Review: Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

Book Description:

Paperback, 340 pages
October 2, 2012, HarperCollins

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.

Source: Bought

My Thoughts:

Being a hype book, I was both excited and hesitant about Shatter Me. To be honest, I didn’t know what to expect aside from a wave of craziness that my blogger friends talked about a lot. In the end, I was happy with Shatter Me.

At the beginning of the novel, I found Juliette locked away in an asylum, definitely crazy-sounding at that point. I really liked how Mafi illustrated the chaos in Juliette’s head through the writing. The repetition of words, the lack of punctuation marks and the constant counting really set the mood for Juliette’s condition. I guess, more or less, she was on the brink of insanity. There was something about seeing the story world through Juliette’s eyes that made the experience all the more colorful and meaningful for me. Juliette saw things that other people probably would have taken for granted. I love, love, love the narration! The novel was breathtaking. The unforgettable imagery. The words chosen to create the story inside our heads were perfect.

When Adam entered Juliette’s life was when things got more interesting. I saw a genuinely nice guy in him. His concern for Juliette was out of the ordinary in comparison to everyone else in the book. He played the knight in shining armor role, sticking by Juliette and going out of his way to make sure that he could help her whenever he could. The story got even more intriguing when Warner came into the picture. Warner was breathtakingly handsome but twisted and scarred. He was capable of horrible things that I still hate up to this point; however, I have to admit that I also saw a somewhat vulnerable side of him. Seeing that snapshot of his vulnerability softened my heart a bit. More or less, the characterization was smoothly done.

Juliette and Adam's relationship was passionate and one of a kind. There was a sense of urgency in their kisses and interaction what with Juliette unable to touch and interact with anyone for years. Their relationship gave birth to sizzling and hyperventilation-inducing scenes that fans of YA romance will enjoy. There was a budding love triangle, that didn't bloom in this, that I saw between Juliette, Adam and Warner. Although it was 100% sure that Juliette and Adam reciprocated each other's feelings, Warner was looming over them and their future together.

The plot was exciting, albeit a bit slow in the beginning, and unpredictable. There were lots of moments that caught me off guard. Mafi knows how to surprise her readers. She sprinkles twists and turns all over the story. The suspense and that reader-6th-sense that signals something unpleasant is about to happen will keep readers racing through the pages.

Shatter Me is beautifully written, infused with craziness and drizzled with a bittersweet coating. Because of the similarity when it comes to the "touch of death," readers who liked Cursed by Jennifer L. Armentrout might like this, too. I recommend this to readers who are looking for any or all of the following: a beautifully written novel, a crazy heroine, a crazy possible love interest, an unpredictable and good plot and a sizzling romance. 

Rating:

 4.5 Cupids = Obsessive book love. 

Almost made it as one of my favorites! I strongly recommend this!