Book Review: SHATTER ME by Tehereh Mafi

Shatter Me (Shatter Me #1)

Author: Tehereh Mafi

Publication Date: November 15th 2011

Publisher: Harper Collins

Genre: Young Adult, Dystopian, Paranormal, Romance

Summary on Goodreads:
The last time she did, it was an accident, but The Reestablishment locked her up for murder. No one knows why Juliette's touch is fatal. As long as she doesn't hurt anyone else, no one really cares. The world is too busy crumbling to pieces to pay attention to a 17-year-old girl. Diseases are destroying the population, food is hard to find, birds don't fly anymore, and the clouds are the wrong color.

The Reestablishment said their way was the only way to fix things, so they threw Juliette in a cell. Now so many people are dead that the survivors are whispering war-- and The Reestablishment has changed its mind. Maybe Juliette is more than a tortured soul stuffed into a poisonous body. Maybe she's exactly what they need right now.

Juliette has to make a choice: Be a weapon. Or be a warrior.

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. Full of pulse-pounding romance, intoxicating villainy, and high-stakes choices, Shatter Me is a fresh and original dystopian novel—with a paranormal twist—that will leave readers anxiously awaiting its sequel.

My Thoughts:

The world is flat.

I know because I was tossed right off the edge and I've been trying to hold on for 17 years. I've been trying to climb back up for 17 years but it's nearly impossible to beat gravity when no one is willing to give you a hand. - Juliette

This book shattered my heart captured my heart from the very beginning up to the end. The writing is powerful and captivating, it was hard to put down.

264 days of isolation. Juliette has been locked up in a cell consisting of 4 walls and 1 window. She hadn't seen  or touched a single human being for  3 years until Adam Kent was sent to be her cellmate. That's where the story began and I was hooked immediately, excited to know who the boy was, and his connection to Juliette. I was excited to know why The Reestablishment put Juliette in the institution and why they suddenly put a boy in her room. I loved how the story was written in such a way that it became even more effective to see what's in Juliette's head and the things she had been thinking and feeling and I hope I could see Adam in the same way.

"Of course I remember you." My voice strangled whisper. I squeeze my eyes shut. I remember you every day forever in every broken moment of my life. "You were the only one who ever looked at me like a human being." - Juliette

You're going to love Adam Kent. It is always one of the things I look for in a story. A guy whom I can see myself rooting for. He's one of those sweet, sexy and dependable guy that you will put on your list of swoon-worthy book boyfriends that will make you fall in love over again. With a strong hero comes a strong heroine and a book is dull without them. Juliette is definitely one tough girl and I liked her because she has a good heart. I don't think I can describe Juliette in a more effective way than this, so I chose Adam's exact words as she said this words to her.

"A million times... I saw you do things like that a million times. But you never said a word unless it was forced out of you... You never asked for anything from anyone... But no one ever gave you a chance."  -Adam

I always loved a character with goodness in their heart because they inspire me... to do good, to think right. Juliette is one of those heroines that I tend to love because of that. Not just a kick-ass, but also kind-hearted.

What I liked most about this book is the love story and that the words were written beautifully and effectively. It was surprisingly good and refreshing since I didn't expected it to be some kind of superhero thing. I realized that Juliette actually reminds me of Rogue. I wonder if Tehereh Mafi is a fan of X-Men and if she, too (like me) is fascinated by Rogue. It was quite interesting and I am excited to see how the things will turn out in the next books.

I loved everything about this book except for the world-building which I think is lacking. I hope that the author gave us a clear picture of the "The Reestablishment", the leaders, and the society. Dystopian novels is one of my favorite genre, and it's important (I think) that we are given a clear image of the dystopian world and what it takes to live in that horrific period. Other than that, this book is great in many ways. 

An engaging book like this with strong characters and amazing story line will win the hearts of readers who enjoy paranormal-dystopian novels with deliciously crafted romance. The whole story is gripping, the ending is satisfying, and the experience... shattering.

My Rating: