Reviews with content warning for Police brutality - Shatter Me

I really enjoyed this book - almost gave it 5 stars. I enjoyed the fact that the book and pages were more chaotic at the beginning and eased off throughout the book to reflect her mental state. The depictions of her loneliness and desperation to be touched were heartbreaking. I cannot wait to read the rest of this series.

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lisa_elfman's review against another edition

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This is disturbing, dystopian abusive relationship fodder. It’s definitely not my cup of tea.

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literallysam's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

The protagonist, Juliette, possesses a power that is both a blessing and a curse. Her touch is lethal, capable of causing pain and death, making her an outcast in a chaotic world where control is everything. Juliette's internal struggles are palpable, and Mafi beautifully captures the complexity of her character.
The strikethroughs and repetition in the chapters perfectly depicted her chaotic thoughts and fractured state of mind. I loved this experimental style that captures the essence of the story's themes of isolation, self-discovery, and resilience.
Throughout the book we witness her character development as she transforms from a fragile soul into a resilient heroine.

The romance in Shatter Me is a balance between forbidden love and raw passion.
On one hand the chemistry between Juliette and Adam is undeniable. The intensity of their forbidden love evoked a sense of longing and left me yearning for more.
On the other hand the dynamic between Juliette and Warner, the enigmatic antagonist is one of the best aspects of the book. The tension between them is to die for- and the chemistry crackles off the pages.
Though it may not appeal to you if you're seeking a more straightforward and predictable love story but I'm sure by the end of the book you'd definitely be left rooting for them a little. I personally love enemies to lovers trope so that is why I picked up this book in the first place.🌚

It's really fast-paced, filled with twists and turns and always keeps you engrossed.
Mafi's unique writing style, combined with complex characters and a dystopian backdrop, creates an amazing story. The world-building is haunting and really good- a crumbling society, governed by a totalitarian government, creates an image of a landscape ruled by fear and oppression. READ IT.💙

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chaos_and_chapters's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional inspiring mysterious tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.25

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donatio's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

I finally gave in to the hype after a friend of mine read it and I'm still in doubt if the hype is deserved.
I really liked the portrayal of the chaos in Juliette's mind and the fast-paced style fit the book.
But I couldn't yet bond with any of the characters expect

the ones at Omega Point. Adam is so toxic and Warner isn't (yet?) the one Book tok made him, although I know I should always be careful with. Booktok's portrayal of characters.
Furthermore there wasn't much depth to what happens in those two weeks before Juliette planned to escape with Adam. What was she doing? More importantly, what was Warner doing with her? I would've liked to see some more developme
nt of the details.

I will continue the series in the hopes that the writing style will become better.

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sam_wal's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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eatingbrains's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No

2.0

I think I missed the time frame where I would have eaten this up. There's a lot of world building that happens that is super intriguing but the romance element is juvenile (intentionally since it makes sense for the characters) but I cannot stop cringing.

I don't know if I will continue, I might read the Destroy Me novella since it's at the end of my copy from the library and see how I feel about it then.

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wasupdial's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Got me out of my book slump! Absolutely obsessed! Slow at first but after the first few chapters I was hooked. So many great and relatable quotes in such a dystopian novel. Just wish there was more diversity, most of the characters are described as white with blonde hair and blue eyes and society’s perception of “beautiful”. Looking forward to reading the rest of the series though with (hopefully) more diversity. Also such a gasping read.

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