Shatter Me

Juliette Ferrars is a 17-year-old girl whose touch is lethal; anyone that comes into contact with her skin for long enough can, and will, die, even if she doesn't mean for it. Juliette is kept in an asylum 264 days prior to the start of the book after accidentally killing a small boy with her touch when she was 14. At the start of the book, there are many intentional strike-throughs and the writing is often erratic in order to serve as a visual representation of the chaos in Juliette's mind. To her surprise, Juliette gets a cellmate who goes by the name of Adam Kent. He reminds Juliette of somebody distant she used to know; however, she convinces herself otherwise. At first, Adam and Juliette remain distant from each other, but become closer over the week as Juliette shows him the ways of the asylum. One day, The Reestablishment, a government that has the world within its grasp, comes for Juliette. It is revealed that Adam is a soldier for Warner, the chief commander of Sector 45 of The Reestablishment. Warner, who is also the son of The Reestablishment's Supreme Commander, makes Juliette an offer that includes her being able to get out of the asylum in turn for her torturing any prisoners with her touch as a weapon for The Reestablishment. Warner wants to feel the full effects of Juliette's power, but she refuses to touch or hurt him, so he forces her to torture a soldier named Jenkins. Warner also makes her torture a small child, which is revealed in a later sequel to have been a simulation. During her captivity, Juliette develops a romantic relationship with Adam. It is revealed that Adam knew Juliette prior to the asylum, and is in love with her. Adam eventually helps Juliette escape from Warner, and as they escape, Warner's hand unintentionally brushes against Juliette's ankle, revealing that Warner can also touch Juliette without consequences. Adam and Juliette run away to where Adam's 10-year-old brother James lives, a small apartment Adam helped to make. James is taken care of by his neighbors because Adam had to live with the other soldiers; to the brother's knowledge, both of their parents are dead. Through spending time together, Adam starts to become possessive of Juliette. One of Adam's fellow soldiers, Kenji Kishimoto, shows up claiming that Warner had him tortured in order to learn Adam and Juliette's whereabouts. Kenji says that he knows a safe place where they can escape, and they formulate a plan. Juliette and Adam split up with Kenji and James, but Adam and Juliette are captured and Warner shoots Adam. Warner drags Juliette into an abandoned classroom and tells her he loves her. Warner kisses Juliette, so she seduces him to get the gun from his jacket. She shoots him, the bullet missing anything vital. She finds Adam in a slaughterhouse, and they escape, although Adam's leg is badly injured. They meet up with Kenji and James, to whom Kenji has given sedatives so that he will not be traumatized by the condition Adam is in. It is revealed that Kenji is a member of the Rebellion against the Reestablishment, called Omega Point. Adam, Juliette, and James are recruited by the Rebellion and then join it. ==Reception==

Reviews for Shatter Me have been mixed, with many reviewers stating criticisms while overall recommending the work. Kirkus Reviews praised Shatter Me for its love story, but stated that the ending "falls flat" and that there was an "over reliance on metaphor". Publishers Weekly cited that while the book "doesn’t escape some rookie pitfalls," and that author Tahereh Mafi "combines a psychological opener with an action-adventure denouement in her YA debut," ultimately calling it "a gripping read from an author who’s not afraid to take risks". Booklist gave a mixed review, noting that there were "plot conveniences and melodramatic writing to spare" while praising it for its "rip-roaring adventure and steamy romance scenes". A youth reviewer for the National Post recommended it highly, stating that it had "just the right amount of action to make it thrilling, but not exactly gruesome." It was included in BuzzFeed's list of best YA books of all time. Awards • Honorable Mention: Children/Young Adult at the Arab American Book Awards ==Characters==

