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Shatter Me #1
Shatter Me
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.
338 pages, Hardcover
First published November 15, 2011
About the author
Tahereh Mafi
55 books57.1k followersTahereh Mafi is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Shatter Me series. She was born in a small city somewhere in Connecticut and currently resides in Santa Monica, California with her husband, fellow author Ransom Riggs. She can usually be found over-caffeinated and stuck in a book. Shatter Me is her first series, with television rights optioned by ABC Signature Studios; Furthermore, her first middle grade novel, is on shelves now, and Whichwood, its darker companion, will be on shelves November 14, 2017.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 95,941 reviews
March 2, 2021
So, I actually didn't hate this as much as I thought I would. I enjoyed maybe thirty percent of it before it all went downhill, but... um... it really went downhill.
I do not like to think about eyeballs. They just exist. I don't want to look at them. I hate this cover.
But that's irrelevant. The hideous covers are irrelevant. But... is that Adam's eye? Because the only thing I took from this is that Adam's eyes areblue blue blue blue cobalt blossoming bruise clear as the midnight sky blue.
*aggressive coughing*
Ma'am, this is a Wendy's.
I actually didn't mind the writing, as long as it wasn't about Adam's eyes. The biggest complaint I see is usually related to the purple prose and long-winded metaphors and awkward phrases, but I enjoyed it...? To a point. I thought most of the strange metaphors were accurate, and the somewhat unconventional style of writing really helped to portray Juliette's trauma, which was my favorite part of the book. Too bad it all disappeared when she ✨fell in love.✨ Because that's just how the world works.
I did find some, uh, interesting quotes:
And one of those hands is mine.
It's like... here, I'll write an example.
Here's a normal sentence:
"I walk down the cold hall."
Now make it as awkward as possible:
"I walk down the hall, the linoleum as cold as the corpses of the women and children they've killed, and my spine conducts enough electricity to power an entire city."
THE CHARACTERS
Juliette:
I didn't love her, but I liked the portrayal of trauma even though it suddenly disappeared halfway through. She needs to stop thinking in strikethroughs, but I don't have any real complaints. She's frustratingly stubborn at times, but she's a YA protagonist, obviously she's going to be stupid.
Juliette can torture/kill people with her touch. She was locked away at a young age and has lived in solitary confinement ever since. She's a little kooky. I don't really care.
Adam:
Are you serious? I have to choose between an obsessed problematic psycho serial killer love interest and a blander-than-bland cardboard cutout organic whole wheat waffle love interest??
Adam is the organic whole wheat waffle. He's probably better for Juliette than the psycho serial killer, but apparently he's not the endgame LI.
![Monkey looking away template [HD] | Monkey Puppet | Meme template, Blank memes, Create memes](https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1605892345i/30404736._SX540_.png)
To summarize his character development, he went from a somewhat interesting mysterious weirdo and Juliette's third grade friend to... a very bland concerning weirdo and Juliette's third grade friend.
This is instalove disguised as we-were-friends-as-kiddos-and-now-I-love-you. Which is probably worse. Adam's entire backstory is that he was hit as a kid once (this was never mentioned again) and he's spent his entire life searching for Juliette. Because logic.
I wouldn't have minded the abuse subplot if it were actually a subplot instead of something mentioned once and thrown away. Maybe if it, I don't know, actually affected him, I would call it deep and move on.
I was okay with him until he and Juliette had a little dialogue sequence. He tried to give her a blanket (this was before he knew that she had magical killing powers) and she told him not to touch her, but he was being all rebellious and she said it again, and then she said this, to which he replied:
When someone tells you not to touch them, you back off. It's basic courtesy and respect. Don't assume it's about you.
Warner:
Warner is the obsessed problematic psycho serial killer. In case you were wondering.
Some of my friends have been telling me Juliwarner is a better ship than Julikent. I beg to differ. Adam may be an organic whole wheat waffle, but at least he's not an edgy guy with problems that could be solved by therapy but he's too tough for therapy so there's that. Ahem.
He's, uh, strangely obsessed with Juliette and continually tries to make advances on her even after she shows no interest in him. First of all, he needs to stop. Second of all, he's blond?? That was random, but since when are villains blond? I was picturing him with black hair until I searched up fanart to see what Juliette looked like and Warner was there with his blond hair. This is not okay.
WORLDBUILDING
What worldbuilding? All I know is that there's something called The Reestablishment, which is a dystopian government that does bad stuff. What bad stuff? Who knows? And apparently the planet is all desolate now because the sky is gray. *looks outside* Oh no, the sky is gray. We must be living in a post-apocalyptic world because obviously clouds aren't a thing.
I didn't hate it, but I certainly didn't like it.
2 stars, get that cover away from me before I actually throw up
I do not like to think about eyeballs. They just exist. I don't want to look at them. I hate this cover.
But that's irrelevant. The hideous covers are irrelevant. But... is that Adam's eye? Because the only thing I took from this is that Adam's eyes are
Dark blue eyes dark brown hair sharp jawline strong lean frame.
His eyes are the perfect shade of cobalt, blue like a blossoming bruise, clear and deep and decided.
I've tried so hard to get those blue blue blue eyes out of my head but I know him I know him I know him.
...blue and bottomless...
I'd recognize your eyes anywhere in the world.
He still has the most unusually blue eyes I've ever seen.
...the deep dark blue of the eyes I've learned to swim in.
His natural tan offsets a pair of eyes a shade of blue in a midnight sky.
*aggressive coughing*
Ma'am, this is a Wendy's.
I actually didn't mind the writing, as long as it wasn't about Adam's eyes. The biggest complaint I see is usually related to the purple prose and long-winded metaphors and awkward phrases, but I enjoyed it...? To a point. I thought most of the strange metaphors were accurate, and the somewhat unconventional style of writing really helped to portray Juliette's trauma, which was my favorite part of the book. Too bad it all disappeared when she ✨fell in love.✨ Because that's just how the world works.
I did find some, uh, interesting quotes:
Raindrops are my only reminder that clouds have a heartbeat.
I wonder about how [raindrops are] always falling down, forgetting their parachutes as they tumble out of the sky toward an uncertain end. It's like someone is emptying their pockets over the earth and doesn't seem to care where the contents fall, doesn't seem to care that the raindrops burst when they hit the ground, that they shatter when they fall to the floor, that people curse the days the drops dare to tap on their doors. I am a raindrop.
Someone picked up the sun and pinned it to the sky again, but every day it hangs a little lower than the day before. It's like a negligent parent who only knows one half of who you are. It never sees how its absence changes people. How different we are in the dark.
I'm wearing dead cotton on my limbs and a blush of roses on my face.
I catch the rose petals as they fall from my cheeks, as they float around my body, as they cover me in something that feels like the absence of courage.
These words are vomit. This shaky pen is my esophagus. This sheet of paper is my porcelain bowl.
1 word, 2 lips, 3 4 5 fingers form 1 first.
1 corner, 2 parents, 3 4 5 reasons to hide.
1 child, 2 eyes, 3 4 17 years of fear.
I wish I could stuff my mouth full of raindrops and fill my pockets full of snow. I wish I could trace the veins in a falling leaf and feel the wind pinch my nose.
Every muscle every movement tightens, every vertebra in my spinal column is a block of ice.
My eyes are 2 professional pickpockets, stealing everything to store away in my mind.
My words wear no parachutes as they fall out of my mouth.
My dreams are bloody and bleeding and blood is bleeding all over my mind and I can't sleep anymore.
The prospect of Adam in pain is like a cold hand clutching my esophagus.
I can shoot a hundred numbers through the chest and watch them bleed decimal points in the palm of my hand. I can rip the numbers off a clock and watch the hour hand tick tick tick its final tock just before I fall asleep. I can suffocate seconds just by holding my breath. I've been murdering minutes for hours and no one seems to mind.
I could jump up to catch a breeze and live in its windblown ways forever.
His lips are spelling secrets and my ears are spilling ink, staining my skin with his stories.
My lungs are sawing my rib cage in half, but I force them to process oxygen anyway.
I take a few bites of oxygen.
My face has been slapped by a hundred hands.
And one of those hands is mine.
It's like... here, I'll write an example.
Here's a normal sentence:
"I walk down the cold hall."
Now make it as awkward as possible:
"I walk down the hall, the linoleum as cold as the corpses of the women and children they've killed, and my spine conducts enough electricity to power an entire city."
THE CHARACTERS
Juliette:
I didn't love her, but I liked the portrayal of trauma even though it suddenly disappeared halfway through. She needs to stop thinking in strikethroughs, but I don't have any real complaints. She's frustratingly stubborn at times, but she's a YA protagonist, obviously she's going to be stupid.
Juliette can torture/kill people with her touch. She was locked away at a young age and has lived in solitary confinement ever since. She's a little kooky. I don't really care.
Adam:
Are you serious? I have to choose between an obsessed problematic psycho serial killer love interest and a blander-than-bland cardboard cutout organic whole wheat waffle love interest??
Adam is the organic whole wheat waffle. He's probably better for Juliette than the psycho serial killer, but apparently he's not the endgame LI.
To summarize his character development, he went from a somewhat interesting mysterious weirdo and Juliette's third grade friend to... a very bland concerning weirdo and Juliette's third grade friend.
This is instalove disguised as we-were-friends-as-kiddos-and-now-I-love-you. Which is probably worse. Adam's entire backstory is that he was hit as a kid once (this was never mentioned again) and he's spent his entire life searching for Juliette. Because logic.
I wouldn't have minded the abuse subplot if it were actually a subplot instead of something mentioned once and thrown away. Maybe if it, I don't know, actually affected him, I would call it deep and move on.
I was okay with him until he and Juliette had a little dialogue sequence. He tried to give her a blanket (this was before he knew that she had magical killing powers) and she told him not to touch her, but he was being all rebellious and she said it again, and then she said this, to which he replied:
"Maybe I don't want you to."
He makes a harsh sound. "I disgust you that much?"
When someone tells you not to touch them, you back off. It's basic courtesy and respect. Don't assume it's about you.
Warner:
Warner is the obsessed problematic psycho serial killer. In case you were wondering.
Some of my friends have been telling me Juliwarner is a better ship than Julikent. I beg to differ. Adam may be an organic whole wheat waffle, but at least he's not an edgy guy with problems that could be solved by therapy but he's too tough for therapy so there's that. Ahem.
He's, uh, strangely obsessed with Juliette and continually tries to make advances on her even after she shows no interest in him. First of all, he needs to stop. Second of all, he's blond?? That was random, but since when are villains blond? I was picturing him with black hair until I searched up fanart to see what Juliette looked like and Warner was there with his blond hair. This is not okay.
WORLDBUILDING
What worldbuilding? All I know is that there's something called The Reestablishment, which is a dystopian government that does bad stuff. What bad stuff? Who knows? And apparently the planet is all desolate now because the sky is gray. *looks outside* Oh no, the sky is gray. We must be living in a post-apocalyptic world because obviously clouds aren't a thing.
I didn't hate it, but I certainly didn't like it.
2 stars, get that cover away from me before I actually throw up
July 25, 2016
This is not a dystopia, it is a romance. This is not a novel, it is a collection of similes and metaphors, most of which do not make sense. I originally gave Shatter Me two stars because that's my sort of kneejerk reaction to books I don't like, but after thinking it over for a while, I can't recall anything positive about it that would justify a rating of more than one star.
You're probably assuming - correctly - that I went into this book with low expectations. This is completely true. Any so-called "dystopia" with a runway model on the front cover leaves me feeling sceptical. However, I was also prepared to allow myself to be surprised; a lot of my friends loved this and one of the biggest criticisms didn't actually bother me - purple prose. I think there's a fine line in writing between the pretty and the purplish and different readers will define it in their own way. For example, some reviewers thought that Lips Touch: Three Times was just a mess of bloated purple prose, whereas I thought it was one of the most beautiful books I read last year. I have a high tolerance level for flowery writing. But...
