Scan barcode
A review by jen1804
Restore Me by Tahereh Mafi
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
The beginning of this book was great, it did sort of slump toward the middle but only slightly and the ending was outrageously good.
There was lots in this book that confused me though, like so much that it made me kind of mad. I’m also beginning to heavily dislike Juliette and I don’t know whether that’s intentional on Mafi’s part yet or not.
Juliette definitely overreacts to Aaron informing her of everything he’s learned about her past life. Let’s get this straight girl, the moment he learned about everything, he told you, and he left nothing out. The one piece of information he had known for a long time was not that big of a deal tbh and I understand his reasoning for withholding it. The moment he found out more he told you. I was worried that Mafi was going to do the classic miscommunication thing of getting one character (Aaron) to explain to the other character (Juliette) is such a poor way that they don’t understand. But that’s not what happened, Mafi wrote Aaron’s explanation so clearly and I was left thinking Juliette girl calm the fuck down.
Kenji is still amazing. Love his character. Love love Nazeera, and Kenji’s (attempted) flirtation with her haha.
I liked the fact that we got some Aaron/Adam content, that was a healthy conversation. And I also liked that after this Adam’s character takes a back seat for the rest of the book.
I also really loved the Aaron POVs in this book, yes yes yes. His thought processes and his anguish and heartbreak over Juliette, and him having a panic attack was all so beautifully written.
I loved how Juliette tried to force a friendship between Kenji and Warner but they’re both like nahhhh. The bad hair cut was so funny. But then they kind of bond over caring for Juliette when she’s drunk too much scotch and Aaron has to fill Kenji in.
At first I was like ugh why are we getting Juliette’s journal entries again, just repetition of extracts I’ve read before, but then I actually really appreciated the rereads of the journal entries parallel to the present. Because the more the book went on the more I came to the conclusion that Juliette is in fact insane and seeing the chapters play out alongside her journal entries helped cement this.
In a lot of ways this book kinda felt a bit disjointed from the first three, i.e. like Mafi hadn’t planned this far ahead when she wrote the original trilogy which I think is true and it shows. Like why is Castle suddenly this font of all knowledge when it comes to the Reestablishment, some of the stuff he was coming out with was crazy and I have no idea where he learned it all when even Aaron didn’t know?????? But actually as a book on its own it holds up really well.
And that ending was insane, in a good way. I audibly exclaims “W.T.F”! Loved loved loved, and it bumps the rating up despite some of my earlier confusions during the book.
Satisfactory ending? Absolutely.
There was lots in this book that confused me though, like so much that it made me kind of mad. I’m also beginning to heavily dislike Juliette and I don’t know whether that’s intentional on Mafi’s part yet or not.
Juliette definitely overreacts to Aaron informing her of everything he’s learned about her past life. Let’s get this straight girl, the moment he learned about everything, he told you, and he left nothing out. The one piece of information he had known for a long time was not that big of a deal tbh and I understand his reasoning for withholding it. The moment he found out more he told you. I was worried that Mafi was going to do the classic miscommunication thing of getting one character (Aaron) to explain to the other character (Juliette) is such a poor way that they don’t understand. But that’s not what happened, Mafi wrote Aaron’s explanation so clearly and I was left thinking Juliette girl calm the fuck down.
Kenji is still amazing. Love his character. Love love Nazeera, and Kenji’s (attempted) flirtation with her haha.
I liked the fact that we got some Aaron/Adam content, that was a healthy conversation. And I also liked that after this Adam’s character takes a back seat for the rest of the book.
I also really loved the Aaron POVs in this book, yes yes yes. His thought processes and his anguish and heartbreak over Juliette, and him having a panic attack was all so beautifully written.
I loved how Juliette tried to force a friendship between Kenji and Warner but they’re both like nahhhh. The bad hair cut was so funny. But then they kind of bond over caring for Juliette when she’s drunk too much scotch and Aaron has to fill Kenji in.
At first I was like ugh why are we getting Juliette’s journal entries again, just repetition of extracts I’ve read before, but then I actually really appreciated the rereads of the journal entries parallel to the present. Because the more the book went on the more I came to the conclusion that Juliette is in fact insane and seeing the chapters play out alongside her journal entries helped cement this.
In a lot of ways this book kinda felt a bit disjointed from the first three, i.e. like Mafi hadn’t planned this far ahead when she wrote the original trilogy which I think is true and it shows. Like why is Castle suddenly this font of all knowledge when it comes to the Reestablishment, some of the stuff he was coming out with was crazy and I have no idea where he learned it all when even Aaron didn’t know?????? But actually as a book on its own it holds up really well.
And that ending was insane, in a good way. I audibly exclaims “W.T.F”! Loved loved loved, and it bumps the rating up despite some of my earlier confusions during the book.
Satisfactory ending? Absolutely.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Murder, and Death
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Panic attacks/disorders, Torture, Transphobia, Violence, Abandonment, Confinement, Mental illness, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Gun violence
Minor: Alcohol, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, Genocide, Gore, Suicidal thoughts, and War