Book Review: Ignite Me by Tahereh Mafi

I'm still reeling. After an hour of reaching the final page of this book, I'm still feeling the remnants of the sensation of being completely blown away. I swear, I've just been sitting here dumbstruck by what I just read. My heart is still palpitating, and my mind has been firmly immersed in Sector 45 for the past hour. Reading "Ignite Me," the heart-stopping finale to Tahereh Mafi's "Shatter Me" trilogy, was like riding a roller coaster while wrestling a boa constrictor...on fire. It was that absurdly thrilling. Ignite me? Heck yeah, it did.

Juliette's been shot in the chest. Anderson, the cold, calculating leader of the Reestablishment, is still alive. And, even worse, Omega Point--and all of her friends, as far as she knows--has been destroyed. But Juliette won't be stopped. Now she knows that she may be the only one who can stop the Reestablishment, even if it means turning to the one person she never thought she could trust: Warner. And as they work together, Juliette will discover that everything she thought she knew--about Warner, her abilities, and even Adam--were wrong.

One of my favourite aspects of the entire "Shatter Me" trilogy is Ms. Mafi's phenomenally evocative writing style. Every single word and phrase and sentence are used with meaning, packing deliberate punches both emotionally and physically to the reader. It's clear that Ms. Mafi is incredibly tuned to her reader's potential reactions, using her writing to play to those emotions and really capture his or her attention in a personal manner. And what's all the more astonishing about this is that all that intense, emotionally-charged writing never, ever feels over the top. In fact, it fuses seamlessly with Juliette's character and the events of the story, and enhances the plot rather than bogs it down. And because I have just fallen completely head over heels in love with the writing and want so desperately for you to understand what I'm blathering on about, I'll give you one of my favourite quotes from the novel:

And we are quotation marks, inverted and upside down, clinging to one another at the end of this life sentence. Trapped by lives we did not choose.

It's time, I think, to break free.

There's nothing overtly fancy about the language, but the images and the language used are so, so powerful, conjuring up the bittersweet, tragic, yet liberating undertone to the story.

The characters of "Ignite Me" are just as equally spectacular, and I guess the best place to start would be with, of course, Juliette. The transformation that she undergoes throughout this final book in the series is done remarkably and realistically, and to see her character develop into a strong, courageous and, above all, self-aware heroine was a thriller in and of itself. And let me tell you, she's one butt-kicking protagonist. What really had me squealing, though, was her relationship with Warner. Call the fire engines. Seriously. The tension between the two was so palpable and so freaking sexy in so many ways, I just wanted to crawl into the book and never come back out. What makes their relationship so real lies in the fact that you don't just get volatile passion, but also unbearably sweet and sincere moments that solidify their intense romance as more than physical attraction. On a side note: if you love Warner just as much as I do, you must read the novella "Destroy Me," which was told from his point of view. That was the moment I fell in love with him. Uh huh. 

Of course, the other characters in "Ignite Me" cannot go unmentioned. Kenji, the flirty smartass who is also Juliette's best friend, was, as always, so lovable. The banter between him and Juliette, as well as his one-liners, lent so much humour to the entire story, balancing out the intensity that permeates the novel. We also see a more vulnerable side to Kenji, one that's hidden behind a jocular, devil-may-care mask, and this is what makes him such a three-dimensional and believable character. Adam, too, is more complex than I thought him to be in the first two books of the trilogy. The change in his character was done very cleverly, and allowed Ms. Mafi to stray away from the cliches and conventions of YA love triangles, which I love, love, love!

