Shatter Me follows the story of a 17-year-old girl named Juliette Ferrars in a futuristic dystopian world ruled by the Reestablishment; a totalitarian government which promises to “help” people by taking away their basic rights. Juliette, who has the power to torture and kill anyone she touches, was taken away from her home and placed in an asylum for 264 days because she accidentally killed a toddler. However, everything changes when a boy named Adam arrives in her cell and Juliette starts to trust him. Unfortunately, when it turns out Adam is secretly a soldier sent to spy on her, she is soon forced to deal with the commander of the sector, Warner. Warner wants to use Juliette as a weapon against her will and Juliette must learn to fight back and heal to save both herself and the world.
Personally, I enjoyed the book to an extent. Juliette’s characterization was well done and the author’s unique style of crossing out words was interesting to read, since it enhanced the reading experience by showing Juliette’s internal conflict. The writing was very raw and emotional, making me feel connected to the main character and her experiences. I also loved the personalities of both James and Kenji and felt invested in their character development over the course of the series. However, I did not enjoy the lack of proper world building as the plot mostly focuses on the main character and her inner conflict. I also did not like the romantic subplot as it felt unnecessary given the circumstances and the main character’s state of mind. The ending was satisfying while leaving room for more, which was good. Overall, I would give this book 3.5 out of 5 stars and would recommend it for fans of romance novels and dystopias. The series is good for fans of Hunger Games and Red Queen, or really just anyone who is looking for a book with a strong female lead and a good vs. evil theme.