Shatter Me (Shatter Me, #1) in Read-along

Dec 08, 2011 Mariana rated it it was amazing

Shelves: you-rocked-my-world, forever-yours, author-tahereh-mafi, young-adult, fantasy, heroes-to-kill-for

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I just finished it and I immediately ran to the computer to post a review on Goodreads.

I simply loved it. This is Tahereh Mafi's debut, and a great one. 'Shatter Me' is written in a very original way , with supressed punctuation and crossed sentences that really put you inside Juliette's head.
She's a really amazing person. She's gone through years of isolation, she was never touched because people knew that the moment they touched her they'd be dead.
She believes her gift is a curse and lives un I just finished it and I immediately ran to the computer to post a review on Goodreads.

I simply loved it. This is Tahereh Mafi's debut, and a great one. 'Shatter Me' is written in a very original way , with supressed punctuation and crossed sentences that really put you inside Juliette's head.
She's a really amazing person. She's gone through years of isolation, she was never touched because people knew that the moment they touched her they'd be dead.
She believes her gift is a curse and lives unhappily in an asylum, unaware that several people are searching for her in order to use her as a weapon, a way of torturing people. Her touch was proven to be lethal when she killed a young boy while trying to help him up. Since then, she's lived as an outcast, keeping her distance from everyone. She's such a good person that she does things for people without asking for something in return. Her character is fascinating.
The action starts when she's taken to Warner, who belongs to The Reestablishment, a movement that's supposed to save the planet and the people living in it. He is a monster, killing people for fun. He's obssessed with Juliette, he wants to use her as a weapon and keeps testing her.

Juliette has been in love with Adam since primary school, he was the only one who didn't treat her like a monster, he was her only friend. They meet again in her cell, in the asylum. When she's taken to the compound, she discovers that he's a soldier for Warner. But he also loves her, and is willing to risk everything for her, to be with her. They run from Warner together.

I think I'll stop telling the story of the book. I just couldn't help it, I'm sorry. I'll just say that you'll be surprised in the end of the book - think superheroes ;).

Well, Tahereh, congratulations on the beautiful and so emotionally rich book you wrote .
I really admire writers. The way they can write more than two pages of stories - just put it all out - amazes me.

So honey, I really would like for you to hurry and write me another one. And kill all the love squares or whatever! Adam and Juliette. That's all I have to say. ...more

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Jan 25, 2013 Patrícia rated it really liked it · review of another edition

This is one kick-ass book and I still have no idea why the hell it took me all this long to read it!
Most of the times, and primarily as a reader, I don’t agree with the marketing/editorial decision of changing the cover of a book—especially if it happens mid-series—, being that due to lack of sales or simply for some aesthetic reason, but I must admit that this change, in particular, was for the best. Yes, the first cover of Shatter Me is beautiful—if I’m not mistaken it actually sort of sparkl This is one kick-ass book and I still have no idea why the hell it took me all this long to read it!
Most of the times, and primarily as a reader, I don’t agree with the marketing/editorial decision of changing the cover of a book—especially if it happens mid-series—, being that due to lack of sales or simply for some aesthetic reason, but I must admit that this change, in particular, was for the best. Yes, the first cover of Shatter Me is beautiful—if I’m not mistaken it actually sort of sparkles—however, this second option has a much more hypnotic, visually appealing look to it. The eye with the flying bird (talk about details!), the metallic mixture of colours, and the overall design are drop-dead-gorgeous and even though I don’t like confessing that I often purchase books because of their cover, I must recognise that I did buy Shatter Me precisely for that reason. Still, the most incredible and pleasing feature of this book is the fact that the inside matches perfectly with the outside.

