Book Review: Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

**Received this book from Around the World ARC Tours for review**

Synopsis (from Goodreads):  Juliette 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.

In this electrifying debut, Tahereh Mafi presents a world as riveting as The Hunger Games and a superhero story as thrilling as The X-Men. Full of pulse-pounding romance, intoxicating villainy, and high-stakes choices, Shatter Me is a fresh and original dystopian novel—with a paranormal twist—that will leave readers anxiously awaiting its sequel.

My Thoughts:  Juliette has been in a prison cell for 263 days for having a powerful ability that she is not able to keep in check.  She hasn't talked to or touched anyone in those 263 days.  All that changes when she gets a new cellmate, Adam.

I wasn't sure about the strike-out thoughts that Juliette was having.  I just kinda found it annoying but if it isn't distracting to you, great!  I just personally found it slightly obnoxious.  I see the reason for it (it makes Juliette seem crazy for sure) but I just didn't really care for it.  It will go away so if it does annoy you like it did me keep going!  It will slow down.

Juliette was a confusing character for me.  She was pathetic, weak and crazy one minute and the next she is strong and threatening.  She spends a few hours in a room filled with guns and she's totally okay with them after that.  I mean, I've spent years with guns in my house (my hubby's a police officer) and I am certainly not comfortable with them but hey...whatever.  I can't stand how she is totally dependent on Adam either.  Seriously annoying.

Adam is good looking, there is no denying that.  In fact, he's downright hot but it's only on the outside.  His personality never really came out.  He was boring, in all honesty.  The relationship between Juliette and Adam had steam factor for sure but that is about the only good thing about their relationship.

Warner, the leader of the Reestablishment, is the other character that just fell flat for me.  He is totally obsessed with Juliette and really wants Juliette to want him and be his but alas, she has fallen madly in love with Adam.  However, there is just no depth to Warner for me.  He is just your typical evil villain, nothing more, nothing less.

The other annoying thing...is how EVERY guy that Juliette met fell in love with her.  If we could all only live in a world like that huh?  

So, I know I probably sound like I hated the book but I didn't hate it.  I just didn't like it.  I did not find it convincing at all and it just fell flat.  I know I am in the minority here as I have read a lot of good reviews before I picked it up so you should check it our for yourself.  Just maybe get it from the library.