When I realized that nobody has done SHATTER ME as a DYTR post yet, I immediately jumped at the chance because that is simply a sin! This book is all kinds of amazing that I could not put down and Mafi is currently a favorite author of mine because of it.
I'll admit that this would not be a book that I would have picked up if I was not a blogger. I saw many early reviews go up raving about it, so when I was in my local book store I decided to pick up a copy despite the cover. Yes, that's right, I'm one of those people. I'm thankful I picked up the novel because the story inside is hard to explain in coherent sentences, but the cover did not do this novel justice. So I have to admit that I like the recent cover changes in this series, but I love my hardcover so much I refuse to part with it. Moral of this paragraph? Don't judge a book by its cover because you never know what's awaiting you inside.
I was hesitant to delve into this one because of the synopses that explains that Juliette has not touched anyone for 264 days--hinting that she has unique abilities through touch. The concept of touching people and something happening is often used in young adult literature. Off the top of my head, aside from this book, I can think of TOUCH by Jus Accardo, TOUCHED by Corrine Jackson, CURSED by Jennifer L. Armentrout, and TOUCH OF DEATH by Kelly Hashway. But those titles are there to emphasize how many novels there are that deal with touch and, I have to say, that this one deals with it the best. This novel is indescribable and amazing--beautifully written and deliciously complex. There's no other way to say it. Mafi took a common theme and made it all her own. She mastered a plot line that other writers have been working to master for a while.
And if that simple fact alongside the admission that this book literally left me speechless is not enough to get you to read this book than I'll tell you what is: Adam and Warner. I know, I know, your love triangle flashers are going up and your mind is screaming, "Back up! Back up! Do not cross this line! Abort mission!" Well, I'm normally that way too, but this is a love triangle done right. While it exists the boys are two separate entities who paths do not cross in the way that make them throw insults at each other over Juliette. They throw insults at each other because they're on two opposite sides of the war and somehow Juliette is stuck in-between them. Mafi also mastered the love triangle because she found a respectful way to go about it. While one love interests is the overall focus of book one, the novella, DESTROY ME, and book two, UNRAVEL ME, tend to focus on the other love interest that we thought was easily the wrong decision. And Mafi made us realize, wow, he's deliciously complex and even more amazing than we ever would have imagined! To put it simply, she convinced me to switch teams which is not an easy thing to do because I'm rather stubborn. To who? Well, you have to read to find out! But truly, I would read these novels just for Warner and Adam because they're both beyond different yet somehow equal parts perfection. It helps that Mafi is really amazing with steamy writing too.
This romance takes place in a unique dystopian world. In the beginning of the novel, Juliette is almost insane and Mafi took advantage of this by developing a unique writing style via Juliette's private thoughts and journals that sucked me in from page one. Her creativity and imagination as well as her amazing literary skills are present in all aspects of this novel and I couldn't even begin to stress how much I think everyone should give this book a chance. It is so, so worth it.
If this post interested you at all in SHATTER ME you should run and go pick up a hardcover today! It is selling on Amazon (the link is below) for $7.20, meaning that a hardcover is currently cheaper than the paperback edition and the Kindle edition. Though the hardcover does not match the rest of the series cover-wise.
Juliette hasn’t touched anyone in exactly 264 days.
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.Purchase: Amazon | Book Depository
I'm so glad you did Shatter Me! I love this book SO much. Great pitch!
ReplyDeleteYes all the way, this is such a good book!
ReplyDeleteI liked Shatter Me a lot-one of only two books where I actually really liked the "bad guy" (the other being the Darkling in Shadow and Bone.)
ReplyDeleteI'm soooo glad someone else loves this book. I've seen so many horrible reviews on it and it has saddened me.
ReplyDeleteI am so far behind on reading blogs that I only just saw this. I haven't read the book yet, but reading the free preview I downloaded on my nook was enough to convince me that I *must* read it. When I saw it on sale one weekend (for $2.99!), I bought it.
ReplyDeleteI'm taking a short break from reading YA (burn out, which never lasts long for me), but this is first on the list once I go back to it.
Finished this Saturday afternoon. Why did I wait so long to read it??
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