I have to say that I didn’t know exactly what to expect from this reading as I usually don’t read many reviews prior to acquiring a book, but I did research a little bit about Shatter Me and the one thing I ended up understanding was that you either love it or hate it—there’s no middle ground with this one, no shades of grey. I believe that’s a pretty common trait in YA Dystopias as it is not a genre for every reader but what tends to happen with me is that all those little details people state as being the reasons why they disliked the book are the elements I end up liking the most. And, again, it happened.
Tahereh Mafi’s writing style is absolutely breathtaking and so, so deep. During my reading I constantly felt like I was inside Juliette’s head, like I was Juliette. I could sense her fears, feel her tension and her desires as my own, and it’s utterly amazing how she grows so much and adjusts herself to her surroundings, to what seems to be her present and her future, in her private self—which means, in Mafi’s writing. This is a sort of stream of consciousness approach to the story that allows the reader to genuinely connect with the main character, with lots of strikethrough sentences in the beginning and repetitions throughout the narrative—to me those elements were of great beauty. I finished Shatter Me feeling like I knew Juliette as a human being and as a ‘supernatural creature’, and that’s all I can ask from a first book in a series—that sense of acknowledgement towards the characters, towards their next actions, that will keep me eagerly waiting for the next instalment in the series/trilogy.

Juliette is a remarkable figure but she is not alone, names like Warner, Adam and Kenji equally stand out. Warner has a sense of evilness that is purely delicious. I’ve been craving for a twisted character like this one for such a long time! It seems like, lately, all the bad guys from YA aren’t wicked enough so whenever I compare the ones I know with Warner they look like children—that’s how malicious and cruel he (Warner) is, and I love it (plus, it's always interesting to witness his interactions with Juliette). As for Adam, he has a really cool sense of tenderness. He is a sweet, protective type of male character that easily appeals to readers, and he is a great match for Juliette. Yet, there’s something off about him and I can only hope he brightens up a little bit in the next book. Kenji, on the other hand, is a box full of surprises. He often represents the comic, funny side of this story, as his laid-back attitude occasionally softens the intensity of the plot.

Regarding the story, I feel like I can’t say much without getting into spoilers. This is a fast-paced book, with lots of action, lots of surprises and passionate, severe moments. The only thing I did not totally like was the ending and the direction that the author decided to take. It was great while Juliette was the ‘only one’, but as soon as you come across the enormity of what’s really going on and of what’s out there, the novelty of this book sort of gets lost a little bit. Still, I’m immensely curious with the following book, Unravel Me, which I hope to read soon. Despite the ending, I’m almost certain of this debut's presence on my top 2014 readings—yep, it’s that good.

Review also posted here:
http://pedacinho-literario.blogspot.p... ...more

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Nov 05, 2011 Tânia rated it liked it

Shelves: ebook

I think the author’s watched too many re-runs of “The X-Men”, because I feel like Juliette is basically Rogue. This book is shattering in so many ways, but there were a few good moments along the narrative that allowed me to pick up the pieces to put the story back together and just go along with it, see where it might lead, and I was actually surprised by the turn of events towards the end. In an optimistic kind of way it made me think, wait a minute, this may become something bigger in the sec I think the author’s watched too many re-runs of “The X-Men”, because I feel like Juliette is basically Rogue. This book is shattering in so many ways, but there were a few good moments along the narrative that allowed me to pick up the pieces to put the story back together and just go along with it, see where it might lead, and I was actually surprised by the turn of events towards the end. In an optimistic kind of way it made me think, wait a minute, this may become something bigger in the second book. That is if the author manages to pull it off.

“Shatter Me” is a very entertaining, enjoyable good read, but let me tell you it isn’t flawless. In fact, as I was reading it I couldn’t stop pinpointing the flaws because they’re too obvious. To begin with, it is nothing like a dystopian world, or at least not like a very well built dystopian world should be, so I don’t get the comparisons to the Hunger Games. There is little plot, poorly developed characters, setting, and the romance is just blank. What started as beautiful writing soon became annoying, particularly the metaphors, lots and lots of them. I know metaphors are important when writing a book, but they’re not the essential. A few are pretty but too much is irritating. So less metaphors and more real writing would have been nice, and slightly less irritating. Oh, and the constant constant constant three three three word repetition was too much, if you ask me. Half the time I was wondering if this was a kid scribbling a weak attempt to compose poetry on his notebook. So, less metaphors, repetitions, and Gosh! Adam, will you please stop running your hand through your hair?! A little advice to you: Get a comb and a mirror already!

