15 Jun Book Review: Imagine Me by Tahereh Mafi
I’ve been on this wild ride with Juliette Ferrars (or should I say Ella Sommers?) from the very beginning, and picking up Imagine Me felt like crossing a finish line. This is the sixth and final main installment in Tahereh Mafi’s Shatter Me series—a saga that started with a girl afraid of her own skin and ends with a woman tearing down a world built to control her. It’s bold, messy, emotional, and more introspective than action-packed—which might not be what everyone expected, but for me, it absolutely worked.
‘Shatter Me’ series
What’s it about?
Imagine Me starts right in the thick of it. Juliette (now revealed to be Ella) has just been taken by Supreme Commander Evie—her biological mother—and is being held captive in an isolated facility. Along with her sister Emmaline, who remains trapped in a tank and used for unspeakable experiments, Juliette is being forced back into the mold the Reestablishment originally shaped for her: obedient, powerful, and devoid of autonomy. Evie and her twin, Max, have horrifying plans, and they believe Emmaline holds the key to triggering full control over Ella’s powers.
What follows is a psychological and emotional breakdown of Juliette’s identity. Her memories continue to return in waves, fragments of her true self and her past with Warner and Emmaline coming back like flashes of lightning. The manipulation runs deep. Her mind is not her own, and her grip on reality wavers. At times, it’s hard to tell what’s happening in real time and what’s happening in her mind—which, if you ask me, is kind of the point.
While Juliette is held in mental and physical captivity, Warner, Kenji, and the rest of the rebel crew are working tirelessly to get her back. But Warner’s not just dealing with strategy and logistics—he’s grappling with guilt, confusion, and fear. The man who’s always seemed so emotionally impenetrable is unraveling in real time. He knows what the Reestablishment is capable of. And more terrifyingly, he knows what Juliette is capable of, especially if she loses herself completely to them.
Kenji remains the heart of the group, and his chapters give us that vital human grounding. He’s grieving, stressed, angry, and exhausted—but never gives up. His banter with Nazeera continues to hint at something more, though their relationship is more about building trust than diving into romance just yet. Meanwhile, tensions are rising inside the resistance—some factions question Juliette’s leadership, and others fear her growing power.
As the book unfolds, Juliette’s narrative becomes increasingly fragmented. This disjointedness might throw off some readers, but it brilliantly mirrors her mental state. She’s being puppeted, dissociating, fighting to reclaim her mind piece by piece. When she finally reconnects with her memories, and more importantly, her purpose, it hits hard. She isn’t just a weapon—they made her one. And now she’s taking the control back.
The climax brings everything to a head. Juliette faces Evie, faces herself, and faces the truth about what’s been done to Emmaline. And in one of the series’ most devastating moments, she’s forced to say goodbye to her sister. It’s raw, it’s wrenching, and it reshapes the entire emotional landscape of the story. Juliette finally seizes her future with clarity, rage, and compassion—and, together with Warner, they move toward rebuilding something new from the ashes.
What This Chick Thinks
Emotion Over Action
Let’s just say it: this isn’t a plot-driven finale, it’s a character one. A lot of readers were expecting big explosive final battles and world politics. Instead, Mafi gave us an internal war. Juliette’s biggest battle is for herself—and I actually loved that. It’s not about flashy heroics. It’s about healing. And for a character who’s been emotionally shredded over six books, that’s exactly the ending she needed.
Fragmented but Effective
I’d be lying if I said the disjointed style wasn’t jarring at first. There are whole pages of clipped thoughts, floating phrases, and disorienting shifts. But once I leaned into it, it worked. It put me right inside Juliette’s headspace. This book demands a little trust from the reader, and I think it earns it.
Warner Deserved More (But Still Love Him)
Warner’s emotional arc is beautiful but a little underdeveloped. We’ve watched this man evolve from a villain to a hero to a haunted romantic lead, and I wanted a bit more time with him here. That said, every scene he does get is full of tension and love and vulnerability. The way he looks at Juliette? I’ll take that over a full-blown action scene any day.
Nazeera and Kenji = Series MVPs
If I could hug a fictional character, it’d be Kenji. Always. And Nazeera remains such a complex, cool, mysterious presence. Honestly, the two of them could carry a spin-off series, and I’d preorder it yesterday. They balance each other in the best way.
Final Thoughts
Imagine Me isn’t a typical dystopian series closer—and that’s a good thing. It’s messier, more psychological, more emotionally taxing. It closes the door on Juliette’s past and finally lets her step into a future that’s her own. It might not be everyone’s favorite of the series, but for me, it felt like the most honest ending she could have gotten.
Rating: 8/10
Try it if you like:
- Reverie by Ryan La Sala – A surreal, mind-bending YA that’s all about power, identity, and reclaiming control of your story.
- A Thousand Pieces of You by Claudia Gray – A sci-fi/fantasy hybrid with layered emotions, identity shifts, and a fierce female lead.
- We Set the Dark on Fire by Tehlor Kay Mejia – Another story of resistance, emotional growth, and choosing love in the face of systemic oppression.
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