Shatter Me's numerous metaphors, similes, and endless descriptions just didn't make sense. What is this?:
"Hate looks like everybody else until it smiles. Until it spins around and lies with lips and teeth carved into semblance of something too passive to punch."
I just... WHAT??? This is one example floating around in there, but every second sentence is like this! That's not even mentioning the annoying strike-outs. Trust me, no really, trust me, I thought people were being overly picky when they said the crossed out sentences were annoying. I actually thought it sounded interesting, unusual, especially because the whole thing is meant to be written in a notebook and I cross stuff out in mine all the time.
However, there was one thing that for me was even more annoying than the descriptions, the similes, the strikes, and that was the stupid repetition thing: "and then and then and then..." Again, if it had been used once, or sparingly even, then it wouldn't be so bad. I may have thought it was an interesting literary technique. But Shatter Me had way way way too much of everything (see what I did there?).
And story? What story? *sigh* It's about time we just opened up an entirely new genre called "Dystopian Romance" or alternatively "Romantic Dystopia", though I don't wish to be pessimistic, I'm pretty sure half the new releases of 2012 will make it into that category. If there was a story then it drowned amidst the waves of overenthusiastic and flowery prose. This reminded me of Article 5 in that the dystopia was there to make the romance interesting. One was certainly there to complement the other, but it was the wrong way around.
Also... kissing when you are fleeing for your lives?? I'm sure this is not the correct way of things, right? And yet it occurs in way too many young adult books. I'm like: "run, run, run!" but the characters are too busy swapping saliva. I must be old-fashioned in my thinking that staying alive is kinda important.
There are a lot of things that, had they been there, could have convinced me to up this to two stars. One star ratings make me feel sucky. But I'm sorry guys, I wasn't even entertained. The beginning was intriguing but there was so little plot beyond the romance that it quickly became tedious. I hated the prose, I felt nothing either way for the characters, this series ends here for me.
February 15, 2012
Shatter Me, otherwise known as: When Creative Writing Class Goes Wrong.
I am all for experimental writing, for stretching your abilities and trying to find fresh ways to express ideas. Occasionally you end up with genius, but most of the time you result in pretentious, awkward prose that stick in the proverbial craw of readers. This book is that writing. There are plenty of examples that I can give as evidence – but I shall stick with two relatively short ones:
“His eyes scan the silhouette of my structure and the slow motion makes my heart race. 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.”
The absence of courage? Are you fucking kidding me? We have a word for that. I believe that is almost the dictionary definition of the word coward. I would explain what was wrong with the rest of the paragraph too but I want to keep this review to a 10,000 word thesis at max.
“I always wonder about raindrops.
I wonder about how they’re always falling down, tripping over their own feet, breaking their legs and forgetting their parachutes as they tumble right out of the sky toward an uncertain end.”
…right.
I get, artistically, that Mafi wanted to expose her readers to the mind of a girl whose sanity is fragile and questionable, and that she’s trying to show this through the prose. I don’t think the effect works or is done particularly well. I think the workings of a troubled mind would result in more than bad analogies and a bunch of numbers. Despite the fact that Juliette’s backstory and premise is interesting, we still end up with the same mundane, cookie-cutter heroine that can be seen in the vast majority of Young Adult literature. The only thing insane about this novel is how predictable and trite it is.
It would not be completely unreasonable to question my sanity in regards to reading Young Adult novels.
When are popular young adult authors going to provide more to the characterization of their main protagonists than: Irresistible, unique outsider, in love with a guy?
Can’t male protagonists have other qualities than: in love with main character, hot, tragic backstory to illicit excessive brooding?
The entire premise of Shatter Me promised something different and new. Yet we still end up with the same bland old fare.
The plot and pacing is awkward and cumbersome. Even when situations are supposed to be tense, there is a sense of boredom and predictability. I feel sad that this is yet again, another disappointing dystopian Young Adult novel that will join its sisters in the Mediocre Hall of I Can’t Be Stuffed.
But, if you do decide to visit, at least you get a free shirt!
One last thing
This review also appears on my blog, Cuddlebuggery Book Blog.
I am all for experimental writing, for stretching your abilities and trying to find fresh ways to express ideas. Occasionally you end up with genius, but most of the time you result in pretentious, awkward prose that stick in the proverbial craw of readers. This book is that writing. There are plenty of examples that I can give as evidence – but I shall stick with two relatively short ones:
“His eyes scan the silhouette of my structure and the slow motion makes my heart race. 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.”
The absence of courage? Are you fucking kidding me? We have a word for that. I believe that is almost the dictionary definition of the word coward. I would explain what was wrong with the rest of the paragraph too but I want to keep this review to a 10,000 word thesis at max.
“I always wonder about raindrops.
I wonder about how they’re always falling down, tripping over their own feet, breaking their legs and forgetting their parachutes as they tumble right out of the sky toward an uncertain end.”
…right.
I get, artistically, that Mafi wanted to expose her readers to the mind of a girl whose sanity is fragile and questionable, and that she’s trying to show this through the prose. I don’t think the effect works or is done particularly well. I think the workings of a troubled mind would result in more than bad analogies and a bunch of numbers. Despite the fact that Juliette’s backstory and premise is interesting, we still end up with the same mundane, cookie-cutter heroine that can be seen in the vast majority of Young Adult literature. The only thing insane about this novel is how predictable and trite it is.
It would not be completely unreasonable to question my sanity in regards to reading Young Adult novels.
When are popular young adult authors going to provide more to the characterization of their main protagonists than: Irresistible, unique outsider, in love with a guy?
Can’t male protagonists have other qualities than: in love with main character, hot, tragic backstory to illicit excessive brooding?
The entire premise of Shatter Me promised something different and new. Yet we still end up with the same bland old fare.
The plot and pacing is awkward and cumbersome. Even when situations are supposed to be tense, there is a sense of boredom and predictability. I feel sad that this is yet again, another disappointing dystopian Young Adult novel that will join its sisters in the Mediocre Hall of I Can’t Be Stuffed.
But, if you do decide to visit, at least you get a free shirt!
One last thing
This review also appears on my blog, Cuddlebuggery Book Blog.
January 30, 2021
I know many found this book to have a very unique writing style, but I can't help but think how terrible and awkwardly written it was.
The writing:
Mafi's style of writing varies. Let me categorize.
This doesn't even make sense writing:
"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."
"He says it with a small smile the size of Jupiter."
I'm picturing this in my head and it's not pretty writing:
"Every organ in my body falls to the ground."
"There are 400 cotton balls caught in my windpipe."
"My mouth is sitting on my kneecaps."
"My jaw is dangling from my shoelace."
"My stomach drops onto my knees."
"I blush through my bones."
"My spine is conducting enough electricity to power a city."
Repetition gone wrong writing:
"I blush."
"I blush."
"His lips part. Close."
"I blush."
"I blush."
"His lips part. Close."
"I blush."
"I blush."
"His lips part. Close."
Really just shit writing in general writing:
"I am an old creaky staircase when I wake up."
"Warner thinks Adam is a cardboard cutout of vanilla regurgitations."
Do I need to explain how shitty this writing is? And yes, before people yell at me and tell me that I don't understand metaphors... I do. But the excessive use of them and just metaphors themselves are maybe not my thing.
The characters:
Juliette does nothing but sulk around, wait for death, and whine. I saw no potential of her growing.
Adam is just there...
Warner is just... almost there? I must admit that a few times, he had potential to be a good character. I thought he was the only character that brought something. He made me cringe. He made me angry, made me feel uncomfortable. He was getting there. At least then I felt like he had some sort of purpose in this story. Then he would say something so cheesy, so inconsistent with his character, and just downright stupid that I lost all hope in him.
Kenji was just fucking annoying.
The plot:
Besides Juliette's constant whining and lameness and the cringeworthy romances, this story was just a sadder and lamer version of X-Men. It had too many X-Men vibes going on.
On the whole:
Mafi, if you wanted to capture me withI'm just trying way too hard to sound cool unique prose, thinking that if you repeated phrases fifty times every once in a while, had painful metaphors, and an unnecessary abundance of irritating striking texts, then
*reads acknowledgments*
You've filled my days with shooting stars, and one day I will pluck the moon from the sky and put it in your mailbox.
She speaks like that in real life...?
The writing:
Mafi's style of writing varies. Let me categorize.
This doesn't even make sense writing:
"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."
"He says it with a small smile the size of Jupiter."
I'm picturing this in my head and it's not pretty writing:
"Every organ in my body falls to the ground."
"There are 400 cotton balls caught in my windpipe."
"My mouth is sitting on my kneecaps."
"My jaw is dangling from my shoelace."
"My stomach drops onto my knees."
"I blush through my bones."
"My spine is conducting enough electricity to power a city."
Repetition gone wrong writing:
"I blush."
"I blush."
"His lips part. Close."
"I blush."
"I blush."
"His lips part. Close."
"I blush."
"I blush."
"His lips part. Close."
Really just shit writing in general writing:
"I am an old creaky staircase when I wake up."
"Warner thinks Adam is a cardboard cutout of vanilla regurgitations."
Do I need to explain how shitty this writing is? And yes, before people yell at me and tell me that I don't understand metaphors... I do. But the excessive use of them and just metaphors themselves are maybe not my thing.
The characters:
Juliette does nothing but sulk around, wait for death, and whine. I saw no potential of her growing.
Adam is just there...
Warner is just... almost there? I must admit that a few times, he had potential to be a good character. I thought he was the only character that brought something. He made me cringe. He made me angry, made me feel uncomfortable. He was getting there. At least then I felt like he had some sort of purpose in this story. Then he would say something so cheesy, so inconsistent with his character, and just downright stupid that I lost all hope in him.
Kenji was just fucking annoying.
The plot:
Besides Juliette's constant whining and lameness and the cringeworthy romances, this story was just a sadder and lamer version of X-Men. It had too many X-Men vibes going on.
On the whole:
Mafi, if you wanted to capture me with
*reads acknowledgments*
You've filled my days with shooting stars, and one day I will pluck the moon from the sky and put it in your mailbox.
She speaks like that in real life...?
Read
January 27, 2023MY PRECIOUS IS NOW SIGNED BY TAHEREH!!! I can die of happiness now <3
In case y'all didn't know, not only was this book optioned by Warner Bros as a movie, it has now been optioned as a TV SHOW BY ABC STUDIOS -with Tahereh as a producer.
This better happen. I am not joking. I am tired of great books (cough, cough: The Song of the Lioness Quartet and The Dust Lands Trilogy: Blood Red Road; Rebel Heart; Raging Star) not becoming movies or TV shows after they are optioned. Dear book gods (and I know you exist because you inspired Tahereh to write this series), make this real. Yes, I know TV/movies don't always make great adaptations and the books are 99.9% of the time better, but please do it anyway. Because I need this.
Oh, and if you decide to cast Alex Pettyfer as Warner I would be cool with that.
Original fan-girl praise (because I am incapable of actually writing a true unbiased, unaffected review for this series):
Okay, I have not properly reviewed this series since I read it a year ago (and I don't think I ever can because it would be ridiculously long and the book is so quotable that I would literally be citing the entire thing) but Shatter Me is one of my favorite series of ALL TIME. And it has my FAVORITE LOVE INTEREST of ANY BOOK I'VE EVER READ. Butttt, to anyone considering it, watch this: http://youtu.be/dJt-lGmBSTs. I just found that fan video the other day and I can't stop watching it. I'm sorry but if that doesn't make you want to read this book you do not have a soul. READ. THIS. BOOK. You will either love it or hate it (depending on how you feel about prose) but if you love it than O.M.G. you will love it like you've loved nothing else.
Oh, and for those of you who have already read the series:
PS this review basically is a dedication to Alex Pettyfer as Warner. YOU ARE WELCOME.
