Author: Tahereh Mafi
Publisher: Harper Teen
Pages: 342
Source: ARC Publisher
Buy the Book: BN / Amazon
My Rating:
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. -summary from goodreads.com
A breathtaking debut!
Tahereh Mafi's debut novel begins by introducing us to Juliette,a 17 year old girl whom has been locked away from society for 264 days... why? Because, Juliette has a secret; a gift, a curse: her touch is dangerous, possibly lethal to others....
Lets talk about the aspects that made this novel such a huge success (for me, personally). Let's begin with the writing. Dear Lord baby Jesus, Ms. Mafi can write! I was completely blown away by her style of writing. With her cross outs and descriptive writing, Ms. Mafi gives you insight and subtext to Juliette. I felt as if I was there with her, experiencing what she did, feeling what she felt, I felt in on her secret and I didn't want anyone else to find out. I wanted to help her guard it. I felt like it was me and Juliette against the world, together. I've never been so engaged in a novel.
Enter Adam. All my defenses break down and I am vulnerable, weak..... I am Adam's. Adam has got to be one of the most swoon-worthy YA males I have ever read about. Loyal, protective, charming and sexy as hell. Adam and Juliette easily make my top 5 YA couples. The secondary characters were also great. My favorites are Kenji and Warner. While being complete opposites, they were just awesome.
The only minor problem I did notice (and have seen it being mentioned around the blogosphere) is the similarity to X-Men. Now, being a big comic nerd, I picked up on a lot of similarities between Rogue and Juliette. It's the truth, but SHATTER ME comes with its own twists and surprises.... It really is unique. Plus, I loved reading about a heroine that stands up for herself and doesn't let others run her life. Juliette has a fieriness and bravery that I wish I had.
Overall, SHATTER ME is a unique and intriguing story that every YA lover must pick up. Action, romance and spunk- this book has it all! Haven't read it? WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? Click the link above and order yourself a copy :D You won't be sorry.
