Thursday, March 14, 2013

Review: Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

Shatter Me (Shatter Me, #1)
Shatter Me (Shatter Me #1) by Tahereh Mafi
Juliette hasn’t touched anyone in exactly 264 days.
The last time she did, it was an accident, but The Reestablishment locked her up for murder. No one knows why Juliette’s touch is fatal. As long as she doesn’t hurt anyone else, no one really cares. The world is too busy crumbling to pieces to pay attention to a 17-year-old girl. Diseases are destroying the population, food is hard to find, birds don’t fly anymore, and the clouds are the wrong color.
The Reestablishment said their way was the only way to fix things, so they threw Juliette in a cell. Now so many people are dead that the survivors are whispering war– and The Reestablishment has changed its mind. Maybe Juliette is more than a tortured soul stuffed into a poisonous body. Maybe she’s exactly what they need right now.
Juliette has to make a choice: Be a weapon. Or be a warrior.

Publishes in US: November 15th 2011 by Harper
Genre: YA dystopia
Source: library
Series? Yes, the 1st of Shatter Me series, 1.5 novella is Destroy Me, 2nd is Unravel Me, 2.5 novella is untitled Dec 13th 2013, and 3rd untitled releases Feb 2014

Buy it: Barnes & Noble   Amazon    IndieBound    BookDepository.com

Find Tahereh online: site   twitter   facebook  blog   book trailer

  
    The writing style is very unique and it almost deterred me. It is journal style, almost prose, but not quite, but I am glad that I stuck with it because I was soon enamored by Juliette  The prison that she is in, and the mysteries of her past quickly had me soaking it in and flipping through the pages, annoyed any time the outside world interrupted. 
    Soon enough, another character, Adam is introduced, and there is also questions that arise about his character. Did she know him in the past? Does he just look like someone she knew? Is her fear from something she did, or is it something he did to her? But we also see glimpses of his softer side through the tough exterior, and that makes him appealing to me. 
    When Warner comes on the scene, I don't know what to think of him, because I had read some reviews that talked about Team Warner vs Team Adam and I kept waiting for what made people attracted to him. Then I also saw peeks of his pain and what he has been through, and the similarities he had to Juliette, but then some of the things that he did made me second guess anything I though I saw. 
    But about half way through some things come up to make me question Adam! So, Mafi has a talent for twists, and making me on the edge of my seat questioning motives, and what was the real or pretended front for the characters. 
    As of right now I am going to have to claim team Adam, he is sexy, sweet, and there is a history with them, and a connection. 
    The world building was okay for me. We learn about it through Adam because Juliette was there for the beginning of the change, but was mostly locked up for it. It is a dark and chilling world. 
    I couldn't believe some of the developments and how Shatter Me left off. 
    I loved every moment, and couldn't wait for the next book. I was mad at my library and wanted Unravel Me to be in my hands the moment I closed the book.  
Video review: 

Bottom Line: Great start, fresh voice, and awesome premise that was executed beautifully.

My question to you, my lovely readers:
Weapon or warrior?