Book Review | Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

Shatter Me

Author: Tahereh Mafi
Published: November 15, 2011 by Harper
Format: Paperback

Juliette has been locked up in an asylum for 264 days, isolated from the world she grew up in for the past 17 years. Her parents freely gave her to The Reestablishment, eager to get rid of the monster they've raised. For months she hasn't talked to anyone, much less feel the touch of another human being. She was lost. She was broken. She was just a girl who was blamed for the things she never thought she could do and all she wants was love and acceptance and to feel the warmth touch of another human.

She was the monster that everyone loathed.

Everything changed when Adam was thrown into her cell without any explanation. She knows him, but he didn't recognize her. She needed wanted to touch him, feel his warmth and skin against hers, and yet she wouldn't unless she want to risk his life. All she could do was not let Adam touch her, no matter how badly she wanted it. That’s when The Reestablishment realized the advantage they could have once they gain control over her.

She was the monster that The Reestablishment needed to stay in control.

Shatter Me is filled with wonderful characters that have higher purposes, and were not just created to fill in unnecessary holes. Juliette, the main character, starts off as a lost and broken soul caused by her unlikely childhood and being shunned away from the world. Despite this, she did not stop hoping that someone would come and accept her for who she is. Her repetitive and run-on thoughts emphasize what Juliette really wants but can’t have. Her crossed-out thoughts were the ones she refused not to think, no matter how true they seemed to be because it pained her to believe so that it’s true. It also shows how unsure she was about the new world she’s in. As the story progresses, her crossed-out thoughts were getting lesser, until she found the confidence and her own voice. From the kind and almost perfect Adam to Warner— the sadistic leader of Sector 45 and to Kenji— the one that brings out the comedy side of the novel, the readers will be in for a thrilling ride to the world that Mafi has created.

But it’s not just the story or the eye-catching cover that would hook the readers. Tahereh Mafi delivers her story in a way that shows what Juliette sees and feels, making it easy for the readers to get in her head. Mafi’s prose is simply stunning and unflinchingly beautiful, and it’s what makes Juliette’s voice unique. The only drawback is that it gets wordy sometimes; making it hard to comprehend that the reader would have to reread the paragraph again.

Shatter Me is Tahereh Mafi’s take on growing collection of the dystopian literature, but with a dash of paranormal. It is a fast-paced, action-packed novel that no one should miss, especially by the fond readers of dystopian literature.