Shatter Me

Overly dramatic and purple prose is very distracting. the audiobook is absolutely intolerable. The narrator sounds like she is 10 years old and the incessant noises of Juliette writing and scratching things off is maddening.

3,75⭐️

The reread wasn't as good as the first read

I beg this cannot be the man booktok goes crazy over, everytime his name popped up it just got worse

I went into this book skeptical (thanks, BookTok) but was pleasantly surprised. The story drew me in from the start, with poetic yet accessible writing that kept me engaged. It’s ideal for fans of classic dystopian movies like Divergent or The Hunger Games—familiar vibes with a hint of found family. The FMC was a refreshing character, growing from fragile to a true badass over the course of the story. Her development felt real and satisfying, without falling into clichés. I loved the depth of the characters, especially Mr. Warner, who’s introduced in an intriguing, surface-level way that suggests there’s much more to uncover. Soldier Boy was a total sweetheart and showed surprising strength later on that was I waiting for to really get me into his character, he didn't disappoint. While I expected a final hook for the next book at the end, the pacing kept me intrigued with hooks throughout. I am still disappointed I didn't get the final hook. The world-building was digestible, with explanations that flowed naturally instead of dumping information. Not much happened in this book - You can tell it's setting you up for the next books, don't expect to read this like a standalone because you will enjoy it less. Not a favorite but definitely a solid read, had me kicking my feet!

I loved this book so much! Warner was a perfect villain who seemed to be designed for readers to hate. The relationships in the book are incredible, and the main character's emotions are relatable and heartfelt. I'm so excited to read the rest of the series!

I was frustrated though the majority of this book. I hope Warner dies a slow painful death. The author wants us to believe that Juliette makes her own choice at the end after being denied that luxury throughout the book . But did she really? I am not interested in reading any more of the sequel right now.

writing style and characters

Shatter Me introduces us to Juliette who has been neglected for so long that she has withdrawn into herself in order to survive. Her touch is deadly and all she wants is to be accepted and loved. When we meet her, she's on her 264th day of solitary confinement. She's sleep deprived, half-starved nutritionally and mentally, and has an odd internal dialogue.

In fact, it's this odd dialogue that may turn-off some readers. I know my composition professors would

run out of red ink reviewing Mafi's writing find it very unique and interesting. Mafi's writing felt to me like a type of poetry. It followed her own rules of grammar and formatting. When looked at from that perspective, I was able to accept it

after giving my OCDemoness a Valium and ordering it to take a nap because it would have gone insane insane insane insane and enjoy the story.

While the Goodreads' blurb states this is

"a world as riveting as The Hunger Games and a superhero story as thrilling as The X-Men." I would disagree a bit. It is a riveting story, but not similar to

Hunger Games and while the idea of Juliet as a superhero is a thrilling idea it also isn't very comparable to

X-Men. Of course this is my opinion and others may disagree. If I had to choose another book or film with which to compare this book I would say: the first half reminded me a bit of [b:Ultraviolet|8843789|Ultraviolet|R.J. Anderson|http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51FTn94wBgL._SL75_.jpg|13718670] strictly because of the two characters' fear of their "abilities", the problems and shunning they have caused them while growing up, and their eventual realization that they are not alone. As for a film .... nothing comes to mind.

If you can manage to turn off your internal grammar checker - you will see repetitive words words words with no commas and bizarre analogies - and ignore the way the author uses

strikeouts as a way for Juliette to discourage certain thoughts while reading, I think you find this to be an interesting story. For me, it was a quick read; anytime I had to put it down I was anxious to return to it.

I enjoyed this book, but I felt that the ending was a little too drawn out especially since this is the first book of a trilogy.