Review: Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Source: Own bought

Synopsis from Goodreads:

No one knows why Juliette's touch is fatal, but The Reestablishment has plans for her. Plans to use her as a weapon.

But Juliette has plans of her own.

After a lifetime without freedom, she's finally discovering a strength to fight back for the very first time—and to find a future with the one boy she thought she'd lost forever.

I got this book for Christmas, and it's taken me this long to read it. Why didn't anyone tell me that it was this good?!!! I would've read it sooner! As soon as I started I was completely engrossed and I could not put it down.

Juliette has been locked up by herself for 264 days, hungry and alone and feeling traumatised after blaming herself for the accidental death of a child. Juliet has a fatal touch, she can kill anyone just by putting her hand on them. As such she is feared and misunderstood, and completely controlled. I really enjoyed the world building of the book, and the destroyed society of the story, which made everything feel out of control and exciting.

I also just loved Juliette's voice in telling the story. After being locked up for so long in solitutude, she doesn't know if she is crazy, and it comes across in the stuttering, sometimes repetitive way she thinks, and gave a real insight into her mind.

I LOVED the way it was written as well- with crossed out parts of the sentences- kind of like what she is really saying, and then what is implied or left unsaid.

"What's wrong?"
My parents stopped touching me when I was old enough to crawl. Teachers made me work alone so I wouldn't hurt the other children. I've never had a friend. I've never known the comfort of a mother's hug. I've never felt the tenderness of a father's kiss. I'm not insane. "Nothing."
5 more seconds. "Can I sit next to you?"
That would be wonderful. "No."

p23

The way she communicates, combined with her obsession with having to count everything gave the narrative that something different, and made it really different and interesting. I felt like I was going crazy just reading it!

My favourite part was when Adam tells Juliette how he sees her, and his memories of her from when they were at school together and he could never talk to her- I just melted.

Hearing what Juliette has gone through as seen through another person's perspective gave everything a real sense of depth and perfectly explained Juliette's history and backstory, in a way that Juliette's own fogged brain just couldn't. But the gradual building romance was so sweet to read, and really moved me.

There are so many different stages to Juliette's journey in the book as well. I liked never knowing where the story was going to go next, and always being surprised. The tension and the suspense just builds and builds. Some of the people in power want to use Juliette as a weapon. In particular bad guy general Warner is fascinated by Juliette and he becomes an incredibly sinister force in the book.

I loved this book for it's uniqueness, it's fun, it's tragedy, and the twisty turny plotline that always threw up something unexpected. It is exciting and cool, and dangerous, and I adore the fierce characters.

Kooky, dramatic and exciting, with an almost superhero element to it- I
thought that this book was absolutely fantastic! I recommend this book- it'll blow your mind and melt your heart. A well-deserved 5 stars, I couldn't put it down! Next one, next one!

Film rights have been bought by 20th Century Fox

"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."