Unravel Me (Shatter Me)

I can summarize the whole book for you right here:

It's all my fault I'm sorry I'm so sorry I'm so confused confused confused I need to take some time to think about my feelings 1 2 3 seconds pass I'm still confused I'm so sorry It's all my fault. The End.

I've realized something - it's pretty much impossible to enjoy a book when you hate the narrator. I hated Juliette. In this book she is weak, pathetic and above all, SELFISH. No cool plot twist (there wasn't one anyway) or awesome supporting character (Kenji!) could completely make up for the agony of reading this story through her eyes. **SPOILER** The only times I liked her were when she went all loco and used her super duper strength powers, but those times were few and short lived. Then she'd just go back to her usual self-absorbed weepy self. When she gets shot at the end, I actually got a little hopeful that she'd just die and a different character would take over as the narrator. But no, those damn twins helped heal her. I hate them. Stupid twins.*END SPOILER*

My only enjoyment came from the scenes with Kenji and, to a lesser extent, Warner. Great character development for those two.

I hate leaving a series unfinished but I don't know if I'll be able to stomach the next book. I do want to know what happens next, and am a little hopeful that we see a better version of Juliette, but I just don't know. I didn't really like this one much.

I was so thrilled with Shatter me that I waited anxiously for Unravel Me! When I finished reading it(Unravel Me) I felt complete let down! I felt like Warner was being shoved down my throat the entire book! I didn't like his character in the first book and grew to hate him more in book two! The truth is I have a great dislike for love triangles. I especially hate love triangles when the writer is biased towards one specific suitor! I am so upset about book 2 that I doubt I will be reading book 3. This saddens me, because Shatter Me is one of my favorite books!

I actually surprised myself when I picked up this book simply because I wasn't too thrilled with its predecesor. I liked the concept and even enjoyed the characters but the ending was a bit too X-Men for my taste (they find a secret underground hideout where all the other special people learn to use their powers? And Professor X, I mean, Castle, is their teacher? Come on!) but I digress.

I'll be honest, I wasn't a huge fan for the first half of the book for one particular reason: Juliette. That girl loves to whine! She sits in a corner crying about her boy problems while there's a very real war going on outside. To say I was annoyed would be an understatement. What saved the book, for me, was Kenji. He basically said to her exactly what I (and I'm sure many other readers) was thinking. No one cares about her emotional baggage when there's a totalitarian regime killing its citizens and basically hunting down everyone she cares about. The book improved dramatically when Juliette stopped focusing so much on herself and actually started working to protect those around her.

I know it sounds like I hated the book but I really didn't. I'm a huge fan of Mafi's writing. She has a way of constructing a picture in your mind without bogging you down with too many details. I also loved Kenji and Warner's characters. In the first book they were portrayed pretty one dimensionally so it was nice to see their characters fleshed out. I also loved that we got to see more of how things work in Omega Point and got a fuller picture of the outside world. I hope the next book expands on it even more. I also hope that the new found strength Juliette seems to exhibit at the end of the book carries over into the next one. If she goes back to whining and crying in a corner I'm going to be really pissed.

So overall, I enjoyed it but didn't love it. I think with a stronger and less annoying main character, the third book could be golden. Oh, and more Kenji, definitely more Kenji!

I was upset with this book in so many ways. I am really getting sick of Juliet! She has all that power and instead of using it she gets captured or shot. She needs to stop feeling sorry for herself and do something. I was hoping this book she would but instead she did what she always dose. I should have waited until this price went down on this book before I bought it. So disappointing.!! Now I have to wait until the next book when she finally grows some BALLS!

Now that Juliette is finally free from the Reestablishment she had hoped her life would be a bit easier, but that just isn't in the cards. It seems that even amongst people like her at the Omega Point compound, ones with abilities, she still can't escape the stares of fear. It would seem her reputation has preceded her, and she finds herself unable to fit in. The only bright spot in her day is the little bit of time she gets to spend with Adam, but even that seems to be less and less as Adam becomes further involved with the Omega Point rebel movements. And there's still the looming threat of Warner over her head, as he is a man possessed and on a mission to find her. Her mettle will be tested more than she ever could have realized as she will have to decide just how far she's willing to go to protect the ones she loves. A war is coming and Juliette will be in the middle of it all.

Juliette is such an amazing character, which only became more apparent in UNRAVEL ME. She's always at war with herself as she tries to suppress a staggering amount of power. Not only is her touch deadly, but she has the ability to utter destroy anything with a mere touch. Yet, she doesn't want to have this power, she'd rather hide it and pretend to be an ordinary unassuming girl. Considering what she had been put through in her life, it's a wonder she hadn't turned hard and utterly destructive. She's so very vulnerable and incredibly socially inept, and yet she holds such an incredible amount of power at the same time. Take about an insane juxtaposition. Although I will say that I started to see a change in her, especially by the end of the book where she realized that she doesn't have to go into auto-shut down mode over her abilities. That she could learn to harness them and use them to help the people she has come to care about. She's still got a long way to go, but I'm definitely proud of the path she is on now. Once she fully learns to embrace who she is, she will be a force to reckoned with, and I cannot wait to see the Reestablishment get what they deserve!

After reading SHATTER ME I was fully team Adam as I just couldn't see myself getting over my utter dislike of Warner. I mean I really despised him to the point where he made my skin crawl. He was just so cruel and heartless, I just didn't understand how anyone could possibly root for him. Then I heard that a lot of people warmed up to him after reading DESTROY ME. So, I gave it a shot, but while it showed that Warner wasn't as heartless as I thought, I still didn't see him as a love interest at all. So imagine my utter surprise that while reading UNRAVEL ME that my opinion of him slowly started to change. So slowly in fact that this change of heart towards him crept up without me even noticing. So now, due to some rather interesting plot twists, I am a utter mess about which team I am rooting for anymore. It isn't rare for the to be no clear cut choice in a love triangle, but it doesn't often happen that my "choice" will change without that particular guy doing something major to dissuade me from his side. So imagine my surprise that I find myself almost leaning towards Warner when I can't even figure out when that changed started to happen. All I can say is that this is how love triangles are supposed to be written. You are supposed to be torn up about the choices ahead, and I really feel the need to tip my hat to Tahereh Mafi for the incredible skill it took to pull this crazy triangle off.

I am in sheer utter awe at the incredible range and mix of emotions that I felt while reading UNRAVEL ME. Between the love triangle messiness and the horribleness that is the reestablishment, I was constantly on the edge of my seat. There is just something simply magical about the way Tahereh's words come across the page. I mean the writing is beautiful, eccentric, and lyrical all at once and I can quite honestly say I've never read anything like it. UNRAVEL ME is an utterly refreshing read that is simply not to be missed. I know I'll be counting down the days until the final installment is released.

Well... Let's see. I loved the series, they were fun and very creative and engaging . But this last book left me wanting for more. I think that the conclusion of these series was incomplete. I was a little dissapointed.

First of all, can we agree that Kenji is hands down the best character in this series?

Now, it really hurts me to say this because I truly liked Shatter Me, but this sequel was a huge let down and here's why:

Juliette - I couldn't stand her in this book, I tried, but I couldn't. She's so self-centred, self-absorbed, egoist, indecisive, coward, etc. She's always crying in corners, whining and lying to people. I swear I wanted to slap her in the face, I mean, get it together girl!! If you claim to love someone you don't do what she did on chapter 62, you just don't. I think it showed how weak she is. Exasperation is what best describe what I felt reading her.

Adam- Nearly no character development, why Mafi? . I still like him and feel sorry for him, the poor guy can't catch a break and he's so in love with Juliette.

Steamy scenes- While in Shatter Me they were fresh, new and creative, in this book they were way too repetitive. How many ways are there to say that someone is aroused? It's surprising.

It's sad because I loved Shatter Me. I'm reading the next book just to find out what happens to Kenji. Please don't let him die.

Sorry for my English.

I can't bring myself to care about reading this book. I have tried. I am about a third of the way in and still don't care if I finish it or not. Here's how it's written.

I'm so distraught! Here let me tell you about it for 8 sentences.
Maybe you didn't understand. I'll tell you about it for 8 more sentences.
The men come in. They say straight to the point things about politics and war. But I don't really care because one of them is so handsome and I can't touch him and that makes me distraught again.
I think I'll whine for 8 sentences.

