Into the Shatter Me Series #1: Shatter Me Book Review

Alright, folks, we have to talk about this. I just finished reading the first book Shatter Me part of the young adult dystopian hexalogy written by Tahereh Mafi and we have a lot to talk about it. I will try my best not to spoil the plot, sorry if I slip some minor ones.

Shatter Me, by Tahereh Mafi, is a unique reading experience, unlike anything I've read before. The writing style is entirely different from any other book I've encountered. And yet, I absolutely adore it! I was searching for new books to read after finishing Crooked Kingdom and asked my dear friend, Canary, who then recommended this book/series to me. She has impeccable taste in books, so I dived in right away. However, she warned me that it might not be to my liking because of its distinctiveness. But here I am, impatient to start reading the next book in the series. My only regret is that I couldn't finish the book in one or two sittings due to my busy college schedule. If I could have, I would have been able to absorb all of the book's details even better, because the gaps between each sitting were awfully long.

So what is Shatter Me all about? The book follows Juliette Ferrars, a female protagonist in a dystopian world ruled by a corrupt and inhumane autocratic regime named The Reestablishment. This regime came to power promising to save humanity from the brink of extinction but didn’t keep its promise and made the world even worse.

Juliette possesses supernatural power, her touch, she can kill anyone with just a touch of her skin. When the story begins, we see her imprisoned for the danger she poses to society. She then meets a boy named Adam who is also a prisoner. They form a bond and work together to escape the facility. They encounter other characters with varying character personalities thickening the plot which is filled with twists and turns. The story is a captivating mixture of sci-fi and dystopian themes, with a romance plot at its core. 

Juliette, the lead character of the story is the main attraction of this book, she's such a strong and lovable character, she has been through a lot. You'll see when you read, I wouldn't survive that. Okay but my favourites would be Kenji and James, both of them are really fun and lively breathing a tender air into the plot. Can’t describe anything more, cause it would ruin the new reader's experience. The way Tahereh Mafi brings the story to life with her writing style is absolutely brilliant and beautiful. She uses a lot of metaphors and personification to really make one understand the conditions the protagonist is in, and what our protagonist feels and is going through. The Strikes! I have to talk about it, the author uses strikes through text to give us a glimpse into Juliette's inner thoughts and emotions that she doesn’t want to acknowledge. This one thing changes the entire dynamics with the character, you understand her more, and feel more personally attached to her.

The only small criticism I have about this book is that the beginning felt like it lacked a little pace but this was subdued by the unique writing style which allowed me to really understand Juliette and the other main characters, Adam and Warner, which was necessary before really kicking off the story. Overall, Shatter Me is a captivating read that leaves you wanting more. A unique writing style and storyline you would enjoy. Once again, it has now become the tradition of Tis I Quills to thank the Canary for her recommendation without which I wouldn't have discovered this series. I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys dystopian novels with supernatural elements and a touch of romance.

P.S. -: Don't think I forgot about you, Warner. I'm purposely not talking about you for the sake of being spoiler free.

Shatter Me ⭐⭐⭐⭐

- Tahereh Mafi

I always wonder about raindrops.

I wonder about how they're always falling down, tripping over their own feet, breaking their legs and forgetting their parachutes as they tumble right out of the sky toward an uncertain end. It's like someone is emptying their pockets over the earth and doesn't seem to care where the contents fall, doesn't seem to care that the raindrops burst when they hit the ground, that they shatter when they fall to the floor, that people curse the days the drops dare to tap on their doors.

I am a raindrop. 

My parents emptied their pockets of me and left me to evaporate on a concrete slab.

https://www.goodreads.com/alwynsanjeev