It’s been 264 days. 264 days since Juliette has been locked up in an insane asylum for murder, 264 days since Juliette has spoken, and 264 days since Juliette has touched anyone. But just as she’s beginning to wonder whether she’s insane or not, she gets a cellmate on the 265th day, a boy named Adam, and she’s surprised that she remembers how to speak at all, surprised at how much she longs for him to touch her, brush her hand, or lead her by the small of her back. He doesn’t know that the last time she touched someone, she killed him. As starved for love and human touch as Juliette is, she has never wanted to harm anyone, and that hasn’t changed. No matter how much the Reestablishment wants to mold her into a lethal weapon. No matter how much she wants to touch Adam, or maim Warner, the man behind her lockup, she will find both a way to feel human again and a way to fight back so that life can be worth living.
This book – where do I start? With her heartbreaking pleas for human interaction, I liked Juliette from the beginning. My heart ached for the inhumane conditions she’s endured in incarceration and for much of her seventeen years. Removed from society, abandoned by her parents, and fearfully going about life avoiding any physical connection, it’s no wonder that not only is she beginning to accept that she may be insane but also whether she is a monster rather than a human. What really stands out though are the words themselves – and what words they are! Ridden with metaphor, most dead on in their expression, Tahereh Mafi‘s prose is something else. Poetic and unique, it’s hard to find its counterpart in young adult fiction. Besides the few occasions it was adorned to excess and pulled me out of the story, I loved it. A favorite passage which illustrates the beauty of the writing and drives home how meaningful the figurative can be (from my uncorrected ARC):
It’s snowing today.
The concrete is icy and stiffer than usual, but I prefer these freezing temperatures to the stifling humidity of summer days. Summer is like a slow-cooker bringing everything in the world to a boil one degree at a time. It promises a million happy adjectives only to pour stench and sewage into your nose for dinner. I hate the heat and the sticky, sweaty mess left behind. I hate the lackadaisical ennui of a sun too preoccupied with itself to notice the infinite hours we spend in its presence. The sun is an arrogant thing, always leaving the world behind when it tires of us.
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.
Stunning, yes? Imagine experiencing the barren, desolate dystopian world of Shatter Me through Juliette’s eyes in such colorful, expressive metaphor. It’s breathtaking, especially where the heart-palpitating romance is concerned. In both the intimate moments between Juliette and Adam, and Juliette and Warner, I could not put the book down. I feel that that’s where Mafi excels, in these characters and the dynamics and chemistry between them. I liked the setup with Adam and Juliette in the asylum so much its timely end came unexpectedly. I was perfectly content to stay longer with these two in their small, simple existence. Likewise Warner is such a complex villain it’s hard to see his daily exchanges with Juliette come to an end. As a result the pacing in the latter third was erratic for me. While the twist ending came out of nowhere I was surprised to find it an expected and even predictable turn which distracted me from the story and dampened the excitement of reading the conclusion overall. What I am excited about is the great potential it setup for the next book in the series, X-Men similarities aside. There’s no way I’ll be missing these characters for whom I’ve come to love nor the rich, impressive writing. But as for Mafi’s debut, Shatter Me is definitely not to be missed.
Shatter Me hits shelves tomorrow!
Second Opinions
Angieville Review
Escape through the Pages Review
Good Books and Good Wine Review
Hooked to Books Review
Makeshift Bookmark Review
Pirate Penguin’s Reads Review
The Allure of Books Review
The Crooked Shelf Review
The Lovely Getaway Review
I’m so excited for this one. Everyone has been talking about how amazing the writing is so thanks for actually sharing some of it. It really is great!
You are welcome! I couldn’t resist.
This sounds fantastic! I hope I can find a copy!
Oh me too! *fingers crossed*
Yes.
I saw this in the bookstore today! I was surprised that it was available in paperback format? I’ve added it to my wishlist but with the giant TBR pile, who knows when I’ll get around to this.
Shatter Me is one of those books that I couldn’t wait to read. Not only has it been incredibly hyped online, but it has an incredibly compelling concept and a great blurb that screams “Read me!” Being touted as the Hunger Games meets X-men, Shatter Me boasted some of the most unique marketing I’ve ever seen for a YA novel, despite its unknown author and not-incredibly-compelling cover. Being the biggest dystopian nerd that I am, I was totally pulled in by the heavy blurb and was beyond exciting for this book.
Shatter Me was strangely difficult for me to get into. First, Juliette spends much of the first half of the novel being completely obedient to the horrible regime that locked her away and seemed completely resigned to her terrible fate. It also doesn’t help that she spends far too much time feeling sorry for herself, calling herself a “monster” and dripping with angst. There were times I wanted to tell her to just get over it. Thankfully, throughout the novel Juliette’s adventures help to meld her into a stronger, better person who is more confident and empowered.
I’ve also read some interesting reviews that have discussed how much they loved the writing style in Shatter Me. I’m not sure I like it -in fact, I was torn for much of the book. Most of the writing is done in stream-of-conscious style that really gets into Juliette’s head, but left me out of breath by the end of most sentences. It didn’t seem that polished or crisp to me. Again, this did get better as the book went on, but I wouldn’t rave about the writing style here. However, some sentences here were amazing emotional gems that really were beautiful.
I wouldn’t call Shatter Me the best dystopian novel I’ve read this year, but it’s still worth reading. It’s certainly something different in the genre with a unique style approach that’s unlike anything else I’ve ever read. Recommended for fans of dystopian romance.
Have a lovely day,
Samantha
laptop.samy@data.info” rel=”nofollow”>