Shatter Me
By Tahereh Mafi
Juliette has a power. She cannot touch
anyone without killing them. For several years, she has been
languishing in a prison until the futuristic government, The
Reestablishment, wants her on their side.
The cover is bland and forgettable. I
have an irrational hatred for “girls in ballgowns” covers. Thank
goodness the publisher changed the scheme for books 2 and 3. In fact,
the only reason I wanted to read this series in the first place is
the second book's cover. Now I'm not so sure I want to read it.
I struggled through the first 200 pages
of this book (338 total). Nothing was really grabbing me – the
characters, the setting, the plot, or the pace. Then last night,
something happened! I finished the rest of the book speedily. At the
end, I'm still confused. I liked where it went, but I wish it had
arrived there sooner.
Warning: this book is HEAVY on romance.
I've no objection to romance. It just got in the way of the
trajectory of the plot. It felt like “something's happening!
something's happening! Oh, they're making out again...”. The
feminist in me would have liked Juliette to have more development than just the romance.
I felt that little was explained and
when it was the explanation offered more questions than answers. The
world is a mystery to me. Though that might be part of our
perspective through someone who's been incarcerated for three years.
What's most redeeming in this novel is
the beautiful writing. Little snippets of pure poetry sprinkled
throughout.
Here's hoping book 2 explains more.
3/5 STARS
Classroom: Skip this one.
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