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justagirlwithbooks's review against another edition
3.0
“I didn't understand then that a home is not always a place. Sometimes, it's a person.”
I'm finally done with this series! I'm going to go into This Woven Kingdom next, I think I might like it more than this series just because it's more recent and Persian inspired fantasy. Anyways, I liked this novella, and I miss Warner's pov. I thought that the wedding would be shown but alas, it got cut off. Warner was still being moody which I didn't like. But the bromance between Warner and Kenji was nice. But now that I'm done, this series was a wild ride, and it wasn't a good series but it was entertaining, which is all I want sometimes.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Sexual content
Moderate: Cursing
rokinjaguar's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
A suitable ending for the overall vibe of this series, which certainly was a series that I read every single book of. Vaguely baffling, bad but good at the same time, I was deeply uninvested but it also inspired real emotions in me almost accidentally. I genuinely don’t even know what to say about this series.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness and Sexual content
Moderate: Cursing
melist6's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness
Moderate: Sexual content
taylorswiftobsessed's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
fast-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
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Sexual content
Moderate: Cursing, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Death, Emotional abuse, and Violence
avery_hutchinson's review against another edition
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
The best book of the series, as it is a cute wrap up. It did feel like there were a lot of unnecessary problems though
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness
jen1804's review against another edition
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
I could probably take or leave this final novella of the Shatter Me series. I didn’t hate it but I didn’t love it either.
I didn’t really like all the secretive wedding planning and keeping that from Aaron so that Juliette could surprise him. But I also kinda understand what Mafi was trying to portray by writing it this way. Aaron is a tortured soul who thinks nobody likes him and that everyone is better off without him, so by everyone mucking together and planning this wonderful surprise for him it sort of demonstrates that he’s maybe more liked than he thinks he is, even if he does treat everyone other than Juliette like an ass.
It just felt as though Aaron only had two moods during this which were overly worried about everything and then overly mean to everyone. And it makes me sad because I feel that he is far more complex that just those two emotions and it wasn’t in keeping with Aaron’s character that I’ve loved throughout the series.
I’m not 100% sure what I’m trying to say, I just felt that this was not a fantastic ending to the series and I probably could’ve stopped at Imagine Me with no epilogue. Sure it’s always nice to know what characters are up to after saving the world, but really I only want to know as long as the character development is good and I just didn’t feel like this novella was it.
Not a great deal actually happened, which is fine, as long as the writing is good and the things the characters say and do make sense and add dimension to them. But I’m sorry Mafi, aside from Kenji (who was a dream as always) this one just fell a little bit short for me.
I didn’t really like all the secretive wedding planning and keeping that from Aaron so that Juliette could surprise him. But I also kinda understand what Mafi was trying to portray by writing it this way. Aaron is a tortured soul who thinks nobody likes him and that everyone is better off without him, so by everyone mucking together and planning this wonderful surprise for him it sort of demonstrates that he’s maybe more liked than he thinks he is, even if he does treat everyone other than Juliette like an ass.
It just felt as though Aaron only had two moods during this which were overly worried about everything and then overly mean to everyone. And it makes me sad because I feel that he is far more complex that just those two emotions and it wasn’t in keeping with Aaron’s character that I’ve loved throughout the series.
I’m not 100% sure what I’m trying to say, I just felt that this was not a fantastic ending to the series and I probably could’ve stopped at Imagine Me with no epilogue. Sure it’s always nice to know what characters are up to after saving the world, but really I only want to know as long as the character development is good and I just didn’t feel like this novella was it.
Not a great deal actually happened, which is fine, as long as the writing is good and the things the characters say and do make sense and add dimension to them. But I’m sorry Mafi, aside from Kenji (who was a dream as always) this one just fell a little bit short for me.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Mental illness and Sexual content
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders
hollymileham's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
tense
fast-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
4.5
crying at this i cant believe its over :( this was so good and it was really nice to get more closure following imagine me
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness and Panic attacks/disorders
quillify_'s review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Thoughts I had while reading Believe Me (minor spoilers ahead):
1. Ooff omg Warner is definitely an introvert, an anxious one at that. Someone get him therapy
2. It's actually very relatable how Mafi wrote about his sensory overload when he's surrounded by lights and people and too much noise. Idk what it says about me relating to a guy who picks up a gun at the slightest hint of danger, but his quiet thrumming anxiety always in the background was comforting to see. Him snapping at people was in no way justified but it made sense because I do it in times of sky-rocketing anxiety too. I appreciate it.
3. Kenji, broooooooo, I missed you so much!!!! I love you loads. You're the star! You're the saving grace! You're an amazing friend and boyfriend and leader and I wish every person meets a guy like you
1. Ooff omg Warner is definitely an introvert, an anxious one at that. Someone get him therapy
2. It's actually very relatable how Mafi wrote about his sensory overload when he's surrounded by lights and people and too much noise. Idk what it says about me relating to a guy who picks up a gun at the slightest hint of danger, but his quiet thrumming anxiety always in the background was comforting to see. Him snapping at people was in no way justified but it made sense because I do it in times of sky-rocketing anxiety too. I appreciate it.
