Book Review: Unravel Me (Shatter Me #2) by Tahereh Mafi

Author: Tahereh Mafi
Series: Shatter Me #2
Publisher: HarperCollins
Release Date: February 5, 2013
Pages: 461
Format: Hardcover
Average Rating: 4.37
Read it in: 2 days
Source: Bought from Amazon




- Summary -

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it's almost
time for war.

Juliette has escaped to Omega Point. It is a place for people like her—people with gifts—and it is also the headquarters of the rebel resistance. She's finally free from The Reestablishment, free from their plan to use her as a weapon, and free to love Adam. But Juliette will never be free from her lethal touch. Or from Warner, who wants Juliette more than she ever thought possible.

In this exhilarating sequel to Shatter Me, Juliette has to make life-changing decisions between what she wants and what she thinks is right. Decisions that might involve choosing between her heart—and Adam's life.

- Review -  

1.) Plot;

 Looking for a dystopian read with a bit of Sci Fi thrown in for good measure? Look no further! 

A girl whose touch has the power to kill. A compound full of people with similar and yet very, very different abilities. A world on the brink of war. A complicated love triangle. How is one girl, someone who has never known the feeling of acceptance and love, someone whose touch is lethal, someone who was outcast by the same society that is currently in need of her protection, supposed to look past all of the above and accept the very thing that has alienated her for the last seventeen years?

Sounds cool, right? Right. The plot was what drew me to the first book a few months ago, when I was looking through Amazon for something interesting to read. I've never really been into Sci Fi-ish type books, but the cover was appealing and I thought Juliette sounded like a pretty cool character and, plus, the scratched-out bits. Oh, those were beautiful. So I read it. And thus, my love affair began. The whole "humans with inhuman power" thing has been done before, certainly, but this book takes such a unique approach on a classic idea—the girl has been outcast by people who were supposed to love her, has been locked up, called insane, and cannot embrace those she loves without causing them intense pain, and even death. It has action. It has heartache. It has forbidden romance. A definite recommend from me.

2.) Characters;

Overall, I found the characters in this series extremely likable; from the protagonists and antagonists, all the way down to the minor characters we hardly know (Winston and Brendan, I am looking at you). They were flawed, they were human, and I applaud the author for creating such beautiful, complex characters without taking away from the actual plot. The way that they act, while annoying at some points, sure, is extremely relatable, and is one of the things I like best about this series so far.

Lets start with Juliette, our main character. I will admit that I was a bit disappointed toward the beginning of this book in regards to how she was acting. At the end of the previous book, she describes how incredible she feels, how things are changing and how she isn't afraid because she is ready to face those trying to destroy her. At the start of book two, however, it is like none of that ever happened, as we find her turned into this needy, clingy, selfish girl, whose main goal is to hook up with her boyfriend. She does not even try to control her powers, and dwells on her relationship with Adam for the majority of the story—even when they have broken up. I did not like that side of Juliette. I felt that she backpedaled quite a bit from where we left off at the end of book one, and I was really hoping for some more action. After Kenji called her out on her behavior, however, we began to see some progression—especially in her way of thinking and acting—and I was able to excuse her previous behavior. Her character development was flawless—slow and smooth—to the point where I did not even realize it was happening until Juliette pointed it out. She became a part of the team at OP, and I enjoyed seeing how she reacted to others around her, particularly because she had never had that opportunity before. Without Adam to distract her, she became feisty, more interesting, and really immersed herself in discovering her true power and trying to conquer The Reestablishment/Anderson. As her ending statement was eerily similar to that of book one, I am really hoping that this attitude continues into the final book.

If I had to rate all of the main characters, from whom I liked the best to who was not necessarily my "favorite" of the group, the latter would probably have to be Adam. Like I said, I adore all of Mafi's characters, but Adam was definitely my least favorite. We did not see much of him in this book, and I surprised myself by not really caring about that fact; particularly because I was really rooting for him in book one. This time around, however, he was extremely clingy, trying to reel Juliette back in, no matter how many times she told him that they could not be together (given that she might accidentally kill him). DUDE. Don't stalk the girl. Leave her alone and learn how to control your powers. THEN go and win her back. His constant nagging/sulking became a little annoying. I think that he is a great match for Juliette. I have no doubts about his motives and believe that he loves her. I love their back-story, especially how he reacted to the rumors about her in school. He is a fierce friend, lover and brother. It's just that... he got on my nerves a bit (though maybe this was due to the fact that I have fallen in love with Warner?) I do still really like him though, and am hoping that he learns how to use his powers and kicks some ass in the next book, instead of moping around all the time.

Now, if we were still rating the characters, Warner would definitely take the top spot. Why, you ask? Well. He is deliciously sexy, for one. I am in love with his character development, for another. And thirdly: Destroy Me. Yeah, if you've read Shatter Me and have not yet checked out the short novella between that and the book I am currently reviewing, you are missing out. A lot of people hated Warner during book one. He was cold, manipulative, deceptive, and unforgiving. Plus, how he treated Juliette turned a lot of people off. Me, I've always been drawn toward a great antagonist. But after Destroy Me, I am convinced that almost anyone would be turned onto his character after reading a story like that. He is so misunderstood and has an absolutely awful life, which explains why he turned out the way that he did. Plus, as we read through his thoughts, there are no longer any doubts about why he wants Juliette. He loves her—this fierce, beautiful love that I did not think someone like him could be capable of (which is the whole point of his character in book two, I think). I loved it. And he definitely does not disappoint in the second book, as his character becomes more complex and entertaining to read. Again, Mafi nailed the character development. In book one he was (seemed) so, so selfish, and he did not care who he hurt as long as he got what he wanted (which was Juliette). At the end of Destroy Me, we see him freak out at the prospect of losing her by his father's hand. In this book he actually disobeys Anderson to protect her. We discover more about his tragic childhood. We see him being kind to a stray dog, caring to an ill mother, vulnerable to Juliette and capable of compassion and sympathy. He dropped his hard demeanor and actually begged the twins to save Juliette when she was shot and revealed his power in order to cure her, even though it puts him at a huge risk. He also leaves Omega Point when Juliette "chooses" Adam, even though he loved her, because it was her choice to make. I seriously cannot say enough good things about his character. 

(Please, please don't kill him in book three, Mafi. I don't think my heart could take it.)

 As for Anderson, he was, basically, the perfect villain—evil, heartless and ruthless. He does not care for Warner at all, and I really loved the revelation about who he is to Adam. I am hoping we get some kind of confrontation in the next book that involves all three of them, as it is bound to be epic. Also, Kenji was flawless. He was hilarious, diffused the tension well, and I really looked forward to his parts in the book. He has quickly become one of my absolute favorites.

3.) Writing;

The writing was beautiful and poetic, just like the first book.The action sequences were great and I was constantly afraid to turn the page for fear of what would happen next (seriously, how much heartache can Mafi fit into one book?) Also, I am really glad that she left the scratched-out bits. This book (and the first) are so unique, and I would really recommend them to anyone into Sci Fi dystopian loveliness. The romance does seem to dominate the story—as our main character is a female who has gone her entire 17 years of existence without being loved, as a friend or more, by anyone—but overall, I think that it all combines to make a spectacular story. Bravo, Tahereh Mafi. I cannot wait for the next installment.

- Rating -

 ☆☆☆☆☆

5 stars, for an independent Juliette, hilarious Kenji, beautiful writing, flawless character development/development in general, a deliciously evil antagonist, and Warner.

The third book in the trilogy, currently unnamed, is due to launch in February of 2014.