Title: Ignite Me (Shatter Me #3)
Author: Tahereh Mafi
Release Date: February 4th, 2014
Publisher: HarperCollins
Page Count: 416
Source: Purchased
First Reaction: Oh this ending. Oh. I love it so much.
One day I might break
One day I might break free
Nothing will ever be the same.
The fate of Omega Point is unknown. Everyone Juliette has ever cared about could be dead. The war could be over before it ever really began.
Juliette is the only one standing in The Reestablishment's way. She knows that if she's going to survive, The Reestablishment cannot.
But to take down The Reestablishment and the man who very nearly killed her, Juliette will need the help of the one person she never thought she could trust: Warner. And as they work together to bring down their enemy, Juliette will discover that everything she thought she knew—about Warner, her abilities, and even Adam—was wrong.
[Summary Source: Barnes & Noble]
THE REVIEW
This book picks up where Unravel Me left off. Warner's saved Juliet's life and now she's healing up in his compound - no one the wiser that she's still alive. Adam, Kenji, James and a few other Omega Point survivors are holed up at Adam's old apartment, mourning and trying to figure out what to do next. Both of these groups, while beaten, have not been completely broken and are now gearing up for their biggest push against The Reestablishment. All the while, Juliette is finally figuring out who she is and how she fits with this plot to take down The Reestablishment. Oh, and which delicious boy - Adam or Warner - she wants to end up with as a result of figuring out who she is.
Oh, the feels!
This book picks up where Unravel Me left off. Warner's saved Juliet's life and now she's healing up in his compound - no one the wiser that she's still alive. Adam, Kenji, James and a few other Omega Point survivors are holed up at Adam's old apartment, mourning and trying to figure out what to do next. Both of these groups, while beaten, have not been completely broken and are now gearing up for their biggest push against The Reestablishment. All the while, Juliette is finally figuring out who she is and how she fits with this plot to take down The Reestablishment. Oh, and which delicious boy - Adam or Warner - she wants to end up with as a result of figuring out who she is.
Oh, the feels!
"Damn damn damn. This shit is bananas."
Some of you might be wondering why there are quotations around this phase, since it's clearly something I said. Y'know, since I talk like this. But no. This is a direct quote from Kenji on page 93. Because even Kenji understands just how b-a-n-a-n-a-s this book is (thanks for teaching all of us how to spell, Gwen Stefani).
But it's worth noting that all my "this shit is bananas" feels are about the character development and the insane, dramatic situations this book finds itself in. It has nothing whatsoever to do with the world building. This is mostly because this book has no world building to speak of. We also don't have any real understanding of how The Reestablishment works or how things got so bad that this revolution is necessary. Personally, I'm not bothered. This series is really about Juliette going from someone who second guesses everything she does (made evident by strike-outs in the first two books) to someone who's totally sure of what she wants (no more strike-outs in book three) and that transformation is what makes this series as a whole shine.
I mean, do you guys remember Juliette at the beginning? She was basically afraid of her own shadow. And then in book two, everyone was deciding this for Juliette - what her role in the revolution was, what she was going to do next... But now, in book three, she's totally stepping into her own and deciding for herself what her role is and what her powers actually mean. The transformation is amazing and emotional. It honestly made me think about who I am, what I'm doing and what I want to be doing. This book is a reminder that Juliette - and all of us - is in charge of her own life and she is the one who decides what comes next, not some establishment or government or guy.
And speaking of the guys: I hope, no matter the team, everyone will be happy with the way this one ends romantically. I, personally, didn't pick a side. I picked up on this series late in the game, knew there was an epic divide, and didn't get involved. But I will say that the way Adam and Warner behave in this book is totally logical. Neither makes a move or says a thing that isn't totally consistent with who they've been in the previous books. So even if your team doesn't "win" I feel like, with some reflection, we can all admit this one ended the way it had to.
I'd also like to note that there are some very interesting revelations in this book that make you reflect on the series as a whole. They really make me want to re-read books one and two so I can see things in a new light and maybe understand perspectives I didn't understand the first read through. And considering I don't often find myself wanting to re-read a whole series so soon after completion, I'd say Tahereh Mafi's done a pretty freaking good job.
PS: Guys. Chapters 55 and 58. They are the new chapter 62. Enjoy.
The long and short of it?
Plot: The ending was a little thin, but the rest was perfectly perfect.
World Building: I don't think there's really any world building in this series, but I was somehow okay with that.
Character Development: Perfection. Absolute perfection I love it give me more.
Prose: I love Tahereh Mafi's writing style. I could stay tangled up in it all day. Absolutely inspiring.
Would I Recommend This Book?: If you love beautiful prose, strong character development, the steamiest suggestive scenes I've ever read in YA, you're gonna wanna start this series immediately.
Plot: The ending was a little thin, but the rest was perfectly perfect.
World Building: I don't think there's really any world building in this series, but I was somehow okay with that.
Character Development: Perfection. Absolute perfection I love it give me more.
Prose: I love Tahereh Mafi's writing style. I could stay tangled up in it all day. Absolutely inspiring.
Would I Recommend This Book?: If you love beautiful prose, strong character development, the steamiest suggestive scenes I've ever read in YA, you're gonna wanna start this series immediately.
And so ends another favorite series of mine. How does this series ender sit with you? Or maybe you haven't read it yet and came her to get all excited. Either way, let me know about all of the feels in the comments below!
