Reviews tagging 'Death'

Разбий ме by Tahereh Mafi, Техере Мафи

202 reviews

gracesvcr's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective relaxing sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This is a spoiler free review. Other than the parent section but it's blurred out. Full review on my Goodreads

Warning: This will be a long review.

Preface: (You can skip this part if you just want the book review) This was the first real book I read on the kindle (other than some kid books that I couldn't annotate in), and honestly, it was a great introduction. It really made the book fly by so quickly (and the writing style too). The kindle was so much easier to bring around than a physical book especially one that is 300 pages or more. I've now found the beautiful world of kindle annotations where I can yap until my heart gives out.

The Characters:
Many characters and storylines in the romance genre tend to be extremely surface level and flat to me (hence why it's not my first choice genre). Mostly, many characters in romance novels are typically just quite boring, but in Shatter Me, it pleasantly surprised me.

Anytime I found something to be a little unrealistic (like a communication between or feeling about another character from one to the other), it was later explained. Though, I do understand that this is a fantasy/dystopian novel. It's not made to be realistic, but I feel like for any book regardless of fiction, fantasy, or otherwise, the characters being realistic plays a crucial part in my enjoyment of a book.

The characters were so well rounded and some of them really grew on me. I oftentimes have a hard time actually connecting with the characters in many books I read (this is coming from a contemporary fiction and nonfiction reader). The characters in this book surprised me with having genuine deep layers to them. They aren't just one cookie cutter idea. They don't just have one motive or just one feeling, they are complex. They have a reason behind every emotion and every action. This is what made them feel real to me and also played a major part in me coming to a 5 star rating. So I definitely enjoyed this aspect of Shatter Me.


Young Teen/Parent Friendly:
For any parents reading this, depending on parenting style and personal boundaries, this book is appropriate for ages 12-13 and up. Further detail in minor spoiler below.
Even though there is a romance aspect to this book, there are no depictions of sex. Since this is a dystopian/fantasy book, if you have ever seen Maze Runner, Hunger Games, or any other dystopian film, there are depictions of some physical violence like fight scenes or use of guns. The scenes in my opinion are not graphic, but they are included for the story to progress


How this aspect contributed to my rating:
I don't think this is a spoiler but I'll blur it out in case. Includes talking about the spice level. This is just a personal preference, but
I loved that there were no graphic depictions of sex in this book. It was still extremely passionate and the romance aspect/tension between characters was definitely still there. Many people enjoy romance for the spice aspect, but I tend to really enjoy the interpersonal communication and relationships being built rather than steamy scenes every other chapter. If a spicy scene is included in a book, I am not against it, but I enjoy when there is a purpose behind adding it in like how it would improve the story in a way.



The Prose:
What really got me other than the characters was the writing style. Something about Tahereh Mafi's voice through writing this book was beautiful. I personally love when there are so many good quotes for me to highlight and look back or comment on. The style of writing was very different from what I'm used to reading but different in a very positive way. I really enjoyed the creativity and beauty that seeped through every page of this book.

Lastly, the book was so well thought out. This kind of goes hand in hand with the character aspect I talked about earlier. While reading, it really felt like Tahereh Mafi spent so much time perfecting this book. Every action, every scene, every feeling was so well thought out which contributed to the readability and emotional investment.


Feedback/Comments:
I appreciate if anyone took time to read this review. Although I rated this 5 stars and thoroughly enjoyed it, I am open to your own criticisms you may have of the book. I do ask that if anyone feels compelled to comment and disagree with my review that it remains civil. I really enjoy hearing constructive criticisms and different view points, but I do not enjoy an argument.


Thank you for your time, I hope that anyone considering this book that enjoys fantasy/dystopian novels with a little romance picks this up and loves it as much as I did.
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ya_el31's review against another edition

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adventurous dark funny mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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hannalizzy's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious reflective relaxing sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

An outstanding audiobook performance. I was so intrigued by the way they did the book’s constant strikethroughs in audio format. It worked perfectly in my brain and was a whole new experience of one of my fav books. Bravo!!!!
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inkysplodge's review against another edition

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adventurous medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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natashareadsbooks's review against another edition

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adventurous medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Why did I wait so long to read this book? 
Shatter Me followes Juliette - who has always viewed herself as a monster, with a curse. She has the power to harm others with just her touch alone. After an accident when she was fourteen, she was cast away. For years she was tested, until they put her away in an asylum. 
Until one day she gets a roommate. Then her life is flipped upside down. From the bleak nothingness, to being taken. She has to make a choice, if she will become a warrior or a weapon. 
So, this is a YA dystopian novel that I have had sitting on my shelf for ten years now. It was recommended to me, so I grabbed the first book, without knowing any info about it. I have been hesitant to read it, bc the FMC character shares the same name as my daughter. But I finally decided to pick it up, and I'm glad I did. 
I love YA & dystopian novels - so this was no different. It follows Juliette in a world that is dying. People can't afford to live, to eat, to survive. The reestablishment was supposed to help save the world, but they haven't. And Juliette ends up in the middle of having to make a choice- with multiple powerful people who have heard of her powers wanting her for their causes she has to decide what she will do. 
Overall it was a good intro to the books, and world and I am looking forward to reading more about Juliette and the other characters. I definitely recommend if you like YA dystopian books. 
4⭐ out of 5 ⭐. 
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infjkiki's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.5

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lemonsforyu's review against another edition

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mysterious slow-paced

2.5

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spatterson7's review against another edition

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mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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madi_reads13's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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kim_gzt's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional hopeful mysterious slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I didn’t know what to expect but I really fell in love with the unconventional writing style and Juliettes character! This dystopian story was darker than expected but I enjoyed reading it nevertheless. 
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