SPOILERS ALERT:

It took me 8 hours to finish Shatter Me - it took me 8 days to finish Unravel Me. Guess that says it all about how I felt about this book - i.e. Unravel me is quite below par compared to its predecessor.

The reason this book did not work was because of Juliette. She's so scared and indecisive most of the time; cowering and escaping from her responsibilities and her power. The first 50-60% of the book is just meandering self-absorption and self-obsession on Juliette's part. All she's thinking about is herself, her own problems, her love life with Adam etc... The rest of the world can hang itself as far as she's concerned - or that's what it feels like to the reader.

Once Warner is brought into the picture again, the story gets a bit better. That is until she spoils it all again by not even trying to get information from Warner about the hostages. Instead, she's fixated again by her attraction to and feelings for Warner - and she's thinking about how he can keep distracting her from asking about her friends. If my friends were being held captive by a sadistic commander, probably being tortured for information, I doubt I'll be obsessing over how gorgeous Warner is instead of trying to get him to tell me about where my friends might be. Honestly, she disgusted me during these parts. Eventually, Warner is the one who proactively volunteers information about the hostages. She never even asks ONCE - she's never truly concerned about anyone but herself.

This is one of those books that made me angry, so I kept leaving it to read something else. That's why it took 8 whole days to force myself to finish it, to see if it'll redeem itself at the end. Sadly - it doesn't.

I am pleasantly surprised with how much I really enjoyed my experience reading the sequel to Shatter Me! Although I've read the trilogy before, ,I remember very little about the events. I enjoyed the first one, but not as much as I enjoyed it's sequel.

I like that the characters are fleshed out and they are all very distinct in their personalities. I really loved Juliette's perspective. She can sometimes be a bit over dramatic at times, but for someone who has gone through what she has I don't feel bad for giving her some slack. Kenji is still one of my favorite (if not my favorite) character in this trilogy. He's hilarious but he's not only the comic relief class clown character. He has moments of seriousness in this book that I really loved because it made him more of a realistic person. Adam kind of drives me insane. It's not that I hate him, I just find him a bit annoying. I don't like how he thinks he has this weird possession over Juliette and his anger issues can be a bit much. Warner is such a complex character and although in my Shatter Me review I said I wasn't sure if he'd ever warm up to me, he is definitely warming up to me. I would like to see more of the other characters, and get to know more about them. Characters like Castle, Sara, Sonya, James, etc.

The action in this book comes and goes throughout. Some areas were slow but I was never bored with the story. I really liked all the character development and new information that is discovered in this sequel. I think a lot of YA sequels in trilogies can be weaker than the first book but I think Unravel Me is stronger than Shatter Me. Although it's sometimes slow, the fast action packed scenes gave me a bit of whiplash. I was genuinely shocked in moments. There is one scene with Juliette, Anderson, and Warner that I audibly gasped at because things happen really quickly. Tahereh Mafi is obviously really talented at writing action scenes, but then also slowing down the story and letting the reader get to know the characters. Which I appreciated. I think Mafi's writing style is super unique and poetic. She writes amazing dialogue between the characters, the romance scenes are always gripping, and the narrative is so engaging.

Overall, I really recommend this second book. If you read Shatter Me and liked it (or even if you were iffy or meh about it) I recommend picking up Unravel Me. I think the story and writing improves. I definitely plan on reading Ignite Me as soon as possible because I want to be prepared for the release of the new book, Restore Me!

Man oh man oh man oh man. Talk about an amazing second book in a trilogy. I feel like a lot of seconds get steamrolled because the story isn’t as good or there isn’t enough plot development because writers just can’t give you the END, then what would be saved for the third book (I’d be all for a full-length novel of the happy ending of whatever I shipped hard), which is probably why duologies are so popular now.

BUT UNRAVEL ME. MAN OH MAN OH MAN. UNRAVEL ME is mindblowing and heartwrenching and will absolutely make you topsy-turvy. This is my second time reading UNRAVEL ME and I really don’t remember what happened in it which does give me the delightful feeling of making it seem like it was my first time reading it.

Juliette does not grow as much as one would expect a protagonist to do so, but I think that’s perfect for this book. She is the biggest opposite of a Mary Sue and has so many flaws to her that make her incredibly relatable and myself sympathetic towards her situation. Don’t get me wrong - she definitely grows and comes out of the shell that has sequestered her for so long, but her growth and self-realizations are slow and deliberate and I think it so nice that it happens in unexpected situations where she does not expect it and neither do I as a reader. And deep down, I know that she’s going to become a warrior and so kickass in IGNITE ME so it’s just a treat now watching her slow growth. I think she’s an incredibly unique character to an incredibly unique story that no story has been ever able to match. And I love that it is such a special series dear to my heart because it was one of the first YA series I fell in love with.

Juliette is dangerous, temperamental, and unpredictable. She is wild and keeps me on my toes as a reader and I hate certain decisions and thoughts that she has, but then I love others. I love her best when she’s interacting with different characters, especially Kenji, Sara/Sonya, and James. I’m not sure why, but these relationships in particular are funnest to read.

I can’t write a review about UNRAVEL ME without talking about Warner. Whereas SHATTER ME was really honed in on Juliette, this book centers around Warner without making him the character that everyone revolves around. There are things in this book that I did not expect to…‘unravel’ and I think it is the perfect verb to describe Warner’s growth in this book. Once I read it, I realized why he was the way that he was in SHATTER ME. His character opens up like the gorgeous flower that he is and he just made me ache all over with his past, his torment, and his revelations. He goes through enormous revelations and unavoidable confrontations that shatter the Warner in the first book and delivers Aaron in the second. And oh my gosh, he just steams with hotness. I have heart eyes for days and so will you.

I love Kenji. To be quite honest, I found his personality a little overbearing in SHATTER ME (which didn’t happen when I was younger), but once Mafi reveals his origins, especially to Omega Point, I had no choice but to fall madly for him. He’s sassy and smart-mouthed, handsome and irresistible, but incredibly soft and caring and I just could not help but want the best and happiest for him. He goes through so much in this book and while he is not a protagonist, he is certainly building up his presence for IGNITE ME. And I can’t help but love his relationship with James.

The overarching plot is kind of great. It’s sort of like X-Men: Apocalypse but not really? There are these teenagers with these abilities and Juliette escapes to join Omega Point in order to stop the Reestablishment from ruining the world even more. But in order to do so, they have to take down Supreme Commander Anderson who becomes a key player in UNRAVEL ME and IGNITE ME. The way his storyline intersects with many of the characters at the forefront of this series is kind of crazy and absolutely perfect to the way the story is engineered. I’m seriously excited to see what happens to him (I mean, I know what happens, but just in the end, not in the in-between).

I think my biggest disappointment was Adam’s sudden departure from where he was in SHATTER ME. I understood why Mafi writes him that she way that she did in this, but I was sad to see that his whole character began to disintegrate because of a particular (but very believable) moment in UNRAVEL ME. I haven’t seen many complaints about it because of the love people have for the other characters, but it is very obvious how jarring the character change is for him. The desperation and sadness that clouds his entire characterization is so sad and while I do sympathize for him, his character began to be overshadowed by the other characters.

No words can really encapsulate how much I loved UNRAVEL ME. It had everything to wet my palate for IGNITE ME and I craved more. The pages pass by so quickly and the story ended so fast that I was not ready for it at all. However, it just means I’m ready to read IGNITE ME and imagine the possibilities of RESTORE ME.

(Wrote this review on my blog, also sharing it here)

I read the first book of the series in high school and kind of liked it, but didn't get pulled in. Not so this time around. I also reviewed the first book, Shatter Me, on its page.

Unravel Me dives right in where Shatter Me left off. Immediately, new tension sets the story going. Something is wrong with Adam. Juliette is struggling to work with her new "allies." And Juliette's internal conflict and trauma just won't give her a break.

This is where a lot of the complaints from book one start to come in. Adam and Juliette's relationship strains as new information comes to light. Her constant internal dialogue and self-loathing put up barriers between her and the people who want to help. In fact, her mounting anxiety and the bottled-up feelings of a lifetime put a lot of lives at risk. And that leads to several changes in both her character and the story.

This book is, in my opinion, stronger than the first, which is quite an accomplishment for the middle book of a trilogy. Kenji, James, Castle, and other characters introduced late in Shatter Me are fleshed out as they interact with Juliette and Adam in the new setting of Omega Point. The underground sanctuary is also explored a little more, though not as much as I might like, since the readers are stuck only seeing and hearing what Juliette finds important, which isn't much at first. The story really builds in this book, with a lot of revelations I didn't see coming.