In case y'all didn't know, not only was this book optioned by Warner Bros as a movie, it has now been optioned as a TV SHOW BY ABC STUDIOS -with Tahereh as a producer.
This better happen. I am not joking. I am tired of great books (cough, cough: The Song of the Lioness Quartet and The Dust Lands Trilogy: Blood Red Road; Rebel Heart; Raging Star) not becoming movies or TV shows after they are optioned. Dear book gods (and I know you exist because you inspired Tahereh to write this series), make this real. Yes, I know TV/movies don't always make great adaptations and the books are 99.9% of the time better, but please do it anyway. Because I need this.
Oh, and if you decide to cast Alex Pettyfer as Warner I would be cool with that.
Original fan-girl praise (because I am incapable of actually writing a true unbiased, unaffected review for this series):
Okay, I have not properly reviewed this series since I read it a year ago (and I don't think I ever can because it would be ridiculously long and the book is so quotable that I would literally be citing the entire thing) but Shatter Me is one of my favorite series of ALL TIME. And it has my FAVORITE LOVE INTEREST of ANY BOOK I'VE EVER READ. Butttt, to anyone considering it, watch this: http://youtu.be/dJt-lGmBSTs. I just found that fan video the other day and I can't stop watching it. I'm sorry but if that doesn't make you want to read this book you do not have a soul. READ. THIS. BOOK. You will either love it or hate it (depending on how you feel about prose) but if you love it than O.M.G. you will love it like you've loved nothing else.
Oh, and for those of you who have already read the series:
PS this review basically is a dedication to Alex Pettyfer as Warner. YOU ARE WELCOME.
December 20, 2011
Juliette describing Adam’s eyes
“...perfect shade of cobalt, blue like a blossoming bruise, clear and deep and decided”
“…careful, curious”
“… 2 buckets of rainwater; deep, fresh, clear”
“…blue and bottomless like the deepest part of the ocean”
“…tight”
“…as tight as his fists as tight as the strain in his arms”
“…bottomless blue”
“…blue blue blue”
“…midnight moment filled with memories, the only windows into my world”
“… always shining the darkness”
“…two pools of perfection, open, honest, humble”
“…a shade of blue in a midnight sky”
Juliette describing Adam’s gaze
“…like a white-hot poker pressed against my skin”
“…touching every inch of my body”
“…locked into mine”
“… is fixed on me: calm, unflappable; 2 buckets of river water at midnight. I’d like to cry into his eyes”
I’ve never been a purple prose type of girl. A book that will forever remain nameless spoke of “leaking wombs” and well it made me shiver. It also introduced me to the entire concept of purple prose. Prose can be beautiful. I’ve read plenty of books where the writing touches me deeply and the author is simply writing about the sunset, or a walk in the park, or the plight of the poor. If the author is able to actually tell a story without distracting the reader with the prose, I’m all for it.
That is not the case with “Shatter Me”. “Shatter Me” waslike my first attempt at cooking a turkey over-done. It was like climbing Mount Everest tiring, watching kids play outside your window while you are taking a test distracting, and my dog throwing his bone at me silly.
At some point, I wasdrowning, desperately searching for land overwhelmed by the prose and eager for the story. And don’t get me started about the crossing out of passages in the book. It was irritating, annoying stupid a cheap trick dumb, something I did not enjoy.
Overall-
I won’t read the next book.
I might read the next book if I get a free copy.
I’m curious to see where the author can go since it is clear that she can write. I think someone needed to put a leash on the over playful puppy edit her prose down to a more controllable level so that people could enjoy the story rather than cringe with every every every regurgitation eruption spewing listen you need to stop crossing me off or I’m gonna sick some nasty virus on your ass incident of prose.
“...perfect shade of cobalt, blue like a blossoming bruise, clear and deep and decided”
“…careful, curious”
“… 2 buckets of rainwater; deep, fresh, clear”
“…blue and bottomless like the deepest part of the ocean”
“…tight”
“…as tight as his fists as tight as the strain in his arms”
“…bottomless blue”
“…blue blue blue”
“…midnight moment filled with memories, the only windows into my world”
“… always shining the darkness”
“…two pools of perfection, open, honest, humble”
“…a shade of blue in a midnight sky”
Juliette describing Adam’s gaze
“…like a white-hot poker pressed against my skin”
“…touching every inch of my body”
“…locked into mine”
“… is fixed on me: calm, unflappable; 2 buckets of river water at midnight. I’d like to cry into his eyes”
I’ve never been a purple prose type of girl. A book that will forever remain nameless spoke of “leaking wombs” and well it made me shiver. It also introduced me to the entire concept of purple prose. Prose can be beautiful. I’ve read plenty of books where the writing touches me deeply and the author is simply writing about the sunset, or a walk in the park, or the plight of the poor. If the author is able to actually tell a story without distracting the reader with the prose, I’m all for it.
That is not the case with “Shatter Me”. “Shatter Me” was
At some point, I was
Overall-
I’m curious to see where the author can go since it is clear that she can write. I think someone needed to
March 4, 2018
I deserve a medal for finishing this book.
Like, the Olympic gold medal in the Anti-DNF Games, people.
*Rant Ahead*
It took me three months to finish this book.
THREE. (Not 3, Miss Mafi)
Now, normally, I would have tossed this book out the window like an overwrought Silver Linings Playbook Bradley Cooper, being that I AM the queen of the heartless page 15 DNF; however, I find that I have a harder time DNFing something when I am 1) Reading a physical copy as opposed to a digital copy, and 2) When I already OWN books two and three and am hoping to FUCK I didn't waste my money.
That said, this book annoyed me on several different levels.
1) Juliette's "power" or "glitch" or whatever the hell it is, is never fully explained in detail. It's skirted around in a mass of overwrought metaphors and complete bullshit.
2) Said overwrought metaphors.
3) The writing itself in general.
Despite having a degree in English and Literature, I am usually pretty easygoing about typos and grammar, especially when it comes to self-published stuff.
I mean just LOOK at the slang and vernacular I use in my reviews.
I am NOT a hard ass about this stuff.
HOWEVER.
When I am holding a professionally published, FINISHED copy of a mass produced book and it contains strikeouts, sentences starting in lowercase letters, and numbers one through ten incorrectly placed in number form, e.g., "Juliette has 2 hands and0 1 brain," my inner grammar maven's granny panties get twisted so far up her ass, it's impossible to focus.
I mean, I GET that this was all a stylistic choice, etc. That the sporadic, all over the place, SHITTY sentence structure was supposed to reflect Juliette's instability, or whatever the fuck it was supposed to reflect, but I just can't get behind starting a sentence with "4," my friends.
Add to that the insta-love between Juliette and Adam and the spindly world-building of a completely unclear and poorly wrought dystopian society and you have a wreck of a book that merely has a pretty cover.
Now I am left with the crushing decision of whether or not I try book two (since I, like an idiot, already bought it) or if I just march the whole trilogy down to my favorite used book store and hope the fact that this series is about to have a new book published gets me top dollar.
Decisions, decisions.
Like, the Olympic gold medal in the Anti-DNF Games, people.
*Rant Ahead*
It took me three months to finish this book.
THREE. (Not 3, Miss Mafi)
Now, normally, I would have tossed this book out the window like an overwrought Silver Linings Playbook Bradley Cooper, being that I AM the queen of the heartless page 15 DNF; however, I find that I have a harder time DNFing something when I am 1) Reading a physical copy as opposed to a digital copy, and 2) When I already OWN books two and three and am hoping to FUCK I didn't waste my money.
That said, this book annoyed me on several different levels.
1) Juliette's "power" or "glitch" or whatever the hell it is, is never fully explained in detail. It's skirted around in a mass of overwrought metaphors and complete bullshit.
2) Said overwrought metaphors.
3) The writing itself in general.
Despite having a degree in English and Literature, I am usually pretty easygoing about typos and grammar, especially when it comes to self-published stuff.
I mean just LOOK at the slang and vernacular I use in my reviews.
I am NOT a hard ass about this stuff.
HOWEVER.
When I am holding a professionally published, FINISHED copy of a mass produced book and it contains strikeouts, sentences starting in lowercase letters, and numbers one through ten incorrectly placed in number form, e.g., "Juliette has 2 hands and
I mean, I GET that this was all a stylistic choice, etc. That the sporadic, all over the place, SHITTY sentence structure was supposed to reflect Juliette's instability, or whatever the fuck it was supposed to reflect, but I just can't get behind starting a sentence with "4," my friends.
Add to that the insta-love between Juliette and Adam and the spindly world-building of a completely unclear and poorly wrought dystopian society and you have a wreck of a book that merely has a pretty cover.
Now I am left with the crushing decision of whether or not I try book two (since I, like an idiot, already bought it) or if I just march the whole trilogy down to my favorite used book store and hope the fact that this series is about to have a new book published gets me top dollar.
Decisions, decisions.
October 1, 2023
4/5 stars.
The only reason I gave this book 4 and not 5 stars is because I really dislike Adam and Juliette as a couple.
Juliette “loved” Adam because he was the only one who was nice to her, the only one who noticed her when they were kids. It hasn't changed. He can touch her, and she- the girl who has never been touched, the girl whose whole life she wanted to feel loved- she “fell in love” with him.
Now, I'm pretty sure she's confused between love and this new feeling she loves, the feeling that someone touches her and that someone loves her.
She’s a poor girl after all, she never felt how a person cared about her, I can understand why she’s so sure she’s in love with Adam.
Adam himself, well, let’s say I'm not so fond of him when he's with her. He’s insanely cringe in my opinion. The way he always wanted her, the way he looked for her everywhere. I’m sorry, It's too cliche, yuck.
And Juliet? You may notice that she enjoys his touch more than him specifically. It's not love. Come on. Nope.
But I really like Adam in general, he’s very sweet. And of course Juliette loves Adam in general, but... I don’t think their love is true. Idk, let’s see how it’ll work out.
The plot itself was amazing. The idea is amazing. Kenji is amazing. Warner is amazing. Oh, Warner is SO AMAZING. He's a cute psychopath, it's the perfect combination.
Ooookaayyy, I'm ready for the second book.
The only reason I gave this book 4 and not 5 stars is because I really dislike Adam and Juliette as a couple.
Juliette “loved” Adam because he was the only one who was nice to her, the only one who noticed her when they were kids. It hasn't changed. He can touch her, and she- the girl who has never been touched, the girl whose whole life she wanted to feel loved- she “fell in love” with him.
Now, I'm pretty sure she's confused between love and this new feeling she loves, the feeling that someone touches her and that someone loves her.
She’s a poor girl after all, she never felt how a person cared about her, I can understand why she’s so sure she’s in love with Adam.
Adam himself, well, let’s say I'm not so fond of him when he's with her. He’s insanely cringe in my opinion. The way he always wanted her, the way he looked for her everywhere. I’m sorry, It's too cliche, yuck.
And Juliet? You may notice that she enjoys his touch more than him specifically. It's not love. Come on. Nope.
But I really like Adam in general, he’s very sweet. And of course Juliette loves Adam in general, but... I don’t think their love is true. Idk, let’s see how it’ll work out.
The plot itself was amazing. The idea is amazing. Kenji is amazing. Warner is amazing. Oh, Warner is SO AMAZING. He's a cute psychopath, it's the perfect combination.
Ooookaayyy, I'm ready for the second book.
November 23, 2013
“I always wonder about raindrops.
I wonder about how they're always falling down, tripping over their own feet, breaking their legs and forgetting their parachutes as they tumble right out of the sky toward an uncertain end. It's like someone is emptying their pockets over the earth and doesn't seem to care where the contents fall, doesn't seem to care that the raindrops burst when they hit the ground, that they shatter when they fall to the floor, that people curse the days the drops dare to tap on their doors.
I am a raindrop.My parents emptied their pockets of me and left me to evaporate on a concrete slab.”
Here lies Steph Sinclair, slaughtered by
August 31, 2023
*reread for a special vid*
—————————————-
(Reread)
finally writing a review for one of my favourite series of all time.
