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gbmillar2002's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Very solid book. The author writes very nicely and in the audiobook version I appreciate the striking of sentences with an audible sound, it makes you feel involved in the story. Some of the description's seem like she used a thesaurus to find very niche synonyms but other than that very engaging. The vibe was very 2014 Tumblr hate myself core, I am a monster not one loves me etc. It is difficult to say if this is overdone or not because the plot itself is very focused on the protagonists 'flaws'
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment
Moderate: Forced institutionalization
Minor: Suicide and War
anshi912's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
4.75
i have no commeht on this books, it's really good.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gun violence, Stalking, Kidnapping, Suicide, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Abandonment
diamond627's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Kidnapping, Stalking, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, and Suicide
laleh_eve's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying and Abandonment
Moderate: Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Death, Physical abuse, Abandonment, Emotional abuse, Colonisation, Police brutality, Blood, Forced institutionalization, Genocide, Islamophobia, Suicidal thoughts, Gun violence, Homophobia, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, and Child abuse
Minor: Toxic relationship, Child abuse, Child death, Suicide, Religious bigotry, Racism, Police brutality, Addiction, Slavery, Sexual assault, Sexism, and Torture
chaos_and_chapters's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Physical abuse, Sexism, Blood, Body horror, Child abuse, Murder, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Death, Medical content, Sexual content, Medical trauma, and Police brutality
Minor: Eating disorder, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide, Death of parent, Stalking, and Suicidal thoughts
ahrime's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Minor: Child death, Suicide, and Child abuse
luliposatieris's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
i loved this book. I loved the writing style, how it reflected so well on Juliette’s state of mind, how it evolved throughout the book, her relationship with Adam, i just loved everything. The plot was good, it had a fast pace and short chapters, it kept me hooked. I’m left with SO many questions unanswered so it lowers my rating a little bit.
i don’t get why Warner is so loved throughout this series and Adam is so hated on. I don’t understand Warner’s motives and his actions, he’s an enigma for me. I don’t understand anything he does or says, like when he said he loved her i was like ????? since when. I’d like to see him explain more in these next books.
Adam is so sweet, i think he is a little overprotective though but he’s still my n1 ship with Juliette. It really intrigues me how Tahereh Mafi is going to make me love Warner and hate Adam, because at this point i feel it the other way around.
i’ll read destroy me to have a warner pov because i need it and then i’ll read unravel me.
Juliette <3 she’s so strong and amazing, i love her. I love that she has a weak state of mind, her chain of thought is so disorganized but she’s still questioning things about the people and places around her.
i don’t get why Warner is so loved throughout this series and Adam is so hated on. I don’t understand Warner’s motives and his actions, he’s an enigma for me. I don’t understand anything he does or says, like when he said he loved her i was like ????? since when. I’d like to see him explain more in these next books.
Adam is so sweet, i think he is a little overprotective though but he’s still my n1 ship with Juliette. It really intrigues me how Tahereh Mafi is going to make me love Warner and hate Adam, because at this point i feel it the other way around.
i’ll read destroy me to have a warner pov because i need it and then i’ll read unravel me.
Juliette <3 she’s so strong and amazing, i love her. I love that she has a weak state of mind, her chain of thought is so disorganized but she’s still questioning things about the people and places around her.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Physical abuse, Murder, Gun violence, Suicide, Death, Mental illness, Child death, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Violence, Abandonment, Torture, and War
Minor: Alcoholism, Sexual harassment, Death of parent, Child abuse, and Rape
sweetsxrrxw's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
[this review was written after a re-read, so spoilers of this book and the rest of the series are included]
the first time i read this book i was in a reading slump of about two years. a-levels and the pandemic had messed up my mental health. those two factors plus my lack of money had killed my motivation to pick a book. but, one evening summer i felt sad and desperate to bring back my love for reading. luckily, i bumped into the shatter me series; my slump was cured and, to celebrate the anniversary of that i decided to re-read it.
during this whole year i have not only finished the series but also read several opinions about this first book: people who love it and people who think it's awful or, at least, the worst book in the saga. now that i have re-read it, with all of this new information, i was allowed to view things from another perspective.
let me start talking about the writing style. i get why many people disliked it. i really do. but i can also understand why the author chose it, and i think it was mainly to show how fucked up juliette was. of course it is weird to see numbers in every page and and how she expresses herself. but, think about it, she had been locked for eight full months. she was isolated and convinced, since her childhood, that she was a monster and a terrible human being and deserved nothing (for something she could not decide or control).
personally, if i were in her place, i would have gone nuts and i wouldn't stand being alive. juliette, instead, decided to entertain herself by counting and daydreaming. that was her only escape. the only thing that kept her sane and the only way she had to give herself a break from her intrusive, depressing thoughts. so i would like to believe that the narration was meant to express juliette's state of mind.
now, if we talk about the characters... can i just say i love them all? im not trying to make this review super long so im just going to try to focus on their personalities during this book.
