Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi
Reviewed by: Dawn Dickey, Library Volunteer
Genre: Dystopian Fiction
Suggested Age: Young Adult, Adult
What is This Book About?: “I’ve been locked up for 264 days.” This is the intriguing beginning of Shatter Me. Kept in a cell 144 square feet in size, teenage prisoner Juliette Ferrars has no idea of her location and has had no human contact since her incarceration began. Juliette believes that she is being held in an asylum due to a unique ability she has been cursed with from birth. But her situation is quickly going to change when her tiny cell gains an additional occupant – a surly teen boy. Is he friend or foe? And what do they both have to do with the new Reestablishment government that is responsible for their incarceration?
My Review: This book is rather terrifying. Juliette is afraid of herself, afraid of her special ability. This fear increases exponentially with the introduction of her new cellmate. Juliette is certain that she deserves her fate but yet longs for human kindness. Mafi expertly describes Juliette’s self-loathing and longing through the text, descriptions, and “visual representations” in the text. The author equally adeptly draws us in as Juliette begins to understand what is going on in the outside world and comes to terms with her ability. The reader walks side-by-side with Juliette as she learns about the harsh, oppressive Reestablishment government and solves the mystery of her friend-or-foe cellmate. Highly recommended!
Three Words That Describe This Book: Shocking, empowering, exciting
Give This a Try if You Like… Veronica Roth’s Divergent series or The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins
Rating: 5/5
