Shatter Me Series Book Reviews

On this page, find all of my reviews of the six books in the Shatter Me series, by Tahereh Mafi. Each review begins with a brief overview of the book's content (with a publisher-supplied blurb), before diving into my review. 

Tahereh Mafi is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Shatter Me series, Furthermore and Whichwood. She can usually be found overcaffeinated and stuck in a book. You can find her online just about anywhere @TaherehMafi or on her website www.taherehbooks.com. You can find more of my reviews of Tahereh's works here. 

*These reviews can all be found on my Goodreads page*

Shatter Me

One touch is all it takes. One touch, and Juliette Ferrars can leave a fully grown man gasping for air. One touch, and she can kill. No one knows why Juliette has such incredible power. It feels like a curse, a burden that one person alone could never bear. But the Reestablishment sees it as a gift, sees her as an opportunity. An opportunity for a deadly weapon. Juliette has never fought for herself before. But when she's reunited with the one person who ever cared about her, she finds a strength she never knew she had. 

I'm definitely late to this party, but I'm so happy to be reading Tahereh Mafi's Shatter Me. I absolutely loved Mafi's A Very Large Expanse of Sea, and wasn't surprised when I found her writing in Shatter Me to be just as addictive. This is a book I wish I had read sooner, for sure, but either way, it was exactly the type of book I wanted to be reading over the summer. Read on for more of my thoughts on Shatter Me!  

When I say I wish I had read this book sooner, I mean I wish I had read it when it was first published. I would have loved this story as a high schooler—and really especially related to Juliette's loneliness and her ability to lose herself in books. Now, as a college student, I feel a bit too old for this book, but I felt a very strong sense of nostalgia while reading. I knew as I was tearing through the book how much a younger version of myself would have loved it. 

This book was addictive, and I really do love Mafi's prose. Part of the reason this book is such a quick read is because of the short chapters. The other is the way the writing is so easily digestible. I also loved the incorporation of writing numbers as numerals (1, 2, 3 rather than one, two, three), and the strike-throughs. Getting to watch Juliette grow in her confidence in storytelling in this way made for a quick, fun read. 

Now that I'm older, though, I recognized things in this one that would have passed me by a few years ago that won't know. I have so many questions about this world—I know Juliette was locked up for a while, which explains a partial knowledge on her end, but it just doesn't make enough sense to me, and I had a hard time visualizing even the things Juliette knew. I was also confused about why Adam wouldn't have explained how the world evolved while Juliette was locked up, in the moments they shared under Warner's eye. Either way, I just wanted more out of the world building. 

Knowing this is the first book in the series, and also knowing that there are many, many more books left to read, I'm excited to see how it all will grow. I'm 100% going to see this through to the end, because I've seen people rave about this series and I want to know what it's all about, even if I am a few years late. I'm excited to see how Mafi grows as a writer and to see how Juliette's, Adam's, Kenji's, and even Warner's stories evolve.

Unravel Me

It should have taken Juliette a single touch to kill Warner. But his mysterious immunity to her deadly power has left her shaken, wondering why her ultimate defense mechanism failed against the person she most needs protection from. She and Adam were able to escape Warner's clutches and join up with a group of rebels, many of whom has powers of their own. Juliette will finally be able to actively fight against the Reestablishment and try to fix her broken world. And perhaps these new allies can help her shed light on the secret behind Adam's—and Warner's—immunity to her killer skin. 

In the sequel to Shatter Me, Mafi further complicates her main characters' arcs while also giving readers a further glimpse into all that's at stake in Juliette's world. Written with the same lyrical prose as its predecessor, Unravel Me is a quick read, and an enjoyable one. 

What I will say about Mafi's writing is that it is so lyrical and poetic. So much of what she writes about Juliette's experiences with loneliness, desire of friendship and kinship, and more are so heartfelt and relatable. I also like the moments when Mafi uses figurative language that relates to language itself. While it would almost seem out of place to have such lyrical writing in a dystopian, broken world, I think this contrast continues to work well, because it really goes to show the power of language when the world is falling apart. That certainly holds true for today. 

