Review: Shatter Me

by Tahereh Mafi
publisher: HarperTeen
date of publication: November 15, 2011
format: ARC
pages: 342
source: from the publisher for review
Amazon / Goodreads / B&N

From Goodreads:

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.

In this electrifying debut, Tahereh Mafi presents a world as riveting as The Hunger Games and a superhero story as thrilling as The X-Men. Full of pulse-pounding romance, intoxicating villainy, and high-stakes choices, Shatter Me is a fresh and original dystopian novel—with a paranormal twist—that will leave readers anxiously awaiting its sequel.

What I Thought 

I was extremely excited upon receiving Shatter Me in the mail.  As much as I wanted to sit down to read it right then and there, I waited in the interest of knocking out my other review books.  I am glad to say that it was definitely worth the wait!  From the very beginning, I found myself immersed in Juliette's world.  Everything from her thought process to her predicament are absolutely riveting and definitely made for one of the best possible reading experiences.  Even the world in which Juliette lives is riveting in its apparently bleakness.  It is a terrifying thought of what could some day happen, which adds to the thrill factor of this book.  This novel has so much to offer.  From heart-stopping romance to edge-of-your-seat thrills, Shatter Me will draw you in and won't let go until the last word is read.

Juliette was such a fascinating character for me.  The way in which her dialog read conveyed a certain nervous haste, which was perfect for shedding light on her state of mind.  Through her imprisonment, she has been broken to the very edge of insanity.  However, she is strong, so she continues to hold on, which I found to be very admirable.  All of that is without taking her strange power into account.  When that is added to the mix, she is all the more intriguing.  I didn't think it could get much better character-wise until Adam was introduced.  When the sparks started flying, the intensity-level sky-rocketed.  I liked Adam as a leading man, even when he was overly-protective.  I just laughed it off because I knew full well that Juliette could take care of herself.  The last of the characters to make a statement was Warner.  He is one of those villains you love to hate, and such a complex villain, too.  He brought as many questions to mind as he did moments of disgust.  He is reprehensible, yet there is a touch of something within him that evokes your sympathy.  This is a damaged young man, and you have to wonder what happened to make him this way.  His delusional, megalomaniacal persona definitely made for some chilling moments.

Shatter Me is one of those books that should be read over and over again, just so more and more nuances can be discovered and given thought to.  From the dystopian setting to the burgeoning super hero aspect of the book, there is plenty to keep the biggest of action fans happy.  If you love your books filled with romance, action, and menace, then Shatter Me is for you.  I loved it so much that I pre-ordered my own copy the day after I finished it.  This is definitely one for the bookshelves!  

Obligatory legal statement: This ARC was provided to me free of charge by the publisher. No monetary compensation was received in exchange for this fair and unbiased review.