Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

Publication Date: 11-15-2011

Publisher: HarperCollins

Pages: 352

Format: ARC

Source: Publisher

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Goodreads Summary:

Juliette hasn't touched anyone in exactly 264 days.

The last time she did, it was an accident, but The Reestablishment locked her up for murder. No one knows why Juliette's touch is fatal. As long as she doesn't hurt anyone else, no one really cares. The world is too busy crumbling to pieces to pay attention to a 17-year-old girl. Diseases are destroying the population, food is hard to find, birds don't fly anymore, and the clouds are the wrong color.

The Reestablishment said their way was the only way to fix things, so they threw Juliette in a cell. Now so many people are dead that the survivors are whispering war-- and The Reestablishment has changed its mind. Maybe Juliette is more than a tortured soul stuffed into a poisonous body. Maybe she's exactly what they need right now.

Juliette has to make a choice: Be a weapon. Or be a warrior.

In this electrifying debut, Tahereh Mafi presents a world as riveting as The Hunger Games and a superhero story as thrilling as The X-Men. Full of pulse-pounding romance, intoxicating villainy, and high-stakes choices, Shatter Me is a fresh and original dystopian novel—with a paranormal twist—that will leave readers anxiously awaiting its sequel.

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Could you imagine being unable to touch another human being without risking their lives?  Could you imagine your own parents disowning you and giving you up to the government to live in an institution because they want to wash their hands of you?  Well, imagine it.  Imagine living in a place where it's never light, you never see anyone else, but you hear their screams.  You hear their pain and wonder every day if you will be next. 

Suddenly, everything changes.  You aren't alone.  You're being told that you have a gift.  You have an amazing weapon that can be used for the good of the world.  Yet, you don't understand.  It's too hard to believe.  Then, you find out you can touch other human beings, but you don't know why.

I don't even know where to begin an explanation for this novel . It was just pure AWESOME!  Of all the books I've read this year (almost 200), this has been my favorite.  Tahereh Mafi did an amazing job writing a suspenseful, jaw-dropping, unique and entertaining novel.  She led us through a world developed in her mind and brought to life on paper.  A world I could never imagine.  She introduced us to the dynamic character of Juliette.  A girl who truly deserves the name.  Juliette experiences love, loss, and heartbreak that reminded me of Shakespeare's Juliet.  Yet she is a strong-willed, stubborn, hard-ass heroine who is out to make the best of her world.  She is trying to live a life that is somewhat normal, while trying to avoid accidentally killing another human being.

I can't wait to find out where Mafi leads us in the next book of this series. We learned so much about Juliette, her childhood, and the people around her, but so many questions were left unanswered.  There is so much we don't know about this society and I can't wait to find out.  The kick-ass fighting and drama in this novel is enough to make me want more.  I couldn't read fast enough to find out what happened in each (what seemed like) desperate situation.  This is a 2011 debut that you don't want to miss!