Today is the release of Ignite Me, the 3rd and final book in Tahereh Mafi’s Shatter Me trilogy. I decided to reread the first 2 novels and the novellas in preparation. The thing that I loved the most about the experience is how I picked up on little details I hadn’t noticed the first couple of times. The way that the writing still felt fresh and new and delicious as the first time I entered into Juliette’s world. The way that the characters breathe and live.
Reading these books is like eating a box of exquisite chocolates. Each sentence is a different flavor to savor and linger on. The poetic imagery and deft descriptions make these books more than just a heart-pounding and breath-taking experience. It makes them a joy to read… and reread. And I am so excited to see where Tahereh takes us in this final installment in the trilogy. And I will be one of the first in line to buy anything else she writes.
If you aren’t familiar with the trilogy, Shatter Me, Unravel Me, and Ignite Me, along with the companion novellas Destroy Me and Fracture Me follow the story of Juliette Ferrars, a girl who has lived through the most horrific abandonment and psychological and physical torture you can imagine. Not only is her touch lethal to (almost) anyone she comes in contact with, but she has managed to hang onto her humanity so that the idea that she might hurt someone with this gift/curse is almost more terrifying to her than anything that has been done or said. Abandoned by her family, locked up, manipulated, viewed as a tool or an asset, this seventeen year old girl has managed to keep her sanity and her conscience in the face of unimaginable pressures. Over the course of the first two books she has to deal with the things that have happened to her and find a way to move forward. Adam, the only person to show her kindness for most of her young childhood, and Warner, the only one to truly seem to appreciate and accept everything about Juliette (including her power) are vying for her love and her allegiance.
I will leave you with one quote that particularly stood out to me when rereading Shatter Me this time:
“The moon is a loyal companion.
It never leaves. It’s always there, watching, steadfast, knowing us in our light and dark moments, changing forever just as we do. Every day it’s a different version of itself. Sometimes weak and wan, sometimes strong and full of light. The moon understands what it means to be human.
Uncertain. Alone. Cratered by imperfections.” (Tahereh Mafi Shatter Me p. 25)
Amateur Medialogist 