What saved the book from becoming easily forgettable were the last pages, when the author puts “The X-Men” movie on paper. I can’t stop seeing Juliette as Rogue, because she really is Rogue. If she only had more of Rogue’s badassness, she would have been a great strong female character. I started enjoying it more towards the end, when it finally picked up pace and things began to make sense. It certainly becomes much more thrilling and interesting, and I’m definitely going to await the sequel.
...more

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Jan 12, 2012 Maggie Mae rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: purchased-in-2012, read-in-2012, favorites

Até agora, este ano tem se revelado muito, muito bom em termos de leituras e Shatter Me vai direitinho para a minha lista de preferidos.

A escrita da autora é cativante, e por muitas vezes me pareceu estar escrito em poema apesar de todo ele ser em prosa. As descrições criam como que uma janela directamente sobre a acção e transporta-nos directamente para o centro desta, fazendo-nos sentir como parte da mesma.

Gostei do mundo que Tahereh descreve – apesar de não desejar viver dentro num mundo assi Até agora, este ano tem se revelado muito, muito bom em termos de leituras e Shatter Me vai direitinho para a minha lista de preferidos.

A escrita da autora é cativante, e por muitas vezes me pareceu estar escrito em poema apesar de todo ele ser em prosa. As descrições criam como que uma janela directamente sobre a acção e transporta-nos directamente para o centro desta, fazendo-nos sentir como parte da mesma.

Gostei do mundo que Tahereh descreve – apesar de não desejar viver dentro num mundo assim -, mas não posso dizer que seja de todo original, pois tem muitas semelhanças com as várias distopias que tenho vindo a ler.

Quanto as personagens: Sinto-me fascinada pelo principal antagonista, Warner, que é uma das personagens mais complexas e com mais profundidade que é apresentada. É daqueles antagonistas que têm um motivo, quase como uma justificação para todas as coisas horrorosas que faz.

O Adam é o típico personagem principal masculino, sempre com uma palavra de apoio nos lábios, forte e sempre pronto para salvar o dia. O seu passado é apenas levemente mencionado neste livro, e admito que estou ansiosa para que mais seja revelado no segundo volume desta trilogia.

Quanto à personagem principal, Juliette, acho-a real e adoro a forma como as suas experiências e “dores” pessoais nos são tão facilmente transmitidas pela escrita da autora. Teve um passado para lá do difícil, e apesar de ser altruísta e afável nunca conheceu alguém que não a olha-se com receio e acusações silenciosas. A sua personalidade doce é contrabalançada com uma vontade de ferro que vai crescendo à medida que ela se vai conhecendo, e espero que esta segunda vertente da sua personalidade seja mais desenvolvida no próximo livro.

Temos também James e Kenji, duas das personagens secundárias que me cativaram de diferente forma, James pela sua personalidade tão adorável e ingénua e Kenji pelo seu sarcasmo e resposta sempre pronta.

Não consigo decidir entre as 4,5 estrelas e as 5, simplesmente pelo início do livro onde existem demasiadas palavras rasuradas. Apesar de compreender o motivo para isto acontecer, e de fazer um certo sentido devido a confiança da personagem principal, não deixa de se um pouco irritantes estar constantemente a ler palavras riscadas.

Mal posso esperar pelo segundo livro, e até tremo só de pensar que só sai daqui a um ano, dia 5 de Fevereiro de 2013. ...more

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Dec 30, 2013 Patrícia rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: ya, owned, distopia, leituras-2014

Opinião do blogue Chaise Longue: http://girlinchaiselongue.blogspot.pt...

Este foi um daqueles livros que, a pouco e pouco, se foi imiscuindo na minha mente, até a curiosidade ser quase insuportável. A verdade é que por mais opiniões que já tivesse lido, nunca mas nunca, poderia ter adivinhado a história formidável que viria a ler. Shatter Me é um daqueles casos que se ama ou odeia, muito por culpa da escrita de Tahereh Mafi, poética e lírica, crua e insana, imensamente original e absorvente. Som Opinião do blogue Chaise Longue: http://girlinchaiselongue.blogspot.pt...