Shatter me, especially the first book has in my opinion alot of death and emotions, mostly dark sad and depressed ones in this book but I think it is a great representation of what it would feel like to be locked up for so long without being able to touch another person.
her reaction to the other person, Adam, is very realistic and the way Juliette is obsessed with numbers makes alot of sense.
The enemy in this book is great and obviously the sarcastic best friend bring joy to this book.
Cannot wait to have others experience the character development and overall growth that juliette goes through
—————————————-
(Reread)
finally writing a review for one of my favourite series of all time.
Shatter me, especially the first book has in my opinion alot of death and emotions, mostly dark sad and depressed ones in this book but I think it is a great representation of what it would feel like to be locked up for so long without being able to touch another person.
her reaction to the other person, Adam, is very realistic and the way Juliette is obsessed with numbers makes alot of sense.
The enemy in this book is great and obviously the sarcastic best friend bring joy to this book.
Cannot wait to have others experience the character development and overall growth that juliette goes through
July 18, 2023
I literally read 300 pgs in one sitting and finished the whole book in 24 hrs. Haven't done that with a book in a LONG time. That's how much I loved it. I love that we jump straight into the plot. That made it such a fast read.
And THE WRITING STYLE. I know it's not going to be for everyone, but I loved the metaphors, crossed-out words, and repeated words/phrases. It really puts us in Juliette's head and shows us her mental state after being in solitary confinement for 260+ days. And I love how the writing style evolves as Juliette's confidence and state of mind evolve.
So far, I loveeee Adam and how caring he is, and I'm so intrigued to see how Warner's character evolves (even tho I hate him right now). Shatter Me series reading vlog coming soon.
And THE WRITING STYLE. I know it's not going to be for everyone, but I loved the metaphors, crossed-out words, and repeated words/phrases. It really puts us in Juliette's head and shows us her mental state after being in solitary confinement for 260+ days. And I love how the writing style evolves as Juliette's confidence and state of mind evolve.
So far, I loveeee Adam and how caring he is, and I'm so intrigued to see how Warner's character evolves (even tho I hate him right now). Shatter Me series reading vlog coming soon.
June 18, 2012
Oh, darn, did I miss the point of the strikethroughs?
January 27, 2019
Oh, Juliette, SHUT THE FUCK UP ALREADY.
Insufferable whiny bitch.
Insufferable whiny bitch.
December 17, 2019
this book is what i see in the corner of my room while having sleep paralysis
Read
March 5, 2023"He's wrong he's so wrong he's more wrong than an upside-down rainbow."
ok.
ok.
August 12, 2016
I always wonder about raindrops.Let me translate what Mafi was trying to say; "It was raining."
I wonder about how they’re always falling down, tripping over their own feet, breaking their legs and forgetting their parachutes as they tumble right out of the sky toward an uncertain end. It’s like someone is emptying their pockets over the earth and doesn’t seem to care where the contents fall, doesn’t seem to care that the raindrops burst when they hit the ground, that they shatter when they fall to the floor, that people curse the days the drops dare to tap on their doors.
This is one of, if not THE major problem of Shatter Me; she tries too hard to be clever and poetic and the story gets muddied along the way.
I apologize for not going more in depth with this review, but I read this book over three months ago now and all I remember is that I hated it and it was incredibly poorly written. I think my status updates should show this pretty clearly, but to make this easier to see, I've decided to write this somewhat brief review and sort through a few of my updates as well.
A device Mafi chooses to use early on is
I don't think you'll be able to believe these favorite quotes of mine until you read them for yourself:
"I'd like to cry into his eyes."
"His body presses closer and I realize I'm paying attention to nothing but the dandelions blowing wishes in my lungs."
"I'm suddenly desperate to drink in every drop of his being, desperate to savor every moment I've never known before. I suddenly worry that there's an expiration date on this phenomenon.
The possibility of losing him
The possibility of losing him
The possibility of losing him is 100 years of solitude I don't want to imagine.
Realization is a pendulum the size of the moon. It won't stop slamming into me."
"His heart is racing so fast I can't distinguish it from my own. It's 5,000 degrees in the air between us."
"I've run out of words. My pockets are full of letters I can't string together."
"I want to fall asleep to the sound of his heart beating in the atmosphere."
"His eyes are a midnight moment filled with memories, the only windows into my world."
"My heart fails for a moment.
There are 400 cotton balls caught in my windpipe."
"James and Adam glance back at me and I melt into pink Play-Doh."
"I'm up.
Spinning.
Scanning.
Scared.
They found us is the only thing I can think of. My stomach is a flimsy crepe, my heart a raging woodpecker, my blood a river of anxiety."
"It's raining today. The sky is weeping for us."
"His lips are spelling secrets and my ears are spilling ink, staining my skin with his stories."
"The sun is revolving around the moon when he responds."
"I offer him a smile. Try to keep my organs from falling out. Hope the holes in my head aren't showing."
"My mouth is sitting on my kneecaps."
"My neck snaps up to meet his dark eyes, his smooth voice, silky and strong."
"My jaw is dangling from my shoelace."
"I'm blushing through my bones."
"Adam pulls back just a tiny bit. Kisses my bottom lip. Bites it for just a second. His skin is 100 degrees hotter than it was a moment ago. His lips are pressed against my neck and my hands are on a journey down his upper body and I'm wondering why there are so many freight trains in my heart, why his chest is a broken harmonica."
And that, my friends, is that. I thought it was awful. Even if I didn't think the writing was trite and overwrought, later on it really starts to feel like she's borrowing heavily from the X-Men mythos (even though she claims she's never even seen the movies.) If you read the few quotes I've listed above and they're not your cup of tea, I'd say skip this one and try something else. Or maybe watch one of the X-Men movies instead; you'll get a much better portrayal of Rogue and a steamier love story. Mmm ... Wolverine.
November 15, 2017
November 2017
I picked this back up on a whim because I've been dealing with anxiety lately and wanted to return to something comforting, so I decided to annotate one of my paperback copies. And I gotta say, It's.... weird returning to book one. Ignite Me is my favorite book of all time, and rereading that book is such an immersive experience that I always come out of feeling empowered. This book, on the other hand, holds such a special place in my heart because it's so relatable that it hurts. From Juliette's panic to her awkwardness to her resilience to the writing style, everything just hurts so good. There's parts of me that I see in Juliette, and there's parts of Juliette that I wish I could be better at. It's just such a refreshing and inspirational book to read because it's about someone who has been handed the shittiest circumstances and still looks for the best in others, perseveres, and demands what's right for her. It's about learning to trust and realizing your worth and giving people second chances. FUCK i'm about to cry typing this review. I love Juliette so much and I love Tahereh even more for sharing a story that touches the deepest corners of my heart. It's truly a life-changing book for me.
I’ve always read this as the story of a sad, self-conscious, self-loathing girl learning to see past obstacles to find love in herself and to let others in. however, i haven't read this since summer 2016, so my experience of reading this after the election & other #stressful political happenings opened my eyes to a completely new underside of the story. It had always been visible to me but was it never at the forefront, but this time I noticed it so vividly: this is also the story about a deeply hurt and angry girl who wants justice. People always criticize Juliette for being weak and annoying, especially in Unravel Me, but when she pushes back against her fear and stands up for herself, it's jaw-dropping. I envy her ability to know what's best for her and hold others' happiness and safety above her own even though she's gone through so much turmoil and deserves to be the person being looked out for. I used to think that Juliette gets suddenly really strong in Ignite Me, but reading this closely just showed how ready she was for that transformation. In my annotated editions, I use blue highlighter to mark parts where Juliette is really badass, and I didn't expect to use it a ton in this one, but it's everywhere. Juliette is a pure and fearless motherfucker. Even in book one she has powerful quotes like "I'm not yours to want," and it challenges all the ideas Warner tries to install into her head.
Which is where this book gets slippery. It's getting really, really difficult for me to reconcile Warner's actions in book one. I've definitely had others question how I ship Juliette with Warner after all he's put Juliette through in this book, and it's a valid concern. Every time I think about this book, i'm just kinda like “hahaha problematic warner but whatever.” But the more I reread, especially after ignite me came out, and ESPECIALLY during this particular reread, the more questions I have that I can only hope will now be explained in restore me. Don't get me wrong, this book still means so much to me because of juliette, but there’s no possible way for me to read this book with the mindset “omg i love warner!!” because he’s literally the villain and he does and says so many problematic, manipulative things. Honestly, I don't think it's fair to justify everything Warner does. While rereading this I was actually shocked at the amount of nasty things he says to her, that I obviously must have forgotten or blocked from my memory. Things like telling her she'll be miserable if she leaves him because no one else will want her, calling her a monster, professing his love for her even when she's clearly uncomfortable. In Unravel Me and Ignite Me he explains why he did these things and says that he regrets doing it, but... it seems to go so far in this book. I almost theorize that Tahereh must have written warner in book 1 to continue being a villain throughout the series, but there's way too many threads that suggest otherwise (ie. the introduction of the angst behind warner's mom, the fact that she felt "electricity" during their kiss, etc.)
I feel like I could write an essay about this topic: the inconsistencies of Warner's personality, and whether or not it's justifiable to forgive him for his "misjudgments" of Juliette. It's just so strange to me that Adam & Kenji can say "Warner is a lot of things, but he's not stupid," and yet Warner misreads her SO horribly. I mean, in the scene that he corners her and kisses her, he's literally saying "I want you to choose me" and "I love you" and later admits that he thought she was into it, EVEN THOUGH she literally said "You're sick/you're a monster/etc." and physically tried to punch him before he pinned her to the wall. If he's so smart, then why couldn't he tell that every time he talks to her, she's afraid and disgusted? Is it really that easy to mistake fear for excitement? Disgust for nerousness?
His behavior is so coercive and manipulative, and even though I know he was just trying to get a reaction out of her so that she would abandon her fear and finally use her power, there's not nearly enough of an apology as I would expect for things of this magnitude. The reason why I don't consider Warner an outright misogynist is an incredibly nuanced (and long) discussion, but the difference between him and, say, a Colleen Hoover character is that while Warner is saying and doing problematic things, he is also being cast in a problematic light. He is literally the villain of this story for putting her in those situations. Had Juliette been like "omg he's pinning me against a wall and threatening me, he's so dominating <3" then that would a lot more concerning. But I'm gonna have to reread Unravel Me as well to refresh my memory on how Warner addresses these actions and words because I really don't think he apologized or explained himself well enough, and I think it's totally valid for Juliette to absolutely roast him in Restore Me for treating her so shittily. My outrage about it is fresh though, and maybe Juliette comes to terms with his actions in a later book that I've forgotten about.
Also? Drag me, but Adam doesn't get enough credit in this book. I know we all love to shit on him--myself included--for the direction he goes in Ignite Me, but his place in her journey of self-discovery is vital. Imagine this book without Adam, without that glimmer of hope and self-love that he installs in her. He's the first person to reassure her of herself and humanize her. Sure, they're not right for each other in the end, but it's not okay to dismiss their entire relationship as bullshit, because he DID help her see herself as something other than a monster, and I can't even imagine what this series would have been like if it were only Juliette brooding alone in her room, dreading Warner, stuck there until Warner was forced to tell her the truth about his mom or until Anderson showed up to ask what was taking so long. Idk. There's so many important quotes from Adam in this book. Sometimes it falls into the type of narrative that feels like "ugghhhh, she needed a boy to 'fix' her," but in reality, sometimes your friends have your back and reassure you of your worth, and sometimes your friends are more than your friends. I could make a LIST of all the positive things Adam said to Juliette in this book that caused her confidence to sky rocket, whereas almost everything Warner said installed panic and fear in her.
So clearly I have conflicting feelings, but none of them intercede with the fact that I still cannot get over how much I adore this story. Sure, Warner sucks and I unironically wrote "ew" by half the things he says to her in this book, but watching Juliette's transformation and relating to her insecurities and thought process, as well as remembering how much I adored this book as a young teen, it's always going to be a priceless experience to me.