And, finally, for the plot. As I mentioned endlessly before, the storyline of "Ignite Me" is so intense and charged that I could not put it down. The tension remains up and running throughout the entire novel, creating a fast pace that had me flipping through the pages in a speed that would make the Road Runner jealous. As the conclusion to the trilogy, the novel also wraps things up in a way that leaves the readers more than satisfied, leaving us with that inexplicable sensation of hope and contentment. One small criticism that I have with the plot, however, is that the climax was a little too short, too easy. The final confrontation with Anderson, the villain of the entire trilogy, ended just a bit too quickly, though this might be because I was reading that rapidly since I was so caught up in everything. Nonetheless, I think if we saw more of Anderson in the novel, it would've given the climax and the ending a lot more oomph, but, other than that, I've no complaints.

Overall, "Ignite Me" is the breathtaking finale to a riveting trilogy, one that is complete with beautifully evocative writing, an amazing cast of characters, intense romance that'll have your heart palpitating, and a fast-paced plot that won't let you go. I highly, highly recommend the "Shatter Me" trilogy to every single reader--it's seriously an adventure you do not want to miss.

Rating: 5/5

Book Review: Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi

Happy Valentine's Day! There's nothing like 24 hours dedicated to romance for curling up in bed (alone, or with that special someone) all warm and cozy. I spent the night before rapidly finishing up "Unravel Me", the sequel to "Shatter Me" by Tahereh Mafi. I recently wrote a review for "Destroy Me", the in-between novella that takes place between the first and second installment, and dove straight into the second book afterwards, right into a whirlwind story of adventure and romance.

It's almost time for war. Juliette has escaped to Omega Point, the headquarters of the rebel resistance. It is a place for people like her, people with inexplicable powers who are ready to use them to take down the Reestablishment. Although Juliette is free from their plans to use her as a weapon, free to love Adam, she will never be free from her lethal touch. Or from Warner, who wants Juliette more than she ever thought possible. With tensions rising and war approaching, Juliette must break free from her past, so that she can finally discover who she can be.

The one thing that I really have to start with is that inevitable love triangle. You saw it coming! Because it plays such a central role in the novel, the love triangle really had to be executed skillfully. By this I mean no heroine selfishly playing around with both boys, or thinking, "he's so hot, why is this happening, his eyes!" while at the same time telling herself, "no, this is the boy I'm supposed to be with". You catch my drift. Admittedly, there definitely was some of that, but I think Ms. Mafi did a good job in somehow not letting Juliette get overly annoying and frustrating with her complicated feelings towards both Adam and Warner. In fact, when I was reading a particular chapter between Warner and Juliette, I swear my heart was going to burst out of my chest! It was just so, so, so full of emotion and charged with tension--you really have to read it to understand what I'm raving about. I don't know whether it's because I read "Destroy Me" and was able to delve into Warner's perspective and really see the depths of his emotions and his vulnerability, but I kind of found myself straying away from Adam and leaning towards Warner! Adam's kind of too boring for me. That emotionally-charged chapter certainly didn't hurt either... I swear I was going to pee in my pants.

Speaking of which, I found Warner's character development to be pretty excellent and fitting for this phase in Juliette's story. To see his real vulnerability and love for Juliette, as well as his twisted relationship with his father, really allowed me to empathize and feel for him. It's also important to note that this development wasn't sudden, since Ms. Mafi had previously woven in these threads of Warner's other side, the side that isn't power-hungry and calculating. Instead, it was very natural and very believable, which is what made the whole love triangle business all the more exciting! Now for Juliette. In the beginning, I kind of found her a little too snivelly, too caught up in her own worries and her past to really do anything useful. But Kenji--witty, brutally honest, kick-ass Kenji--finally brings her out of it, and from that moment onwards, I really saw the change Juliette underwent as she tried to accept herself and her power, and to actually deal with her problems head-on rather than worrying about them.  I definitely think that there's huge potential in the next book for Juliette to become an even stronger heroine, one who learns to gain confidence and independence and take matters into her own lethal hands.

A unique element of the "Shatter Me" series is Juliette's narrative voice. Instead of perfect clauses and perfect sentences, the narrative kind of rambles in long, run-on sentences. I feel like I'm in Juliette's mind, or maybe reading something Juliette's really written herself, especially with the crossed-out sentences where you see her pushing away a thought or a truth or a feeling. I also feel like I've really gotten to know Juliette a lot better through her narration, which is also perfect for building up tension through incomplete sentences and short phrases.

