Shatter Me Review

Shatter Me by TAHEREH MAFI

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 (goodreads). 


Review based on ARC 
Review: 

Tahereh Mafi's debut novel is absolutely thrilling. She brings us on Juliette's journey to take control over her own future and introduces her audience to a group of unforgettable characters. 

Juliette  has been imprisoned for almost a year for a crime that she has no control over: her touch kills people. When a powerful son decides to use her to torture the rebels against the Reestablishment, Juliette knows that she cannot continuing living to hurt people. Partnered with Adam, a boy who may or may not remember her from the past, she makes a run for it. 

The synopsis claims that this novel is a mix of The Hunger Games and the XMen, and I like the XMen (haven't read Hunger Games yet) so this was a must read for me. This is a plot that almost everyone will fall in love with, a young girl who has no control over how her body is being used decides that she has had enough, and it all told from the first person perspective so the act feels more intimate. This novel is a definite page turner which is thanks to the writing style and the nonstop action of the novel. Whether she is running from her life or falling in love, there was never an instance where I was bored with the story line .

It's hard to praise the plot without mentioning much about the writing style which I think really makes this novel. Mafi's writing is so poetic but it does not feel forced whatsoever; it's just beautiful really. Also, I feel that if Mafi did not tell the story from Juliette's perspective I would not give Shatter Me such a high rating. Her voice is just enticing. You want to know more about her past, you love being in her head as she swoons over Adam. Also, Tahereh Mafi used a tool in Microsoft Word that I have never seen utilized in a novel: the strike out tool. It took me a few pages to understand what the strike outs meant,  but I loved it, even though it may have been overused it served its purpose. 

All of the characters are remarkable, Juliette of course is a favorite because she is so desperate to make something for herself and just such an honest character. Everyone is intriguing especially the antagonistic who I am dying to know more about because there seems to be more to him than the novel lets on.  Lastly, the love story was just adorable. Both characters are so dedicated and addicted to each other that it's easy to fall in love with them. 

The only thing that kept me from giving this a higher rating was the ending. As I stated earlier the synopsis claims that it borrows from The X-Men, which given Juliette's ability to kill people based on contact it does. But towards the last few chapters it doesn't just 'borrow' from the X-Men, it becomes the X-Men. There were instances where I rolled my eyes and had to stop reading because I couldn't handle the all too obvious similarities. 

Overall this fast paced novel will keep you flipping pages until the very end. The characters and writing style lend themselves beautifully to the overall story and even though the ending had me wanting to call Stan Lee ASAP, I do admit that if there is a sequel I would be first in line to get it. 

Recommended for: Fans of 'superheroes' in a dystopian setting. 

Labels: , , ,