The plot is wildly unpredictable if you ask me, though I've been out of the book world for a few years, so I might just be rusty. It works so well, too. Since I'm not going to share any big spoilers, there's really not a lot I can say. Just — there was a lot of wide eyes and gasping and surprised exclamations from me as I read this series, and a lot of them came from this book.

Warner is humanized, which is something I knew from the way Mafi wrote his introduction would happen, but I was so desperately not looking forward to it. I didn't want to like his development or care at all about him, not even a little, but after a while I couldn't help myself. And Adam... in the first book, I and Juliette both felt that Adam could do no wrong. But honestly, by the end of this second installment, all I felt toward the romantic subplot was utter confusion — not due to poor writing, but because that's exactly what Juliette was feeling. There's a boy she's supposed to love and a man she's supposed to hate, but neither is who she first assumed, and she doesn't know what to do with all the rapid-fire new information.

Don't read this book without first reading Shatter Me. But if you've finished the first book and want to see how the characters develop and where their story continues, and you're willing to follow through to the end in Ignite Me, definitely get this book. On its own, I'd maybe give it four stars? Hard to tell. As its part in this series, five stars, hands down.

I absolutely loved this series. It was a mix of post-apocalyptic, dystopian, super human, romance and many others.

Juliette Ferrars has a curse, or a gift, depending on which way you look at it. Her touch can render another person immobile and kill them. She has been in a psychiatric ward for just under a year, after being rejected for years by her family, her classmates, her community, and has spent the majority of her adolescence locked up in one form or another. Always ridiculed and talked about, treated like the walking plague, she never wanted anything but the things others take for granted - the ability to hold someone’s hand, the loving hugs from a caring parent, someone who would be her friend. But up until this story starts, she has experienced none of this.

Living in a world that has been torn apart by war and the detrimental state of our planet, the Reestablishment has vowed to take care of everyone’s worries, turn the planet back to a place of beauty, and be the people’s salvation. The only problem is with all their promises being nothing but pretty lies, they have enslaved the entire population across the globe, where the only ones benefitting from their dictatorship are the highest leaders of the organization. They live among riches and eat extravagantly, while everyone else slaves to acquire food for their families, on the verge of starvation, if not already lost to it. Everyone has experienced loss at the hands of this new order, yet it has grown in size so fast that nobody can stand against them.

Juliette is broken out of the insane insylum, only to become a prisoner of the Reestablishment and told she will become their weapon.

I do not wish to give away individual books details but this story was amazing from book one to the last one, and all the smaller novellas in between. I lost sleep at night because I didn’t want to quit reading- I had to know what would happen next! Definitely put the next book on my wishlist- can’t wait to hear what’s next!

This author is super amazing and incredibly gifted!!

Sigh. Again the thing that made me stick with this book was Mafi's writing style. She really has a way with words...

"Loneliness is a strange sort of thing. It creeps on you, quiet and still, sits by your side in the dark, strokes by your hair as you sleep. It wraps itself around your bones, squeezing so tight you almost can't breathe. It leaves lies in your heart, lies next to you at night, leaches the light out of every corner. It's a constant companion, clasping your hand only to yank you down when you're struggling to stand up.
You wake up in the morning and wonder who you are. You fail to fall asleep at night and tremble in your skin. You doubt you doubt you doubt.
do I
don't I
should I
why won't I
And even when you're ready to let go. When you're ready to break free. When you're ready to be brand-new. Loneliness is an old friend standing beside you in the mirror, looking you in the eye, challenging you to live your life without it. You can't find the words to fight yourself, to fight the words screaming that you're not enough never enough never ever enough.
Loneliness is a bitter, wretched companion. Sometimes it just won't let go.”

But I have the same problems with Unravel Me that I did with Shatter Me...the characters. I really wanted a 'ready to kick ass' Juliette in this book, but instead I had a even more whiny, fragile and completely indecisive teenager, who was honestly annoying as crap. And Adam? I. Don't. Like. Adam. You've been dumped? Well that sucks, but move on!!! There are way more important things to focus on...like an oncoming war. I will say that there was a bit more character development with Kenji and Warner; however the love triangle still reeks of Twilight to me. I kept expecting someone to start sparkling or turn into a werewolf. Decent book, ok plot, way too much clingy/depressive romance.

My rating: 4.5

I have read many reviews stating that the 2nd book of a trilogy(now not a trilogy anymore) is like a filler until the finale. Unravel Me was the complete opposite for me and I love that Tahareh Mafi totally brought it in this book. Yes I am way past due on this series but hey better late than never.

Although Unravel Me did start off a bit slow for me, hence the 4.5 rating instead of a 5, the storyline quickly picked up and I was off to the races. The star for me in this book was Kenji he really outshined everyone, especially when it came to Juliette and getting her to stop moping about her life. The only other part I didn't like however was the romance between Adam and Juliette. Their moments together seemed way too over the top for how little they actually have known each other and been together. I'm glad that this part wasn't the main focus of the story.

I love how much Juliette grew into her own once Kenji got into her head. Not only did she finally accept herself but she also made plenty of friends and became an important asset to the team. There were quite a few surprises in Unravel Me I didn't see coming at all which I always love and hope to see more in the next books. Anyone looking for a dystopian novel I advise to start the Shatter Me series.

Unravel Me is the second book in the Shatter Me Triology by Tahereh Mafi. Juliette, Adam, Kenjii, and James have escaped to Omega Point. They have joined up with the Resistance, and Adam and Juliette have discovered there are others who also have extraordinary powers harbored here.

As the group begins to explore their powers and test their abilities, they must face emotional and physically challenges which stand in their way. Will Juliette ever accept herself and harness her powers? What exact is Adam's power and will it help him to survive the relationship struggles he is facing with Juliette? Can Castle, the leader of Omega Point and telepath, be trusted?

Although many of the situations and challenges faced in Unravel Me are well worth reading, there is a lot of teenage angst and self-doubt--particularly from Juliette. I personally wish Juliette would have shown more personal growth throughout the course of Unravel Me. Adam is also struggling so it creates a lot of teenage love drama. However, I really enjoyed the expansion on Kenjii and James' characters.

Overall, I still enjoyed Unravel Me enough to keep reading the series. Have a little patience with characters and you will be rewarded in the end.

"Sticks and stones keep breaking my bones but these words, these words will kill me."

Tahereh Mafi’s prose is magic. Oh, I could say so much more to start off my review but that is the first thing that comes to mind whilst looking back on how it felt to read Unravel Me. Shatter Me is a series that has progressed quickly, with a loyal and deserving fan base and the thing about the sequel is that it’s even better than the first. This time around we get to learn more about the world we caught only glimpses of in the first installment and it’s delightful. Action packed, intelligent and sexy–Unravel Me pushes the envelope in young adult literature and proves that sometimes it’s unwise to under estimate the genre.

After breaking free of her chains–twice–Juliette Ferrars is now able to say she has escaped the Reestablishment, free from her prison as a so-called-crazy person, free from Warner’s plans to use her as a weapon. At the end of Shatter Me we saw Juliette escape to Omega Point with Adam Kent, her flame, and Kenji Kishimoto. If you thought Shatter Me was full of action and suspense, then you are in for a treat with Unravel Me.

Just as high paced, if not moreso, the second installment takes readers on an unforgettable ride of power, romance and war. Mafi extends her writing chops with unique world building and deliciously woven words that aspiring writers dream of. There’s something in her tone that is unlike any other authors in her genre and it needs to be acknowledged more. She is one of the greats from the newer generation of young adult writers and doesn’t get nearly enough credit for it. I’m obsessed.

Let me explain. Unravel Me is even better than Shatter Me because of the way she develops everything. Every last thing. There’s such a thriller and quick pace to her work that readers will devour it as quickly as possible and be forced to tab/highlight nearly the whole book. God, it’s breathtaking. I loved seeing Juliette grow and find herself bit by bit. She grows so much this time around and while she has help in doing so by her past, by her new home, by motivation from a new friend, it’s all up to her at the end of the day and it was amazing seeing this realization cross her mind as she kept on trying.

