curtisse's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
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? Yes
3.0
youonlywishau's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
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? Yes
5.0
blown away quite literally. the writing in this is so perfect the way it is so descriptive to the point where you feel everything you’re reading. I always get nervous reading series because I feel I tend to get disappointed as the books progress, but this only adds in the best possible way to the overall story. I appreciate the slow burn realistic side of it as well, i’ve read many books that tend to rush into the best parts without truly milking their potential.
hopelessromantic160's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
rebeccareads08's review against another edition
4.0
Wow! There were so many twists and turns in this book and I loved them all!
Some thoughts:
- I love Juliet embracing her chaos.
- Warner continues to be the most interesting character.
-Poor Adam.
-Kenji is still the King of Cool.
-Has know one thought little James can maybe touch Juliet also?
Starting next book in 3…2….1…
Some thoughts:
- I love Juliet embracing her chaos.
- Warner continues to be the most interesting character.
-Poor Adam.
-Kenji is still the King of Cool.
-Has know one thought little James can maybe touch Juliet also?
Starting next book in 3…2….1…
emmy_cool123's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, War, and Body horror
letteaseauh's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
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? Yes
5.0
kirstanlane17's review against another edition
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
mirthes_bookshelf's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
medium-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
4.0
puzzling_reader's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
whothehellisimmy's review against another edition
3.0
After being massively disappointed by [b:Shatter Me|10429045|Shatter Me (Shatter Me, #1)|Tahereh Mafi|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1310649047l/10429045._SY75_.jpg|15333458], I did not have high hopes for [b:Unravel Me|13104080|Unravel Me (Shatter Me, #2)|Tahereh Mafi|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1340287622l/13104080._SY75_.jpg|18276967]. However, there were certain parts in this book that managed to hook me and genuinely interest me.
Style and Formatting:
You'd think that after looking over the published version of Shatter Me, Mafi would have reconsidered certain aspects of the formatting to make it look better stylistically, though unsurprisingly this was not the case.
I was happy to see that the strikethroughs were used sparingly in this book - this allows for more creativity with Juliette's thoughts and makes the book a lot easier to read. However, the short chapters (again averaging about six pages per chapter) and the numbers being written as numerals were all back to haunt the readers. Just read this:
"Kenji grabs 1 of the chairs pushed up against the wall and carries it over to my bed. Sits down. Props the ankle of 1 foot on the knee of the other and sits back."
Considering the fact that Warner is in possession of Juliette's notebook, you'd think the book would stop having this informal, colloquial style of writing, but I'm going to assume Mafi kept writing the book in this style to keep consistent with the writing of the previous book.
Worldbuilding:
Mafi has still left a lot of information vague - I'm unsure if this is on purpose, but seeing as I have 7 other books to read in this series, that's what seems most likely - though what she has revealed, she's done in an intriguing way. Many of my leftover questions from Shatter Me were answered, though I'm still left with more - which, I assume, is done to get the reader to read the rest of the series.
Characters:
Juliette - Juliette starts out as the same mopey, defeatist girl she was during Shatter Me, though due to events and disagreements within Unravel Me, she manages to actually grow some semblance of a backbone and goes through some pretty satisfying character development.
Adam - Adam's development throughout the book was far less satisfying. His refusal to let Juliette go even after she says they wouldn't work because of the unpredictability of their gifts didn't sit right with me. I understand he was heartbroken, but he could have at least kept it on the down-low and not made such a big thing about it.
Kenji - I'll admit it, Kenji is my favourite. He calls Juliette out on her lack of participation and basically kickstarts her development as a character. He's definitely someone I'd want around if I was in the world of Shatter Me.
Warner (Aaron) - I am very, very conflicted about Aaron. I caught myself hating him, liking him and then pitying him all within a few chapters. Aaron is probably one of the most well-written characters in this series, and the backstory we're given in Unravel Me helps to figure out why he acted the way he did in Shatter Me.
Anderson - Anderson is a very good villain. As the Supreme Commander of the Reestablishment, he holds a lot of power and knows exactly what to do with it (though sometimes it does mean traumatising his own son.)
The Story Itself:
Whilst reading Unravel Me, I realised that this series was written to be a series from the start. It became obvious that Shatter Me was written for exposition purposes (which I think threw off a lot of potential readers), and that there were going to be more books after Unravel Me because of the placements of climaxes within the stories. I noticed in both books that the ending managed to be the most intriguing and interesting part, compelling the reader to continue the series.
