Young adult dystopian thriller novel by Tahereh Mafi
 Shatter Me is a young adult dystopian romantic thriller written by Tahereh Mafi, published on November 15, 2011. The book is narrated by Juliette, a 17-year-old girl with a lethal touch and is unusual in that it contains passages and lines that have been crossed out like a diary entry. "Shatter Me" is the first of a series of seven books. The second book in the series, "Unravel Me", was published on February 5, 2013. The third book, "Ignite Me," was published on February 4, 2014. The fourth book, "Restore Me", was published on March 6, 2018. The fifth book, "Defy Me", was published on April 2, 2019. The sixth book, "Imagine Me", was published on March 31, 2020. The seventh and final book, "Believe Me", was published on November 11, 2021.
Of her inspirations for the work, Mafi has stated that she drew inspiration from "an interest in human nature and [humanity's] ability to overcome great obstacles".
Plot.
Juliette Ferrars is a 17-year-old girl whose touch is lethal and will kill anyone who touches her skin for long enough. Juliette is placed in an asylum 264 days prior to the start of the book after accidentally killing a small boy with her touch when she was 14. At the start of the book, there are many intentional strikethroughs and the writing is often erratic in order to serve as a visual representation of the chaos in Juliette's mind.
To her surprise, Juliette gets a cellmate who goes by the name of Adam Kent. He reminds Juliette of somebody distant she used to know, however, she convinces herself otherwise. At first, Adam and Juliette remain distant from each other but become closer over the week as Juliette shows him the ways of the asylum.
One day, the Reestablishment, a government that has the world within its grasp, comes for Juliette. It is revealed that Adam is a soldier for Warner, the chief commander of Sector 45 of the Reestablishment. Warner, who is also the son of the Reestablishment's Supreme Commander, makes Juliette an offer that includes her being able to get out of the asylum in turn for her torturing any prisoners with her touch as a weapon for the Reestablishment.
Warner wants to feel the full effects of Juliette's power, but she refuses to touch or hurt him, so he forces her to torture a soldier named Jenkins and a small child through a simulated torture room. During her captivity, Juliette develops a romantic relationship with Adam. It is revealed that Adam knew Juliette prior to the asylum, and is in love with her, and that he can touch Juliette without being harmed or killed. Adam eventually helps Juliette escape from Warner, and as they escape, Warner's hand brushes against Juliette's ankle, revealing that Warner can also touch Juliette without consequence.
Adam and Juliette run away to where Adam's 10-year-old brother James lives, a small apartment Adam helped to make. James is taken care of by others because Adam must live with the other soldiers; to the brother's knowledge, both of their parents are dead. Through spending time together, Adam starts to become possessive of Juliette. One of Adam's fellow soldiers, Kenji Kishimoto, shows up claiming that Warner had him tortured in order to learn Adam and Juliette's whereabouts. Kenji says that he knows a safe place where they can escape, and they formulate a plan. Juliette and Adam split up with Kenji and James, but Adam and Juliette are captured and Warner shoots Adam.
Warner drags Juliette into an abandoned classroom and tells her he loves her. Warner kisses Juliette, so she seduces him to get the gun from him. She non-fatally shoots him. She finds Adam in a slaughterhouse, and they escape, although Adam's leg is badly injured. They meet up with Kenji and James, to whom Kenji has given sedatives so that he will not be traumatized by the condition Adam is in.
It is revealed that Kenji is a member of the Rebellion against the Reestablishment, called Omega Point. Adam, Juliette, and James are recruited by the Rebellion and then join it.
Reception.
Reviews for "Shatter Me" have been mixed, with many reviewers stating criticisms while overall recommending the work." Kirkus Reviews "praised "Shatter Me" for its love story, but said that the ending "falls flat" and that there was an "overreliance on metaphor". "Publishers Weekly" cited that while the book "doesn’t escape some rookie pitfalls," author Tahereh Mafi "combines a psychological opener with an action-adventure denouement in her YA debut," ultimately calling it "a gripping read from an author who’s not afraid to take risks". "Booklist" gave a mixed review, noting that there were "plot conveniences and melodramatic writing to spare" while praising it for its "rip-roaring adventure and steamy romance scenes".
A youth reviewer for the "National Post" recommended it highly, stating that it had "just the right amount of action to make it thrilling, but not exactly gruesome." It was included in BuzzFeed's list of best YA books of all time.
Sequels.
Series list:
1. Shatter Me
1.5. Destroy Me
2. Unravel Me
2.5. Fracture Me
3. Ignite Me
4. Restore Me
4.5. Shadow Me
5. Defy Me
5.5. Reveal Me
6. Imagine Me
6.5. Believe Me
"Shatter Me" is the first in its series. An e-book novella told from Warner's point of view, "Destroy Me", set after "Shatter Me" and before the sequel, was released on October 6, 2012. "Unravel Me", the second book in the series, was released on February 5, 2013. A second e-book novella titled "Fracture Me", set during and soon after the final moments of "Unravel Me", told from Adam's point of view, was released on December 17, 2013. The third book in the series, titled "Ignite Me", was released on February 4, 2014. On the same day, "Unite Me", containing the two novellas combined into print for the first time as well as an exclusive look into Juliette's journal, was also released.
In April 2017, it was announced that Mafi would be releasing three more books in the "Shatter Me" series starting with "Restore Me", which was published on March 6, 2018. A novella entitled "Shadow Me," told from Kenji's perspective, was released on March 5, 2019. A month later, the fifth book in the series, "Defy Me", was released. The sixth and final main installment of Shatter Me, titled "Imagine Me", was released on March 31, 2020.
“Believe Me”, a fifth novella written from Warner's point of view, was released on November 16, 2021.
Unite Me: A compilation of the first and second novellas, Destroy Me and Fracture Me.
Find Me: A compilation of the third and fourth novellas, Shadow Me and Reveal Me.
On August 20, 2024, Mafi announced a spin-off series entitled "Shatter Me: The New Republic". The first installation, "Watch Me", is slated to release on April 15, 2025. Set ten years after the events of "Believe Me", the novel will focus around James Anderson's quest to stamp out The Reestablishment's last remaining refuge on Ark Island.
Film adaptation.
Paramount Pictures announced that they will distribute the film rights of the books.
Film rights for "Shatter Me" were optioned by 20th Century Fox in 2011, prior to the book's release date.
References.
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