I loved seeing her explore her powers and see how dangerous she can be but also see how valuable she is as a person. I enjoyed watching her explore these new things and to also break free from her past bit by bit. Juliette has a long way to go but she is smart and determined and everything we could want from a narrator because she isn’t perfect and continues to grow as the story progresses. I also enjoyed the introduction of more powers and people from Omega Point and seeing as Juliette struggles to accept her power and their friendships (or dislike of her) and it’s all just so fascinating seeing them work as a community.

I had a lot of favorites in Unravel Me, because again it became one of my favorites. It’s impossible to choose just one and I think readers will agree. But there were a lot of things that sparked my interest or caused my heart to nearly thud out of my chest as I flipped through the chapters. Including: Adam and Juliette’s shaky relationship, Adam’s powers, Warner’s reappearance and powers, the connection she has with both boys, Kenji being developed more and the bromance he has going on with, well, everyone.

(A moment of silence for all of us when we look back to all the, ahem, steamy scenes between Juliette/Adam and Juliette/Warner.)

We also have some SERIOUSLY solid villains in this one and you’ll be surprised by the road that Warner takes in this installment. He still isn’t my favorite but he sure is fascinating to read about–talk about dark.

Seriously, these characters are so strong and charming that it’s impossible to not love them. If you want a story that is driven by excellent characters, excellent prose and… okay, just excellence as a general thing, Unravel Me is for you. I daresay that even those of you who didn’t like Shatter Me, will love this one. Perfect for fans of The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer and The Darkest Minds, this is one can’t miss novel–one can’t miss series–and will leave you tumbled over your own feet to grab a copy of the final book.

***Review posted on The Eater of Books! blog***

Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi
Book Two of the Shatter Me series
Publisher: HarperTeen
Publication Date: February 5, 2013
Rating: 4 stars
Source: ARC won from a giveaway

Summary (from Goodreads):

tick
tick
tick
tick
tick

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.

What I Liked:

OMG GUYS. I cannot BELIEVE how much I enjoyed this book! Seriously, this trilogy has been great so far! Like I said in my review of Shatter Me, it's probably because I already know about the love triangle and the outcome of the love triangle. I'm also binge-reading the series in one week, so I don't have to experience the one-, two-, and three-year agony of waiting for each book to publish.

In this book, Juliette has escaped from Warner and his plans for her. She and Adam are now in Omega Point, a sanctuary for people with abilities (like Juliette). Adam can touch Juliette - but what no one knows is that Warner can touch Juliette (well, Warner knows). As it would turn out, Adam likely has some sort of ability as well. Castle, the leader of Omega Point, wants to conduct experiments to see what kind of ability Adam has. Tempers run high as Juliette and Adam struggle to reconcile their relationship - Juliette is becoming too dangerous for them to be together. Meanwhile, Warner has not stopped hunting for Juliette, but there is a new player in the game - Warner's father, Supreme Commander Anderson. No one will stop looking for Juliette, but no one will expect her to fight back.

Gosh, this book was so crazy! I laughed so hard at Juliette's shenanigans - that girl is so stupid and so selfish, it is SO funny. This is going in the dislikes section too, but it was enjoyable to laugh at her.

I love how Mafi breaks up Adam and Juliette. You knew a breakup was coming - and in this breakup, it's Juliette that must do the breaking up. She's too powerful and too dangerous, and could hurt Adam more than she has already. The two of them push and pull but ultimately, their relationship comes to a stop.

Meanwhile, Juliette is finding that she has been thinking about Warner more than she'd like. She finds that she does understand him, but she isn't like him. We don't really see Warner for most of this book, until about 60% in. Warner is taken captive by Omega Point, and Juliette is the one that is in charge of talking to him, making him talk.

So I thought Juliette was a selfish dumba** - I stand by that. I kind of felt bad for Adam, and I felt more for him than I ever have, but I still didn't really like him. Of the two of them, I felt more bad for Adam because I had so much to deal with.

WARNER. I like Warner. He's psychotic, but he is hilarious. Also he is so posh and well-dressed and gentlemanly in his own weird way. His obsession with Juliette is weird, and he's done some pretty bad things, but I actually like the guy. Maybe that makes me psychotic too. I like him as a protagonist, but ALSO as a love interest.

So, romance. We know that Adam and Juliette are experiencing turbulence. We know that Warner really isn't in this book until less than half of the book to finish. But when he taken to Omega Point, Juliette really starts to feel Warner fever - her attraction to him is off the charts. CHAPTER SIXTY-TWO, folks. Even if you never read the series, read Chapter Sixty-Two. It IS pretty impressive. Unfortunately it ends in a bittersweet way, but the entire chapter is pretty *fans self*.

Obviously I much prefer Warner/Juliette to Adam/Juliette, and this is outside from the fact that I know the outcome. Juliette is soooo attracted to Warner, whereas it's more puppy love and what's familiar to her, where Adam is concerned.

There are soooo many twists in this book, which makes it super interesting! We get to learn more about Warner, which made me like him more. We get to learn one big thing about Warner, and then two big things about Adam. It's kind of twisted, what Mafi throws in there, concerning several people, and I should have seen that coming (I didn't!).

Overall, I REALLY liked this book. Holy moley, things get going in this book. We learn more about the Reestablishment, and the big showdown is set up for book three. I'll be reading Ignite Me in a few days, which I'm expected to do!

What I Did Not Like:

Hahahaha I hate Juliette. Okay, "hate" is a strong word, but I don't quite like her. It is so funny to watch her make ridiculous mistakes and do selfish things. She really doesn't think things through, over and over. About halfway through the book, she starts acting more noble and selfless, and I approved of that. Still, I don't really like her.

Ehhhh, Adam. Ehhh, Adam & Juliette. I didn't really feel them from the start. Adam is less flat of a character to me (as compared to what I thought of him in Shatter Me), but I don't really care for him. The pair of them together, I never really went for. They seemed to be the familiar pair, the ones that were convenient, the puppy love pair.

Warner & Juliette = PASSION. Just saying. You may not like him, and you may think he's insane, but their romance is fiery.

Obviously there is a love triangle. Obviously I don't like it. But I know who I like, and I know the outcome anyway (no painful waiting yay), so I'm not as bothered by the love triangle. I would be, if I were waiting for each book to publish.

It's weird how everyone is so obsessed with Juliette. Logically, I guess it makes sense (her power IS killing people with touch) but it's still weird. Everyone seems to think she's so hot too, which is plausible, but again, weird.

Would I Recommend It:

I liked this one more than I liked Shatter Me (3 stars), so I'd probably recommend this one. Again, there is a love triangle, and it's a big one (as far as love triangles go). But given that I've been binge-reading the series one after the other, I'm not as crazy with this love triangle (I know the outcome). The dystopia story is really good!

Rating:

3.5 stars -> rounded up to 4 stars. I can't believe I didn't hate this book. I'm actually surprised, taken aback, almost guilty (because I've been professing my hatred for this series for years, without ever reading the books). Buuuut, it's not so bad so far. I think the trick is to wait until the series is over, and then binge-read. Self-control for the win!

Oh sweet mother of all things good and evil. This story has my emotions wrecked. There are just so many feels.. It's almost as if I've been on one hell of a roller coaster ride a little too long. I may have experienced every emotion possible as I read UNRAVEL ME. Not only did this story cut way deep down but I was also able to see several sides of a few of the characters. It was like meeting them again for the first time.

By the end of SHATTER ME Juliette had begun to grow into herself and started dealing with the fact that she was a monster different... she was special. Juliette has powers and she was beginning to believe for the first time in her life that she was not a monster, that she was in fact a very special and extraordinary young lady. That is not at all the Juliette that we came back to in UNRAVEL ME. Within the two weeks of being at Omega Point it seems that Juliette has lost all self-esteem and reverted back to the frightened and withdrawn child that she was in the very beginning. Let's just say that I wasn't completely thrilled about this. I was am quite fond of the strong, independent young lady that believes in herself and when she's got that confidence she totally rocks it.

While Juliette spends her days hiding away from everyone and feeling sorry for herself, the rest of the people at Omega Point go on with their daily routines. It doesn't take too long before Juliette is put in her place and slowly begins to come back around. Now. That's what I'm talking about. This is who we all want. The bad ass Juliette. The girl who will not let anyone or anything hurt the ones she cares for. Now that we've went through a complete mental make-over with Juliette, we spend more time with Kenji and see a different side of him as well. Kenji was asked to more or less take Juliette under his wing, keep her out of trouble help her train and learn how to control her powers.

