Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi was one of my favourite series when it first came out, and I was thrilled when I heard that there would be three new books added to the original trilogy. The concept of the series is very original, and the writing is beautiful. I also enjoyed the characters and their complexities. Unfortunately, the new books are weak compared to the first three, and they ruined the series as a whole for me.
Title: Shatter Me SeriesSeries: Shatter Me
Author: Tahereh Mafi
Also by this author: This Woven Kingdom
Publisher: HarperCollins
Genres: Dystopian, Young Adult Fiction
Publication Date: 2011-2020
Rating:
Series Rating:
I have a curse
I have a giftI am a monster
I'm more than humanMy touch is lethal
My touch is powerI am their weapon
I will fight backJuliette hasn’t touched anyone in exactly 264 days.
The last time she did, it was an accident, but The Reestablishment locked her up for murder. No one knows why Juliette’s touch is fatal. As long as she doesn’t hurt anyone else, no one really cares. The world is too busy crumbling to pieces to pay attention to a 17-year-old girl. Diseases are destroying the population, food is hard to find, birds don’t fly anymore, and the clouds are the wrong color.
The Reestablishment said their way was the only way to fix things, so they threw Juliette in a cell. Now so many people are dead that the survivors are whispering war – and The Reestablishment has changed its mind. Maybe Juliette is more than a tortured soul stuffed into a poisonous body. Maybe she’s exactly what they need right now.
Juliette has to make a choice: Be a weapon. Or be a warrior.
Series Review: Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi
This series follows a girl whose touch has the ability to kill others. She is imprisoned for murder in the first book but is suddenly released in order to be weaponized for the coming war. Eventually, she meets others who are similar to her and learns about a group of rebels. I found this to be a unique plot, and I enjoyed the many twists throughout the series. There is a lot of drama, which I didn’t appreciate as much as the action scenes, but I didn’t find it to be that big of an issue since it provides a nice balance. I also loved the poetic writing style and the use of imagery throughout the series.
❀ Fantastic Cast of Characters
The series contains a fantastic cast of characters, and each one is well-developed. Juliette, the main character, is realistic, and she has her strengths and weaknesses. I really enjoyed watching her become more confident in herself and her abilities, and she has some sass. In the newest additions to the series, Warner and Kenji get their own narrations, and I enjoyed getting to see their personalities shine. I didn’t feel like Kenji’s perspective was very necessary, but I did like getting inside his head. As for the many side characters Juliette meets, they are all different and have their own unique abilities, and I loved getting to know them all.
❀ New Books Aren’t Necessary
I didn’t have many issues with the series until the three new books. The first addition does flow pretty seamlessly from the end of the original trilogy, but I definitely don’t think these books needed to be written. They are filled with weird and unrealistic twists, and everything is watered down. The characters are nowhere near as interesting and complex as they were in the original books, and I actually ended up liking them less because they seem so different. By book five, I had completely lost interest since Defy Me consists mostly of flashbacks, and there is no new information. Honestly, these new books ruined the series for me.
❀ Original and Action-Packed
Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi is an original fantasy series that is both emotional and action-packed. I enjoyed each of the characters, especially Juliette and her transformation. However, the final three books were a letdown for me, and I felt like they did not need to exist. If you are a fan of books about characters with special abilities I would definitely recommend this series, but consider skipping the new additions.
About Tahereh Mafi
Tahereh Mafi is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Shatter Meseries. She was born in a small city somewhere in Connecticut and currently resides in Santa Monica, California with her husband, fellow author Ransom Riggs. She can usually be found over-caffeinated and stuck in a book. Shatter Me is her first series, with television rights optioned by ABC Signature Studios; Furthermore, her first middle grade novel, is on shelves now, and Whichwood, its darker companion, will be on shelves November 14, 2017.
About The Candid Cover
Olivia ❀ YA book blogger, Starbucks lover, novice New Yorker, & professional bibliophile.
Thanks for the honesty. I think these sound good.
I hope that you enjoy them! 🙂
Your review encompasses a lot of what I have read of it from other bloggers. I guess those books after the initial ones just aren’t as good. I always thought I would read this series, but I still haven’t picked them up. I loved reading your thoughts.
Yes. It was so disappointing because the originals are so fantastic. 🙂
I definitely agree the last 3 books ruined the series. They were soooo disappointing!
I agree – I didn’t even read the last two.
Ugh. Right?! I had to find out for myself. They really should have been left alone. 😉
I’ve only read the first three books, which I really loved but that was years ago. And on the one hand I wanna read the next three but on the other hand maybe I shouldn’t because I’m worried I won’t enjoy them as much. So arghhh, I don’t know!
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I recommend re-reading the first three and then calling it quits. It is hard not to give the others a try, though. 😉
Honestly Ishare your opinion! Especially the last was a disaster!
It was! I just can’t get over it. 🙂
This sounds like a great series.
This sounds like an interesting series, thank you for sharing
I’ve never heard of this series.
Appreciate your honest review.
Sounds like a great series, and the covers are awesome! Thanks for the review.
never read this series
Sounds great. These covers are amazing.
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Thanks for your honest review!
Thanks for sharing your honest thoughts! I’ve heard similar things from others. It sounds like a very interesting series so maybe I just won’t read the final three books. Hmm still debating.
Great post – thanks for sharing!
This sounds like a really cool series.
This sounds like an amazing series. The covers alone make me want to read these.