"Shatter Me" by Tahereh Mafi

From Goodreads: "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."

My most favourite book (series) has been my most favourite book series for five years now. FIVE YEARS. Equivalent to: Half a decade. A quarter of my life. 1825 days. 109500 hours. 6570000 minutes. And not once in that five years had I ever questioned my love for that favourite book. Not once in that five years did a book even come remotely close to my favourite book. That is, until this book came along and changed everything.

This book is hard to describe, the best word I can think of to describe it is breathtaking (and even that, I know, does not do it justice). From the  first page of this book I was captivated- Juliette is unlike any character I have ever had the pleasure of reading about before, aside from being badass, resilient, and unyielding, she was, best of all, real. From her erratic and jumpy thought processes to her feelings of despair and loneliness to her growth (and acceptance of her abilities) over the course of the book. She is by far the greatest female character I have ever come across in a book and I don't believe it possible to encounter another female character such as her again in my life (and why yes, that is a challenge to all other authors out there to write a female character as amazing as Juliette).

As for Adam? All I can say is Edward Cullen Dimitri Belikov Jace Wayland who? Unlike those other boys (and much like Juliette), Adam is so realistic and approachable (as well as being chivalrous, resolute, kindhearted, and utterly and completely swoon-worthy). What he did for Juliette? I cannot even begin to fathom it. There were many times while reading this book that he (and his actions) literally brought tears to my eyes- he was just so good.

I found it even difficult to dislike the 'bad guy' Warner, because he was so well-developed and so much more than the 'bad guy' (I want to know his story and the skeletons in his closest, because it is evident that there are quite a few of them, resulting in him being broken)- never before have I actually felt sympathy for one such as himself before (nor have I ever swooned over the 'bad guy' before).

Aside from the amazingly developed characters this book is also successful because of its engaging (and fast-paced) plot. This book is hands down the most unique dystopian I have ever read before (I find that most YA dystopians, ie, "Matched", "XVI", "Delirium", and the "Uglies" trilogy, follow the same storyline, the main character, a female, is quite comfortable in her life, a life completely controlled by the government, until the male main character is introduced and shows her that her 'perfect life' is anything but perfect)- it truly marches to the beat of its own drum (and for that I am eternally grateful). Furthermore, the prose of this book? Gorgeous. In my opinion Tahereh's continuous use of metaphors only enhanced the novel.

All in all, (as I am sure it becomes evident) I cannot say enough good things about this book. This book, unlike so many others, truly lives up to the hype. I think it safe to say that we have the next "Twilight" (but better in every possible way than "Twilight"), on our hands (AKA a book that is absolutely going to take the world by storm and create a cult following)!

Rating: Infinity/ 10

I received this book from the publisher to read and review, I was not compensated in any way for said review. A gazillion thanks to Shannon and HarperCollins Canada!

Memorable lines from the book:

"His lips soften into a smile that cracks apart my spine. He repeats my name like the word amuses him. Entertains him. Delights him. 
In seventeen years no one has said my name like that" (pg. 24).

"Why are you touching me?" 
"Because I can" (pg. 118).

"You're absolutely delicious when you're angry." 
"Too bad my taste is poisonous for your palette" (pg. 133).

"I'd recognize your eyes anywhere in the world" (pg. 148). 

"I hope he doesn't know he just touched my leg.
And nothing happened" (pg. 192).

"But I'm shocked by the tenderness in his voice. The sincerity with which he wants to know. He's like a feral dog, crazed and wild, thirsty for chaos, simultaneously aching for recognition and acceptance.
Love" (pg. 266).