Kenji is seriously like a breath of fresh air. I totally dig that man. In my opinion the difference in him is like night and day from the previous book. Kenji is not only completely in control of himself and everything around him, he is charming, witty and seems to be quite the ladies man, if you will. I was super pleased that we were able to spend so much time with him. Kenji would be the best and most loyal friend to have. I was definitely jonesing for one of him to keep for my very own by the end.

We actually don't spend as much time with Adam as we did before. He spends his days and nights at Omega Point always in private meetings and doing super secret testing to learn more about his powers. Adam is still the most kind, and gentle man. He is someone who makes you want to curl up with and just stay. For always. His love for Juliette is strong and powerful and there is nothing he will not do to keep her safe. So, you can certainly understand why all holy hell broke loose when they brought back a captured soldier to Omega Point and it was none other than Warner. Yes, Warner. Mr. Cocky. Mr. I will kill you with my stare but I am just oh-so-so sexy that you are going to melt like ice cream on a scorching summer day Warner. Well, obviously this didn't make many people very happy. The tension was thick in the air and only held the promise for getting worse. Except Warner wasn't the evil man that they all knew and despised. Well, of course he was, but there was something different. There was compassion inside that ruthless man. Not that he would show that side of himself to anyone but it was there. He was just a man with flaws, fears, pain and wild emotions coursing through him. He was human. It was so interesting to see this part of him. He was actually enticing. And entice Juliette is what he did. Not that Juliette planned to see the side of Warner that was decent and almost human but once she did, she could not turn back nor could she forget. There was something there but did she want to face it?
Juliette has learned so many truths throughout the course of this book and the thought on everyone's mind is.. what path is she going to follow? Will Adam ever be able to overcome the one thing that could keep he and Juliette apart forever? And will Warner revert to his previous self, not caring who he hurts or destroys if they happen to cross his path or get in his way. I like to think the good that is in him will continue to grow because that boy drew me in and captured me like a helpless butterfly. And I liked it. A lot.

Besides the fact that this story is truly phenomenal, Mafi has created a world so unique yet so utterly frightening that readers can't help but want to read more. I will certainly be on the edge of my seat whilst awaiting the continuation of the SHATTER ME series.

Unravel Me is action-packed with new revelations about characters at every turn. They are looking over the edge of an impending war between the rebels and The Reestablishment. Castle is leading the charge with Kenji at his side. The book starts about two weeks after Shatter Me, and Juliette has fallen into a routine. She's afraid to get too close to any of the others living underground with her and she uses her time to try to understand her powers.

Things quickly progress throughout the book as we see Juliette's story play out. At the heart of the book, the story is about Juliette trying to find her place in the world after being shunned by everyone around her for so long. The first time she finds someone who can touch her, confess his love for her, she clings onto him and his love. She loves Adam more than anything. He is her everything, but he is also a crutch she hangs onto to, expecting, or knowing, that Adam would protect her and keep her safe. And Adam's ability to touch her comes at a cost. Just as Warner being about to touch her comes in something like a little footnote.

Juliette could be strong, but she has spent too much time battered down by the world around her that she doesn't know what she wants. She lives trying to fit into everyone else's expectations, but Warner knows that she needs to be her own woman and try to figure it out for herself. I admit that I am kind of conflicted, like Juliette, whether I like her with Adam or with Warner more. I think I'm leaning more towards emotionally shipwrecked Warner, but it's a battle of pros and cons with these two. Kenji is my favorite character and I love the interactions between Juliette and Kenji. They're simply friends who are looking out for one another, and I would love to see more in Ignite Me.

The world-building, the plot about the revolution, it's all still very vague? I still feel like I don't know anything. It's fine, because there are actions that propel the story along, but if you're looking for a detailed backstory on The Reestablishment and you're still looking for the charisma and charm that makes Castle such a formidable leader to this rebel group, you won't find it here. It's mostly a downside that the entire story is told from Juliette's POV, because lots of things go unanswered, or unobserved. If you're already a fan of Shatter Me, you'll love this story and will be able to overlook the minor details.

Personally, I really liked this book and can't wait to read the next one, but I really hope to see more of the backstory and all that on display in Ignite Me.

Again, this series it taken me by surprise. I am loving it. I listened to the second book on audiobook, and I highly recommend them. I think the narrator brings the emotions to life and it helps with the story.

Book two brings so many emotions. There are some twists and turns I was not expecting. There were a few times I had to rewind the story just to make sure I heard what they said right. There are things discovered about Juliet, Adam, and Warner that will keep you guessing how everything will end.

I did not know Team Warner was a thing, but I get it now. I think I am enjoying these since it is pretty heavy on the romance end of things. Some people may love that and some may not. I personally think it brings more to the story.

I am ready for book three and am hoping to finish this series before the end of the month.

Unravel Me is the second book in the Shatter Me Triology by Tahereh Mafi. Juliette, Adam, Kenjii, and James have escaped to Omega Point. They have joined up with the Resistance, and Adam and Juliette have discovered there are others who also have extraordinary powers harbored here.

As the group begins to explore their powers and test their abilities, they must face emotional and physically challenges which stand in their way. Will Juliette ever accept herself and harness her powers? What exact is Adam's power and will it help him to survive the relationship struggles he is facing with Juliette? Can Castle, the leader of Omega Point and telepath, be trusted?

Although many of the situations and challenges faced in Unravel Me are well worth reading, there is a lot of teenage angst and self-doubt--particularly from Juliette. I personally wish Juliette would have shown more personal growth throughout the course of Unravel Me. Adam is also struggling so it creates a lot of teenage love drama. However, I really enjoyed the expansion on Kenjii and James' characters.

Overall, I still enjoyed Unravel Me enough to keep reading the series. Have a little patience with characters and you will be rewarded in the end.

Unravel Me was everything I wanted in a sequel to Shatter Me. I loved the action, adventure, the drama and the characters.

I wasn't really sure to feel about Warner in this book. I definitely disliked him in book 1, but there was a humanizing that occurred in book 2 that left me very conflicted.

The struggle with Juliette and Adam was agonizing. They are a couple you truly want to root for. SHE is a person you want good things to happen to. You want her to transcend from the meager life she's had until this point.

I'm very much looking forward to the next book and finding out what happens next in this interesting dystopian world.

Unravel Me takes place after the events of Shatter Me. Juliette has a special power, if you will, in which when she comes into contact with people skin to skin, she has a tendency to severely hurt them or even kill them. She was locked up in an asylum where she was isolated and left to never be remembered by anyone. However, the government, called The Establishment, has decided that they can use her powers for their own use. However, Juliette doesn’t want to hurt anybody. She just wants to live a normal life. A boy is left in her cell, named Adam. Adam and Juliette fall in love in Shatter Me, and continue their doomed romance in Unravel Me. However, there is the looming love triangle with Warner, one of the leaders of The Establishment. Warner is despicable and cruel, and yet Juliette feels attracted to him. After escaping the establishment, Juliette and Adam escape to an underground rebellion base called Omega Point. There are others in Omega Point who have powers similar to Juliette’s, like being able to camouflage themselves to healing others. Juliette decides to join up with this rebellion against The Establishment who just so happens to be led by Warner’s father. The story mostly takes place in Omega Point where Juliette discovers more about her powers, the rebellion prepares for war, and Juliette must decided between Adam and Warner.

So in the review of Shatter Me, I discussed the issue that many people had of Mafi’s overuse of metaphors and similes. I had agreed with the criticism that there was too much of these literary devices, but I understood the author’s use for them. I feel like Mafi’s writing style has greatly improved in Unravel Me and it feels like such a relief. The writing felt a bit more controlled and was able to correctly portray the setting and actions in a much clearer way. Unravel Me was a much easier to read and it felt more enjoyable. I was able to get deeper into the story without having to worry about the overbearing images of the metaphors. I always found myself trying to picture the metaphors in Shatter Me and it became too distracting. Unravel Me has redeemed this series for me, and I’m really excited for Ignite Me which actually comes out next month! Not too far away! (I also have it on reserve for when it comes out, so hopefully I can get a review of that out quickly.)