As for the storyline, "Unravel Me" remained fast-paced and compelling throughout its entire length. The stakes are high from the very beginning of the novel, and became even higher at the end. There's a lot of action, especially with the war between the resistance and the Reestablishment, and what creates tension more than fighting? There's also a lot of emotional tension as well, which keeps the pace up and running throughout. The plot also had so many twists and turns that came as huge shockers to me as they were unveiled! The truths that are revealed kind of feel like puzzle pieces falling in place, and everything makes so much sense now.

Overall, "Unravel Me" is not to be missed with its intensely personal narration and compelling storyline, not to mention the crazy love triangle enhanced by the realistically portrayed character development. It's an emotional thriller of a roller coaster, and I just cannot wait until the next installment to see how everything plays out!

Rating: 5/5

Book Review: Destroy Me by Tahereh Mafi

I usually don't get too excited over in-between novellas. The real action and meat happens in the full-length novels in the series, and I find that novellas are usually small stories about one character and one event that do add to the story, but aren't completely necessary when reading the series. I bought "Unravel Me", the second installment to the "Shatter Me" series by Tahereh Mafi, yesterday (check out the review here!), and came across "Destroy Me", a novella that's #1.5 in the series. When I read that it's told from the perspective of Warner, the supposed bad guy in the story, I decided to give it a go--it's always juicy to see things from another point of view!

Back at the base and recovering from his near-fatal gunshot wound, Warner must do everything in his power to keep his soldiers in check and suppress any hint of rebellion in his sector. Still as obsessed with Juliette as ever, his first priority is to find her, bring her back, and dispose of the two traitors who helped her escape, Adam and Kenji. Especially Adam. The one Juliette fell for. But when Warner's father, the Supreme Commander of the Reestablishment, arrives to correct his son's mistakes, it's clear that he has much different plans for Juliette. Plans Warner simply cannot allow.

There's something about a story told from a male perspective. Maybe it's because so many YA books out there are single-handedly narrated by the female heroine, but seeing things from Warner's point of view was exciting and different. Not to mention the fact that he's the villain in the series, which gave Ms. Mafi plenty to play with in terms of character development. I was surprised to see the real depth of Warner's feelings toward Juliette. In "Shatter Me", I thought he was a slightly deranged, power-obsessed, manipulative spoiled boy wanting to exert his dominance over a girl who's different because of her defiance. But after reading "Destroy Me", I felt like I really got to know another side of Warner, one that's vulnerable and honest. It's one of those cases where once you learn more about the antagonist and his background, you empathize with him and maybe even care for him a little.

I also liked the difference in the narrative voice. Since "Shatter Me" and "Unravel Me" are both told from Juliette's perspective, I've grown accustomed to her style of narration. But with Warner, everything's different. It's more ordered and straightforward, but at the same time it still reveals his emotions and thoughts in his own, unique way. He seems a lot more human to me now, someone with real troubles and flaws and worries, despite his facade of perfection and order.

Reading "Destroy Me" also gave me a little more insight into what's in store for Juliette, Adam and the resistance. And this comes in the form of the seriously cold and callous Supreme Commander. He's just a total buttwipe, and I could really see why Warner's the way he is now. Because of his father and his background, Warner's become a truly complex character with layers to him that are exciting and interesting to peel off and discover one by one.

Overall, "Destroy Me" is definitely worth reading right before reading "Unravel Me", exposing the vulnerable, raw nature inside Warner and revealing to the readers another side of the calculating villain that they saw in "Shatter Me". I finished the short novella in a little less than an hour, so it's a quick read that's worth the time. In fact, it's really made me even more interested and excited for the sequel, so that I can see how their little love triangle unfolds!

Rating: 5/5