"Like me, you may find sleep to be overrated once you immerse yourself in the delicious writing of this YA fantasy series."
Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi has been on my to-be-read list for a while now, and after taking the plunge into this dystopian YA fantasy series I’m officially a fan. In this first book of the series we meet Juliette, locked away and isolated by The Reestablishment (the worldwide dictators of a crumbling world) because of her lethal touch. That is until she’s reunited with the only kind face from her past only to be brought to those in power and forged into a weapon. That the said face belongs to a completely gorgeous, tall, dark and handsome soldier doesn’t hurt!
A mixture of X-Men and Mockingjay, Shatter Me is a definite introduction to the series. By that I mean it takes the time to immerse you in Juliette’s head. The strikethroughs, numbers and manic repetition are all a representation of a mind tortured by loneliness that’s compelling to read but would also make a great listen as an audiobook. You’re gently re-acquainted with the world outside of Juliette’s cell and the plotline that will be developed in later books is nurtured slowly. Despite the relatively steady pace, by the end I had already decided sleep was overrated and absorbed Unravel Me and Ignite Me within 24 hours (where the pace does pick up). Mafi’s turn of phrase is something else entirely, she manages to elevate common imagery in a way that leaves you pausing to appreciate how delicious certain phrases are: “I’m too poor to afford the luxury of hysteria right now”. Shatter Me is one for the annotators among you, because although it’s not usually my thing, I now get it because of this book and I’m itching to re-read and make a note of my favourite passages.
A teen girl with immense power, a world falling to pieces, stunning writing and a gorgeous love interest, honestly what’s not to love? Immerse yourself, escape, enjoy!
| Primary Genre | Young Adult Fiction |
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