Este foi um daqueles livros que, a pouco e pouco, se foi imiscuindo na minha mente, até a curiosidade ser quase insuportável. A verdade é que por mais opiniões que já tivesse lido, nunca mas nunca, poderia ter adivinhado a história formidável que viria a ler. Shatter Me é um daqueles casos que se ama ou odeia, muito por culpa da escrita de Tahereh Mafi, poética e lírica, crua e insana, imensamente original e absorvente. Somos apanhados desde a primeira palavra e, quando damos conta, já estamos completamente enredados nesta história frenética. Excusado será dizer que faço parte do grupo que adorou este livro, a começar por isto mesmo, pela forma única e intensa com que Mafi nos envolve nesta história de loucura, sobrevivência e estranheza.
Quando começamos esta leitura somos atacados pela insanidade, dureza e choque, sensações que nos vão acompanhando, ao mesmo tempo, que o fascínio aumenta página a página, impedindo-nos de largar este livro. Cruel e frenético, distópico com queda para história de super-heróis, Shatter Me é uma tempestade de emoções e conflitos, uma narrativa altamente psicológica, que mexe com a nossa mente, apresentando-nos o pior do ser humano, bem como a forma como somos capazes de distorcer o bem e o mal, a obsessão e o amor, a crueldade e a justiça da forma que nos for mais conveniente. Mas, não deixa por isso, de ser uma história cheia de adrenalina, surpresas e mistérios, capaz de nos espantar, amedrontar ou fascinar sem darmos conta, através de momentos fortes e carregados de tensão.
Nesta narrativa, somos muitas vezes confrontados com situações onde algo puramente físico pode ser confundido como sentimento, onde obsessão e ilusão são formas distorcidas de afecto, onde passados falsamente perfeitos provocam agonia, vingança e fúria, situações estas que demonstram como a moral, o comportamento ou mesmo os relacionamentos nesta história, são corrompidos pelas experiências pu pelos maus tratos psicológicos e, consequentemente, pela necessidade de algo bondoso e de uma certa esperança. Esta capacidade da autora em demonstrar tão perfeitamente como uma sociedade pode ser desfeita em meras palavras, como um ser humano pode ser diminuído por não se enquadrar nos parâmetros e exigências dos seus pares e progenitores, é um dos motivos porque esta história é tão poderosa. Aqui nada é racional, moralmente perfeito ou idealmente construído, o que faz com que esta seja uma leitura diferente e pouco usual.
Apesar de pouco sabermos sobre o mundo distópico que está por trás desta história, conhecendo apenas o governo/identidade que tudo controla e a forma como opera interiormente, o que deixa muito por descobrir e desbravar (sendo uma das razões porque este livro não é excelente), há um factor que acaba por desculpar, um pouco isto. É a inspiração que dá mote a este livro. Nesta sociedade há pessoas diferentes, capazes de fazer coisas inimagináveis e que são exiladas pela sociedade, destruídas e abandonadas pelas suas capacidades incompreendidas. E é esta vibe de X-Men, sem ser cópia ou inspiração rasca, que torna este livro ainda mais fascinante e refrescante dentro do género.
Tal como a história, também as personagens são um pouco insanas, variando entre frágeis e demasiado poderosas, socialmente falhadas e psicologicamente complexas. Juliette, a protagonista, é social e psicologicamente complexa, uma criança no corpo de uma adolescente, que não sabe o que é e muito menos como se relacionar devido à sua falta de afecto e relações físicas. Não é uma personagem com que nos identifiquemos mas acaba por nos fascinar pelas suas limitações. Já Warner, misterioso e psicopata, é a personagem que mais mexeu comigo, primeiro por nos apercebermos que há muita coisa por trás, depois pela sua complexidade quer em emoções quer em acções. Kenji, no entanto, é a minha personagem preferida pelo seu lado divertido e por se revelar uma surpresa no final do livro. A única personagem com que acabei por antipatizar foi Adam. Sinceramente acho que é um panhonha e o moço dá-me urticária.
Depois desta longa opinião, penso que dá para perceber que fiquei viciada nesta trilogia. Shatter Me é um começo incrível que promete uma história forte em emoções e revelações, capaz de mexer com a nossa mente e deixar-nos completamente fascinados. ...more

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Sep 08, 2011 Mariana Graça rated it really liked it

Congratulations to this amazing new writer! Shatter me was like a strong drink.The characters are so well build and the story is so different from the usual fantasy books.
Powerful and definitely a page turner!

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