July 2016
I think this is my fourth or fifth time rereading it? I didn't plan to but my aunt showed interest in reading it and I jokingly offered to read it out loud to her, and she said yes. Thus, I proceeded to read this entire book out loud to her. And it was worth it.
And what can I say? I love this book. I fucking love Juliette. Reading it out loud made me slightly more aware of how lame her stream of consciousness can sound, and how the metaphors become exhausting after a while. But I've sort of accepted that book one is always going to be slightly uncomfortable to reread just because of the fact that so much has changed by book 3 that this is almost cringe-worthy. There's so much set-up for world building that never occurs. Honestly this book is more of a 3 star rating, but I can't bring myself to lower it. It was due for a reread since it had been just about two years, and, like always, I noted several things that I had missed or forgotten since I read it last!
August 2015
I'm not quite sure why i've never uploaded a review on goodreads for this book. I mean, I feel like it kind of goes without saying how I feel about it but ya know. This is my favorite series. If you're sick of dystopian and never want to read one ever again, make an exception for this one. Ignore the fact that the entire fandom (and myself) has probably majorly spoiled you. But this book. Holy shit. The writing. YES. The characters. YES. The plot. YES. The range of emotions. YES. I could tell you the things wrong with it, but no book is perfect. But if you want a book with characters that you will not be able to get out of your head and with a plot that will have you reading an entire trilogy in one sitting, this book is your friend.
reread: July 2014
I picked this back up on a whim because I've been dealing with anxiety lately and wanted to return to something comforting, so I decided to annotate one of my paperback copies. And I gotta say, It's.... weird returning to book one. Ignite Me is my favorite book of all time, and rereading that book is such an immersive experience that I always come out of feeling empowered. This book, on the other hand, holds such a special place in my heart because it's so relatable that it hurts. From Juliette's panic to her awkwardness to her resilience to the writing style, everything just hurts so good. There's parts of me that I see in Juliette, and there's parts of Juliette that I wish I could be better at. It's just such a refreshing and inspirational book to read because it's about someone who has been handed the shittiest circumstances and still looks for the best in others, perseveres, and demands what's right for her. It's about learning to trust and realizing your worth and giving people second chances. FUCK i'm about to cry typing this review. I love Juliette so much and I love Tahereh even more for sharing a story that touches the deepest corners of my heart. It's truly a life-changing book for me.
I’ve always read this as the story of a sad, self-conscious, self-loathing girl learning to see past obstacles to find love in herself and to let others in. however, i haven't read this since summer 2016, so my experience of reading this after the election & other #stressful political happenings opened my eyes to a completely new underside of the story. It had always been visible to me but was it never at the forefront, but this time I noticed it so vividly: this is also the story about a deeply hurt and angry girl who wants justice. People always criticize Juliette for being weak and annoying, especially in Unravel Me, but when she pushes back against her fear and stands up for herself, it's jaw-dropping. I envy her ability to know what's best for her and hold others' happiness and safety above her own even though she's gone through so much turmoil and deserves to be the person being looked out for. I used to think that Juliette gets suddenly really strong in Ignite Me, but reading this closely just showed how ready she was for that transformation. In my annotated editions, I use blue highlighter to mark parts where Juliette is really badass, and I didn't expect to use it a ton in this one, but it's everywhere. Juliette is a pure and fearless motherfucker. Even in book one she has powerful quotes like "I'm not yours to want," and it challenges all the ideas Warner tries to install into her head.
Which is where this book gets slippery. It's getting really, really difficult for me to reconcile Warner's actions in book one. I've definitely had others question how I ship Juliette with Warner after all he's put Juliette through in this book, and it's a valid concern. Every time I think about this book, i'm just kinda like “hahaha problematic warner but whatever.” But the more I reread, especially after ignite me came out, and ESPECIALLY during this particular reread, the more questions I have that I can only hope will now be explained in restore me. Don't get me wrong, this book still means so much to me because of juliette, but there’s no possible way for me to read this book with the mindset “omg i love warner!!” because he’s literally the villain and he does and says so many problematic, manipulative things. Honestly, I don't think it's fair to justify everything Warner does. While rereading this I was actually shocked at the amount of nasty things he says to her, that I obviously must have forgotten or blocked from my memory. Things like telling her she'll be miserable if she leaves him because no one else will want her, calling her a monster, professing his love for her even when she's clearly uncomfortable. In Unravel Me and Ignite Me he explains why he did these things and says that he regrets doing it, but... it seems to go so far in this book. I almost theorize that Tahereh must have written warner in book 1 to continue being a villain throughout the series, but there's way too many threads that suggest otherwise (ie. the introduction of the angst behind warner's mom, the fact that she felt "electricity" during their kiss, etc.)
I feel like I could write an essay about this topic: the inconsistencies of Warner's personality, and whether or not it's justifiable to forgive him for his "misjudgments" of Juliette. It's just so strange to me that Adam & Kenji can say "Warner is a lot of things, but he's not stupid," and yet Warner misreads her SO horribly. I mean, in the scene that he corners her and kisses her, he's literally saying "I want you to choose me" and "I love you" and later admits that he thought she was into it, EVEN THOUGH she literally said "You're sick/you're a monster/etc." and physically tried to punch him before he pinned her to the wall. If he's so smart, then why couldn't he tell that every time he talks to her, she's afraid and disgusted? Is it really that easy to mistake fear for excitement? Disgust for nerousness?
His behavior is so coercive and manipulative, and even though I know he was just trying to get a reaction out of her so that she would abandon her fear and finally use her power, there's not nearly enough of an apology as I would expect for things of this magnitude. The reason why I don't consider Warner an outright misogynist is an incredibly nuanced (and long) discussion, but the difference between him and, say, a Colleen Hoover character is that while Warner is saying and doing problematic things, he is also being cast in a problematic light. He is literally the villain of this story for putting her in those situations. Had Juliette been like "omg he's pinning me against a wall and threatening me, he's so dominating <3" then that would a lot more concerning. But I'm gonna have to reread Unravel Me as well to refresh my memory on how Warner addresses these actions and words because I really don't think he apologized or explained himself well enough, and I think it's totally valid for Juliette to absolutely roast him in Restore Me for treating her so shittily. My outrage about it is fresh though, and maybe Juliette comes to terms with his actions in a later book that I've forgotten about.
Also? Drag me, but Adam doesn't get enough credit in this book. I know we all love to shit on him--myself included--for the direction he goes in Ignite Me, but his place in her journey of self-discovery is vital. Imagine this book without Adam, without that glimmer of hope and self-love that he installs in her. He's the first person to reassure her of herself and humanize her. Sure, they're not right for each other in the end, but it's not okay to dismiss their entire relationship as bullshit, because he DID help her see herself as something other than a monster, and I can't even imagine what this series would have been like if it were only Juliette brooding alone in her room, dreading Warner, stuck there until Warner was forced to tell her the truth about his mom or until Anderson showed up to ask what was taking so long. Idk. There's so many important quotes from Adam in this book. Sometimes it falls into the type of narrative that feels like "ugghhhh, she needed a boy to 'fix' her," but in reality, sometimes your friends have your back and reassure you of your worth, and sometimes your friends are more than your friends. I could make a LIST of all the positive things Adam said to Juliette in this book that caused her confidence to sky rocket, whereas almost everything Warner said installed panic and fear in her.
So clearly I have conflicting feelings, but none of them intercede with the fact that I still cannot get over how much I adore this story. Sure, Warner sucks and I unironically wrote "ew" by half the things he says to her in this book, but watching Juliette's transformation and relating to her insecurities and thought process, as well as remembering how much I adored this book as a young teen, it's always going to be a priceless experience to me.
July 2016
I think this is my fourth or fifth time rereading it? I didn't plan to but my aunt showed interest in reading it and I jokingly offered to read it out loud to her, and she said yes. Thus, I proceeded to read this entire book out loud to her. And it was worth it.
And what can I say? I love this book. I fucking love Juliette. Reading it out loud made me slightly more aware of how lame her stream of consciousness can sound, and how the metaphors become exhausting after a while. But I've sort of accepted that book one is always going to be slightly uncomfortable to reread just because of the fact that so much has changed by book 3 that this is almost cringe-worthy. There's so much set-up for world building that never occurs. Honestly this book is more of a 3 star rating, but I can't bring myself to lower it. It was due for a reread since it had been just about two years, and, like always, I noted several things that I had missed or forgotten since I read it last!
August 2015
I'm not quite sure why i've never uploaded a review on goodreads for this book. I mean, I feel like it kind of goes without saying how I feel about it but ya know. This is my favorite series. If you're sick of dystopian and never want to read one ever again, make an exception for this one. Ignore the fact that the entire fandom (and myself) has probably majorly spoiled you. But this book. Holy shit. The writing. YES. The characters. YES. The plot. YES. The range of emotions. YES. I could tell you the things wrong with it, but no book is perfect. But if you want a book with characters that you will not be able to get out of your head and with a plot that will have you reading an entire trilogy in one sitting, this book is your friend.
reread: July 2014
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 15, 2024
Honestly, I have no idea what I just read. This wasn't a bad book, but it wasn't great either.
The start was interesting, the middle was okayish and the end was pretty underwhelming. I was confused about the majority of the time as not only was the writing style strange, it was also bland. In order for the reader to understand, you gotta give them answers and I feel like I barely got any.
Juliette is intriguing and impossibly naive. I hope I see some character growth in the next one. Adam as an individual is sweet and I like him. Adam with Juliette? Ugh no. Things happened way too fast and the love equation did not make sense. Warner was someone I genuinely liked as he was charming and his villain self was hot. I assume there's a lot of foreshadowing in what he says to Juliette but regardless there's more chemistry between them rather than with Adam. Kenji was too chaotic for me.
Overall, it's like there were a lot of words for nothing to happen, and no answers to be given. Still, am not completely put off and I do have the box set so gotta continue 🤷♀️
~•~•~
If I don't read it now, I never will. So.. *deep breath* LET'S DO THIS!!!
The start was interesting, the middle was okayish and the end was pretty underwhelming. I was confused about the majority of the time as not only was the writing style strange, it was also bland. In order for the reader to understand, you gotta give them answers and I feel like I barely got any.
Juliette is intriguing and impossibly naive. I hope I see some character growth in the next one. Adam as an individual is sweet and I like him. Adam with Juliette? Ugh no. Things happened way too fast and the love equation did not make sense. Warner was someone I genuinely liked as he was charming and his villain self was hot. I assume there's a lot of foreshadowing in what he says to Juliette but regardless there's more chemistry between them rather than with Adam. Kenji was too chaotic for me.
Overall, it's like there were a lot of words for nothing to happen, and no answers to be given. Still, am not completely put off and I do have the box set so gotta continue 🤷♀️
~•~•~
If I don't read it now, I never will. So.. *deep breath* LET'S DO THIS!!!
June 9, 2022
I WANT WARNER SO BAD ITS NOT EVEN FUNNY
February 6, 2022
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It's not easy being Queen of Literary Trash. Between YA and bodice-rippers, I read more "bad" books than most elitist snobs will see in their entire lifetime. But then, I consider myself a connoisseur of the so-called trashy arts. There are two kinds of "bad" books. There are the books that tell good stories and while they aren't highbrow literature, they are still fun to read and if you can let go of your snobbery long enough to enjoy them, will perform quite serviceably as quality entertainment. Then there are the books that are just bad, and have no redeeming value at all.
I had friends warn me about SHATTER ME. It's apparently infamous for the "creative" metaphors that the author likes to use. It's also yet another attempt to cling to the coattails of THE HUNGER GAMES (although it's more like DIVERGENT than THE HUNGER GAMES, which if you know my thoughts on DIVERGENT, you will know is not a compliment, coming from me). The premise is pretty undeveloped. Juliette has been in captivity for just under a year when she accidentally killed a boy by touching him. Her touch, you see, is deadly. She's like Rogue, from X-men. One touch, and your life force is hers.