I enjoyed how we get to see the complication of Juliette's relationships with Adam and Warner. Especially after the novella, Destroy Me, I was gratified by seeing Juliette's confusion about Warner's character. I was hoping for a bit more out of this, though, especially since it seems like every interaction between Juliette and Adam was nearly the same in this one; either way, I am glad we got another character thrown into this mix, because it shook things up. 

Like I mentioned in my previous review, I'm still very interested in the world Juliette lives in. I'm fascinated by how it seems like a world completely wrecked due to climate change, but I am a little disappointed that so much of Juliette's time is spent exploring the underground sections of the resistance. It seems like so much of Juliette's story takes place because of the world she lives in, and yet she still doesn't quite understand it all. I feel similarly. I wish we did get more world build and a better understand of all what's at stake for the entire world because of the resistance of Omega Point, rather than just the personal stakes for Juliette and for Sector 45. 

Lastly, the reason this book doesn't entirely get more than three stars is because of how predictable it feels, and how much untapped potential I feel in it. If I read this when I was reading books like Divergent and The Selection, I probably would have given it a full five stars because that's just the era it was published in. However, reading it nearly 10 years later sort of just puts into perspective how storytelling in dystopian worlds has become, and just makes me wish that Unravel Me had leaned more into the world building, into all of what's at stake, instead of entirely focusing on just the relationships between Juliette and the other members at Omega Point. 

Ignite Me

With Omega Point destroyed, Juliette doesn't know if the rebels, her friends, or even Adam are alive. But that won't keep her from trying to take down The Reestablishment once and for all. Now she must rely on Warner, the handsome commander of Sector 45. The one person she never thought she could trust. The same person who saved her life. He promises to help Juliette master her powers and save their dying world . . . but that's not all he wants with her. 

In this exciting finale to the original trilogy of the Shatter Me series, Mafi hits all the notes that I had been hoping for. I pretty much read this one in one sitting, engaged by the way Juliette's storytelling has evolved, the way Mafi depicts the changing relationships between the three main characters, and still keeping the war on the Reestablishment in the forefront.

The finale certainly reads like the last book in the series—it was so hard to tear myself away from this one. I was engaged in what was happening, and part of that was really due to the shift in Juliette's arc. She is not the same Juliette from Shatter Me—there's less repetition, no words crossed out. She knows exactly who she is and who she wants to be and what she is capable of. With a narrator like that, it's hard to want to do anything but read the book. 

I am also extremely gratified by the changing relationships between Juliette, Warner, and Adam. Reading Adam's novella, Fracture Me, was not necessary, but I found that it helped a little to explain his shifts in behavior. Either way, I think the way Adam's character has also evolved alongside Juliette's is a powerful narrative, and I'm glad Mafi leaned into it, and that Adam wasn't who Juliette ended up. While I wish there was a bit more of Juliette and Warner together, to bolster their love story, I think what we have was still the right amount to demonstrate how people evolve and grow to love other people. This is the kind of love triangle from that era that was done right. 

Like I've said in previous reviews, the one thing I really wished for more of is the world building. I am still relatively confused by how this world works. This book did better than the others to show what was necessary for an overthrow of this government, and its structure; and yet, to me, it still felt too easy for Juliette and the rebels to take down the system. This may just be because they took down one sector—I almost wish we saw how it all came down for the rest in an Epilogue. I'm sure the next books in the series accomplish something like this, but seeing it in the end of Ignite Me would have gone a long way, for me.

The series does, in fact, continue, with another trilogy, starting with Restore Me.

Restore Me

The girl with the power to kill with a single touch now has the world in the palm of her hand. Juliette Ferrars thought she'd won. She took over Sector 45, was named the new Supreme Commander of North America, and now has Warner by her side. But when tragedy strikes, she must confront the darkness that dwells both around and inside her. Who will she become in the face of adversity? Will she be able to control the power she wields, and use it for good? 

