ARC Review: Unravel Me (Shatter Me #2) by Tahereh Mafi

"You destroy me." he said.

I say no, Warner. YOU destroyed me. You utterly, unbelievably destroyed me. A beautiful kind of devastation. Put me back together, please? The way you transformed yourself right before my eyes in Unravel Me is unbelievable. My senses are still reeling from the reading experience.

Title: Unravel Me (Shatter Me #2) by Tahereh Mafi
Release Date: February 5th 2013
Published by: HarperCollins
Source: Publisher (Thanks Christine!)

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Summary:

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it's almost

time for war.

Juliette has escaped to Omega Point. It is a place for people like her—people with gifts—and it is also the headquarters of the rebel resistance.

She's finally free from The Reestablishment, free from their plan to use her as a weapon, and free to love Adam. But Juliette will never be free from her lethal touch.

Or from Warner, who wants Juliette more than she ever thought possible.

In this exhilarating sequel to Shatter Me, Juliette has to make life-changing decisions between what she wants and what she thinks is right. Decisions that might involve choosing between her heart—and Adam's life.

After the events in Shatter Me, I thought I will be more prepared for the intensity, unfazed by the barrage of emotions Unravel Me will throw my way. But I was wrong, so very wrong. Tahereh Mafi's follow up novel was just as devastating of a read as the first one, with utterly beautiful prose and such an explosive story I don't know how I was able to hang on without fainting once.

There are three distinct emotions that I felt during my read. Four if you include my eternal happiness in every moment I read of Kenji. The first one: a total, overwhelming hatred of Juliette. Never have I thought that she would be such a pathetic character after all that she's been through in Shatter Me. She retreated to an impenetrable shell, and when things started to fall apart the pity party for herself starts, and she refused to accept anyone's friendship because she thinks everyone hates her, the monster, the killer. Wake up, girl. The world has more problems than you do and you're better off helping than being a burden yourself. I agree with Kenji and I think I loved him more when he told her upfront to stop being such a stupid, selfish girl and instead start anew. Who said it was easy? No one had it easy in Omega Point. But she can be anyone she wants now. Why not grab the chance? And stop being so indecisive. Make up your mind and stand up for something. It's time.

The second emotion: a strong, bordering unhealthy, confusing love for Warner. Why do almost every character in this book try to think of themselves as monsters? Warner does, and he said it himself that he's resigned to his fate. Because who would love such a cold, heartless animal like him? A lot of people, Warner. A lot. I still couldn't believe his character's transformation in this novel and I was just so, so impressed with everything that he is. I try to understand you Warner. I try. And I think I get him somehow. Intense to the point that it was hard to breathe, blunt, clever, cunning. Tahereh Mafi just had to show a side of Warner where everyone hell bent on hating him couldn't possibly feel that way anymore. Not when he was presented as a character with such deep, deep wounds that just wouldn't heal. Hold on to your hearts, dear readers because if you lose sight of it for a bit while reading Unravel Me, Warner will steal it away from you and you'll love him so profusely like I do. And to everyone who demands more of Warner? Here you go, soak into his character in Unravel Me.

The third: my utter disregard for Adam which completely surprised me. Unfortunately, he has faded into the background too much to make me forget about him so much. It's not the time to be a good boy, Adam. You're in the middle of a war. It's time to fight for what you think is yours, but fight for it in a smart way. He was too rash and too rattled by everything that was thrown his way. Can't he catch a break? No, it's war, come on! It was like the level headed Adam disappeared completely in this book. What happened, soldier? Why this sudden obsessive urge to hold on to Juliette so much? He was self-destructing so fast.

Unravel Me bombarded me with so much feelings left and right and I almost drowned in them. Unravel Me blindsided me with twists in the story that I should've anticipated but was totally unprepared for when the time came to read of them. It's an emotional roller coaster, a book with 480 pages filled with emotions that will bring you way up high one second and crush you down to the earth the next. I lost track of the times when I let out a scream, a sigh and ultimately just want to sit in a corner and try to digest everything that I've read and felt. Tahereh Mafi, you master manipulator of emotions. Unravel Me DID unravel poor me and my feelings. I was angry, indifferent, appalled, horrified, a melting puddle of myself, felt like I was sucker punched to the gut and ultimately, I felt so so strongly for the mess that was Juliette's relationship and the way her life, Warner's and Adam's were entangled in ways that could prove fatal not just to the three of them but to everyone else.

I can't even begin to think of what's in store for us readers in the next book. Unravel Me definitely holds the 'awesome sequel' of 2013 title right now. So much emotions, I think I might suffer from withdrawals at any moment. Do I recommend this book? Do you even need to ask? Go buy one, two copies of this book!

P.S. Chapter 62, my dear readers. Read Chapter 62.

My rating:

Content (plot, story flow, character):

This book is perfection written.

Stunning: Worthy of a Goddess' Praise!

Book Cover:

GORGEOUS!