Book Review: Unravel Me

This week on my Kindle I read the 3rd book (2nd main book, but 3rd book overall when you count the novellas) in the Shatter Me series by Tahereh Mafi, Unravel Me.

(This photo was taken on my iPad mini so you could see the color cover, but I just got the new Kindle Colorsoft and can’t wait to show it off!)

Unravel Me picks up where Shatter Me left off and overlaps a bit with Destroy Me (the novella told from Warner’s POV). Juliette is now at a secret hideout that is part of a resistance to the Reestablishment and filled with people of all ages who also have gifts like her. The group is called Omega Point and Kenji, her friend and a soldier from when she was being held by the Reestablishment was really working undercover and is high up in Omega Point. The leader of Omega Point is Castle and he tries to help Juliette and Adam assimilate. But it is difficult for Juliette because she has never been part of a group or had friends. No one could touch her skin or they would die, she was abandoned by her parents because of her gift and spent years in isolation until she was finally sent to the asylum. So she doesn’t know how to be social since she hasn’t had much practice.

The story also focuses on her relationship with Adam and the difficulties they face. They love each other, but their respective gifts make it difficult to be together. And then there’s Aaron Warner. The supposed enemy, but perhaps misunderstood? Add him to the mix since he told Juliette back in Shatter Me that he loved her right before she escapes for good.

One quote that comes from a scene I love (Warner recites a line from Juliette’s journal to her from memory) is especially poignant today in light of recent events:

“On the darkest days you have to search for a spot of brightness, on the coldest days you have to seek out a spot of warmth; on the bleakest days you have to keep your eyes onward and upward and on the saddest days you have to leave them open to let them cry. To then let them dry. To give them a chance to wash out the pain in order to see fresh and clear once again.”

I really enjoyed this book and like all the characters and the storyline. Juliette did frustrate me at times because she keeps either lying or omitting the truth and then when the truth comes out each time she acts like she’s shocked and doesn’t know how to handle people looking at her like she’s a liar. While I am liking the series so far, I also haven’t gotten super hooked into it yet. I know a lot of people absolutely love this series so I’m sticking with it and waiting to see if I end up loving it too!