Shatter Me #4
Released: 2018
435 pages
Blurb:
"Juliette Ferrars thought she'd won. She took over Sector 45, was named the new Supreme Commander, and now has Warner by her side. But she's still the girl with the ability to kill with a single touch—and now she's got the whole world in the palm of her hand. When tragedy hits, who will she become? Will she be able to control the power she wields and use it for good?"
Review:
It's been a while since I read the first three books of this series and I'm definitely thinking of doing a complete reread before the next book is released. I loved this, but I would have enjoyed it more if I would have remembered the finer points.
“Idiots are highly flammable, love. Let them all burn in hell.”
1. The characters. Something that I've seen everyone obsessing over is the fact that we now get Warner's POV and I can say with confidence that I was not disappointed in the slightest! I loved getting to see both sides of their relationship, and since the plot revolves majorly on the secrets Warner keeps from Juliette, it really emphasized the situation. After stepping away from the series for so long, I think the author did a wonderful job in staying true to her characters. Adam is slowly fading to the background (I'm taking that as a sign that he'll play a pivotal role in the next book!) and Kenji is still amazing and lovely and hilarious. We also get to see a more serious side of him which really helped to develop his character into something more than just comic relief. As for the MC, Juliette, I loved being in her head again!
“I cannot let the broken girl inside of me inhale all that I've become. I cannot revert back to another version of myself. I will not shatter, not again, in the wake of an emotional earthquake.”
2. The plot. I have... mixed feelings about this. Generally speaking, I loved it (illustrated by the fact that I finished it in 2.5 hours) and I was sucked in completely from the very first page. My one complaint is that it all seemed a bit thrown together. I suppose Juliette's reality at the moment is a bit thrown together but all the same, there was just this torrent of feelings all the time coming from both Juliette and Warner about different revelations and I just wanted something substantial to happen. Additionally, I wish the ending (the whole speech bit) was given more than one chapter. SO much happened there and it needed so much more than one chapter. Beyond that, though, I thought it was all lovely and intriguing. The plot line constantly kept me on my toes. Overall feelings, though? Definite bridge book.
“Who says you can’t be cute and kick ass at the same time?” Kenji winks at me. “I do it every day.”
3. The romance. This is also where it gets interesting. As I said in the section above, a lot of the plot is centered around certain secrets and revelations that alter Juliette's reality. This impacts Warner and Juliette's relationship substantially and also leads to some more great character development on Juliette's side of the bar. Recently, I haven't been loving the romances in books but this book gave me hope that I'm not completely burned out on them. I loved Warner and Juliette's relationship and how the author structured their uncertainties with each other.
“In the steady thrum that accompanies quiet, my mind is unkind to me. I think too much. I feel, perhaps, far more than I should. It would be only a slight exaggeration to say that my goal in life is to outrun my mind, my memories.”
4. The writing. I felt like I had to mention this as Tahereh Mafi is one of my favorite writers in terms of style. I absolutely love her creative use of line spacing, strike-outs, and repetition. She does such a great job of using these techniques (and others) to create a unique atmosphere for each mind in each POV. Her writing also does so much to bring emotion to life; something that is difficult to accomplish effectively. I can imagine that her style of writing doesn't appeal to everyone, but to me, it's positively beautiful.
“Right now I feel certain that my imagination is much more dangerous than any of his truths.”
The Final Verdict:
With a heart-pounding plotline and constantly evolving characters, this installment of the series has left me excited to read the next section. Warner and Juliette's relationship continues to get a thumbs-up from me, as well. However, despite all this, Restore Me is, at it's heart, at bridge book.
4 stars
Meet the Author:
Connect:
I should probably hurry and read this one while the first three are still a little fresh in my mind. I’m not sure we needed more of this story though so I’m still on the fence.
ReplyDeleteThat was my thought as well. I'm still thinking of rereading the four of them together now because there were a few people mentioned in RM that I couldn't place for the life of me! I'm also of that camp. I thought the ending of Ignite Me was slightly open-ended but in a good way. Still, there are questions brought up in this book that I think will have interesting repercussions so I'm cautiously optimistic about the direction of the story. If you do end up reading it, I'd be interested to hear what you think of the new plot questions that are brought up! Thanks for stopping by, Jenny!
DeleteI keep seeing this series raved about on blogs and elsewhere, but haven't spotted a single one in a book exchange yet. It's always a good sign for a popular series when readers hang onto their copies :-)
ReplyDeleteVery true! Hopefully someone somewhere will give up their copy soon so you can have a go at it :) Thanks for stopping by, Stephanie!
DeleteI really, really, really need to get around to this series as soon as possible! I've only heard largely positive things so far, and your review of this book only makes me all the more interested! I love what you said about the author's writing style- I feel it might work for me and I'm even more excited now! Great review, Laura!
ReplyDeleteThat's actually my favorite part of the whole series! Mafi is seriously turning into an auto-buy/auto-read author for me because her writing is just so gorgeous. Hopefully you get a chance to read this soon; I'm looking forward to hearing your thoughts! Thanks for stopping by, Ruz :)
DeleteLovely review! I was just like you, I didn't re-read the previous books before getting into this one and I think I might have loved it if everything was a bit fresher in my mind. Still, I really liked it, even if it was on the slow-side at the beginning. I love the characters very much, especially Kenji and I loved reading from Warner's POV as well <3 That ending was the worst though I can't WAIT to know what happens next?!!!
ReplyDeleteLovely review! :D
Yeah... I was so prepared for ACOWAR last year but now this year I think I'm just doing a dismal job of being prepared for series additions. Yessss Kenji!! He's so fabulous and I love how we get more of his backstory in this book. And of course Warner :) It was definitely interesting being inside his head. ME TOO!!! Like what the actual hell?? It ended so suddenly and like ALL THE THINGS are happening and omg I can't... Thanks for stopping by, Marie!
DeleteAwesome post! Love books that show both sides of an relationship. Sad to hear though you concluded this is a bridge book. Other stand alones of secondary characters would of been great. I’m not all the way through the series and wondered on others thoughts on the series. ♥️Thanks for an honest review!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Dani! I do as well! Seeing one side is great, but I love the additional dimension a second POV brings. Yeah... I don't mind it too much because I love the series in general but if someone isn't too keen on it, I don't think it'll go well. Still, I'm excited for the next installment so we can see where this goes! Thanks for stopping by, Dani :)
Delete