Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

 

Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi is a book with a lot of twists and turns. It starts off and you think you're going to be reading something like I Never Promise You a Rose Garden and then *bam* you're in The Hunger Games (complete with a strange and twisted love triangle) and *bam* it's some X-Men offshoot.  It certainly kept me on my toes, I'll tell you that much.

I think the idea is great and there are lots of interesting writing elements at play in the novel, particularly the interesting way that Mafi indicates the main character's frame of mind by repeating words and phrases when the character is under stress.  The switching from genre to genre was definitely a game changer for me. I was never sure what was going to happen next and that was exciting. The worldbuilding was thought-provoking, if underdeveloped, in that Mafi described an Earth that is a potential and how a powerful force came to rise to deal with some of the terrible impacts of climate change, disease, and famine. 

Despite all of that, this book didn't really work for me. The best part is the development of the main character.  But, other than that, the characters felt chilly and, in most cases, terrible.  That honestly includes both of the men she's interested in.  There were points in the book when the character was suicidal and I wasn't sure I wouldn't have been in the same headspace as her if I were in her position. It wasn't until the very end of the book that there was even a slight ray of hope and by that time, I was desperate to be done with it.

I think I would recommend this book, but with some pretty large reservations. It would be tough to deal with if you're dealing with mental health struggles. It would be tough to deal with if abuse of women, children, and animals is a deal breaker for you. If would be tough to deal with if you constantly worry about what it will be like living in a United States in fifty years time what with the rise in authoritarianism and climate change and the ever present threat of upheaval and danger.

So, hey, there's some intriguing stuff in this book.  Read it at your own peril.