*Possible spoilers ahead*
No one knows why Juliette’s touch is fatal, but the Reestablishment has plans for her. Plans to use her as a weapon.
But Juliette has plans of her own.
After a lifetime without freedom, she’s finally discovering a strength to fight back for the very first time–and to find a future with the one boy she thought she’d lost forever.
I had okay feelings about this book–on my scale it would probably be a 3.5/5. There were a lot of thoughts that I had about it, some seemingly coincidental, some intriguing, some whatever.
So, after assembling all of my random thoughts together, here is Shatter Me‘s review.
I started reading Shatter Me in early October (my notes say the fourteenth), but it took me fifty or sixty pages to get into the book. First things first, there is a note from the author at the beginning of the book about the various grammatical errors (strikethroughs, repetition, lack of punctuation in a lot of areas), so that’s fair warning. Because of the grammatical structure of the book, it took some getting used to. I found myself getting annoyed with Juliette, the narrator, because her thoughts were so erratic. But that was the point.
Juliette had been essentially neglected and then stuck in an asylum for a few years because of the power of her touch (the critical incident that landed her in the asylum is revealed later on in the novel), so she’s learned to fixate on things to pass the time, and dream of a better life.
And then a boy arrives.
Of course.
You know how, in literature, a newcomer arrives and then everything changes? That’s basically what happened. And then things escalated–not by much–from there. We’re introduced to Adam, a guy that Juliette had known when she was a child, and Warner, a sadistic character only a few years older than Juliette. That’s it until about two-thirds of the way into the book.
Adam enters the asylum and is placed with Juliette, therefore altering her entire world. At first, she’s fearful but mesmerized. She hadn’t spoken to anyone since she’d entered the asylum, and she didn’t know what he would do. Throughout their time together, a tenuous trust is built between them and Juliette becomes infatuated with Adam.
After Juliette leaves the asylum (not by choice), it’s all about her observing and learning more about the world around her. It’s about her seeing how poor citizens live while the wealthy continue with their lavish lives. It’s about her seeing the injustice of the world around her. It’s about her learning how to deal with the gift (or curse) that she’s been given.
Because here’s the thing: Juliette isn’t a bad person at all, but Warner wants to turn her into a weapon. She’s a likable character, even if she may seem annoying at first. She’s more realistic, but there’s also a sense of childlike wonder as she experiences things such as love, terror, anxiety, and other emotions. She’s brave and defiant, but also vulnerable. Very well characterized.
Adam, on the other hand, seems as bland to me as untoasted bread. He’s static, ordinary, and hearing his story through Juliette’s eyes doesn’t really endear me to him. When they were younger (it’s confirmed that he remembers her) he didn’t stand up for her. The two were just not talking to each other (stealing glances at each other), and other events made me figure out that what Adam and Juliette were feeling was insta-love.
And while I’m a huge fan of romance, I really don’t think that Juliette should have been involved with someone in the very first book (more on that later).
Warner is, alongside Juliette, the most complex character in the series. While Adam’s actions were almost predictable, Warner’s–sometimes–weren’t. He had so many facets to his character that it gave me whiplash, and reading his novella at the end gave me a better sense of why he acts the way he does, although that does not excuse what he’s done and what he plans to do.
But back to the romantic part.
Adam and Juliette should not have been together. Like, at all. And the reason? Juliette.
Juliette was stuck in an asylum for three years, starving from lack of love, attention, and that feeling of belonging, and when Adam entered the picture, he gave her all of that. But that’s all. Adam is essentially the reason that Juliette does things in the book (besides one instance), and she doesn’t take the time to do things for herself. She’s so worried and dependent on Adam that it’s terrifying. And that’s why they shouldn’t have been together.
Although Adam gave Juliette what she needed, there was no reason for them to jump headfirst into a romance. If anything, they should have been friends and Juliette should have grown into herself more because everything after their initial confession to each other piled up into other actions. As it gets closer to the end of the book, there’s action-action-action before a calm, and a romance was totally unnecessary. The ending was also pretty abrupt, but I’m guessing that it’s because it makes you want to read the second book.
But that’s enough about what I think. If you’ve read the book, comment below and let me know if you agree or disagree! I welcome all opinions unless they’re harmful in nature and are intended to hurt.
This book is located at Books-A-Million and other book retailers.
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