning. To me, all I read at first was a bunch of nonsensical metaphors and poetic lingo that made me dizzy. Not to mention the strike-throughs. But. . .a few chapters in and it felt more natural as I got used to it. Though I must admit, some similes will never make sense to me.
Some examples are ”I catch the rose petals as they fall from my cheeks, as they float around the frame of my body, as they cover me in something that feels like the absence of courage”, and ”My eyes break open. 2 shattered windows filling my mouth with glass”. My brain after reading that: ¿¿Que??
Another example of odd writing, is this page. . .
It was very interesting to follow Juliette’s way of thinking. Some sentences would run extremely long and didn’t allow you to pause for a long time, which is intentional and fittingly so. We don’t really use commas in our heads, and seeing that Juliette has been isolated from people for practically her whole life, it is understandable that her mind works the way it does.
I would recommend this book to everyone, especially if you like books similar to The Hunger Games, The Darkest Minds and Divergent.
Now, I will go on with my opinions on the characters, so that will be it for the non-spoilery part! If you haven’t read Shatter Me, I would suggest you stop right here.
So. . .Juliette. The main character. I won't say I don't like her, because I do, but I will however say that there were more than a few times I got really frustrated and annoyed with her. Because she is so. Dramatic. Some descriptions were a little over the top, and she was very jittery throughout the whole book. I suppose it makes sense, considering her past, but that didn't stop me from getting irritated at some points. I like that she becomes more confident by the end of the book. She has a lot of potetial, and I look forward to seeing how she further develops.
I find the fact that Adam is the only person she can touch, as James said: awfully convenient. I mean. . .it's simply too much of a coincidence! The only one who has ever looked at her like a human being, the only one who has stood up for her, the only one who has ever cared. You're telling me that he is also the only one immune to her lethal touch? And that we find out that Warner, the other guy who's in love with her, is later also immune? No, I don't think so. I think that Juliette somehow subconsciously controls her powers, switches them on and off, but that she just doesn't know how to do it consciously yet.
Moving on to Adam. Imma just say it: there's something about him that I don't like. He's boring and annoying, and he kept going on and on about how much he aaaalways loved Juliette and how beautiful she is and how sexy she is and 'oh Juliette I love you so much' and yada yada yada. It feels like he just manipulated her to side with him so he could escape from The Reestablishment, and seeing that Juliette seems very gullible and easily convinced, I'd say that wouldn't be too difficult for him. But who knows, perhaps he will grow on me and I will warm up to him eventually.
Another person I didn't like was Warner. Or. . .I have mixed feelings when it comes to him. I find him the most complex and interesting character so far, and although he is portrayed as the villain, I actually find him more tolerable than Adam. But it is hard to picture a 19-year-old brat with mommy issues as one of The Reestablishment's biggest leaders, in charge of a whole. . .whatever it is that he's in charge of.
I am pretty sure Kenji is my favorite character of the bunch, probably because he is the comedic relief in this dark, tragic dystopia. He was the funniest person, or -- scratch that -- he was the only funny person in the entire book. I love the way he talked and kept using 'man' when he spoke, and he was just really entertaining to read about.
I did definitely not see the whole Avengers/X-Men twist coming at the end, but it got me really excited for what is coming next! It opens up so many possibilities for awsome action scenes, but also funny interactions between the characters. Imagine Kenji sneaking up on Adam and annoy him with his invisibility! And that other flexible guy who could wrap his arm around his waist two times? Awsome!
I am so hyped for what will happen to Juliette next, and it was so fun to write this review! This is the first review I've ever written! So it might not be the best, but practice makes perfect, right?
Have a good one,
-E
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