It's set on a dying Earth but why and how it's dying are incredibly vague. We've apparently allowed a fascist-tolerant (if not outright fascist) regime to gain power, which I would say is not really giving the world a whole lot of credit, but on the other hand I'm a liberal living in the United States right now, so on the OTHER hand, maybe future Earth is totally stupid enough to do that. It seems to happen a lot in YA dystopians, to the point where the reader begins to wonder if all it takes to start a fascist regime is a kickstarter and a special license. What matters is that resources are thin and there is not a lot of food and there are parts of the world that are radioactive(?) and for some reason, some people (especially Juliette) have mutant-like powers for Reasons and this is the world we live in.
Both love interests are, conveniently, immune to Juliette's power. Because I guess it wouldn't be much of a romance if the book took the MC Hammer "Can't Touch This" approach to courtship. There is instalove up the wazoo in here, and even when Juliette finds out that Adam was put in her cell to spy on her under the guise of being a fellow prisoner, she forgives him stunningly quickly, and is constantly telling us how much she wants to touch him. She wants to touch the villain, Warner (I'm sorry but I can't take you seriously when I'm picturing the dancing frog mascot of the WB), too, although it's a traitorous body sort of desire to touch, the I-love-to-hate-how-I-hate-to-love-you type. Warner was the biggest potential sell of this series to me because I love villainous love interests but he's too creepy, even for me. Between the constant unwanted pet names and the really disturbing "I could just take a bite out of you"-type comments, this dude was about one villain notch away from singing a Tim Curry song.
Then there's the writing itself, which can be broken down into three categories: OMG, WTF, and LOL.
OMG:
Every organ in my body falls to the floor (68).
I want to rip up the carpet and sew it to my skin (163).
My jaw is dangling from my shoelace (310).
WTF:
I'm wearing dead cotton on my limbs and a blush of roses on my face (6).
There are 15,000 feelings of disbelief hole-punched in my heart (40).
My throat is a reptile, covered in scales (172).
I'm blushing through my bones (326).
LOL:
I wondered if your eye color meant you saw the world differently (151).
My heart is parasailing in the springtime (286).
The author also makes two other attempts at being creative, which are overuse of the strikethrough tool and overuse of numbers, written as numerals instead of being spelled out. Which, if you ask me, is 1 bad idea because not only does it look unprofessional as 0 other writers do this, but 2, comes across as overly gimmicky and makes you feel like you're reading cast-offs from a teenager's poetry journal as she tries - and fails - to channel Ellen Hopkins and/or Rupi Kaur.
If you like this book, good for you, I guess. I personally couldn't stand it. It felt incredibly derivative, and from the woe-is-me beginning to the yay-I've-got-a-hypersexualized-supersuit ending, there was just way too much I ended up side-eying in this book for me to enjoy it. I don't think I'll be reading the sequels, not even for the lols.
1 star
November 19, 2023
i think it was mitski that once said “i am the god of my own art” and you know what, i really relate to that. this one, this review, is gonna be good. i can feel it in my bones.
to be blunt, i hated this book. very much.
i enjoy a good trashy book, a mindless romance or maybe that beautiful era of hunger-games-slash-divergent-cookie-cutter dystopian ya novels, as much as the next girl. i get that some things are just enjoyable, and believe it or not, while i enjoy really pretty writing, i have a relatively low standard for writing. not much can really bother me. i’ve read a lot of unedited fanfictions.
but of all the lowbrow things i’ve ever read, never have i ever encountered something where the writing was so absolutely horrendous, i almost couldn’t read the book.
and i almost couldn’t read this book.
and i already know the comments i’ll get sicced with: oh did you read the authors note? it was on purpose! she’s trying to show how insane juliette is!
i know. i don’t care. maybe if we sit here for a while i’ll find a fuck to give but as of right now, i really don’t care.
every time i’ve read this trope, it’s never a good excuse.
what do i care if juliette’s insane, that’s not going to matter if i can’t read the book because the writing puts me into anaphylactic shock.
grammar and language as a whole exists for us to be able to most accurately communicate and express ourselves. the absolutely ATROCIOUS writing was doing NOTHING for this book except heightening my blood pressure.
i said, and stand by, the idea that grammar is flexible. it’s there just to help us communicate and clarify. THAT DOESN’T MEAN YOU CAN JUST WRITE WHATEVER THE FUCK YOU WANT HOWEVER THE FUCK YOU WANT TO.
first, the strikethroughs. what is wrong with you? how did you come up with this? are you okay? are you blind??? because this isbad really bad.
then there’s the writing every number numerically and not spelled out. that’s just dumb and immature, because no one else does this. it sticks out like a sore thumb and aesthetic wise, my eyes don’t like to read it either.
then there’s the repetition. my brain my brain my brain was just about falling out out out. and of course there’s never any correct grammar because why start now.
and the worst of it all… the metaphors.
this is the worst use of figurative language i’ve ever read or even heard of in my entire life. it deserves an “inappropriate use of figurative language” trigger warning.
and of course i have receipts:
tahereh: “im wearing dead cotton on my limbs and a blush of roses on my face.”
caitlin: the fuck??
tahereh: “his gaze is fixed on me: calm, unflappable; 2 buckets of river water at midnight. i’d like to cry into his eyes.”
caitlin: seriously, WHAT? and that sounds SO unsanitary like ew? and i barely like eyedrops.
tahereh: “my body is a carnivorous flower, a poisonous houseplant, a loaded gun with a million triggers and he’s more than ready to fire.”
caitlin: this is actual bullshit. doesn’t mean anything. tahereh’s just hot for the sound of her own prose. not even a high school english teacher could find meaning in this shit.
tahereh: “‘you belong with me!’ ‘she belongs with me.’”
caitlin: you’re on the phone with your girlfriend, she’s upset. she’s going off about something that you said, cause she doesn’t get your humor like i do.
okay that one was unrelated, i just needed a break before rereading these quotes makes me carve out my own eyeballs with a rusty fork.
tahereh: “i fall off a ladder holding a paintbrush dipped in red.”
caitlin: no, this isn’t literal. i can’t even pretend to know what’s going on here.
tahereh: “i offer him a smile. try to keep my organs from falling out. hope the holes in my head aren’t showing.”
caitlin: oh i’ll give her a real hole in her head. because no, this also isn’t real,unfortunately.
———
now the characters.
(i had to come back for round two to write this at a later date.)
juliette—
is insufferable.
i can’t believe i have to spend all of these books stuck inside her head.
but more than just not really liking her, i hate what she stands for.
the 2000s/2010s peak of bad-good ya dystopian novels is near and dear to my heart, that shit raised me, but god i’ve forgotten how strongly i hate these female main characters.
these characters like juliette who are special but sad and some of the most horny people i’ve ever had the misfortune of meeting, but of course we’d never call it that because that’s improper or something, so instead the reader is bombarded with phrases like “heat” and “thunder” and “lightning” and other names of men’s cologne.
there is little that absolutely annoys the fuck out of me like the infantilized teenage girl mold: this girl who lives in complete isolation for years and, y’know, is 17, but just discovers her body in the presence of a man! and we get to hear all about it! fuck that shit.
anyways, other than that, she is just boring. pretty dumb. nothing new.
adam—
is boring. so vanilla.
kinda wish he’d died, not because he’s bad but he’s just so mid. juliette’s head over heels and like… for what?
0/10, is a fucking pushover and doesn’t even have the personality to make up for that.
now, warner—
or rather, aaron. i’m not calling him warner, that’s so uncomfortably formal and let’s be real, he’s just a nepo baby and a literal child with an overinflated ego and half of the DSM-5.
for all you girlies saying, “oh i loved warner since the first book, blah blah blah,” and everyone else joking like, “that makes you a red flag lol,” we’re not kidding. holy shit?! liking him in the first book, before the actual plot makes it so you can like him, isn’t a heads up on everyone else.
this is some weird phenomenon that’s started up in book communities, you see it with acotar and tfota too.
this is not a flex. you’re not supposed to like him right now? and i don’t see a reason to, he’s actually awful. a piece of shit. and also doesn’t even have a personality to make up for his shitty ass actions.
another thing, there was one line where he made her dress in a skimpy outfit and then stands there ogling her and she says something like, “i’m so uncomfortable, i want to sew the carpet to my skin.” bad writing aside, i felt that shit in my soul. being ogled, catcalled, and just generally objectified is one of the most disgusting feelings in the world. it makes you want to tear your skin off your body. we’re meant to like this guy? he means as much to me as that one creepy neighbor when i was 10 and i hope they both get hit by a car.
castle—
does castle turn evil or bad? i feel like he does. it’s giving the-only-black-guy-in-twilight-is-evil vibes.
———
the plot.
is the plot in the room with us?
basically, you know how most books, even parts of series, have some kind of overarching plot to the book that then weaves into the series as a whole? because that’s good writing?
well, surprise surprise, not here.
i feel like i’m watching an episode of a season of this larger story, so there’s no wrap up at the end, no specific climax in the story, and no cohesive storyline. it’s a mess.
i literally turned the page and couldn’t believe it had finished, and not because i was involved or anything, but because there was no sign of it ending at all, it’s like tahereh just decided to cut it off at a random chapter and boom, end of book.
anywho (this is my concluding statement, watch and learn?), as i’m sure you’ve figured, i did not have a fun time and i deeply regret spending money on this. oh, how i wanted to be one of the bookstagram tahereh mafi stans. maybe in another life.
to be blunt, i hated this book. very much.
i enjoy a good trashy book, a mindless romance or maybe that beautiful era of hunger-games-slash-divergent-cookie-cutter dystopian ya novels, as much as the next girl. i get that some things are just enjoyable, and believe it or not, while i enjoy really pretty writing, i have a relatively low standard for writing. not much can really bother me. i’ve read a lot of unedited fanfictions.
but of all the lowbrow things i’ve ever read, never have i ever encountered something where the writing was so absolutely horrendous, i almost couldn’t read the book.
and i almost couldn’t read this book.
and i already know the comments i’ll get sicced with: oh did you read the authors note? it was on purpose! she’s trying to show how insane juliette is!
i know. i don’t care. maybe if we sit here for a while i’ll find a fuck to give but as of right now, i really don’t care.
every time i’ve read this trope, it’s never a good excuse.
what do i care if juliette’s insane, that’s not going to matter if i can’t read the book because the writing puts me into anaphylactic shock.
grammar and language as a whole exists for us to be able to most accurately communicate and express ourselves. the absolutely ATROCIOUS writing was doing NOTHING for this book except heightening my blood pressure.
i said, and stand by, the idea that grammar is flexible. it’s there just to help us communicate and clarify. THAT DOESN’T MEAN YOU CAN JUST WRITE WHATEVER THE FUCK YOU WANT HOWEVER THE FUCK YOU WANT TO.
first, the strikethroughs. what is wrong with you? how did you come up with this? are you okay? are you blind??? because this is
then there’s the writing every number numerically and not spelled out. that’s just dumb and immature, because no one else does this. it sticks out like a sore thumb and aesthetic wise, my eyes don’t like to read it either.
then there’s the repetition. my brain my brain my brain was just about falling out out out. and of course there’s never any correct grammar because why start now.
and the worst of it all… the metaphors.
this is the worst use of figurative language i’ve ever read or even heard of in my entire life. it deserves an “inappropriate use of figurative language” trigger warning.
and of course i have receipts:
tahereh: “im wearing dead cotton on my limbs and a blush of roses on my face.”
caitlin: the fuck??
tahereh: “his gaze is fixed on me: calm, unflappable; 2 buckets of river water at midnight. i’d like to cry into his eyes.”
caitlin: seriously, WHAT? and that sounds SO unsanitary like ew? and i barely like eyedrops.
tahereh: “my body is a carnivorous flower, a poisonous houseplant, a loaded gun with a million triggers and he’s more than ready to fire.”
caitlin: this is actual bullshit. doesn’t mean anything. tahereh’s just hot for the sound of her own prose. not even a high school english teacher could find meaning in this shit.
tahereh: “‘you belong with me!’ ‘she belongs with me.’”
caitlin: you’re on the phone with your girlfriend, she’s upset. she’s going off about something that you said, cause she doesn’t get your humor like i do.
okay that one was unrelated, i just needed a break before rereading these quotes makes me carve out my own eyeballs with a rusty fork.
tahereh: “i fall off a ladder holding a paintbrush dipped in red.”
caitlin: no, this isn’t literal. i can’t even pretend to know what’s going on here.
tahereh: “i offer him a smile. try to keep my organs from falling out. hope the holes in my head aren’t showing.”
caitlin: oh i’ll give her a real hole in her head. because no, this also isn’t real,
———
now the characters.
