Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

Release Date: November 15, 2011
Publisher: HarperCollins
Pages: 342
Series: Shatter Me #1
Review Source: Won ARC from Jess

Synopsis: (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.

My Thoughts:
I wasn’t sure what to expect going into this one. I adored the concept and all I had heard about it were rave reviews, but hype kills me almost every time. The only books I can think of from the past couple of years that lived up to their own hype (in my opinion) are Divergent and Anna and the French Kiss. Well, thankfully, I can now add Shatter Me to that list. There’s just something really special about this book that I’m having trouble putting my finger on. It has a certain je ne sais quoi, but thankfully it also has a lot of other awesome qualities that I can describe.

I think what makes ‘Shatter Me’ really special is the writing style. Juliette’s voice is so endearing and honest, and I loved the whole strikthrough concept, which is especially prevalent at the beginning when Juliette is feeling the most alone and trying to hide her emotions. Mostly I think the writing style just felt real. It honestly felt like the perspective of a real person. There were fragmented sentences and then vivid imagery, but mostly there were fully realized emotions and thoughts. The writing style alone puts this book above other similar works, but that’s not its only strength.

Juliette and Adam are both such fantastic characters. I adored how kind Juliette is despite all the hatred she’s been subjected to. The fact that she cares so much about the plight of others really touched me. Adam, similarly, is a loyal and good person who has had to deal with a different kind of adversity but has come out of it stronger. And the two of them together? Wow! Lots of really perfect moments between these two. What’s great is that the two main characters are not the only ones who are fully fleshed out. I was especially interested in the villain character, because there was nothing simple about him or his motives. It just seemed so true to life. People are complex, and the characters in 'Shatter Me' show this, making them seem like real people.

Honestly, what else can I say? This book has received such fabulous reviews that I didn’t think it could live up to my expectations, but I’m so happy that it did. Tahereh Mafi is a fabulous writer, and I cannot believe this is her debut novel! I’m already excited for Book 2, because even though ‘Shatter Me’ tells a complete story, it is also a first book where the ending sets up a pretty awesome premise for the next installment. Basically? You should read this book. You MUST read this book.

The Cover:
I know this cover has a lot of haters, but I adore it! Okay, yes, it's another "pretty girl in a dress" cover, but I think it shows Juliette's strength really well. I also love the font, and how the tagline incorporates the whole strikethrough style of writing. AND I adore how the light effect in the background is actually part of the photo. Gorgeous!

Rating:
[5/5]

Find Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi on Goodreads, Book Depository, & Amazon.