What I’m about to say next is not to be taken as a criticism of the book. In fact, I am applauding Mafi for being able to achieve this. I sympathized with Warner. There. I said it. He was so sick and sadistic in Shatter Me I found myself a little disgusted by Juliette because she was so attracted to Warner. He felt so cold and calculating, and I just couldn’t see what she saw in this guy! Maybe it was one of those needs to date a bad boy? I have no clue. But anyways, I felt so bad for Warner after Unravel Me. I learned that he is human, but he has been shown all the wrong ways to be a human. All he has been shown is cruelty and manipulation, and thus he feels that is the way that people need to be treated. But you can tell that he knows that it is wrong, but there are higher authorities who put so much pressure on him that he has no choice. This book made me like Warner just a little bit more, but I put all the excess hate I had for Warner towards his father. His father is much worse than Warner could ever be. Warner, has some form of conscience, but its due to other factors. You’ll learn more about his family life, and it will all make sense.

On the other side of this love triangle, I was a little disappointed that Adam and his little brother, James, weren’t in the story as much as they were in Shatter Me. It made sense because Juliette was having so much trouble with their relationship and trying not to harm him or anyone else. You could just feel the frustration between the two of them. I understand that Mafi wanted this book to be more about Warner. I always feel that in trilogies with love triangles, books will work in this formula:

Book One: First Love (Adam).

Book Two: Second Love who questions everything (Warner).

Book Three: The Ultimate Decision (unknown! guesses anyone?)

So to wrap things up a little bit, Unravel Me redeemed this series for me. I struggled with Juliette’s ever fluctuating mind in which she was going back and forth about how strong and a good person she is and how much of a monster she is. Her mind seemed to flip flop on this subject so much, it was hard for me to understand her mentality. I understand it as a whole in which she has this conflicting issue in which she wants to be a good person, but sometimes her powers get in the way or she has to use them to ultimately do good.

SPOILERS AHEAD

I've got to say that I'm pretty disappointed with Juliette (at least in the beginning) of this book. At the end of "Shatter Me", she seemed so excited about her new future. Well in "Unravel Me", she's down right pathetic. She starts off moping about how she can't seem to do anything right. She can't figure out how to master her powers, and everyone is giving her the stink eye. C'mon Juliette! It's time to pull up your big girl panties! She eventually does, after some much needed scolding from Kenji (my favorite character btw) and a few meltdowns.

Reading this the first time, I was totally Team Warner. But now, I'm Team Adam. Warner confused the heck out of me. Sure, he's really hot. And he read her super secret journal and now totally knows her soul and whatnot, but he's still Warner. He didn't say anything to really make me swoon. In fact, I think he's pretty creepy. He's infatuated with her. He fell in love with her before he even knew her and has been obsessed with her ever since. STALKER ALERT. Why doesn't she see how weird that is??? Also, my heart is totally broken for Adam. I feel so so bad for him. I understand why they have to stay apart, but it seems like they're both mastering their powers. I'm glad he's not giving up on her because I do believe that they can work their powers out. I have faith in them. Let's go Team Adam!!

As I said earlier, Kenji is my favorite character. I love his smart-aleckness and how he always says what needs to be said. He is awesome and I want to know more about his backstory. Where did he come from? Where are his parents? He needs some romance in his life. :P I want to see some of that in the next book.

I'm quite excited for who Juliette has become at the end of "Unravel Me". No more weak, pitiful Juliette. Time for mass destruction, hurricane Juliette. No more Mr. Nice Guy, as they say. I'm looking forward to seeing where this goes.

Where do I begin with this book? It made me mad. Like seriously mad. I rarely have to put a book down and walk away, but that’s what I had to do with Unravel Me. I had to put it down and I didn’t pick it up until a week later, and I only picked it back up because I had 50 pages left and I wanted to get it off my “currently reading” list. I gave this book twoa stars, but that was more out of respect for Tahereh and her brilliant writing style, but I wanted to give Juliette one star.

My biggest issue with this book is Juliette. She annoys me beyond reason. I loved her in Shatter Me, and I enjoyed getting to know her in that book. However, in Unravel Me she comes off as more self-centered and hormonal than anything else. Her constant inner monologue talking about how awful she felt drove me nuts. I mean, I understand that she’s had it rough, but the world is literally going to Hell and all she can think about is Warner’s body? Seriously? Get your priorities in order, chick.

Now let’s talk about Warner. I was a little late coming into this series, but after reading Shatter Me I was shocked by all the Warner love. After reading Unravel Me I still don’t get it. Murder just isn’t appealing to me. I saw somebody say that to understand Warner and get the appeal you need to read Destroy Me, a novella. To that I say, no. I feel like if something is so imperative to the character’s development or if a character’s backstory is so important then it needs to be in the actual books. I am all for novellas and enjoy reading them, but they shouldn’t have a such a strong impact on the actual story that I miss an characters appeal.

On the plus side I still love the way Tahereh writes, and the fluidity of it is hypnotizing. While I loved that aspect of reading this book it isn’t enough for me to read Ignite Me. I just can’t deal with more love triangle scenes, and I if I have to read more of Juliette’s whining then I might break something.

You can find more of my reviews at <a href="http://endless-reads.net/" target="_blank">Endless-Reads.Net</a>!

Juliette has esquire to the Rebels headquarters at Omega Point. She's free from The Reestablishment. Free to be with Adam. Free to fight, But Warner still has plans for her.

THERE ARE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

Unravel Me was very good :) it did start off in a slow pace but towards the middle of the book and on it was a page turner. It was Amazeballz :) Juliette is a 17 yr old with the power of destroying things and people, the power to kill just by touching it. She and Adam , James ( Adam's 10 yr old brother ) and Kenji got away from Warner and his soldiers, Warner is still looking for them. They are now staying at a place called Omega Point where other people with powers are living and training in underground tunnels.

Juliette still doesn't know how to control her power so Castle, the leader with the power to move things with his mind, tells her to train, at first she doesn't know how to bring out her power but later she gets the hang of it, sort of. She is also sad, lonely, keeps to herself, mostly cus she doesn't want to hurt any one and cus people just avoid her, they either are scared or angry at her.

"I don't like that Juliette has to apologize for who she is. When you see someone in pain (Adam) of course you get mad at whoever's causing it, so she gets mad at Castle who's suppose to be the mentor, teacher, leader, and he yells back at her for not understanding, how can she if she isn't told what's going on. That Adam, Castle, and Kenji were keeping something from her."

"Oh snap it's getting good !!! ....Papa is that you.... Duh duh duhn Oh my goodness there was Warners dad (Anderson), Aaron aka Warner and shockingly he has brothers :o, Adam and Juliette trouble in Paradise, and learning Kent is his middle name."

It was slow at first but then once the group was out in the open to kick some ass, things started getting good, Kenji can become invisible and make others invisible by touching them, Adam can disable things and people with other powers including Juliette but when he becomes vulnerable like when they are making out and stuff he can feel her shock him, he gets hurt a couple times.

The three ( Juliette, Adam, and Kenji )take an unconscious Warner with them and held him hostage, for info on the guys. They managed to get two of the four guys held hostage.

So it gets a little better, I wanted to see what happened when Warner finally sees Juliette and when they finally get to talk, I like Adam too but after reading Destroy Me I was also rooting for Warner. Castle wanted Juliette to interrogate Warner, not knowing that he can touch her, Julie ends up learning he has her journal. He reads from it and even memorized it,, so adorable :) or infuriating if you see it from her POV. They just talk , he tells her he likes her, she can't believe ( doesn't believe him) , but she slowly starts seeing a different side of him, a sad, lonely, hurt boy with very green eyes, she slowly starts finding him attractive. I understand how he likes her cus of Destroy Me but she doesn't know him, I felt that she just thought he was hot. But man that didn't stop her from getting freaky with him.

I really liked Unravel Me, at first Juliette was sad and felt sorry for herself, and she had Castle and Kenji telling her to suck it up, I was like what the hell, she doesn't know about friendships, cus she avoided people so she couldn't accidentally hurt them, and they just thought she was a freak, a killer, a monster, even her parents treated her very badly, and she had just gotten out of an asylum, and they just want her to move on, shesh.

Juliette has a very powerful power, she also learns that she can crush things into dust, but when it comes to showing that she can kick ass she fails, she gets her weapons taken from her, gets chocked, gets kidnapped, other then her supernatural power she isn't strong, she didn't train much on using her gun or how to control her power. And when it came to the guys, she felt hope with Adam but then learned she can also hurt him, with Warner she was cautious, but ends up feeling something for him, she doesn't want to see him dead. It's going to be crazy when Adam finds out about Julie's and Warners, I bet it's going to be Warner who tells him.

