Title: Ignite Me (Shatter Me #3)
Author: Tahereh Mafi
Edition: Paperback
Rating: 5/5
The final book in the Shatter Me series had a lot to deliver: superpowers, training, friendship, attraction, love, and war. And it didn’t disappoint.
Juliette has come a long way since the beginning of Book 1. She was locked away, denied contact with other people, and terrified that her touch would kill, again. Many of her thoughts were crossed out and confused, and she knew nothing about the collapse of society outside her asylum room.
Ignite Me continues her story of self-discovery, and her journey from fear to power. There’s more X-Men-style training, to help her control her powers. There’s a growing awareness of what has happened to the world, and what she can do to put it right. And we get more exploration of her complicated relationships with the person who saved her life, and the person she needs to trust in order to change the world. More steamy scenes, a very touching friendship, and some punch-the-air moments combine to make this a riveting read.
This could be the end of the story, but Tahereh Mafi has written a second trilogy. I have the first book. The second book was published in April. The third book isn’t available yet. I’m now in the painful position of having to decide whether to read Books 4 and 5, and then wait for Book 6, or to force myself to ignore Book 4 until Book 6 has been released. I know how hard it was to stop reading after the other books, and I don’t know how I’m going to wait for the final installment.
This series has grown on me, each book scoring higher than the last as I’ve come to know the characters, and as Juliette takes control of her life. The central characters are well-drawn, and their stories and relationships make for compelling reading. Juliette’s awakening, as a person and as a fighter, is inspiring to read, and by the end of the book I was punching the air. Yes, it’s YA, so there are details that don’t get explored, and the story is less complex than it would be in an adult novel, but the pace and the intensity of the writing make up for the lack of depth. I’m going to recommend this series – but make sure you have all three books before you start, and make sure you have time to read them.
Have you read the Shatter Me series? What did you think of Juliette’s journey? Were you impatient to pick up the next book in the series? Click through to the full blog to access the comments section, and share your thoughts! No spoilers, though – you can post those on GoodReads!
Review cross-posted to GoodReads.
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