Over the past few weeks, I finished reading the first half of the Shatter Me series by Tahereh Mafi, which includes Unravel Me, Ignite Me, and Unite Me, a collection of two novellas, Destroy Me and Fracture Me. Without getting too into spoilers, Unravel Me and Ignite Me continue Juliette's story as she grows into her powers and decides to fight the Reestablishment. After a devastating breakup with Adam and the events that lead to Juliette meeting the Supreme Commander, Anderson, she finds herself inexplicably drawn to Warner, despite her denial that she is falling for him, when the underground organization that Juliette joins, Omega Point, takes him hostage. Then, when things are looking bleaker than they ever have before, Juliette makes the decision to end Anderson's reign and take control with the help of Warner and her friends from Omega Point.
Taking place between his last appearance in Shatter Me and his first appearance in Unravel Me, Destroy Me is about Warner's recovery from an injured arm, his discovery of Juliette's journal, and his search for Juliette herself. To Warner's dismay, his father, Anderson, arrives at base because of the mistakes he made. Warner find himself reading Juliette's journal and thinking of her constantly, falling deeper in love with her. Fracture Me covers the end of Unravel Me from Adam's perspective. Before the battle to rescue two hostages, Adam still wants to be with Juliette and has to leave behind his brother, James, at Omega Point. Teaming up with Juliette and a fellow ex-soldier, Kenji, they witness the brutality of the Reestablishment when soldiers round up civilians to prevent more rebellion. Things go from bad to worse when the three of them get separated and Adam worries if James will be safe.
This series has been fantastic so far and it's the most I've been entertained while reading in about a year. While I enjoy almost everything I read, science fiction is one of my favorite genres, especially when combined with compelling romance. I didn't want to stop reading because I had to know which boy Juliette would choose and if she and her friends would win against Anderson. Not to mention, it was awesome how Juliette went from wanting to be normal and suppressing her powers to embracing them and being a leader. Anyone who likes the first book, Shatter Me, should definitely read the rest of the series.
