“Loneliness is a strange sort of thing. It creeps up on you, quiet and still, sits by your side in the dark, strokes your hair as you sleep . . . It’s a constant companion, clasping your hand only to yank you down when you’re struggling to stand up, catching your tears only to force them down your throat. It scares you simply by standing by your side.”
Shatter Me, Unravel Me (least favorite), Ignite Me (favorite), Restore Me, Defy Me, and Imagine Me
Author: Tahereh Mafi
Genre: Dystopian
Rating: 5/5
Tahereh Mafi’s Shatter Me series follows 17 year old Juliette Ferrars, a girl with a lethal touch. Juliette’s parents threw her in an asylum, terrified of her power. Juliette has become insane due to her isolation and guilt. In many parts of the novel, she is writing journal entries, containing lines and phrases that are crossed out. Out of nowhere, Juliette gets a male cellmate, a boy her age named Adam. Adam reveals to Juliette that the world is crumbling around them with a new government called The Reestablishment. The novel follows Juliette on her journey of gaining confidence within herself and discovering the truth about her power and The Reestablishment.
This entire series is hands down my favorite of anything I’ve read. I am obsessed with Tahereh Mafi’s writing style. The book flows extremely well, making it so enjoyable to read. The way Mafi writes the romance in this series is fantastic and so lyrical. The pace is never too slow and Juliette’s diary entries make the book all the more perfect. In her entries, there are strikethroughs through many words and phrases, representing the insanity Juliette is facing from her seclusion and traumatic experiences. For the majority of her life, Juliette is petrified and extremely shy. Throughout the course of the series, Juliette gains much more confidence in herself. Her character growth through the first novel is remarkable but gets even greater in the rest of the series.
Many of the characters are very endearing. I’m a sucker for comedic relief characters, making Kenji, Juliette’s best friend, an all time favorite. His ability to get a laugh out of me is not my only reason I love him so much. He often gives great advice, holds deep conversations, and is one of the most intelligent characters. Warner is also a favorite but he is a tough, complex character. In the first novel, I wouldn’t call him a favorite considering he is technically the villain. As the series goes on he becomes more lovable considering his past and the discovery of his true intentions. If we’re talking about the first two novels, my favorite is definitely Kenji. Through the last four novels, my favorite is Warner.
There is very little I dislike about the series. However, I do have a few criticisms. The first three books are narrated by Juliette. The last three switch between narrations by Juliette/Warner, and Juliette/Kenji. One of my criticisms would be that as much as I love Kenji, I found myself much more engaged when I was reading from the Juliette/Warner perspective rather than the Juliette/Kenji perspective. Other than that, I have nothing negative to say. The writing is absolutely phenomenal and the story itself is so engaging with the insane plot twists, flawless storyline, and the aspect of romance intertwined in it all.
