Synopsis:
I have a curse
I have a gift
I am a monster
I’m more than human
My touch is lethal
My touch is power
I am their weapon
I will fight back
Juliette hasn’t touched anyone in exactly 264 days.
The last time she did, it was an accident, but The Reestablishment locked her up for murder. No one knows why Juliette’s touch is fatal. As long as she doesn’t hurt anyone else, no one really cares. The world is too busy crumbling to pieces to pay attention to a 17-year-old girl. Diseases are destroying the population, food is hard to find, birds don’t fly anymore, and the clouds are the wrong color.
The Reestablishment said their way was the only way to fix things, so they threw Juliette in a cell. Now so many people are dead that the survivors are whispering war – and The Reestablishment has changed its mind. Maybe Juliette is more than a tortured soul stuffed into a poisonous body. Maybe she’s exactly what they need right now.
Juliette has to make a choice: Be a weapon. Or be a warrior.
Favorite Lines:
“Raindrops are my only reminder that clouds have a heartbeat. That I have one, too.”
“The sun is an arrogant thing, always leaving the world behind when it tires of us. The moon is a loyal companion. It never leaves. It’s always there, watching, steadfast, knowing us in our light and dark moments, changing forever just as we do. Every day it’s a different version of itself. Sometimes weak and wan, sometimes strong and full of light. The moon understands what it means to be human. Uncertain. Alone. Cratered by imperfections.”
“Find me a cure for these tears, I’d really like to exhale for the first time in my life.”
“Hope in this world bleeds out of the barrel of a gun.”
My Opinion:
This is a reread for me in preparation for the new books that she has released for the series, but this is my first official review on it. This is still one of my favorite series, even after multiple rereads; which is saying something.
Shatter Me follows Juliette, a girl who kills people with her touch. Juliette has never wanted to hurt anyone. She grew up with parents who hated and feared her and no friends because all the kids stayed away from her. After a terrible accident, Juliette is locked up for 264 days. After not seeing anyone or speaking to anyone for those 264 days, she is recruited by the Reestablishment to be their weapon; except Juliette still doesn’t want to hurt anyone.
I love love love the way that Mafi writes her books. She uses a lot of beautiful and poetic thoughts throughout the story. We have to remember that we are seeing the world from Juliette’s perspective. She has never had any friends or a family who loved her; she has a beautiful and sad way of viewing the world. I think Mafi’s writing style is really what sets this series apart from others.
I don’t particularly think anything bugs me. If I had to be nit-picky I would say I don’t know how I feel about how quick Juliette changes towards the end. No spoilers, but she does start to do a 180 on her perspective of herself and her abilities. I understand why she starts to feel that way so again, it’s nit-picky.
Summary:
Overall, I really love this book (and the whole series). It’s been a consistent reread series for me and never gets boring. I hope you all love it as much as I do! Happy reading!
Likely Story 