The return to the Shatter Me world is definitely one for the big fans of the original trilogy who have been asking what happens next. I've really enjoyed diving into this series, because it's provoked a sense of nostalgia for the books of the early 2010s. However, there was a lot missing in Restore Me, which made it rather unsatisfying, and more confusing than enjoyable. 

I was excited to return to the Shatter Me series world, thinking that in these next three novels, readers would have an opportunity to learn more about the world of the Reestablishment. We did, in fact, learn a little bit, but the way this information is revealed does not create a well-balanced story. To start, Mafi switches up the structure by introducing Warner's point of view, which was exciting at first. But when Warner's point of view isn't utilized to its fullest potential, his chapters feel unsatisfying, especially since he is withholding so much information about the world. His chapters don't reveal things to readers that he's hiding from Juliette, which would have been a great source of tension.

Instead, one of the main sources of tension is the introduction of other characters who, past their introductory scenes, don't have a presence during the rest of the novel. This is so frustrating as a reader, because their introduction signals potentially complicating the story—but instead, they disappear into the background as, once again, Juliette's and Warner's drama with one another takes the forefront. While their relationship issues are definitely an important part of the story, nothing else happens in this novel except for their problems with one another. It doesn't make for an engaging story. 

Even Adam and James get forgotten in the midst of all of this. The most interesting parts of the book include the small interactions with the three brothers, and yet there isn't any opportunity to expand on one of the most interesting dynamics of the first three books. Adam is all but forgotten in this novel. Rather than really exploring the potential of this story—how Juliette starts to manage a leadership role, how the others from Omega Point adjust, how the rest of the world reacts—these things are all touched on, but the rest of the space is used as an opportunity to catch everyone up on the romance between Juliette and Warner, and then the ensuing drama.

Lastly, I was frustrated by how nothing happened in the novel, like I said—but then how when something does really, truly happen, it happens in the last 10 pages. This is the plot twist that is both a bit predictable but still exciting, because it's finally something that happens. And then, all at once, the book is over. I am excited to see where this will go, because it truly is a bit of a twist; however, after the events of this book, I feel like my expectations and hopes have definitely shifted. 

Defy Me

Juliette Ferrars isn't who she thinks she is. Nothing in her world is what it seemed. She thought she'd finally defeated the Reestablishment. She thought she'd finally taken control of her life, her power, and her pain. But Juliette has only just begun to unravel a lifetime of lies, and she finds herself faced with a familiar choice: Be a weapon. Or be a warrior. This time, she's not alone. Stronger, braver, and more resilient than ever, Juliette will fight for life and love with her friends by her side—but first, she has to survive the war being waged against her mind: She has to remember who she was. 

Definitely the most explosive of the second trilogy to the series, Defy Me does indeed defy my expectations—it's an exciting installment, with plenty of plot twists and revelations, and makes for a very engaging read.

In Restore Me, nothing happens. In Defy Me, the opposite is true. This novel is fast-paced, and alternating between three characters' points of view demonstrates the urgency in all of their actions. While one is recovering, the others are plotting. And when all three characters collide back together, it is a reunion that feels familiar, and yet has emotions that are now all heightened because of the new stakes. Because of that, I could not put this one down.

If someone had told me that the penultimate novel of the series would bring me here, back when I started reading the first novel, I'm not entirely sure I would have believed them. But now that we're here, I do feel the need to recognize the strange situation of this series. On the one hand, it's rather magnificent how intoxicating the writing can be, and how engaging the novels are, even though their engaging plots vary across the individual books. On the other, it's crazy to plot out how Juliette's story started, and how it all got to where it is now. In some ways, it feels a bit unreal, as if the series wasn't planned out in advance. In other ways, it feels masterfully put together, items of interest only being revealed at key moments (even if those key moments are not distributed equally across the novels). 

