November 5, 2011

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.

13 comments:

  1. Ooh, I'm very intrigued by the strikethrough concept! Adam and Juliette sounds awesome together and individually.

    Can't wait to get me hands on this book. =D

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  2. Great review! We too are kind of afraid of the hype on this one, especially because Tahereh is so sweet herself. We really want to like it, and your review makes us think we probably will! Thanks.

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  3. AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!! So glad that you liked it! And yes, "People are complex, and the characters in 'Shatter Me' show this, making them seem like real people." SO AMAZING!

    Ugh. This book makes me so gosh darn happy... ;)

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  4. Glad you liked it! I've actually heard that Juliette is a little naive and considers Adam her "saviour"... oh, and she also attracts a lot of guys? (LOL.) What did you think, Ashley? Oh, and how was the world?

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  5. Yay! I'm glad that you liked it. I'm now "patiently" counting the days until its release :)

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  6. Oh, thank you so much for trying to sate my thirst for this book with this review. But, it's NOT ENOUGH. Especially after that awesomesauce review. I can't take this wait much longer *twitches* You are so lucky to have been able to read it already!

    - Asher (from Paranormal Indulgence)

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  7. hi! its penelope (met u at the blog meet :D)
    i so cant wait to read this book!!
    following u now :)
    http://penelopeworldofbooks.blogspot.com

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  8. **MINOR SPOILERS in this comment**

    Eden -->

    I've heard that people had problems with Juliette, which is strange to me because usually I'm the first one to point fingers at weak heroines, but I really loved her. Did she see Adam as her hero? Hmmmm perhaps, but not in a "oh I can't survive without you" way, but more like "you were kind to me when no one else was, and I love you for it". I think if no one else was nice to me at all and then this gorgeous guy was so strong and kind I'd probably have a little bit of hero worship going on too. ;)

    Hmmmm yes I guess you could technically say there were 3 guys interested in her, but honestly only one serious love interest. It didn't seem over the top to me, especially because Juliette is extremely unique, so it makes sense that people would be curious about her.

    The world building was pretty good so far. The book is very insular in locations and Juliette has been locked away for so long that you don't get a huge picture of what's going on outside, but what we do hear is very interesting. And I think book 2 will build a lot on it.

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  9. Avery: YESSSS, it was so good!

    Asher: Yes, I feel so lucky because I've been dying to read it. Not too long now! I'll email you back tomorrow probably. =)

    Penelope: So nice to meet you!! I will definitely come visit your blog tonight or tomorrow. =)

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  10. I've heard so much about this book, I'm kind of wavering, sometimes I wanna read it - like after reading your review, and others I'm not sure if it's a book for me.

    But I guess I'll have to read to find out!

    Thanks for the review.

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  11. YES! I love how the strikethrough gave us insight into what she really wanted to say but didn't. Juliette is an amazing character and I can't wait to read more!!

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  12. I have been so excited to read this book! I just won it in a giveaway, so I'll be reading it soon. I can't wait to see this awesome writing you are talking about. Thanks for the review! :)

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  13. I loved Shatter Me too! The writing style was beautiful and Juliette was a fantastic heroine! I loved the complexity of the villian... and Adam stole my heart, lol. I'm glad Shatter Me lived up to the hype in your eyes as well! :)

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Thank you so much for taking the time to comment; I appreciate each one!

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