Audiobook Review: Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi
PJV Quickie: Are you tired of Young Adult Dystopian yet? I’m not! Bring it on! If authors keep on writing them like this, I’ll keep reading! What an amazing start of a series. Tahereh Mafi is a genius and her novel, Shatter Me,is the crème de la crème of YA novels. If you haven’t read this one yet, WTF are you waiting for?
Title: Shatter Me
Author: Tahereh Mafi
Series: Shatter Me #1
Publication: November 15th 2011 by Harper
Source: Purchased
Purchase Goodreads Author Web
Review:
The book starts in the midst of an internal insanity trip. It is surreal. It is overwhelming and the emotional trauma sucks you in from the first line.
I have nothing but a small notebook and a broken pen and the numbers in my head to keep me company. 1 window. 4 walls. 144 square feet of space. 26 letters in an alphabet I haven’t spoken in 264 days of isolation.
6,336 hours since I’ve touched another human being.
Meet Juliette, her touch kills. She has been in a room, without company for 264 days. Every moment is measured within her own mind. She is starving, she hasn’t bathed properly and she has no idea if she will live to see the next day. The Reestablishment rules the dying land she calls home. They are the ones that locked her in this cell asylum. They are the ones that can choose to let her live or die. They are the ones that unexpectedly give her a cellmate roommate. A boy. Adam. A boy that is part of the plan that The Reestablishment has for her. Juliette’s touch kills. Juliette can be a weapon.
A psychological roller-coaster, Shatter Me goes from the confines of an asylum to the broad world of a dystopian nightmare. The book is both internal and very external. You live within Juliette, yet find horror within the world she lives in. Her thoughts are very methodical and rigid, almost on the verge of insanity, so she is hard to get used to, but you do feel for her. Her progression throughout the novel is refreshing and hopeful, the way she views the world, unique and with a naive but aged quality. It is very hard to describe, but I found it fascinating. It is like walking from a smoke filled room into fresh air.
Then you have the men of this novel. Adam with his many facets and the progression of Juliette’s feelings towards him. Warner and his obsession is thrilling and frightening all at once, you can almost understand his determination, yet his darkness is chilling. The characters of this novel are what make it so excellent. Yet, while they outshine everything else, the adventure, the back-story and the world creation are all top-notch. I think I went through an entire emotional gamut with this young adult dystopian novel. You don’t want to pass this one by.
Unique. Thrilling. Emotional. Just a few words to describe the experience of Shatter Me.
Recommendations:
Fans of young adult dystopian this is a must read. If you are a paranormal romance fan this is a good transition novel, since this one is probably a bit of both, dystopian and paranormal. There are more mature themes, violence, sexual interaction and heavier emotional interactions, so I would recommend this for 15+. If you are a fan of books like Under the Never Sky & Delirium this is the book for you!
For Fans of the Series!
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Other Recommended Young Adult Dystopians & Five Star Ratings
Rating:
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I LOVED this book! It was incredibly unique in its style. I am 100% team Adam!
me too
HA! I just reviewed DESTROY ME on my blog! Great minds… I agree about the characters in this novel. I had that wonderful experience whole reading it of actually caring, in a deep visceral way, about what would happen to them. Thanks for the review!
Isn’t that awesome? I love when I fall in love with the characters.
I really enjoyed this book! I’m not a fan of Warner at all! I can’t wait for the next one.
You would be surprised the amount of Warner fans there are! I couldn’t believe it when it’s been brought up on twitter…LOL
If you haven’t read this one yet, WTF are you waiting for?…I’m waiting for the sky to fall or hell to freeze IDK!!!? I want to know who this Adam is and Warner …! I could also be waiting to win it ~ fat chance There are way to many books I’m waiting for .
*sigh* yes, there are so many good books out there with very little times.
I was ‘meh’ about this book. I think the reason I didn’t like it is because the narrative has a very distinct rhythm and fast pace that only works if you are willing to commit to reading the book in large chunks. I typically read with a lot of distractions so the unique narrative and overuse of numbers really annoyed me.
BTW, I like Warner but I doubt the author would have them hook up. It’s a false hope, just like I knew that there was no way Bella would hook up with the werewolf dude, Jacob.
Yes, the narrative was something that you had to really get into, I can see where I found it compelling, others might be a bit underwhelmed with it if they couldn’t get into it. I doubt there will be a Warner HEA, he is too much of a lunatic LOL — and I also doubt he’ll imprint on Juliette’s lovechild so he’ll have his own HEA
Great review! I completely agree. It was such an emotional read.
Thanks Megan!
Ugh! I don’t have time to add another book to my TBR, but this one sounds so good. I haven’t gotten tired of YA Dystopian, yet.
Get on it…you have time, just stop sleeping.
I have been putting this off b/c I did read some kind of “meh” reviews. But I’m so glad you are recommending it. I’ve been going back and forth with this one. I’ll give it a try.
Absolutely adored this book! I was lucky for getting an early copy, but that made me only want the sequel more. You’re soooo lucky, you’re only reading it now! Can’t freaking wait for Unravel Me. Thank the lords it’s almost here!
I love Warner and Adam! So strange. with Warner i love and hate him at the same time! I love the relationship!
Tiered of YA dystopian? No way! As a matter of fact, I spent the month featuring YA dystopian.
This one sounds really good. It was on my TBR forever ago and it got pushed to the bottom. Thanks for the recommendation and reminder that I really need to pick this one up.
Awesome review! Just made me move Shatter Me to the top of my list. I love intensity in novels.
I’ve been meaning to read this for a while! Thanks for the awesome review…I will be sure to increased this a few notches on the ol’ TBR pile!
You MUST read Destroy Me now. Like, RIGHT NOW. I love Warner….there is something – redeemable – about him. Destroy Me made me love him all the more. I can’t wait for the next one in the series.
Ok ok ! I downloaded it.
I am sooo not tired of dystopian novels! They rock! I am adding this one to my TBR. Great review. You couldn’t have sold it better!
Thank you Becca!
I don’t usually like the villain but Warner was so charismatic that he completely won me over-can’t wait to read more about him!