(i had to come back for round two to write this at a later date.)
juliette—
is insufferable.
i can’t believe i have to spend all of these books stuck inside her head.
but more than just not really liking her, i hate what she stands for.
the 2000s/2010s peak of bad-good ya dystopian novels is near and dear to my heart, that shit raised me, but god i’ve forgotten how strongly i hate these female main characters.
these characters like juliette who are special but sad and some of the most horny people i’ve ever had the misfortune of meeting, but of course we’d never call it that because that’s improper or something, so instead the reader is bombarded with phrases like “heat” and “thunder” and “lightning” and other names of men’s cologne.
there is little that absolutely annoys the fuck out of me like the infantilized teenage girl mold: this girl who lives in complete isolation for years and, y’know, is 17, but just discovers her body in the presence of a man! and we get to hear all about it! fuck that shit.
anyways, other than that, she is just boring. pretty dumb. nothing new.
adam—
is boring. so vanilla.
kinda wish he’d died, not because he’s bad but he’s just so mid. juliette’s head over heels and like… for what?
0/10, is a fucking pushover and doesn’t even have the personality to make up for that.
now, warner—
or rather, aaron. i’m not calling him warner, that’s so uncomfortably formal and let’s be real, he’s just a nepo baby and a literal child with an overinflated ego and half of the DSM-5.
for all you girlies saying, “oh i loved warner since the first book, blah blah blah,” and everyone else joking like, “that makes you a red flag lol,” we’re not kidding. holy shit?! liking him in the first book, before the actual plot makes it so you can like him, isn’t a heads up on everyone else.
this is some weird phenomenon that’s started up in book communities, you see it with acotar and tfota too.
this is not a flex. you’re not supposed to like him right now? and i don’t see a reason to, he’s actually awful. a piece of shit. and also doesn’t even have a personality to make up for his shitty ass actions.
another thing, there was one line where he made her dress in a skimpy outfit and then stands there ogling her and she says something like, “i’m so uncomfortable, i want to sew the carpet to my skin.” bad writing aside, i felt that shit in my soul. being ogled, catcalled, and just generally objectified is one of the most disgusting feelings in the world. it makes you want to tear your skin off your body. we’re meant to like this guy? he means as much to me as that one creepy neighbor when i was 10 and i hope they both get hit by a car.
castle—
does castle turn evil or bad? i feel like he does. it’s giving the-only-black-guy-in-twilight-is-evil vibes.
———
the plot.
is the plot in the room with us?
basically, you know how most books, even parts of series, have some kind of overarching plot to the book that then weaves into the series as a whole? because that’s good writing?
well, surprise surprise, not here.
i feel like i’m watching an episode of a season of this larger story, so there’s no wrap up at the end, no specific climax in the story, and no cohesive storyline. it’s a mess.
i literally turned the page and couldn’t believe it had finished, and not because i was involved or anything, but because there was no sign of it ending at all, it’s like tahereh just decided to cut it off at a random chapter and boom, end of book.
anywho (this is my concluding statement, watch and learn?), as i’m sure you’ve figured, i did not have a fun time and i deeply regret spending money on this. oh, how i wanted to be one of the bookstagram tahereh mafi stans. maybe in another life.
July 25, 2024
‧₊˚🖇️ ; ⁺ ⸝⸝ 3 stars – no spoilers
🌧️ who's afraid of little old me, taylor swift
then say they didn't do it to hurt me
but what if they did?
… i wanna snarl and show you just how disturbed this has made me
you wouldn't last an hour in the asylum where they raised me
in the beginning this book was so emotional and not at all what i would usually like in a book, and i can't really say that as it progressed it got better ... i started with high expectations as well but i'd done my research and was well aware of the popular opinion on this book: the first book is not it, but as the series goes on it'll get better. yeah, well that's probably the only thing i can rely on right now but do wanna still continue the series.
i wanted to give it a 4 stars and, yes, i am a high rater but i felt as though 3.75 was the most fitting and not exactly a low rating (for some, at least).
.ᯓ ݁˖ what went right?
— i absolutely adoreee the world in this!! i know i'm going to love it in the other books, so am very excited for that!
— i liked how, in some parts, tahereh Mafi tried to sound poetic because it actually didn't sound too bad. it also helped me understand and realise that juliette was actually going insane in the asylum (let's face it: she wasss).
— the middle part was addictiveee!
.ᯓ ݁˖ what went wrong?
— i am not currently a fan of tahereh mafi's writing, but oh well, i'll probably end up enjoying it in the other books (yes, i clearly have really high hopes for them).
— it was too much dystopian for me, and it was my first dystopian book so i can't exactly say i have a problem with the genre so it could either be that or it could be the way tahereh mafi has written it.
— nothing actually happened in the book. like, juliette just spends some time in the asylum, goes to psych ward where we are introduced to a psycho, warner, and then runs away to adam's house. literally nothing else happens. it actually felt like reading a novella.
— and i know i'm supposed like him in the other books, but why did tahereh mafi have to write warner's character so horribly in this book? i'm still team warnette for life but why??
— yeah, no one likes adam. team warnette forever, nothing can change that + i know he'll get better in the other books. and their romance was repetitive and not that good, either.
— and a lot of juliette's character was repetitive too. i feel like i was just done hearing about her not being able to touch people. she wasn't so likeable, just, like, fine. nothing too great about her for the amazing fmc she is/is supposed to be, but am excited for her character development as the series moves progressess.
— the end was pretty underwhelming, yet the beginning was not at all underwhelming.
the rest of the series must be amazing because otherwise i have no idea what i'm going to do with myself i'm sure i will rate the rest of the series high and am SOO excited for ignite me!!
🌧️ who's afraid of little old me, taylor swift
then say they didn't do it to hurt me
but what if they did?
… i wanna snarl and show you just how disturbed this has made me
you wouldn't last an hour in the asylum where they raised me
in the beginning this book was so emotional and not at all what i would usually like in a book, and i can't really say that as it progressed it got better ... i started with high expectations as well but i'd done my research and was well aware of the popular opinion on this book: the first book is not it, but as the series goes on it'll get better. yeah, well that's probably the only thing i can rely on right now but do wanna still continue the series.
i wanted to give it a 4 stars and, yes, i am a high rater but i felt as though 3.75 was the most fitting and not exactly a low rating (for some, at least).
⛧ ˚ ˓˓ “if any of you hurt her i will shoot you myself,”
.ᯓ ݁˖ what went right?
— i absolutely adoreee the world in this!! i know i'm going to love it in the other books, so am very excited for that!
— i liked how, in some parts, tahereh Mafi tried to sound poetic because it actually didn't sound too bad. it also helped me understand and realise that juliette was actually going insane in the asylum (let's face it: she wasss).
— the middle part was addictiveee!
⛧ ˚ ˓˓ “i could love you, juliette. i would treat you like a queen.”
.ᯓ ݁˖ what went wrong?
— i am not currently a fan of tahereh mafi's writing, but oh well, i'll probably end up enjoying it in the other books (yes, i clearly have really high hopes for them).
— it was too much dystopian for me, and it was my first dystopian book so i can't exactly say i have a problem with the genre so it could either be that or it could be the way tahereh mafi has written it.
— nothing actually happened in the book. like, juliette just spends some time in the asylum, goes to psych ward where we are introduced to a psycho, warner, and then runs away to adam's house. literally nothing else happens. it actually felt like reading a novella.
— and i know i'm supposed like him in the other books, but why did tahereh mafi have to write warner's character so horribly in this book? i'm still team warnette for life but why??
— yeah, no one likes adam. team warnette forever, nothing can change that + i know he'll get better in the other books. and their romance was repetitive and not that good, either.
— and a lot of juliette's character was repetitive too. i feel like i was just done hearing about her not being able to touch people. she wasn't so likeable, just, like, fine. nothing too great about her for the amazing fmc she is/is supposed to be, but am excited for her character development as the series moves progressess.
— the end was pretty underwhelming, yet the beginning was not at all underwhelming.
April 10, 2022
It's been 27 hours since I started reading this book.
1620 minutes since I invited my doom.
97200 seconds since my brain cells started disintegrating dying
dying
dying
dying
Dead. They are dead.
I couldn't do anything to help them.
I'm pathetic weak stupid dumb idiot.
1620 minutes since I invited my doom.
97200 seconds since my brain cells started disintegrating dying
dying
dying
dying
Dead. They are dead.
I couldn't do anything to help them.
I'm pathetic weak stupid dumb idiot.
March 9, 2024
CONSPIRACY THEORY: WE ALL FUCKING LOVE LOVE TRIANGLES!
ps this is kind of spoilery sorry
yeah i said it. here's why: this book was not good. the characters were so bland, the plot SO unoriginal, the writing... such a laughable attempt at poeticism. so the only explanation for why people like this HAS to be the love triangle. it was... SEXY ya know???
adam, i mean WOW. a true STAND OUT and STAND UP guy. let's list the ways:
- BOMB tats (i mean, cmon are u swooning yet????)
- he LOVES her and can TOUCH her
- he is most definitely NOT a creep who never sought contact with her when she was young and socially isolated but instead watched her from afar
- i repeat: HE FUCKING L O V E S her
and omg... everybody loves a BAD BOI!warren winston fuck head WARNER![side note: anyone else keep picturing the pos from legally blonde]
- CRYSTAL GREEN eyes
- perfectly coiffed blonde hair and put together looks that definitely AREN'T giving "where were you january 6th" vibes
- he LOVES her and can TOUCH her
- he is most definitely NOT a stalker that found her medical records and planned an elaborate kidnapping scheme so he could use her for her "skills"
- he gives her fancy dresses
with these kinds of HOT ASS MAN MEATS how is a girl to choose?!?!?
but it doesn't really matter. because at the end of the day, julia got her super suit. and who needs a man when you've got a fucking purple super suit.
this concludes the sarcastic portion of the review.
*******************************************
ready to be shattered with sabrien & kayla
ps this is kind of spoilery sorry
yeah i said it. here's why: this book was not good. the characters were so bland, the plot SO unoriginal, the writing... such a laughable attempt at poeticism. so the only explanation for why people like this HAS to be the love triangle. it was... SEXY ya know???
adam, i mean WOW. a true STAND OUT and STAND UP guy. let's list the ways:
- BOMB tats (i mean, cmon are u swooning yet????)
- he LOVES her and can TOUCH her
- he is most definitely NOT a creep who never sought contact with her when she was young and socially isolated but instead watched her from afar
- i repeat: HE FUCKING L O V E S her
and omg... everybody loves a BAD BOI!
- CRYSTAL GREEN eyes
- perfectly coiffed blonde hair and put together looks that definitely AREN'T giving "where were you january 6th" vibes
- he LOVES her and can TOUCH her
- he is most definitely NOT a stalker that found her medical records and planned an elaborate kidnapping scheme so he could use her for her "skills"
- he gives her fancy dresses
with these kinds of HOT ASS MAN MEATS how is a girl to choose?!?!?
but it doesn't really matter. because at the end of the day, julia got her super suit. and who needs a man when you've got a fucking purple super suit.
this concludes the sarcastic portion of the review.
*******************************************
ready to be shattered with sabrien & kayla
April 24, 2020
You can find the full review and more about this book on my blog!
This was something...and I liked it.
Okay so the first 200 pages were like the dullest,cheesiest romance bullshit,like the level of cheesiness was above normal,and you know how I feel about that.I sometimes thought to quit,but god,I am glad I didn't.You know when you loose all the hope but then one things clings and you see the light again? Omega Point was that for me.Like my thoughts about this book changed 100 percent.There are 3 things that I truly cherish in life: 1.Girls in tight outfits, 2.Dragons, 3.Superpowers and that's what I got in the last 50 pages and it is enough for me,enough to continue with the series.I don't know why but I got a vibe of fantastic 4,maybe with Wilson hugging himself twice if you know what I mean.
One thing I can't wrap my mind of,one things I can't get is the hype for Warner.He is like the worst character in the book ,he is like Joffrey from Game of Thrones for me and if you know me just a little you would know how much I truly deeply hate him and I am hoping he gets killed.But absolutely get the hype for Kenji,like that guy is a legend.I feel like we are already buddies.Such a cool humor,got me laughing out loud.In the other hand Juliette,I don't know why but I got the feeling like I remember her from somewhere.I like her like a lot,she cries much,and she literally has a million chances to kill people she wants to kill but doesn't,but god she is beautiful.I don't know some people are just beautiful,now in what they look,not in what they say,just in what they are,and she was beautiful to me that way.
I will definitely continue the series.I like the plot,and now with superpowers it is a million times better.I recommend this book to every reader out there,it has a different writing style,some call it beautiful and unique,and I can't disagree,it's just that I didn't find it beautiful.It was annyoing like hell,especially at the beginnings.I know I will get a bunch of replies for not liking Warner,but seriously people what's there to like?
March 9, 2023
throwback to when i read this book and was Team Adam
August 31, 2024
╰┈➤ — 6/5 stars ⭐️
”Don’t mistake stupidity for bravery, love”
~this will forever be one of my fav books and aaron will forever be my husband 🙏🏻
╰┈➤ ⋅˚₊‧ pre-read review 🎧ྀི
~rereading one of my fav books for a third time with bestie mitra so excited for thiss<33
~okay so lemme get this straight, my first read of 2024 was a 5 star read.. and now ur telling me my second read is also a 5 stars?
”Don’t mistake stupidity for bravery, love”
~this will forever be one of my fav books and aaron will forever be my husband 🙏🏻
╰┈➤ ⋅˚₊‧ pre-read review 🎧ྀི
~rereading one of my fav books for a third time with bestie mitra so excited for thiss<33
~okay so lemme get this straight, my first read of 2024 was a 5 star read.. and now ur telling me my second read is also a 5 stars?
April 3, 2021
I seriously don’t know why it took me so long to dig my claws into this book, but I definitely know that I don’t regret doing it! ;-)
“Shatter Me” was an awesome read and I enjoyed it immensely! There were so many things I loved about this book and whilst it is true that many people complained about the writing style, I have to admit that I actually loved it.
“Hope is hugging me, holding me in its arms, wiping away my tears and telling me that today and tomorrow and two days from now I will be just fine and I'm so delirious I actually dare to believe it.”
I think it was something new and extraordinary and I loved the way Juliette described her world. The repetitions, her thoughts, the things she thought and even the truths she vehemently refused to admit. It all gave me a very good picture of her character and her mind, the many things she must have gone through shaping her into a person that distrusts everyone and desperately tries not to feel anything. XD Of course she’s failing but this actually only made her even more likeable. *lol*
See where I’m getting at? Tahereh Mafi knows exactly what she’s doing and she really managed to drag me into her world. Yes, I confess! I’m officially hooked now and I’m soo going to read all of the other books! ;-P
So be prepared to read many reviews! *LOL*
Okay, enough of the threats and right back to the characters! Oh, the characters! There’s so much to tell! XD
FAIR WARNING: Mild spoilers lying ahead of you! ;-)
Juliette:
At the beginning of the book you don’t even know her name. Everything you know is that she’s been imprisoned for ages and that she’s more than just a little insecure. Considering her ability this is no surprise though, the fact she can hurt and even kill people with just the touch of her fingertips making it kind of hard to be all too sociable. Juliette may not talk a lot but she sees everything and she’s more than just observant. She obviously also seems to have a knack for poetry and I really enjoyed the way she used her words.
“All I ever wanted was to reach out and touch another human being not just with my hands but with my heart.”
Adam:
That boy is hot as hell and Juliette’s new cell mate! Could a girl ask for more? Dark hair, blue eyes, awesome and muscular body! *drools* Okay, okay! I’m back on track! *lol* Yeah, as you can see Adam is just awesome boyfriend material and it’s no wonder that they kind of hit it off! He’s caring and gentle and he always tries to understand Juliette’s thoughts. I liked him from the beginning and I’m really curious to find out how things are going to proceed in the next books. =)
Sidenote: Is it just me or does he never tell Juliette that he loves her? O_o I thought this was kind of odd. Juliette told him she loved him but as far as I could read he never returned it…. Did I miss anything? xD
God, Juliette, I'd follow you anywhere. You're the only good thing left in this world.”
Warner:
Oh my god! Warner! Gosh! Warner! Argh! Warner! *babbling mess* That boy, that boy gave me all the feels! Good and bad! Happy and angry! Disgusted and longing for more! *lol* I wanted him to touch Juliette and I wanted her to touch him! I just couldn’t decide if I wanted it because I wanted him to hurt or because I wanted them to make out! *LOL* What is it with me and the villains? Why do I love them so much!? XD First Maven and now Warner, I think I’m going to die! >_< Oh, well I think I’m supposed to say something about his character as well so here I go: He’s ruthless when he is with his soldiers but he is gentle whenever he is with Juliette. He seems to care about her a LOT and he even admitted that he loved her! But why does he hurt her so much? Warner is a big question mark and some sort of mystery I’m determined to solve. So yesh, I’m so going to read “Destroy Me” after I wrote this review! XD
His smile is laced with dynamite. "Go to sleep."
"Go to hell."
He works his jaw. Walks to the door. "I'm working on it.”
"I'm nineteen years old." He clarifies. "I'm a fairly impressive specimen for my age, I know."
Kenji:
I loved Kenji! That boy is so funny and I really enjoyed his sassy demeanour. He’s constantly hitting on Juliette and his character gives the book a hilarious edge. I want more of him and actually can’t wait to meet him again! =)
His grin is crooked. "I don't know why, but I kind of like it when you threaten me."
"That's because you're an idiot."
"Nah." He shakes his head. "You've got a sexy voice makes everything sound naughty."
So, if you haven’t already figured it out:
YES I liked “Shatter Me” and I can easily recommend it to anyone who’s looking for a nice and short-lived page turner! =)
Enjoy! ;-P
“Shatter Me” was an awesome read and I enjoyed it immensely! There were so many things I loved about this book and whilst it is true that many people complained about the writing style, I have to admit that I actually loved it.
“Hope is hugging me, holding me in its arms, wiping away my tears and telling me that today and tomorrow and two days from now I will be just fine and I'm so delirious I actually dare to believe it.”
I think it was something new and extraordinary and I loved the way Juliette described her world. The repetitions, her thoughts, the things she thought and even the truths she vehemently refused to admit. It all gave me a very good picture of her character and her mind, the many things she must have gone through shaping her into a person that distrusts everyone and desperately tries not to feel anything. XD Of course she’s failing but this actually only made her even more likeable. *lol*
See where I’m getting at? Tahereh Mafi knows exactly what she’s doing and she really managed to drag me into her world. Yes, I confess! I’m officially hooked now and I’m soo going to read all of the other books! ;-P
So be prepared to read many reviews! *LOL*
Okay, enough of the threats and right back to the characters! Oh, the characters! There’s so much to tell! XD
FAIR WARNING: Mild spoilers lying ahead of you! ;-)
Juliette:
At the beginning of the book you don’t even know her name. Everything you know is that she’s been imprisoned for ages and that she’s more than just a little insecure. Considering her ability this is no surprise though, the fact she can hurt and even kill people with just the touch of her fingertips making it kind of hard to be all too sociable. Juliette may not talk a lot but she sees everything and she’s more than just observant. She obviously also seems to have a knack for poetry and I really enjoyed the way she used her words.
“All I ever wanted was to reach out and touch another human being not just with my hands but with my heart.”
Adam:
That boy is hot as hell and Juliette’s new cell mate! Could a girl ask for more? Dark hair, blue eyes, awesome and muscular body! *drools* Okay, okay! I’m back on track! *lol* Yeah, as you can see Adam is just awesome boyfriend material and it’s no wonder that they kind of hit it off! He’s caring and gentle and he always tries to understand Juliette’s thoughts. I liked him from the beginning and I’m really curious to find out how things are going to proceed in the next books. =)
Sidenote: Is it just me or does he never tell Juliette that he loves her? O_o I thought this was kind of odd. Juliette told him she loved him but as far as I could read he never returned it…. Did I miss anything? xD
God, Juliette, I'd follow you anywhere. You're the only good thing left in this world.”
Warner:
Oh my god! Warner! Gosh! Warner! Argh! Warner! *babbling mess* That boy, that boy gave me all the feels! Good and bad! Happy and angry! Disgusted and longing for more! *lol* I wanted him to touch Juliette and I wanted her to touch him! I just couldn’t decide if I wanted it because I wanted him to hurt or because I wanted them to make out! *LOL* What is it with me and the villains? Why do I love them so much!? XD First Maven and now Warner, I think I’m going to die! >_< Oh, well I think I’m supposed to say something about his character as well so here I go: He’s ruthless when he is with his soldiers but he is gentle whenever he is with Juliette. He seems to care about her a LOT and he even admitted that he loved her! But why does he hurt her so much? Warner is a big question mark and some sort of mystery I’m determined to solve. So yesh, I’m so going to read “Destroy Me” after I wrote this review! XD
His smile is laced with dynamite. "Go to sleep."
"Go to hell."
He works his jaw. Walks to the door. "I'm working on it.”
"I'm nineteen years old." He clarifies. "I'm a fairly impressive specimen for my age, I know."
Kenji:
I loved Kenji! That boy is so funny and I really enjoyed his sassy demeanour. He’s constantly hitting on Juliette and his character gives the book a hilarious edge. I want more of him and actually can’t wait to meet him again! =)
His grin is crooked. "I don't know why, but I kind of like it when you threaten me."
"That's because you're an idiot."
"Nah." He shakes his head. "You've got a sexy voice makes everything sound naughty."
So, if you haven’t already figured it out:
YES I liked “Shatter Me” and I can easily recommend it to anyone who’s looking for a nice and short-lived page turner! =)
Enjoy! ;-P
August 3, 2017
(2.5?) The lack of world building is one of my main issues with this book (even though it seems like things will be explained in book 2... a full book with little world building is boring!).
I didn't love the writing and the characters felt very one dimensional.
Kinda felt like another YA dystopian world with a love triangle and an incredibly pretty main character - even after spending over 6 months isolated, underfed... and the fact that she hasn't seen herself in the mirror in 3 years... Her beauty is mentioned in pretty awkward moments.
If it wasn't for the fact that people say the series becomes way better after book 1 I would stop but I'll give the second book a try!
I didn't love the writing and the characters felt very one dimensional.
Kinda felt like another YA dystopian world with a love triangle and an incredibly pretty main character - even after spending over 6 months isolated, underfed... and the fact that she hasn't seen herself in the mirror in 3 years... Her beauty is mentioned in pretty awkward moments.
If it wasn't for the fact that people say the series becomes way better after book 1 I would stop but I'll give the second book a try!
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