The romance in this novel is not without its own tragedies, including Adam and Juliette's messy breakup and whatever the hell was happening with Juliette and Aaron. Adam's relationship with Juliette felt forced, and at certain points before their breakup, they were incredibly similar to each other - more like siblings than partners. Juliette and Aaron were, surprisingly, a couple I found myself rooting for by the end of the book. It initially made me uncomfortable, but the closer the pair got, the more the couple grew on me.
The dystopian aspects of the novel are finally focused on, albeit basically. Mafi is very good at writing fast-paced action scenes, and the battle at the end of the book was really well done. Once the book dove into the action I found myself really starting to get hooked and I did enjoy the last half of the book more than the first half.
Overall, this book is definitely better than its predecessor, though not good enough to warrant anything higher than three stars. I am glad I kept going with this series, but it was definitely tough to get through the first few chapters.
Style and Formatting:
You'd think that after looking over the published version of Shatter Me, Mafi would have reconsidered certain aspects of the formatting to make it look better stylistically, though unsurprisingly this was not the case.
I was happy to see that the strikethroughs were used sparingly in this book - this allows for more creativity with Juliette's thoughts and makes the book a lot easier to read. However, the short chapters (again averaging about six pages per chapter) and the numbers being written as numerals were all back to haunt the readers. Just read this:
"Kenji grabs 1 of the chairs pushed up against the wall and carries it over to my bed. Sits down. Props the ankle of 1 foot on the knee of the other and sits back."
Considering the fact that Warner is in possession of Juliette's notebook, you'd think the book would stop having this informal, colloquial style of writing, but I'm going to assume Mafi kept writing the book in this style to keep consistent with the writing of the previous book.
Worldbuilding:
Mafi has still left a lot of information vague - I'm unsure if this is on purpose, but seeing as I have 7 other books to read in this series, that's what seems most likely - though what she has revealed, she's done in an intriguing way. Many of my leftover questions from Shatter Me were answered, though I'm still left with more - which, I assume, is done to get the reader to read the rest of the series.
Characters:
Juliette - Juliette starts out as the same mopey, defeatist girl she was during Shatter Me, though due to events and disagreements within Unravel Me, she manages to actually grow some semblance of a backbone and goes through some pretty satisfying character development.
Adam - Adam's development throughout the book was far less satisfying. His refusal to let Juliette go even after she says they wouldn't work because of the unpredictability of their gifts didn't sit right with me. I understand he was heartbroken, but he could have at least kept it on the down-low and not made such a big thing about it.
Kenji - I'll admit it, Kenji is my favourite. He calls Juliette out on her lack of participation and basically kickstarts her development as a character. He's definitely someone I'd want around if I was in the world of Shatter Me.
Warner (Aaron) - I am very, very conflicted about Aaron. I caught myself hating him, liking him and then pitying him all within a few chapters. Aaron is probably one of the most well-written characters in this series, and the backstory we're given in Unravel Me helps to figure out why he acted the way he did in Shatter Me.
Anderson - Anderson is a very good villain. As the Supreme Commander of the Reestablishment, he holds a lot of power and knows exactly what to do with it (though sometimes it does mean traumatising his own son.)
The Story Itself:
Whilst reading Unravel Me, I realised that this series was written to be a series from the start. It became obvious that Shatter Me was written for exposition purposes (which I think threw off a lot of potential readers), and that there were going to be more books after Unravel Me because of the placements of climaxes within the stories. I noticed in both books that the ending managed to be the most intriguing and interesting part, compelling the reader to continue the series.
The romance in this novel is not without its own tragedies, including Adam and Juliette's messy breakup and whatever the hell was happening with Juliette and Aaron. Adam's relationship with Juliette felt forced, and at certain points before their breakup, they were incredibly similar to each other - more like siblings than partners. Juliette and Aaron were, surprisingly, a couple I found myself rooting for by the end of the book. It initially made me uncomfortable, but the closer the pair got, the more the couple grew on me.
The dystopian aspects of the novel are finally focused on, albeit basically. Mafi is very good at writing fast-paced action scenes, and the battle at the end of the book was really well done. Once the book dove into the action I found myself really starting to get hooked and I did enjoy the last half of the book more than the first half.
Overall, this book is definitely better than its predecessor, though not good enough to warrant anything higher than three stars. I am glad I kept going with this series, but it was definitely tough to get through the first few chapters.