Shatter Me (Shatter Me, #1)

Shatter Me (Shatter Me, #1) - Tahereh Mafi This review appeared first on Oh, Chrys!Enthralling and ultra fast-paced, [b:Shatter Me|10429045|Shatter Me (Shatter Me, #1)|Tahereh Mafi|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1310649047s/10429045.jpg|15333458] features a unique writing style and a narrator that held my attention throughout the entire novel. These interesting qualities are accentuated by world-building that gracefully led me into a setting riddled with tension, corruption, and totalitarian leadership. The plot heightened rapidly, though some of its events certainly disappointed me.When it comes to YA dystopian novels, it is almost pedestrian for the world-building to be lacking. Either it is incomplete, confusing or simply too unbelievable. Fortunately, Mafi did not leave me in total dismay. Her world-building is exemplary as it is very easy to understand. Readers are not overwhelmed with foreign ideas or terminology. Instead, Mafi utilizes our familiarity with today's Earth and juxtaposes it with the new, miserable world. This is primarily done via Juliette's memories of the world before and after The Reestablishment - the elite authority that has deteriorated the world under its dictatorship. Furthermore, the world of [b:Shatter Me|10429045|Shatter Me (Shatter Me, #1)|Tahereh Mafi|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1310649047s/10429045.jpg|15333458] is quite realistic, especially when considering its militaristic aspects.There are three central characters in the book; however, I found myself quite impressed by Juliette, the lead character who has been in confinement for nearly a year. Put into an asylum because of her fatal touch and dubbed a threat to all of humanity (sounds a lot like Rogue), Juliette's mind is obscured by solitude. This is evident in her eerie journal entries and nonexistent social skills. Throughout the novel, she loathes herself for being a 'monster' for her curse, yet I was never overwhelmed by her self-hatred. She has been a pariah of society all her life, so it is believable that she disgusts her condition. Mafi ensured that Juliette never forgot why society shunned her. This is definitely a sad truth, but it is realistic. I felt so bad for the disgraced protagonist especially when considering that she is such a kind being.What I really admired about Juliette was her initial independence. After being seized by Warner, the son of the leader of The Reestablishment, to be a weapon, Juliette is so determined to avoid becoming a ploy for a merciless organization. As desperate as she is for food, clothes, etc., she refuses to appear vulnerable to the malignant Warner. However, this resilience vaporizes quickly as a romance with Warner's go-to soldier, Adam develops. This seems to be the common trend in YA books: A broken girl subsides her independence only to be "rescued" by a charming male. With this occurring Juliette's character became more naive and reliant. I was gravely disappointed. It makes me wonder if weak-minded women are a trend of YA today.Warner's devilish character though selfish and controlling, is interesting. Though a villain, sometimes a streak of kindness appeared in him. His "polarizing personalities" really made me question what his true motivation was. To me, his surface motivation, to use Juliette as a super weapon, was not far-fetched; however, I was doubtful that was his only incentive. There are instances where I saw a romantic spark between Warner and Juliette - a Christian Grey kind without the kinky sex. It was very queer to see that Juliette would even have a slight attraction to the person imprisoning her.Sadly, that romance was not the most agitating one present in [b:Shatter Me|10429045|Shatter Me (Shatter Me, #1)|Tahereh Mafi|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1310649047s/10429045.jpg|15333458]. The Adam-Juliette one was. Juliette's attachment to Adam is very bothersome. For someone who has not seen a flower for nearly a year, and who has had no human interaction, Juliette latched onto Adam very quickly. I cannot comment much on this without revealing spoilers. All I can say is that their relationship was practically had no foundation, and it was a pain to see how hormones began to dictate the plot. Let me just say here that [b:Shatter Me|10429045|Shatter Me (Shatter Me, #1)|Tahereh Mafi|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1310649047s/10429045.jpg|15333458] Fortunately, I was delighted by Mafi's writing. Ornate with metaphors, repetition, strikethroughs, poetic flourishes, and lyrical prose, her writing style really hooked me. I have seen much negative criticism about Mafi's writing, especially her nonsensical metaphors. Fortunately, I found Mafi's unorthodox writing to be more than purple prose. I found it refreshing and beneficial. For instance, readers get to learn so much about Juliette through stream of consciousness. This popular method of narration is given an amplifying twist with the use of strikethroughs. These simple typographical embellishments enable readers to know exactly what Juliette is really thinking, even if she says something else.“I am a raindrop.My parents emptied their pockets of me and left me to evaporate on a concrete slab.”― Tahereh Mafi, Shatter MeEven the absence of commas is helpful as it accelerates Juliette's stream of consciousness, and made me easily absorbed. This exemplary, unique stream of consciousness is vital, as it allows leaders to attach to the protagonist within the first book of the series.The metaphors in [b:Shatter Me|10429045|Shatter Me (Shatter Me, #1)|Tahereh Mafi|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1310649047s/10429045.jpg|15333458] are ever-present and powerful. They underscore how disconnected Juliette is with the world. She lives in a figurative world because she does not have freedom in her own. Even though Mafi may have made metaphors of the simplest things, most of them were captivating and did not overwhelm me. It excited me to see these metaphors dominate [b:Shatter Me|10429045|Shatter Me (Shatter Me, #1)|Tahereh Mafi|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1310649047s/10429045.jpg|15333458] , especially since they conveyed beautiful imagery and developed Juliette. This of course, may deter other readers who find it completely unnecessary.“Realization is a pendulum the size of the moon. It won’t stop slamming into me.”― Tahereh Mafi, [b:Shatter Me|10429045|Shatter Me (Shatter Me, #1)|Tahereh Mafi|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1310649047s/10429045.jpg|15333458] Saturated with alliterations, metaphors, personification, run-ons, and even questionable sentence structure, the writing in [b:Shatter Me|10429045|Shatter Me (Shatter Me, #1)|Tahereh Mafi|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1310649047s/10429045.jpg|15333458] exuded poetic beauty. Though the characters began to disappoint me as romance seized the novel, and some plot events emulated a popular mutant comic book series, [b:Shatter Me|10429045|Shatter Me (Shatter Me, #1)|Tahereh Mafi|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1310649047s/10429045.jpg|15333458] was a good read.