“You can’t touch me,” I whisper. I’m lying, is what I don’t tell him. He can touch me, is what I’ll never tell him. But things happen when people touch me. Strange things. Bad things. No one knows why Juliette’s touch is fatal, but The Reestablishment has plans for her. Plans to use her as a weapon. But Juliette has plans on her own. After a lifetime without freedom, she’s finally discovering a strength to fight back for the very first time—and to find a future with the one boy she thought she’d lost forever.
I cannot even begin to tell you how many times I’ve heard this book raved about, praised, applauded, fangirled over, “Team Adam!”, “No, Team Warner!”-ed over. Heather alone has been on my case to pick this book up for at least a year now. But having made it a goal this summer to catch up on some of the books I’ve been putting off “for another day, week, month…. year” I decided it was time to finally read Shatter Me. I think what scared me off most were all the expectations that inevitably build up over so long a time. I mean, with all the book love, two novels and a novella out, I’ll admit, I was a bit fearful my expectations (which had become astronomically high) wouldn’t be met.
So were they? Met?
Yes… and no. Mostly yes.
I love Juliette to pieces for her spunk, her conviction, her goodness, her strength and her perseverance. I love Adam for his devotion, his courage, his honor, his tattoos, and his sacrifices. And I love them together. Their romance is just sigh-inducingly, bone-meltingly wonderful.
Yup. Sorry y’all. Totally #TeamAdam.
But if it’s any consolation to those of the #TeamWarner persuasion, Tahereh made me love to hate Warner. He is just so amoral, so overbearing and arrogant, so ruthless and has the makings of a master manipulator.
What I loved most of all though? Seriously, what can I say about Tahereh’s gorgeous use of imagery other than: I adore it. I love it to the moon and back. I love that Tahereh constructed a singular voice for Juliette that at once showcases her tenuous grasp on sanity with such a unique perspective of reality – her almost emotional attachment to time and numbers, especially – while also being achingly beautiful, heartbreaking and lyrical. It’s the kind of thing I could read forever and a day.
Example?
Well, sure, since you asked…
“The sun is an arrogant thing, always leaving the world behind when it tires of us.
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.”
I know you’ve probably seen that quote before, but…..GAH. I want to make myself a blanket out of Tahereh’s gorgeous, gorgeous words and just wrap myself up in it.
Yes, I know that’s weird. <awkward pause>
But anyway, yes. I really love most things about this book; however, in other areas it fell a little short of what I expected. Specifically, in regard to Warner’s relationship with Juliette. While I totally understand his obsession attachment to her, I never saw understood her seemingly unfounded emotional responses to him. There wasn’t enough development there, and mostly because I feel like, plot-wise, Juliette was yanked away from a certain situation far earlier than she should’ve been. Adam and Warner, besides being two extremely interesting and exceptionally good-looking leading men, are presented as representing two sides of Juliette’s personality, or potential sides – a choice between love and goodness and between vengeance and darkness. But the way the plot progressed, Warner didn’t have enough time to truly achieve this, to genuinely get into Juliette’s head. Didn’t manipulate her enough to undermine her beliefs and to cause some really good internal conflict. Didn’t have the time and relationship precedence to convincingly confuse Juliette emotionally in any way. At least in my opinion. Her connection to Warner just seemed a contrivance to get that must-have love triangle device a foot in the door. Now, given the end of the book, I have some suspicions that may satisfactorily explain this. I’ve been told “Oh, wait until you read Unravel Me. Then you’ll understand.” But this book standing alone, as is? Juliette’s reactions to Warner don’t make sense, and I wish more development and story had been given to that part of the novel.
But, that said, in all other respects Shatter Me really was highly entertaining and a very exciting read, and I could see the series having favorite potential.
Overall. To all those who repeatedly recommended this book to me, “Thank you.” Shatter Me intrigued and captivated me, and I’m dying to continue on to Destroy Me so that I may finally understand… whatever it is that I’m supposed to understand. <wink>
Author: Tahereh Mafi
Title: Shatter Me
Series: Shatter Me (Book #1)
Published: November 15th 2011 by HarperCollins
Format: Kindle
Website: www.taherehmafi.com
Source: Purchased
My rating:
Happy Reading!
So glad you liked it. This one blew me away. The voice was just so unique. Unravel Me is good, but there were a few things I didn’t like about it. We can discuss after you’ve read it.
It really was incredibly unique and beautiful. And yes, I will let you know my thoughts on Unravel Me once I’ve read it.
We will discuss….
Yey for u Dani! If u loved Shatter Me, ur gonna adore unravel Me. Ull find more about Warner and Juliette there..and let’s see if ull still be team Adam at the end of that. Lol. Because when I read Shatter Me, I was man’s team..but after unravel Me..well..
I have a feeling I will still be Team Adam… BUT I did just get Destroy Me from the library, so we’ll see if Warner can convince me 😉
I agree with pretty much everything you said in your review. And I also rated it a 4/5. But, trust me on this…read Unravel Me! Even though Shatter Me was good, Unravel Me was amazing! I could not put it down and truly just wanted more! Plus, some of the things you said were missing from Shatter Me, such as Juliette’s internal conflict and her relationship with Warner, are better developed and more present in the sequel. Great review. I look forward to seeing what you think of Unravel Me. Oh, and I was also late to reading Shatter Me…just read it about a month ago.
That’s so fantastic to hear, because I am really interested in that relationship between Juliette and Warner (even if I don’t want them together). I just got Destroy Me from the library, so I’m looking forward to getting inside Warner’s twisted-up brain.
Oh, I wanted to love this one so much, I really did…..but I was so incredibly disappointed. At first I did really like, especially when Adam and Juliette were in the asylum but it went downhill fast for me after that. The writing style really started to irritate me, Juliette who I thought was a strong female character became quite pathetic and incredibly shallow. Really wish I could have liked this one more. I need to read Unravel Me though because I must find out the obsession people have with Warner because I really can’t see it after Shatter Me.
If you would like to see all my thoughts on Shatter Me you can find them here: http://theirishbookworm.blogspot.ie/2014/01/review-shatter-me-by-tahereh-mafi.html