Adam is a cool guy, kept his power testing from Julie, he was trying, begging, pleading for them to stay together, that was hard to read, but so cute, he still wants to try so that's what I like about him in this book, they don't spend to much time together :(

Warner/Aaron was cool too, I liked him even more after reading Destroy Me, he showed us how he really felt, he liked being alone, didn't understand love until he read Juliette's journal and read what she went through, he felt a connection he's never had with anyone, he fell even more in love with Julie. Warner was abused as a child, he always wanted to make his dad proud of him, so he did what he was told, and grew up as a cold hearted murdering 19 yr old Coronel. Juliette saw all the scars he had on his back, and also his tattoos Ignite on his back and shakespeare in the front way under his belly button. Poor kid, Juliette knows that he can change but he doesn't want to believe that , the guy that feed a staving dog and helped a family that was being abused says he doesn't care, we all can see deep down he can change and be a good guy.

Kenji was kind of funny and cool at first but then I just didn't like the way he just brushed off someones life, yeah other people suffered too but how does he expect them to forget. Castle mentions that he found Kenji living in a grocery cart when he was 9 yrs old, and he's been taking care of him since then. Idk I thought he was sometimes funny but most of the time he was too bossy. and Castle well I didn't know if he could be trusted, a guy with a power trying to kill another leader well sometimes they turn evil, Castle is too interested in the others powers but maybe I'm wrong.

Amazing second book to this series. The story development is great. I love how the main character evolves with the story. At first the idea of the love triangle irritated me, so many books now a days have that and it’s usually a really annoying sappy set up where the main character agonizes over her decisions and both are worthy and so on. But this author managed to make the love triangle so much more and so intense and complicated.
This book reminds me a lot of the Divergent series but with X-Man style characters. It’s a creative take and I can’t wait to read the last installment and see how the story ends.

Omgsh! What in the heck did I just read?? So many feels all at the same time. I feel so overwhelmed with my thoughts right now.

From my previous review of Shatter Me, you can see that I despised Warner. He’s an evil 19 year old boy who kills without caring. He’s psychotic in his desperation for Juliette’s affection. He wanted to use her powers as a weapon in the inevitable war that is coming. What a jerk, right? No. In Unravel Me, Warner is so much more.

SPOILERS AHEAD!

Adam is not immune to me.

Say what?

At first, I was all ’oh no’. Team Adam 100%! They will find a way to conquer this obstacle and true love will prevail!

Then Chapter 62 happened:
"I want so many things," he whispers. "I want your mind. Your strength. I want to be worth your time."

His fingers graze the hem of my top and he says “I want these up.” He tugs on the waist of my pants and says “I want these down.”

He touched the tips of his fingers to the sides of my body and says, “I want to feel your skin on fire. I want to feel your heart racing next to mine and I want to know it’s racing because of me, because you want me. Because you never,” he says, he breathes, “never want me to stop. I want every second. Every inch of you. I want all of it.

So now I’m like Adam who? Let’s talk about Warner!

I’m about to start Ignite Me now! I have no idea how this love triangle is going to end and I need to find out, like, yesterday.

Juliette and Adam are wonderful, but come on already. They have these feelings for each other, but are still scared about it. Okay maybe there may be a war on the way, and the guys and girls are in separate buildings, but still its okay to reveal some feelings.

Any who, Juliette is having a hard time. Doesn't really interact much with the others, and is working hard on figuring out her power. Then she has to worry about Adam and what hes hiding from her. But leave it to juliette to figure it out. Course some force may have been used,though she doesnt realize her strenght. it was funny to read about her pinning Kenji to the wall and his size is much better than hers.

So Kenji gives in and takes her to the testing area and Juliette went nuts when she saw what was being done to adam. So she may just throw a punch....that nearly splits the place in two. Yup, you can tell how much she cares for Adam and that she will do anything to keep him safe. I so loved that. It's what happened after that I wasn't too happy with.

Once she wakes up, things are about to get hard for her. She finds out she was knocked out for a few days, Kenji gets on her about being clueless about her power or she has some hidden agenda. Then she finally finds out whats been going on with Adam and its not what she wanted to hear....

The emotion in this book just explodes to a new level and I just had to turn these pages fast. I can't believe it took me this long to get back to the series, and now I'm going to dive into the next one!

I shouldn't like this series, heck, I shouldn't love it but I do. It is full of tropes and cliches and almost everything I can't stand about YA right now and yet, I can't seem to get enough of it. What is wrong with me and what does this say about the author that she can still manage to lure me in with all these things I hate most?

It says she is a freaking amazing author and everyone really should give this series a chance.

Now if I can just prepare myself for the next novella and novel, I'm all set to go.

I hate love triangles and yet, I <3 both Adam and Warner. *shakes fist at Ms. Mafi* Dang you fabulous writers and your words and scenes that tear me apart and leave me conflicted.

Unravel Me is the second book in the Shatter Me series by Tahereh Mafi. I didn’t love the first book but I couldn’t stop thinking of the world that Tahereh had built. So I decided to read the second one. And I enjoyed it more than the first one, but I still wasn’t very invested. I am not a fan of romances so I was just not interested in the characters and didn’t really care who Juliette ended up with. In the second book Juliette is at Omega Point and she is working on training her abilities as well as discovering who she is now that she is no longer isolated all the time. I don’t think I will finish the series. I only read this book for the world building, and it was pretty fantastic, but I am just not invested in the book. I would only recommend this book to fans of romance stories.

If you haven’t read Unravel Me or you’re planning on reading the trilogy, do not read the second part. It is full of spoilers!

Spoiler Free:

This gif couldn’t be more accurate. I don’t even know where to start. Unravel Me picks up right after Shatter Me. The beginning was a little slow, but I have to be honest: that was probably because I was waiting for Warner to come in.

There is a lot of character development, especially in Juliette. She starts to accept her gift. After everything she has been through that is a huge step for her. Although, like Kenji says she stills has a long way to go.

The changes in Adam and Warner are also big. I feel awkward leaving it like that, but I really can’t say anything else without spoiling everything.

Tehereh’s writing was as beautiful as always. It was really easy to get lost in the world she created. Unravel Me definitely lived up to my expectations. It was the perfect mix of romance and action. I don’t give out five stars lightly, but the whole Shatter Me universe has me captivated.

***Spoilers***

This book officially introduced the love triangle! I couldn’t be happier. Warner finally got his chance! He had me swooning the whole time. The weird thing is that as I get to know him, the more innocent he seems. Yeah, I know he kills people and stuff, but in the context, he didn’t seem as crazy as he did in Shatter Me.

I also love how we get to see Juliette grow stronger and more independent. I did get really frustrated with her when she ruined her perfect moment with Warner. They had the most beautiful intense make-out session (I don’t know how I feel about calling it a makeout session). Warner gave her his heart. Yes, beautiful, vulnerable Warner opened up, and Juliette ruined. I could see his heart shattering.
I forgive her because I understand all her confusion. She has all these things going on, and she can’t keep up with her feelings (I just described how I felt while reading this).

I was very surprised at how much I started disliking Adam. He was nice in Shatter Me, but he was completely self-centered in Unravel Me. He was always whining and begging. I was happy when things ended between him and Juliette. I realized that their love wasn’t real. He loved the girl that Juliette use to be not the woman that she was turning into. Juliette,of course, thought she was in love with him. He could touch her and in her mind, that was equal to true love. She starts to realize this and i couldn't be happier!

I hated Paris Anderson, Warner’s father. I was seriously disappointed when Kenji stopped Juliette from killing him. He was the real monster. He tortured his son and left his wife to rot. Just thinking about him gets me mad!

I can’t not talk about Kenji because he might just be the most perfect human being. He still had all his funny one-liners, but we get to see his more serious side. When Castle told the story of how he met kenji, I got all mushy with feelings. I need him in my life.

***End of Spoiler***

Do I recommended: Hell yeah, I do! This trilogy is becoming one of my top favorites.

My full review can be found on my blog, Reader Rayna, as well as Goodreads.

I thought it was really centered around Juliette’s feelings for Adam and the combating feelings she begins to develop for Warner, and how she isn’t strong enough and blah blah blah. I was annoyed with her for the first half of the book, really. I wanted the plot to be more focused on her training at Omega Point and the others with their own cool abilities. I think that would have been much better and beneficial to the development of the story. But, I also did enjoy the back and forth aspect because of how polar opposite the boys are. It made it kind of spicy.