juliette is just very small and fragile during this book but she slowly grows into a more confident person who, for the first time in her life, feels like has control over her choices and can make bonds with other people without being scared. her traumas and backstory are heartbreaking but i am just so happy that she is able to overcome everything.
kenji is just the love of my life, lmao. he was the first man who made me realize i have a thing for funny and sarcastic side characters ;) i love the fact that, even if he's introduced like kind of a sneaky, womanizer character, he is actually very loyal and trustworthy.
it was nice to read again about warner with the knowledge i have now. i had context for some of the things he did (such as giving clothes to juliette or getting upset when she mentioned his mom). overall, i think he was a good villain in this book!
my unpopular opinion about adam is that i dont really hate him. yes i am aware of everything he does in the next books but i feel like tahereh just gave him a radical personality change so aaron could step in. i refuse to believe that shatter me adam would act the way he did in the other books just because of jealousy. he has always been in love with juliette and, even if she's not his girlfriend anymore, i don't think he would ever do something to hurt her.
AND JAMES !!! this kiddo owned my heart since the first book, fr.
on the other hand, i have lots of blue underlined quotes in the book. as i said in the beginning, this feels like an excerpt of how juliette felt like at her worst. so i just emphasized and felt so sad for her during the book. but there's this one quote which, even last year, made me think "bro, i really love this book". and it's the conversation juliette has with winston, validating kenji's anger and asking winston not to be a hypocrite and to learn how to pronounce kenji's "difficult" last name. as someone with a difficult name, i will always appreciate reading that dialogue <3
i have not re-read the other books from the series yet but i'd just like to say that this one is very special to me and i really hope that, with time, it becomes one of my comfort bookish series. <3
the first time i read this book i was in a reading slump of about two years. a-levels and the pandemic had messed up my mental health. those two factors plus my lack of money had killed my motivation to pick a book. but, one evening summer i felt sad and desperate to bring back my love for reading. luckily, i bumped into the shatter me series; my slump was cured and, to celebrate the anniversary of that i decided to re-read it.
during this whole year i have not only finished the series but also read several opinions about this first book: people who love it and people who think it's awful or, at least, the worst book in the saga. now that i have re-read it, with all of this new information, i was allowed to view things from another perspective.
let me start talking about the writing style. i get why many people disliked it. i really do. but i can also understand why the author chose it, and i think it was mainly to show how fucked up juliette was. of course it is weird to see numbers in every page and and how she expresses herself. but, think about it, she had been locked for eight full months. she was isolated and convinced, since her childhood, that she was a monster and a terrible human being and deserved nothing (for something she could not decide or control).
personally, if i were in her place, i would have gone nuts and i wouldn't stand being alive. juliette, instead, decided to entertain herself by counting and daydreaming. that was her only escape. the only thing that kept her sane and the only way she had to give herself a break from her intrusive, depressing thoughts. so i would like to believe that the narration was meant to express juliette's state of mind.
now, if we talk about the characters... can i just say i love them all? im not trying to make this review super long so im just going to try to focus on their personalities during this book.
juliette is just very small and fragile during this book but she slowly grows into a more confident person who, for the first time in her life, feels like has control over her choices and can make bonds with other people without being scared. her traumas and backstory are heartbreaking but i am just so happy that she is able to overcome everything.
kenji is just the love of my life, lmao. he was the first man who made me realize i have a thing for funny and sarcastic side characters ;) i love the fact that, even if he's introduced like kind of a sneaky, womanizer character, he is actually very loyal and trustworthy.
it was nice to read again about warner with the knowledge i have now. i had context for some of the things he did (such as giving clothes to juliette or getting upset when she mentioned his mom). overall, i think he was a good villain in this book!
my unpopular opinion about adam is that i dont really hate him. yes i am aware of everything he does in the next books but i feel like tahereh just gave him a radical personality change so aaron could step in. i refuse to believe that shatter me adam would act the way he did in the other books just because of jealousy. he has always been in love with juliette and, even if she's not his girlfriend anymore, i don't think he would ever do something to hurt her.
AND JAMES !!! this kiddo owned my heart since the first book, fr.
on the other hand, i have lots of blue underlined quotes in the book. as i said in the beginning, this feels like an excerpt of how juliette felt like at her worst. so i just emphasized and felt so sad for her during the book. but there's this one quote which, even last year, made me think "bro, i really love this book". and it's the conversation juliette has with winston, validating kenji's anger and asking winston not to be a hypocrite and to learn how to pronounce kenji's "difficult" last name. as someone with a difficult name, i will always appreciate reading that dialogue <3
i have not re-read the other books from the series yet but i'd just like to say that this one is very special to me and i really hope that, with time, it becomes one of my comfort bookish series. <3
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Child death, and Abandonment
Moderate: Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, and Emotional abuse
ratherreadrandi's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Child abuse
novelisa's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Minor: Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Forced institutionalization, Child death, Bullying, and Abandonment