• Juliette Ferrars: Juliette starts off as a scared, traumatized 17-year-old girl, having been abused, locked away, and made to feel like a monster her entire life. She struggles to trust others and has trouble making friends, due to her lethal touch. Throughout the series, she learns to control her powers and becomes more brave and confident thanks to the help of training at Omega Point. Despite being friendless for most of her life, Juliette is compassionate and kind and easily sympathizes with those who are vulnerable. Juliette can also easily be influenced and manipulated and has fluctuating confidence. • Aaron Warner: 19-year-old leader of Sector 45 in the Reestablishment, he is 5'9, has beautiful green eyes, golden blond hair and is considered inhumanly handsome; shown as a very cold and manipulative person. Warner gradually changes into a more loving human being as the books progress. From the beginning of the series, he is desperately in love with Juliette, which for a while was an obsession. Juliette develops empathy for Warner, despite him seeming cold and ruthless, and asserts him as a normal human, despite his denials. He is known to always assume the worst of himself. He can touch Juliette without consequence. • Kenji Kishimoto: A 20-year-old soldier in Warner's army who is friends with Adam. He is later found out to be a member of Omega Point and is shown to have the gift of invisibility. He has a very joking personality and is a very chill person. He is also very egotistical and that adds humor to his person. He is also known to develop an admiration for Juliette which she returns and they form a strong bond, as best friends, almost like siblings. • James Kent: Adam's 10-year-old younger brother. He is extremely mature for his age. He is very intuitive and curious to the world around him. He greatly admires Adam. • Castle: Leader of the Rebellion (Omega Point). Castle is a forty-four-year-old scientist with telekinetic powers. He is portrayed as a wise, fair, and compassionate person. He is highly knowledgeable and is the first one who accepts Juliette as she joins the Rebellion, although he keeps many secrets about her true identity from her. • Adam Kent: A soldier in the army, 18 years old; he is in charge of Juliette after she is brought out of isolation. He is known as a handsome man with blue eyes, tattoos, around 5'11", and dark brown hair. He has shown he is in love with Juliette since they first saw/met each other, as children. He can touch Juliette by using his powers but it is extremely draining and sometimes painful for him. ==Sequels==

Series list: 1. Shatter Me 1.5. Destroy Me 2. Unravel Me 2.5. Fracture Me 3. Ignite Me 4. Restore Me 4.5. Shadow Me 5. Defy Me 5.5. Reveal Me 6. Imagine Me 6.5. Believe Me Shatter Me is the first in its series. An e-book novella told from Warner's point of view, Destroy Me, set after Shatter Me and before the sequel, was released on October 6, 2012. Unravel Me, the second book in the series, was released on February 5, 2013. A second e-book novella titled Fracture Me, set during and soon after the final moments of Unravel Me, told from Adam's point of view, was released on December 17, 2013. The third book in the series, titled Ignite Me, was released on February 4, 2014. On the same day, Unite Me, containing the two novellas combined into print for the first time as well as an exclusive look into Juliette's journal, was also released. In April 2017, it was announced that Mafi would be releasing three more books in the Shatter Me series starting with Restore Me, which was published on March 6, 2018. A novella entitled Shadow Me, told from Kenji's perspective, was released on March 5, 2019. A month later, the fifth book in the series, Defy Me, was released. The sixth and final main installment of Shatter Me, titled "Imagine Me", was released on March 31, 2020. “Believe Me”, a fifth novella written from Warner's point of view, was released on November 16, 2021. Unite Me: A compilation of the first and second novellas, Destroy Me and Fracture Me. Find Me: A compilation of the third and fourth novellas, Shadow Me and Reveal Me. On August 20, 2024, Mafi announced a spin-off series entitled Shatter Me: The New Republic. The first installation, Watch Me, was released on April 15, 2025. It is set ten years after the events of Believe Me and focuses on James Anderson's quest to stamp out The Reestablishment's last remaining refuge on Ark Island. ==Film adaptation==

Paramount Pictures announced that they will distribute the film rights of the books. Film rights for Shatter Me were optioned by 20th Century Fox in 2011, prior to the book's release date. ==References==