09 Jun Book Review: Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi
Shatter Me is one of those YA dystopian novels that leans all the way into its premise: a girl with a lethal touch, a broken world, and emotions that don’t simmer so much as boil over onto every page. It’s dramatic, poetic, full of yearning and action and metaphor, and it sets the tone for what eventually becomes a sprawling and high-stakes series. But this first installment? It’s much more personal. Introspective. Like being inside someone’s diary while the world is falling apart outside the window.
‘Shatter Me’ series
What’s it about?
The story follows Juliette Ferrars, a seventeen-year-old girl who hasn’t touched another person in 264 days. She’s locked in a cell in an asylum, completely isolated, and for good reason: her touch is deadly. One brush of skin against skin, and she can kill without meaning to. She doesn’t understand why she’s this way, only that everyone around her has treated her like a monster. Including her own parents, who gave her up out of fear.
Outside the walls of her prison, the world has collapsed. The environment has been ravaged, birds don’t fly anymore, food is scarce, and society has broken down under the rule of a militaristic regime known as The Reestablishment. They’ve promised to restore order and save the planet, but really, they’ve just made things worse. Cities have crumbled, people are starving, and no one trusts anyone anymore.
Juliette is resigned to die in her cell—until one day, she gets a cellmate. His name is Adam Kent, and she’s shocked to realize that he’s someone from her past. He remembers her. He’s kind. And strangely, he doesn’t seem afraid of her. Their connection is instant, emotional, and fraught with all the complicated feelings Juliette has spent her life suppressing. But not everything is as it seems, and soon Juliette is pulled from her prison and thrust into the middle of a plan she doesn’t understand.
The Reestablishment isn’t afraid of her—they want to use her. Specifically, one of their young leaders, Warner, is obsessed with the idea of weaponizing her power. He believes Juliette is an untapped asset in a war that requires ruthlessness. He wants to train her, control her, maybe even love her—but Juliette wants nothing to do with any of it. She’s terrified of herself and of what others might turn her into.
As Juliette begins to understand the full extent of her abilities—and how far others are willing to go to use or destroy her—she faces impossible choices. Can she trust Adam? Is she more dangerous than she feared? And what does it mean to live in a world where everything she touches turns to pain?
By the end of the book, Juliette begins to step into her power—not just the supernatural kind, but the kind that comes from deciding who she wants to be. It’s a shift from survival to something closer to rebellion, and it sets up the rest of the series with a sense of growing momentum and purpose.
What This Chick Thinks
Juliette is a unique narrator
What sets this book apart is the voice. Juliette narrates the story in a fractured, lyrical style that’s full of repetition, crossed-out thoughts, and visceral emotion. Some readers might find it too much, but I found it completely immersive. It feels like being inside her head—messy, raw, and filled with longing. She’s been alone for so long that her thoughts don’t follow a straight line. That’s not just a writing quirk; it’s character-driven, and it works.
The emotional intensity of her voice makes even small moments feel huge. A glance, a whispered word, a remembered kindness—everything hits with weight. It’s a very stylized book, and if you’re into poetic, emotionally driven writing, it’s easy to get swept up in it.
The love triangle starts early
Yes, there’s a love triangle. Yes, it’s intense. Yes, it ends up becoming a big part of the series. But here in book one, it’s mostly about Juliette and Adam. Their connection is fast but grounded in shared history, which gives it more weight than just insta-love. At the same time, Warner is introduced as a villain who might be more than he seems. His fascination with Juliette adds tension that only grows more complicated as the series progresses.
In this first book, the romance is central—not just in a swoony way, but as part of Juliette’s growth. For someone who’s been treated like a curse her entire life, physical and emotional closeness are revolutionary. That exploration of intimacy is surprisingly tender, even when the stakes are high.
The world-building is light, but promising
We don’t get a ton of detail about The Reestablishment or the state of the world in this first installment. Most of the focus is on Juliette’s internal world and her relationships. But the glimpses we do get are intriguing—enough to set the stage for what comes next. The idea of using superpowered individuals as tools of control isn’t new, but the emotional lens here makes it feel fresh.
The end of the book teases a shift in tone and scope. There’s a bigger resistance at play, other people like Juliette, and the suggestion that the real battle is just beginning. It’s a solid setup for the rest of the series, and it made me want to keep going immediately.
Final Thoughts
Shatter Me is emotionally charged, stylistically bold, and driven by a deeply vulnerable protagonist who just wants to be more than a weapon. It’s not for everyone—the writing is intense and the plot is more character-focused than action-heavy—but for the right reader, it hits all the right notes. It’s the kind of book you feel more than analyze, and sometimes, that’s exactly what you want.
Rating: 8/10
Try it if you like
- The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins – For another dystopian heroine who has to navigate power, survival, and emotional trauma.
- Delirium by Lauren Oliver – A lyrical, romantic dystopia that also centers on forbidden love and a world where emotions are dangerous.
- Legend by Marie Lu – A fast-paced dystopian series with strong character dynamics and a focus on rebellion.
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