3. Kenji, broooooooo, I missed you so much!!!! I love you loads. You're the star! You're the saving grace! You're an amazing friend and boyfriend and leader and I wish every person meets a guy like you
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders and Sexual content
Moderate: Cursing and Mental illness
olivialandryxo's review against another edition
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
I really like the Shatter Me series, and I was so excited for this novella. Although Tahereh Mafi kept teasers vague to avoid spoiling anyone who wasn’t up to date, those of us that had read all the books knew what this was supposed to be: a wedding novella.
Unfortunately, we didn’t get what we were promised. This was 180 pages of Warner worrying that Juliette didn’t love him, moping when things didn’t go his way, and being a complete asshole to everyone around him, interrupted only a few times by sweet moments with Juliette whenever they could get some privacy. I will say, I still really like Juliette and Warner’s relationship. I love how much they love each other, and was quite surprised (though not in a bad way) that one chapter got sexier than I thought Tahereh would make it. In that regard, I thank her for her service. 👀👏🏻
Other things I liked included Kenji, Nazeera, and Kenji and Nazeera. I was amused by both their banter, and the banter that ensued when they were with Juliette and Warner. They have a fun ensemble dynamic no matter what I think of Warner himself, which in this case meant I was pretty sick of him and wondering why he has so many fangirls in the book community. Sorry not sorry.
The novella ended with the wedding ceremony, which sounds fine, right? And it would be, except we didn’t even get to freaking see said ceremony. The last paragraph was Warner being awed (and horny) when he saw Juliette walking down the aisle in her wedding dress. I turned the page, eager for more… and saw it was an excerpt from Mafi’s 2022 release, followed by another excerpt, this one from her latest contemporary novel, and then some promotional material for the rest of the series. That’s what the last 40 pages were. Not the heartwarming wedding we’ve been waiting literal years for, or any spicy activity after the fact. Promo for the author’s other books. *sigh*
((Me realizing just how much I’ve rambled in a review for a tiny novella: 🤡))
So yeah, I think that covers everything. I hoped for a cute throwback to one of my OG favorite series, where everything not wrapped up at the end of Imagine Me and was finally wrapped up and I got one more fun time with some of my OG favorite characters. Sadly, that’s not what I got. What I got… well, it wasn’t bad, per se, but if I’m being honest, it was a letdown.
Representation
Unfortunately, we didn’t get what we were promised. This was 180 pages of Warner worrying that Juliette didn’t love him, moping when things didn’t go his way, and being a complete asshole to everyone around him, interrupted only a few times by sweet moments with Juliette whenever they could get some privacy. I will say, I still really like Juliette and Warner’s relationship. I love how much they love each other, and was quite surprised (though not in a bad way) that one chapter got sexier than I thought Tahereh would make it. In that regard, I thank her for her service. 👀👏🏻
Other things I liked included Kenji, Nazeera, and Kenji and Nazeera. I was amused by both their banter, and the banter that ensued when they were with Juliette and Warner. They have a fun ensemble dynamic no matter what I think of Warner himself, which in this case meant I was pretty sick of him and wondering why he has so many fangirls in the book community. Sorry not sorry.
((Me realizing just how much I’ve rambled in a review for a tiny novella: 🤡))
So yeah, I think that covers everything. I hoped for a cute throwback to one of my OG favorite series, where everything not wrapped up at the end of Imagine Me and was finally wrapped up and I got one more fun time with some of my OG favorite characters. Sadly, that’s not what I got. What I got… well, it wasn’t bad, per se, but if I’m being honest, it was a letdown.
Representation
- hijabi side character
- side characters of color (includes Black and Japanese rep)
- queer side characters (includes a sapphic couple and an achillean couple)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Sexual content
Moderate: Gore, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
Mental illness - anxiety. All things tagged moderate are referencing events prior to the story that are discussed a few times on-page.stormywolf's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
fast-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
5.0
We've finally, FINALLY come to this. The definitely-gonna-be-the-last-one FINAL book in the Shatter Me series (after 2 fake-outs already). And it's a novella (though, is 200+ pages still considered a novella?) in Warner's POV. Will we finally get the answers we crave? Will we get a satisfying ending? Or will we just get all the kissing we could ever hope for?
Read my full review at The Wolf's Den
Overall, this was a great ending that had me smiling and crying at equal intervals. There is a very steamy scene in the middle, which I was not expecting, but it's not explicit in anatomical descriptions, so I'd still say it's good for older YA. I can't say for sure that this completely redeems the last book for me, but it definitely had me feeling good, and thankful, and hopeful, and teary-eyed. And for anyone who was on the fence about another novella, this is definitely a must-read for everyone who already loves the series. Now, does anyone else wish for Mafi's next book's release date to come sooner? Cause believe me, I do!
Read my full review at The Wolf's Den
Overall, this was a great ending that had me smiling and crying at equal intervals. There is a very steamy scene in the middle, which I was not expecting, but it's not explicit in anatomical descriptions, so I'd still say it's good for older YA. I can't say for sure that this completely redeems the last book for me, but it definitely had me feeling good, and thankful, and hopeful, and teary-eyed. And for anyone who was on the fence about another novella, this is definitely a must-read for everyone who already loves the series. Now, does anyone else wish for Mafi's next book's release date to come sooner? Cause believe me, I do!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body horror, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Death of parent, and War
The book does contain a sex scene, but there are no anatomical details, mainly relying on emotions and vague movements.