6/13/2014

Fracture Me (Shatter Me #2.5) & Ignite Me (Shatter Me #3) by Tahereh Mafi

Book #2.5: Fracture Me
4 Stars
This short novella is told from Adam’s POV and sets the stage for the final installment in the series, Ignite Me. Adam is reeling - Omega Point is preparing to launch an attack on the Reestablishment, Juliette has broken his heart, Kenji has been injured, and he is desperate to keep James safe.

When the battle alarm sounds, Adam and his fellow rebels face a decisive battle that will forever change the course of the revolution. While being in Adam’s headspace does a good job of setting the tone of the third book in the series, it is not an essential read. You can skip it and still understand what’s happening in Ignite Me. If you are a fan of the series, then I think it’s worth your time.


Book #3: Ignite Me
3 Stars
Ignite Me is the third and final installment in the Shatter Me Series. After the destruction of Omega Point, Juliette is determined to fight back and bring down the Reestablishment. In her quest to fulfill this goal, Juliette finds herself teaming up with Warner. This partnership will put many of Juliette’s relationships to the test, sowing conflict in relationships that she thought were unshakable, and forcing her to question and redefine what she thought was true. Juliette will be forced to face her own insecurities and decide once and for all who she is. With everyone looking to Juliette to lead, the fate of their world hinges on Juliette’s choice to embrace her true power and fight back.

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I have really mixed feelings about this book and the end of this series. I really wanted to love this book, but I have to say that I was somewhat disappointed by it. It just didn't hold my attention in the same way that the previous two books did, and I found myself struggling to get through it at times, for reasons that I will elaborate on in a moment.

Overall, I think this series is definitely worth the read. Tahereh is a fantastic writer and has created an imaginative world that, while similar to other dystopian novels, is also unique. Over the course of the series, I grew to love the characters she created. I cried, laughed, and cheered right alongside of them. Tahereh has a unique writing style that makes for an interesting reading experience. I appreciate her ability to submerse her reader’s fully into the mind’s of her characters, both in the novels and the novellas. It is the perfect blend of dystopian and paranormal.

The thing that I appreciated the most about the series, especially the third book, was the empowerment of Juliette. While stories with strong female characters do exist, they are still more of an exception to the rule. It is refreshing to watch a female character grow into herself and lead. I think it is important for young women to have these examples to look up to.

Okay, stop reading now if you haven’t read the book yet. The rest of this review contains some spoilers.

Why I was disappointed...

Reason #1: Adam
After Shatter Me, I was a 100% Team Adam, and even when things started to fall apart in Unravel Me, I still held out hope that Juliette and Adam would find a way. What I hated about Ignite Me was the absolute 180 Adam’s character did. He went from being this protector and stand up guy, to a complete and total douchebag. And I get it. He was angry that Juliette broke his heart and took up with Warner, but he just became so awful that it just seemed too great a gap for me to bridge, especially having just read Fracture Me. Adam was fractured and vulnerable, but he wasn't a hate filled guy. I think he was desperate, and I suppose that desperation makes people do and say things that they normally wouldn't, but I just didn't like the direction that she took his character.

By the time the book finished, all his redeeming qualities had been utterly destroyed. I get why Tahereh did it. It was to illustrate how wrong they were for each other. It was almost like Warner and Adam traded places. As Warner rose, Adam fell. In the end, even I have to admit that Warner was the better match, but I wish Tahereh could have done it in a way that did didn’t make me hate Adam. She made me hate him, and he didn’t deserve that. I wish there could have been a better resolution for them as a couple. Even if she didn’t end up with him, he was still her first love, and I don’t feel like that was respected at all. I’ve never been on the wrong side of a fictional love triangle before...not sure I like it...

Reason #2: A lot to do about nothing…
I feel like a lot didn’t happen in this book. The other two books were action packed, and this one wasn’t. The majority of the book was build up to a climax that was short lived. There was a lot of talking about taking action, but not a lot of action taking. When the action finally did take place, it all seemed too easy and was over far too quickly. I guess I was just expecting a much more epic climax, especially since this was supposed to the be final stand against the Reestablishment. Everything hinged on this mission. The rebels would either succeed or die trying, and that sense of urgency and destiny was lacking for me. 

Reason #3: The ending
I don’t even know what to say about the ending, except it just ended. Like slamming on your brakes to avoid hitting something. Instead of leaving me with a sense of completion, I was left saying, “Wait, what?” Yes, Juliette succeeds, but then what? What happens now that the Reestablishment is gone? How do they rebuild their society? Does Juliette become the leader? How do people respond to her rule? What happens next with her and Warner? Does Juliette and Adam ever make peace? What about Warner and Adam? Now that Warner knows they are brothers, does he try to build a relationship? Does Adam let him? What about James? What about Kenji? For the final installment of a series, I felt like my resolution was incomplete. I wanted an epilogue or something that told me what the future held for all of these characters, but I just ended up with a lot of unanswered questions.

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