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A review by michellemaas
Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
* Beware of minor spoilers
3.5 - ⭐⭐⭐💫
First Installment in the Shatter Me series. Young Adult Dystopian Novel featuring the "lethal touch", "childhood friends to lovers", "dead parent", and "forced proximity" tropes. Deals with themes of human nature, isolation, and morality.
The beginning and middle were phenomenal. Mafi's writing is beautiful but to have it end the same way Mockingjay began was a huge disappointment.
“All I ever wanted was to reach out and touch another human being not just with my hands but with my heart.”
Juliette is cursed. Or so she believes. She cannot come into physical contact with anyone for fear that her touch will kill them. While she spent her entire life isolating herself and resenting her powers, government official Warner believes she is the key to getting the rebel forces under control once and for all. Shatter Me explores Juliette's journey as she learns to love herself and offers some meaningful insights about human nature, isolation, and the small pleasures in life.
“I spent my life folded between the pages of books. In the absence of human relationships, I formed bonds with paper characters. I lived love and loss through stories threaded in history; I experienced adolescence by association. My world is one interwoven web of words, stringing limb to limb, bone to sinew, thoughts, and images all together. I am a being comprised of letters, a character created by sentences, a figment of imagination formed through fiction.”
I'm weirdly uncertain how I feel about this book . . . The beginning and middle were phenomenal. The use of typography and writing style to illustrate how isolation has affected Juliette's mind was brilliant. And the characters? Amazing. Mafi's writing in general is truly magnificent. Even Juliette's time at the Reestablishment was really interesting. Exploring Juliette's powers and Warner's obsession with her, and watching Juliette come to terms with the possibility of being loved and accepted was all great to read about. Then came the ending.
“The moon is a loyal companion. It never leaves. It’s always there, watching, steadfast, knowing us in our light and dark moments, changing forever just as we do. Every day it’s a different version of itself. Sometimes weak and wan, sometimes strong and full of light. The moon understands what it means to be human. Uncertain. Alone. Cratered by imperfections.”
I was incredibly disappointed when all this buildup ended in a plain old, same as every other dystopian book ever, Hunger Games knockoff. The beginning had me so gripped and there was so much potential for this book but the author botched it by trying to be like every other dystopian author at this time. The Hunger Games was great, but I don't want every SciFi book to follow in its lead.
“Killing time isn't as difficult as it sounds. I can shoot a hundred numbers through the chest and watch them bleed decimal points in the palm of my hand. I can rip the numbers off a clock and watch the hour hand tick tick tick its final tock just before I fall asleep. I can suffocate seconds just by holding my breath. I've been murdering minutes for hours and no one seems to mind.”
I decided to still give it 4 stars because the great majority of the book truly was amazing, and despite the trajectory that was introduced in the last few chapters, I still have great hope for this series.
“Truth is a jealous, vicious mistress that never, ever sleeps.”
I would recommend you read Shatter Me because it was a masterclass in the power of words. Tahereh Mafi . . . sigh. I have no words. Her writing is an experience. She has already gone super far, but I know she's going to go even farther because she is undoubtedly one of the most talented writers of our time, even if her plot might need a little work.
“Hate looks just like everybody else until it smiles. Until it spins around and lies with lips and teeth carved into the semblance of something too passive to punch.”
* Please note that while this is a Young Adult novel, there are several themes that may be triggering to sensitive readers. Be sure to check content warnings on the author's website before reading. Your entertainment is not worth risking your mental health for!
3.5 - ⭐⭐⭐💫
First Installment in the Shatter Me series. Young Adult Dystopian Novel featuring the "lethal touch", "childhood friends to lovers", "dead parent", and "forced proximity" tropes. Deals with themes of human nature, isolation, and morality.
The beginning and middle were phenomenal. Mafi's writing is beautiful but to have it end the same way Mockingjay began was a huge disappointment.
“All I ever wanted was to reach out and touch another human being not just with my hands but with my heart.”
Juliette is cursed. Or so she believes. She cannot come into physical contact with anyone for fear that her touch will kill them. While she spent her entire life isolating herself and resenting her powers, government official Warner believes she is the key to getting the rebel forces under control once and for all. Shatter Me explores Juliette's journey as she learns to love herself and offers some meaningful insights about human nature, isolation, and the small pleasures in life.
“I spent my life folded between the pages of books. In the absence of human relationships, I formed bonds with paper characters. I lived love and loss through stories threaded in history; I experienced adolescence by association. My world is one interwoven web of words, stringing limb to limb, bone to sinew, thoughts, and images all together. I am a being comprised of letters, a character created by sentences, a figment of imagination formed through fiction.”
I'm weirdly uncertain how I feel about this book . . . The beginning and middle were phenomenal. The use of typography and writing style to illustrate how isolation has affected Juliette's mind was brilliant. And the characters? Amazing. Mafi's writing in general is truly magnificent. Even Juliette's time at the Reestablishment was really interesting. Exploring Juliette's powers and Warner's obsession with her, and watching Juliette come to terms with the possibility of being loved and accepted was all great to read about. Then came the ending.
“The moon is a loyal companion. It never leaves. It’s always there, watching, steadfast, knowing us in our light and dark moments, changing forever just as we do. Every day it’s a different version of itself. Sometimes weak and wan, sometimes strong and full of light. The moon understands what it means to be human. Uncertain. Alone. Cratered by imperfections.”
I was incredibly disappointed when all this buildup ended in a plain old, same as every other dystopian book ever, Hunger Games knockoff. The beginning had me so gripped and there was so much potential for this book but the author botched it by trying to be like every other dystopian author at this time. The Hunger Games was great, but I don't want every SciFi book to follow in its lead.
“Killing time isn't as difficult as it sounds. I can shoot a hundred numbers through the chest and watch them bleed decimal points in the palm of my hand. I can rip the numbers off a clock and watch the hour hand tick tick tick its final tock just before I fall asleep. I can suffocate seconds just by holding my breath. I've been murdering minutes for hours and no one seems to mind.”
I decided to still give it 4 stars because the great majority of the book truly was amazing, and despite the trajectory that was introduced in the last few chapters, I still have great hope for this series.
“Truth is a jealous, vicious mistress that never, ever sleeps.”
I would recommend you read Shatter Me because it was a masterclass in the power of words. Tahereh Mafi . . . sigh. I have no words. Her writing is an experience. She has already gone super far, but I know she's going to go even farther because she is undoubtedly one of the most talented writers of our time, even if her plot might need a little work.
“Hate looks just like everybody else until it smiles. Until it spins around and lies with lips and teeth carved into the semblance of something too passive to punch.”
* Please note that while this is a Young Adult novel, there are several themes that may be triggering to sensitive readers. Be sure to check content warnings on the author's website before reading. Your entertainment is not worth risking your mental health for!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Murder, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Ableism