Ignite Me by Tahereh Mafi Book Review

 

Title: Ignite Me (Shatter Me #3)
Author: Tahereh Mafi
Publish Date: February 4th, 2014
Publisher: HarperCollins
Source: Purchased a copy for myself!

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.

Penelope's Review

Tahereh Mafi has not ceased to amaze me. Unlike some series, the Shatter Me series seems to get BETTER with each installment that comes out. I'm not bored, I'm not slowing down, I just want more. And more. AND MORE. So if you've read my reviews for Shatter Me and/or Unravel Me then you know that I started this series back in high school - I thought that I read the first three but I can say with almost 100% certainty that I have never read this book before. Which is amazing. Because I did not know what was going to happen, and everything. Was. EPIC. Ignite Me brings stronger character development, brilliant writing, and what is quickly becoming my favorite love story of all time. 

Now because I am obviously reading and reviewing this book in 2022, I am well aware that the series does not end with this book as it was originally supposed to. Therefore, it's a bit difficult for me to say how I feel about the ending if it had been the finale. I think I would have been satisfied, but also sad that Juliette and Warner's story had come to an end. I think I would have felt like I didn't have enough time with them you know what I mean? But thankfully, it is 2022 and I've already got the fourth book flipped to the front page, ready to go! 😂 So moving on!

Juliette is BADASS in this book. Like holy smokes where did all this confidence come from?! I am LIVING for it. I have always loved Juliette as a character - but I think she was portrayed perfectly in this book. Her journey has been written in such a way that I feel like I've grown with her, and I love that connection. Warner has become front and center in my eyes. The man can do no wrong. Seriously. If he wants to kill someone in the name of protecting me... go for it. I will forever be in love with him. I love his love for Juliette. It's just so... raw and powerful. The kind of love every girl deserves. I look forward to seeing where this relationship goes, and how it grows. 

Once again, we have an outstanding storyline. Once again, I was not bored for a second. And once again, I flew threw the pages in a matter of a day or two. There is just something about this world, and these characters, that Tahereh has poured her heart and soul into that has me feeling all sorts of ways. I've said it before, and I'll say it again - amazing author, amazing writing skills, amazing stories. I hope the next three books bring just as much passion and strength as this book has and as the previous two have. 10/10 recommend this series to those both young and old.

Rating: 5/5 Devils!

Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi Book Review

 

Title: Unravel Me (Shatter Me #2)
Author: Tahereh Mafi
Publish Date: February 5th, 2013
Publisher: HarperCollins
Source: Purchased a copy for myself!

It should have taken Juliette a single touch to kill Warner. But his mysterious immunity to her deadly power has left her shaken, wondering why her ultimate defense mechanism failed against the person she most needs protection from.

She and Adam were able to escape Warner’s clutches and join up with a group of rebels, many of whom have powers of their own. Juliette will finally be able to actively fight against The Reestablishment and try to fix her broken world. And perhaps these new allies can help her shed light on the secret behind Adam’s—and Warner’s—immunity to her killer skin.

Juliette’s world is packed with high-stakes action and tantalizing romance, perfect for fans of the Red Queen series by Victoria Aveyard and the Darkest Minds trilogy by Alexandra Bracken.

Penelope's Review

Wow. I'm almost 99% sure that I read this book back in high school but damn I did not remember anything and that just made this re-read SO MUCH BETTER. This book just has so much going on and it's amazing. It's been a very long time since a book made me laugh out loud, or need to put it down for a moment to process what I've just read... I had actually forgotten just how exciting a book can be. Unravel Me took me right back to my younger days when I would gush about a book for days and dream about it for weeks, and think about it for months. Let's talk details!

I want to start by saying I love the writing in this book more than in Shatter Me - as I mentioned in my Shatter Me review, I am well aware that the writing is meant to reflect the mindset of Juliette, and I think Tahereh Mafi is brilliant in the way she was able to do this but I'm just not a huge fan of the style. But now, in the second installment, Juliette is changing. She's getting stronger, more confident (though it takes most of this book to get there, admittedly). But the writing reflects that gradual change. I'm super impressed with the way the author wrote this book. 

