What’s it all about?:
The heart-stopping conclusion to the New York Times bestselling Shatter Me series, which Ransom Riggs, bestselling author of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, called “a thrilling, high-stakes saga of self-discovery and forbidden love.”
With Omega Point destroyed, Juliette doesn’t know if the rebels, her friends, or even Adam are alive. But that won’t keep her from trying to take down The Reestablishment once and for all. Now she must rely on Warner, the handsome commander of Sector 45. The one person she never thought she could trust. The same person who saved her life. He promises to help Juliette master her powers and save their dying world . . . but that’s not all he wants with her.
The Shatter Me series is perfect for fans who crave action-packed young adult novels with tantalizing romance like Divergent by Veronica Roth, The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, and Legend by Marie Lu. Tahereh Mafi has created a captivating and original story that combines the best of dystopian and paranormal, and was praised by Publishers Weekly as “a gripping read from an author who’s not afraid to take risks.” Now this final book brings the series to a shocking and satisfying end.
What did I think?:
Ignite Me is the final book in the Shatter Me trilogy, a series I was unsure of at the start but I have to admit, Tahereh Mafi has totally won me over with her excellent writing, a sensational plot and intriguing characters. As the novel begins, the Omega Point headquarters has been destroyed through the war with The Re-establishment. Our main character Juliette has no idea how many of her friends are alive, if any. This is particularly crucial to her as one of the most important people in her life so far, Adam, was known to have been fighting in the skirmish. She also worries about a close friend she has made, Kenji as there has also been no contact from him. Kenji has to be one of my favorite characters in the series, he has some terrific one-liners, but underneath his bold and brash ways, you can tell he really is a good egg with a heart of gold. His interactions with Juliette made fantastic reading, whether it was something emotional (yes, he does have hidden depths!) or joking around – his forte. It was also nice to see that Kenji wasn’t one-dimensional in the slightest, and did have some vulnerability where he could get tired, stressed, hurt etc.
One of the other characters that has had an exponential coming of age journey is obviously our main character, Juliette. From that frightened little girl locked in a cell in the Re-establishment with only some paper, a pen, lots of “crossings out,” and her thoughts for company, we now see a mature, sensible and determined young woman who is prepared for whatever life may throw at her. She has had to undergo more than her fair share of trials and heart-ache and of course, still suffers from the occasional crisis of confidence but has grown up a hell of a lot and has become a strong role model for others. Learning to control her powers has been a large part of her development and in this novel, we learn just how far Juliette’s gifts will reach and when they need to be reined in.
I was a little disappointed with Adam in this final novel, not in the way in which the character was written but in his attitudes and reactions to Juliette and even the rest of his group. At the end of the day though, I think he should be given some leeway – like many of the other characters he has suffered a lot and continues to suffer through this last book. And there’s only so much bruising a person can take, right? On the other end of the scale lies Warner, enigmatic and smooth as always but like Kenji and Adam, we also get to see his vulnerable side which I really loved. He plays a vital role in this novel as the rebels try to take down The Re-establishment and their rotten regime once and for all.
I’ve deliberately tried to write this review without any spoilers so if anyone hasn’t started the series so far, they won’t be disappointed. If you haven’t though, I urge you to start! Tahereh Mafi writes such beautiful, descriptive prose that it is a joy to read and she has a sneaky way of letting her characters get under your skin. Yes, the ending felt slightly rushed but I thought it was a perfect finale to a fantastic series. I can’t wait to see what she writes next and I’ll definitely be pre-ordering a copy.
Would I recommend it?:
But of course!
Star rating (out of 5):
