Book Review: Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi
(Shatter Me #1)
Release Date: November 15, 2011
Publisher: HarperCollins; 352 pages

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.

I was sucked into this book from the very first chapter. It's amazing to think Juliette hasn't spoken one word to another human being in 264 days. Just thinking about that makes me depressed, such a lonely existence. The one thing that stuck out the most for me with this book was the writing. The way Tahereh described how Juliette was feeling in a moment, the way she viewed the rain, the way she described the rain. She made you see things a way you never would have before, she made you feel things you never had before. To be moved so much by a story is incredible.

Her characters were strong, powerful and moving. From the man in charge, Warner, to the boy who would change everything, Adam, you felt like you now know them. They are now a part of your life, whether you want them to be or not. Warner is the bad boy, the boy your parents tell you to stay away from but for some reason, you're oddly attracted to him. He's young, he's powerful and he'll do just about anything to get what he wants. It's appealing, in a way but more importantly, frightening. Adam is quite the opposite, he does what he needs to to survive. He's passionate, caring, loving, strong and loyal. You can't help fall in love with him from the moment he's thrown into Juliette's living quarters at the asylum. Then there's characters like Castle, who is a leader but quite the opposite of Warner; Winsdon or Blondie as Juliette first names him, whose smart and charming; Kenji who is bold, humours and intriguing; Brendan, who we only get a small glimpse of but one I look forward to seeing more of and lastly, the twin healers, Sara and Sonya, who bear an amazing gift.

That leaves us with Juliette, who is a strong female character. She's been through so much that we can't help but feel her pain. To never know what a hug feels like, someone holding your hand, a handshake, a kiss - a simple touch from another human being is unbearable. To know your parents didn't love you, looked at you like you were the worst thing to ever happen to them, to not even try to stop them from taking you away when you're 14 years old is gut wrentching. But what's so extraordianary about Juliette is all of this has made her a stronger person. To see her growth from the beginning of the story to the end of the story is promising and it leaves ready for what's ahead in the second installment.

A warning, if you will...when you get to Chapter 33, be prepared. It's one sexy chapter. It's nice and steamy...and cut too short. But makes you eager for more...which I'm hoping we'll get in the second installment.

I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking for something new and exciting. Tahereh brings you into a world that does not exist but very well could exist. If you're a fan of Dystopian novels, you'll be eager to get your hands on a copy of this.