This book had a ton of surprises. We get to explore Juliette's power more, and are taken on an emotional whirlwind as she tries to cope with what she's learning. I found her to be more realistic in this book. Her lows and her highs were something I could see anyone feeling if they were going through something similar. We also have Adam experiencing some big moments. I don't want to spoil anything, so I won't go into any detail but I will say that this is the book that had me slowly falling out of love with Adam. Which I think was the point lol! And then we have Warner. I knew going into this series that it was a bit of a love triangle situation, but honestly when reading Shatter Me I couldn't fathom how the author expected it to be a difficult choice. I was so hell bent on Adam being end game. And then I read Unravel Me. And that's all I'll say in that regard ;)

In terms of plot itself - fantastic. Not for a single moment was I bored. Every page had me wanting more (which is why I flew through this in two sittings). It was a high-stakes adventure with twists and turns that I never saw coming. Absolutely brilliantly done. Looking forward to the next in the series!

Rating: 5/5 Devils!

Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi Book Review

 

Title: Shatter Me (Shatter Me #1)
Author: Tahereh Mafi
Publish Date: October 2nd, 2012
Publisher: HarperCollins
Source: Purchased a copy myself!

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.

Penelope's Review

So technically I have already read this book - way back when it came out, about 9 years ago. I decided to re-read it because I never finished the series and man did this ever age well. I loved this book in high school, and I love it now. Although from what I remember, I gave this book 5 stars back then (and wanted to give it like a million) but I'm giving it 4 now - and I'll explain why!

Let's talk characters! Juliette is our main girl - her touch can kill and she's locked in an asylum while the world crumbles outside of her little window. In this book, Juliette starts out without any semblance of a backbone, but she does slowly gain some confidence throughout the book and develops into a slightly stronger character (we don't really see real growth until book 2... which I know because I read it in 2 days right before sitting down to do this review lol). So... a bit of development but not enough in my opinion. She's still very woe is me in Shatter Me, but I get it. I mean she literally can't touch anyone, everyone hates, she was locked up for a mistake and basically left there to die. I'd probably be feeling a little sorry for myself too! What I didn't get is that there was no anger or resentment at all. It was just a tad unrealistic, but I didn't pick up a book about a girl who can kill with her bare hands for "realism" so I'm ok with it lol.

Then we have Adam. I find this man very attractive. Very. Attractive. I love his love for Juliette. It makes me swoon. And the whole childhood connection thing? Gah so cute. I can't even. I loved how the romance in this book was written. I found it very well done and it had me rooting for both of these characters!

In terms of the writing style itself.... I'm not a huge fan of this writing style but I love the author note in the beginning about how it's meant to be a reflection of Juliette's mindset. As she gets better and more confident, the writing becomes more solid and less broken. With that in mind, it was very well done. But in general, not my cup of tea. It was still a fantastic read though.

Overall, I'm very excited to read the rest of this series - I have a feeling my mind is going to be blown when I hit the books I haven't read before!

Rating: 4/5 Devils!

January 2022 Monthly Wrap Up!

 Happy February 1st everyone!! I hope you all had a fantastic month! It seems to have gone by both incredibly slowly and extremely fast! Ha, figure that one out! Anyway, here at The Reading Devil it was a steady month, though I do wish I had gotten in a few more posts! Maybe in February :) I also finally got a Top Reviewer badge on NetGalley!! Yay!! 

I completed:

8 books!

6 Reviews!

4 Blog Tours!

6 Other posts (weekly hops, lists, etc.)

I received or purchased:

I also downloaded quite a few free e-books from Amazon, but there were too many to list here lol! They were mostly historical fiction - regency romance, and highlander romance for the most part. This seems to be my go-to comfort genre lately! 

In February, I am hoping to get about 7-8 reviews done, and complete more of the weekly hops! And I am hoping to get my 100 reviews badge on NetGalley this month! I am currently at 93 reviews :) 

It's Monday! What Are You Reading

 

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? a place to meet up and share what you have been, and are about to be reading over the week. It’s a great post to organize yourself. It’s an opportunity to visit and comment and er… add to your groaning TBR pile! So welcome in everyone. This meme started on J Kaye’s blog and then was hosted by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn here at The Book Date.

Hi everyone! Hope you all had a great weekend! I am currently on a short ski trip right now which is very exciting! I have been snowboarding since I was about 13 years old, and I've never grown tired of it! It's just me and my two younger sisters which is always nice :) I've also been preparing non-stop for my upcoming medical school interview! It's scheduled for Feb. 10th, I'm so nervous! But also excited - I would love to move to England as that's where the medical school is (Waterstones here I come!) Haha! Anyway, in terms of books, here is a look at what I've been up to lately and what's next!

What I Read Last Week:

 

What I Am Currently Reading:

What I Am Reading Next: