You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Scan barcode
hannibanani29's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, and Forced institutionalization
Moderate: Child death, Cursing, Death, Gun violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Murder, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Bullying, Sexual content, Slavery, Medical content, Death of parent, and War
claire_fitzgibbon13's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I loved this, i’m definitely going to continue to read the series. I couldn’t put this down and literally read it in 2 days. I love Juliette and Adam and also love Warner despite him being an ass.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, and Confinement
Minor: Sexual content
valreadssometimes's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-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
2.0
This is probably the definition of a guilty pleasure read. It’s not a masterpiece, or even “good”, book, but I found myself having a good time reading (for the most part).
Okay, now that that’s out of the way here’s my honest review:
The writing style of this book was confusing and wordy. When I first started the book, I was really frustrated with the unnecessary figurative language that did nothing to improve the descriptions or add emotion. I do enjoy some pretty words once in a while, but with this book it felt kind of like someone was trying to fit as many similes and metaphors in, even if they were completely necessary or distracted from the focus of the writing. I did get used to it like a third of the way into the book, so do with that what you will.
When I picked this book up, I thought it was going to be very dark and dystopian with some slight romance. What I got was pure romance, maybe too much of it to really call this a “thrilling dystopian novel.” I honestly didn’t mind too much though, since I’m a sucker for a good romance (I did kind of mind later though, but I’ll get into that in a moment).
The main character is okay, and I didn’t really have an issue with her personality. She wasn’t an annoying protagonist, but she was obsessed with the main lead at times where it was super inappropriate. But yeah, this is a romance, so if you know what you’re getting into it’s not too bad.
Now, let's discuss the love interests. They were both kind of walking red flags, but it’s okay. Who needs healthy relationships in YA literature?
Adam, the main lead and the one who “gets the girl” in this book is a soldier. He’s kind and compassionate and had been in love with the main lead since childhood. He does get kind of weird at times, and I felt like he was lying to the protagonist more often than not. He’s also like overly protective and jealous, which is something. He’s probably not the best, and he got together with the main girl way too quickly, but he’s probably an angel compared to the other lead.
Speaking of problematic: Warner. He’s the second love interest, which is weird because he kidnaps Juliette and basically imprisons her. He’s the young, morally grey (which should really be completely immoral) leader of a district under the tyrannical government. He is a trained killer, and he kills people or puts them in harm’s way for no reason other than to assert power or to have some sort of twisted fun. He’s just misunderstood though, his father is mean to him so that totally excuses every horrible war crime ever (sarcastic). Oh yeah, he also forces himself on Juliette while preaching that he wants it to be “her choice” to love him. There’s a scene near the end of the book that is blatant sexual harassment from him. He sucks, but he has more personality than Adam.
Overall, not good.
Am I going to read the next book? Yes.
Okay, now that that’s out of the way here’s my honest review:
The writing style of this book was confusing and wordy. When I first started the book, I was really frustrated with the unnecessary figurative language that did nothing to improve the descriptions or add emotion. I do enjoy some pretty words once in a while, but with this book it felt kind of like someone was trying to fit as many similes and metaphors in, even if they were completely necessary or distracted from the focus of the writing. I did get used to it like a third of the way into the book, so do with that what you will.
When I picked this book up, I thought it was going to be very dark and dystopian with some slight romance. What I got was pure romance, maybe too much of it to really call this a “thrilling dystopian novel.” I honestly didn’t mind too much though, since I’m a sucker for a good romance (I did kind of mind later though, but I’ll get into that in a moment).
The main character is okay, and I didn’t really have an issue with her personality. She wasn’t an annoying protagonist, but she was obsessed with the main lead at times where it was super inappropriate. But yeah, this is a romance, so if you know what you’re getting into it’s not too bad.
Now, let's discuss the love interests. They were both kind of walking red flags, but it’s okay. Who needs healthy relationships in YA literature?
Adam, the main lead and the one who “gets the girl” in this book is a soldier. He’s kind and compassionate and had been in love with the main lead since childhood. He does get kind of weird at times, and I felt like he was lying to the protagonist more often than not. He’s also like overly protective and jealous, which is something. He’s probably not the best, and he got together with the main girl way too quickly, but he’s probably an angel compared to the other lead.
Speaking of problematic: Warner. He’s the second love interest, which is weird because he kidnaps Juliette and basically imprisons her. He’s the young, morally grey (which should really be completely immoral) leader of a district under the tyrannical government. He is a trained killer, and he kills people or puts them in harm’s way for no reason other than to assert power or to have some sort of twisted fun. He’s just misunderstood though, his father is mean to him so that totally excuses every horrible war crime ever (sarcastic). Oh yeah, he also forces himself on Juliette while preaching that he wants it to be “her choice” to love him. There’s a scene near the end of the book that is blatant sexual harassment from him. He sucks, but he has more personality than Adam.
Overall, not good.
Am I going to read the next book? Yes.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Gun violence, Torture, Violence, Abandonment, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Child death
thegr1mreader's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Mental illness, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Murder, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Mental illness, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, and War
Minor: Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, and Sexual harassment
laurenvoice's review against another edition
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Shatter Me was an excellent start to the series. Tahereh Mafi introduced us to this dystopian world well with a great background to how this dystopian society came about. The hype around this series is understandable.
However, I am not quite seeing why people are obsessed with Aaron Warner yet; I am guessing he improves at some point in the series; at the moment, he seems sadistic.
The reason I didn't give Shatter Me a higher rating is because there seems to be a lack of respect for consent in this book; how many times does a girl have to say to not touch her for the boys in this book to get it. The boys in this book are extremely hormonal, like they haven't seen a girl before. And both Warner and Adam seem to treat Juliette like an object that they own, which didn't sit too well with me. Considering this book is a dystopian romance for a young adult audience, having some healthier-looking relationship flags would have been good, especially around the topic of consent.
Nonetheless, I am looking forward to continuing this series. I am intrigued by what comes next with Warner, and seeing more Kenji; he was hilarious.
However, I am not quite seeing why people are obsessed with Aaron Warner yet; I am guessing he improves at some point in the series; at the moment, he seems sadistic.
The reason I didn't give Shatter Me a higher rating is because there seems to be a lack of respect for consent in this book; how many times does a girl have to say to not touch her for the boys in this book to get it. The boys in this book are extremely hormonal, like they haven't seen a girl before. And both Warner and Adam seem to treat Juliette like an object that they own, which didn't sit too well with me. Considering this book is a dystopian romance for a young adult audience, having some healthier-looking relationship flags would have been good, especially around the topic of consent.
Nonetheless, I am looking forward to continuing this series. I am intrigued by what comes next with Warner, and seeing more Kenji; he was hilarious.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Violence, and Forced institutionalization
Moderate: Child death, Death, Physical abuse, Torture, and Sexual harassment
themoodreader's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Murder, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
soyboi's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
hopeful
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Emotional abuse, Torture, Grief, Murder, and Gaslighting
andatherrin's review against another edition
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Forced institutionalization, and Colonisation
Moderate: Child death, Gun violence, and Xenophobia
Minor: Child abuse
lalaslibrary's review against another edition
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Child abuse, Child death, Death, and Blood
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: Child death, Death, and Abandonment
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide