Restore Me by Tahereh Mafi | Rating: ★★★★★"I cannot let the broken girl inside of me inhale all that I've become. I cannot revert back to another version of myself. I will not shatter, not again, in the wake of an emotional earthquake.”
I'll be honest: I was skeptical of this book when it was announced. I absolutely adored the original trilogy and was hesitant about Restore Me. In spite of my initial "eh" reaction to the continuation of the series, I had faith that Mafi wouldn't let the fans down and she truly didn't. I was mostly concerned that everything that was built up in the first three books would be pulled apart in the worst way possible.
Plus, I had it in my mind that the previous book was the conclusion. It takes me a while to adjust to changes. But, at the end of the day, Restore Me isn't a change. It honors the beginning and end of the original run, expanding both the world and its characters; their relationships and the politics. Restore Me makes the series richer in tone and detail and proves to be Mafi's best release to date.
First things first, HOLY CRAP HER WRITING. It just keeps getting better. Pick up Shatter Me, reread the first three books, and then look at how much she has grown right there with the characters. I'm stunned. This was definitely one of my most anticipated reads of 2018 and one of the only books I literally could not put down, even if I wanted/needed to.
Ignite Me by Tahereh Mafi | Rating: ★★★☆☆ “And we are quotation marks, inverted and upside down, clinging to one another at the end of this life sentence. Trapped by lives we did not choose.”
My first thought on the action-packed finale of the Shatter Me series isn't all that full of praise. Whereas the two which came before it were magical, steamy and thrilling, something about Ignite Me fell short for me. Lackluster would be the accurate way of processing it, really, and that is painful to say--as I loved the first two books. See, the prose was still full of magic and excellence and there was plenty of action and romance, but something about this installment left me feeling less than what I'd desired or come to expect.
This isn't to say it wasn't good. It is the weak link in the series and that's a damn shame, because I liked where things were going until I didn't. I felt like a lot was rushed and left a weird feeling with me in terms of development. There were moments when the characters grew and reflected who they were in the first two books and then there were the frustrating moments in which you asked yourself, "Who are they?" at familiar faces. While some character growth was pleasing and made sense, there were other things that felt chopped up and off. You know, the very opposite of character growth and I hated it.
Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi | Rating: ★★★★★"Sticks and stones keep breaking my bones but these words, these words will kill me."
Tahereh Mafi’s prose is magic. Oh, I could say so much more to start off my damn review but that is the first thing that comes to mind whilst looking back on how it felt to read Unravel Me. Shatter Me is a series that has progressed quickly, with a loyal and deserving fan base and the thing about the sequel is that it’s even better than the first. This time around we get to learn more about the world we caught only glimpses of in the first installment and it’s delightful. Action packed, intelligent and sexy–Unravel Me pushes the envelope in young adult literature and proves that sometimes it’s unwise to under estimate the genre.
After breaking free of her chains–twice–Juliette Ferrars is now able to say she has escaped the Reestablishment, free from her prison as a so-called-crazy person, free from Warner’s plans to use her as a weapon. At the end of Shatter Me we saw Juliette escape to Omega Point with Adam Kent, her flame, and Kenji Kishimoto. If you thought Shatter Me was full of action and suspense, then you are in for a treat with Unravel Me.
Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi | Rating: ★★★★☆“All I ever wanted was to reach out and touch another human being not just with my hands but with my heart.”
For months I’d been debating whether or not I wanted to really read this novel. Tahereh Mafi is basically perfection in author form. And the buzz I’d heard when it came to this book was massive. Goodreads, however, made me wonder whether or not the hype was all that. Mostly, opinions on this book have been mixed — they either love it or hate it.
I’m going to be upfront with you all when I say I loved it.
Aside from the beautiful cover and freaking awesome author (how cool is she?!), the novel itself is pretty damn good. And I mean that.
Our story stars in a dystopian world where our leading lady Juliette is living in a damaged world that only vaguely resembles what it once was and is left in a life of seclusion that mirrors a terrible fate as a prisoner of a world that considers you to be a monster. See, the lovely Juliette has a certain gift that many view as being a monster — her touch is lethal. Her family has abandoned her in incredibly heartbreaking ways.
Then, she feels betrayed by a newly made connection that leads her into another place of the unknown. A very dark place that she has no intention of giving up her potential freedom for.
