Shatter Me Advance Review *Tahereh Mafi*

I've never reviewed a book so far in advance as the one I’m posted here. But I can’t stop raving about Shatter Me to anyone who will listen and have decided to go ahead and post my review anyway. Shatter Me is the debut by Tahereh Mafi, coming from Harper Teen on November 15th. I first heard of Shatter Me from the buzz on the internet, especially when Shatter Me was picked up to be made into a movie even before it’s been published. When I heard Shatter Me was a Dystopian YA being compared to The Hunger Games, I rolled my eyes. I don’t have a high opinion of the current state of YA from all the lacking books I’ve been reading, including Dystopian YA. My bias automatically shifted toward Shatter Me because of this.

And then I went to BEA in May. Shatter Me was being heavily promoted. I grabbed myself a copy and started reading a passage. And let me tell you, from that page I read, I was then frantic in getting my hands on this book. That really tells you something when an author can grab a reader in such a way just by opening any page where they’ll practically do anything to get a copy of their book. I started reading Shatter Me as soon as I could. I ended up reading late into the morning hours to finish it.

Months later, I’m still consumed with thoughts of this book. Shatter Me is a haunting, all-consuming experience. Come November, not only will Shatter Me blow the YA reading community’s socks off, but possibly the general reading public. Remember when Twilight and The Hunger Games arrived on the scene? Shatter Me will be placed in this same category as these two books.

Shatter Me takes place in the not so distant future where a group called the Reestablishment has taken over. Right away The Hunger Games may come to mind, but for me, Shatter Me has more of a Fahrenheit 451 or Soylent Green (sans the eating of people) feel to it. The world has become a wretched place where society has been enslaved by hunger, violence and death. Caught in the middle of this is Juliette, a seventeen year old girl who has been locked away and forgotten. For the past three years, Juliette has lived in a dark cell with only a pen and a small notebook to keep her sane. Juliette’s parents have rejected her. She has no one left to care about her. Juliette has a horrible ability, where if she touches anyone, they’ll die a painful death. She has the power to kill with a single touch. Juliette is waiting for the people who locked her away to end her pathetic existence. But then something happens. She's given a cell mate. His name is Adam.

Adam is familiar to Juliette but she can’t place him. Adam tries to bring her out of her shell. She thinks it’s a trap, a test, because Adam is kind to her. She keeps her distance from him for obvious reasons. But she aches for him to touch her. It has been 264 days since she has been touched by anyone.

Suddenly Juliette and Adam are forced from their cell. Adam was indeed planted like Juliette first thought. What Juliette doesn’t know, is she was being watching since the moment she was thrown in solitary by a military general, last name Warner. Warner is only nineteen, (pretty young to have such a position of authority) but because of his father, he’s been given incredible power. Warner is blindingly beautiful to look at, but behind his smooth words and smile is a heartless killer. Warner is obsessed with Juliette and what she’s capable of. He feels he’s her savior and wants her to join forces with him because she’s a wonderful weapon he can use.

Warner gives Juliette food, beautiful clothes and offers her the entire world at her feet is she’ll only accept him and use her hands of death as torture against the enemies of the Reestablishment. That means handing over her soul to Warner, the one thing Juliette refuses to do. Warner will try his best to change Juliette’s mind from using subtle threats and even seduction to get what he wants. And in the middle of this is Adam, the key to her salvation. Juliette must continue to refuse Warner, who is capable of anything to make Juliette accept him. Only Adam can help her escape and show her she has the power to change the world, much like Warner believes.

Shatter Me is about the survival of one young girl who has lost all hope. You will bleed inside for Juliette, who has gone through many horrors. Juliette has suffered incredible emotional and physical abuse, and Tahereh makes a great case for Juliette to end her life. But she doesn’t. She continues to live because she has control of that at least.

Juliette and Adam’s personalities mesh very well together. You can understand why they would turn to one another for comfort. But the main reason to read Shatter Me is because of Warner. Tahereh has created a slick, maniacal villain with Warner. I count Warner as one of my all-time favorite villains. He’s a combination of Heathcliff from Wuthering Heights, Erik from The Phantom of the Opera and Dr. Hannibal from Silence of the Lambs. I can’t remember the last time a villainous character like Warner resonated with me. Warner is psychotic, and freakishly obsessed with Juliette to the point of madness, but there’s something about him that overrides the heroics of Adam. Warner is like the snake in the Garden of Eden waving the forbidden fruit in front of Eve’s face.All Juliette has to do is reach out and take what Warner is offering her. But she knows it comes at a cost.

Shatter Me has an X-Men type comic book vibe toward the end. I didn’t like the ending. It was my least favorite thing about Shatter Me. It didn’t really fit with the overall tone of the story and it felt like Tahereh reached a point where she wasn’t sure how to proceed. It felt tacked on. The ending is unlike most found in Dystopian YA fiction and isn’t all doom and gloom as you may be expecting. Also, I was confused by the Reestablishment and their rise to power. How could they take over the world in three years and practically destroy it?

Even with some unanswered questions and the ho-hum ending, I couldn’t get enough of Shatter Me. It’s stuck in my head and won't leave me anytime soon. Tahereh’s writing flows well and has a lyrical and poetic quality to it. Plus, Shatter Me has a nice steamy edge in regards to the romance. This may strange since Juliette can’t touch anyone. Trust me, you won’t be disappointed in that aspect and how Tahereh shows it.

Shatter Me is my number one read this year that has exceeded all my expectations and then some. I don’t just want to have babies with this book. I want to roll around with it and snuggle it close. If there’s one book you buy this year, you must, MUST buy Shatter Me. It’s explosive, volatile and will burn deep into your psyche when all is said and done. (November 15th, Harper Teen)

Final Grade: A-

A few other Shatter Me reviews:

Phoebe North

YA Bliss

YA Highway