I guess what I am trying to say is, I'm not sure how to feel—this series is quite literally impossible to put down. I read Restore Me, Shadow Me, Defy Me, and Reveal Me all within 24 hours. But the greatest plot twists of the series all seem to me to occur within this fifth book. Some of the greatest mysteries and motivations and discoveries occur here—and shouldn't they have occurred earlier, or at least been hinted to back in the foundational trilogy? I suppose I was hoping for more clarity within this second trilogy, and while we are given some, it's throwing the original trilogy into a weird light for me, because it seems to me like this series was never meant to be longer than the original trilogy, and all of these added details and twists feel just inconsistent enough to make me uncertain about the series as a whole.

Imagine Me

Juliette Ferrars. Ella Sommers. Which is the truth and which is the lie? Now that Ella knows who Juliette is and what she was created for, things have only become more complicated. As she struggles to understand the past that haunts her and looks to a future more uncertain than ever, the lines between right and wrong—between Ella and Juliette—blur. And with old enemies looming, her destiny may not be her own to control. The day of reckoning for the Reestablishment is coming. But she may not get to choose what side she fights on. 

I really do regret to say that I didn't love the series finale of the Shatter Me series—the only thing motivating me to read was my desire to see exactly how it all ended, but every step of the way to get there in this book was a difficult one. 

What I could appreciate about this series from the start was Juliette as a sympathetic narrator. Especially in the first three novels when she's truly growing, she's a fascinating main character and narrator, and watching her character grow was one of the true pros of this series. So, what I can't understand is how in the series finale, her character is completely incapacitated! It's almost as if we took this journey with Juliette, all the way through five books and four novellas, in order for her to play next-to-no part in the way it all ends. This is frustrating and deeply heartbreaking. 

While Juliette/Ella is narrating some of this novel, it is mostly narrated by Kenji, who is indeed a fan favorite. Narrator of some of the novellas, and having made a narration appearance in Defy Me, it's no wonder Mafi returned to his voice in closing out the series' story. What I couldn't understand was why Warner's voice also wasn't more present, in terms of explaining his complete absence and lack of care for what was going on around him. In the same way it was disappointing that Juliette's character completely disappeared from the finale, watching Warner's character completely regress was horrifying. Of course, he loves her and if she is gone, that would take an immense toll. But, I have a feeling that Juliette loved Warner because he could be strong without her. Love is not dependency. Those were the vibes I was getting from Warner's complete lack of engagement with Kenji and the others during the first half of this book. 

These characters were completely unrecognizable for me, and so was the world. I can tell you with 100% certainty that I had absolutely no idea what was going on throughout this book. I understand that Juliette was kidnapped and then her memories were wiped or replaced. And I could say that Kenji and Warner and the others tasked themselves with getting her back and fighting against the Reestablishment. But what was Emmaline's purpose in all of this? Why was Anderson literally not able to die? What about the other supreme commanders, what were they doing? I literally have no idea. I was so confused the whole time. I have so many unanswered questions, which means not only was the finale unsatisfying, but also unfulfilling.

The one saving grace for this series is how engrossing it is. I honestly had such a hard time reading or wanting to read any other books while I was waiting for my copies of this series to load. I literally couldn't really focus on other books because I was so curious as to how this would all end. I had really high hopes for this series, having heard so much about it over the years. I have no doubt that had I been reading these books as they were published, I would have loved them. But now, I can see that belong in the early-2010s dystopian era, for the nostalgia they provoke if nothing else.

That's all from me for now about the Shatter Me series. While this series was disappointing, I can assure you that Mafi's standalone, A Very Large Expanse of Sea is a triumph, and a delight. Mafi's best writing exists in this slim standalone, and I do highly recommend Mafi's contemporary YA novel. You can find Tahereh Mafi online just about anywhere @TaherehMafi or on her website www.taherehbooks.com. You can find more of my reviews of Tahereh's books here.