I wanted to learn more about the war, the outside world, the Reestablishment, Anderson (I really don’t like him), and other things that were briefly touched upon. But I also understand that as it was from Juliette’s conscious stream of thought we may have not been able to get it all because she was dealing with other things mentally and emotionally.

Overall, I thought this book was better than the first and I do recommend continuing on with the series if you’ve read the first book.

After enjoying the unusualness of Shatter Me, I was eager to find out what happened next to Juliette, Adam and Warner. The one thing I can now say after finishing Unravel Me is that I have so many feelings. There's a ton of new information to process! Mafi certainly makes it a point to elaborate on the world and to make her characters even more dynamic and complex and twisty. While it was certainly harder for me to read than the first, Unravel Me was a fascinating follow-up to its predecessor.

One of the things I've noticed about this series is that it is character-based. That's fitting because we follow along in Juliette's mind for most of it, and she's gotten abused to the point where her thoughts simply revolve around herself and the people in her life. This is the only series I'm currently reading that really focuses on its characters - and that's a point in its favor.

It was difficult for me to like Juliette in this book, mostly because I was fed up with her pity party. While I understand the origins of her loneliness, her fear of the "monster" she could possibly be and feeling like an outsider, enough is enough! She was receiving support and consideration from the people at Omega Point. While it should have taken some time, it shouldn't have taken as long as it had for her to stop thinking only about herself and instead consider these other people she cared about. And I know that she was capable of caring about others because of how she felt about Adam! So, I was mostly annoyed with her and her impulsive actions in this book - but I'm trying to extend some semblance of understanding considering her circumstances.

Speaking of Adam... My reaction is basically "Oh, Adam." Adam discovers new things about himself, and desperately tries to deal with all that... for his sake and for Juliette's. I loved seeing the strength and steadfastness of his commitment to her, and how he tries to do everything he can to make it possible for them to be together. It makes me sad that he's not present for a lot of the book, but it also makes sense if we consider that this is Juliette's tale and not his.

When I think of Warner, Chapter 62 is immediately what comes to mind. That chapter was definitely... steamy. After reading the novella (Destroy Me) and this book, I have more insight into what turned him into the person that he is. I'm still not sure that I can ever fall in love with him like some other people have, but I will admit to having a bit of an... attraction. I still have some reservations about his character, but I can recognize the goodness in him when it comes to Juliette. They do share something, an understanding, and that's definitely something that deserves to be... explored.

One of my favorite things about this book is that Kenji gets to be a major player. He's the friend who tells it like it is for Juliette - and that kind of friendship is important (even in real life). Learning more about his story and seeing the extent of his abilities was certainly enjoyable, and I look forward to learning more about his character (*coughs* novella please *coughs*).

Even though the story really reflects character growth for the most part, the revelations and turning points are endless. I felt like I was running into one after another, after another, after another. I was emotionally wrecked and mentally engaged. This is the kind of book that induces verbal reactions and physical movement! I like that Mafi got me to care so much about these characters and their stories that I was fully involved in the story the entire time I read it, which is certainly no easy feat.

As Unravel Me draws to a close, the stakes have only gotten higher for Juliette - in terms of the civil uprising against the Reestablishment and in terms of her own life. Even though reading this novel made me uncomfortable, emotional and confused, I still think this series is very unique and well-done. I'm eager to see how it all comes to an end in the final installment - and I'm holding out hope for Juliette to have the best future possible!

3.5/5 Stars

Omega Point and The Reestablishment are going to war, while Juliette is still struggling to control her gifts. After her friends are captured, Juliette discovers that there is a person more evil than Warner--his father, president of The Reestablishment. She also discovers that there is more to Warner than she originally thought, and her feelings for him surface just as her and Adam run into trouble in their relationship. On top of the war between Omega and The Reestablishment, Juliette has to decide what side she's on and who is it going to be--Adam or Warner?

Unfortunately, the last question is not answered in this novel. I found that I enjoyed this book much more than Shatter Me because the writing style is not so disjointed and there are less punctuation problems. This book through me a curve ball with the couple of plot twists and I think that this novel overall was also less melodramatic.

Full Review: http://brittanysbookrambles.blogspot.com/2013/01/unravel-me-review-with-some-spoilers.html

Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales.

Quick & Dirty: Unravel Me was such a deep and thoughtful novel filled with dark secrets and terrible emotions.

Opening Sentence: The world might be sunny-side up today.

The Review:

Unravel Me was such a great read. As much as I enjoyed the uniqueness of Shatter Me, Unravel Me really sucked me into a great story. Juliet is finding it hard to live with the rebels. She doesn't get to see Adam as much as she would like. She feels as though everyone hates her and that they are avoiding her because of her powers. Her touch can kill and when she's angry she has super Hulk strength! (You don't want to be on her bad side when she's angry.) Castle, the leader of this little group of misfits, is trying to train Juliet to be able to use her powers whenever she wants.

Warner and his soldiers are searching uncomfortably close to the underground home of the rebels looking for Juliet and the two traitors who helped her escape. In the meantime, the rebels are working on a plan to fight the Reestablishment by using their powers. Juliet slowly begins to feel like she could fit in but something terrible always happens when the others begin to trust her. Dark secrets are revealed that could be shocking. These secrets could possibly change the course of the future for some characters.

This is not a world I would want to live in. It is so dark, cold and hopeless. Your whole family could be killed if just one person was thought to be a traitor. You can tell there is not a sense of hope in this world except for Castle. He believes that he is doing good in the world and that his people can stop the treachery of the Reestablishment.

I lived for the parts with Juliet and Warner. The hopelessness and despair that they both felt towards the world and their awkward intimate scenes just flew by. No matter what it seems that the world just keeps wanting these two together. (*fingers crossed* I hope.) The story did seem to drag down at times from how whiny some characters could get (Juliet and Adam mainly). I found Adam quite annoying in this novel compared to the first. No matter how many times characters tried to talk some sense into Juliet she seemed to not get it. I found myself trying to yell advice at her.

The ending was crazy, I loved it! Juliet has really grown and it feels like she will be making more adult decisions. Unravel Me is just the beginning act in a war that will hopefully end in the next book and it can't come out fast enough!

FTC Advisory: Harper Collins provided me with a copy of Unravel Me. No goody bags, sponsorships, "material connections," or bribes were exchanged for my review.

UNRAVEL ME was even better than its predecessor, and considering how much I loved SHATTER ME, that says a lot. I kept putting this one off and I have no idea why, because it was amazing!

Juliette is at Omega Point, a hidden compound that is staging a revolt against the Reestablishment. Even though Juliette fits in there because almost everyone has some kind of power, she still feels left out and untrusted. It's not a good time for doubt because it's almost time for war.

I have to say, I think I am fully Team Warner now. Adam was kind of a downer this book, and his relationship drama with Juliette didn't interest me at all, especially when compared to how diverse Warner can be.

Warner and his dad are probably my favorite characters (after Kenji-I loved how his character developed, as well) because I just love a good villain. What makes them do what they do, their motives, etc. I'm so glad those Warner had a bigger role this novel.

This book was full of twists and turns and action, much more than the first book, and that makes it a fantastic sequel. I love the ending, it was a cliffhanger, but it also showed how much Juliette has grown as a character.

I can NOT wait for Ignite Me!

This review was originally posted on Readers in Wonderland book blog.

*** may be spoilers, I will try hard not to, but just a heads up! ***

I cannot even tell you how much I am loving this series. Each book gets better and better. Including the Novellas, and I am not a novella fan.

This book was so exciting. Everyone is learning more about themselves, and how to harness their energy. It's awesome.

Warner might be human. Might. I still have not decided for sure, but he showed some heart in this book. He almost made me like him, and then right after, he does something stupid to make me wonder again. He is one messed up dude. I know it is because of how he was raised, but dang. Messed up. His father Anderson, is a piece of work. Serious piece of work.

Then BAM......Plot twist. Brothers. Really. UGH! Sorry if you are reading and didn't know this. I told you I might spoil something. I cannot believe Warner and Adam are brothers. Seriously. Both raised by that crazy, horrible man Anderson.

I don't know if I want Warner to ever know. Maybe he will make different choices. Maybe not. I don't want to know. I don't want to see Warner be any more inhumane than he already is. I don't want Adam to fall into some kind of sick feeling of loyalty towards a brother he never knew he had, who is not a nice person.

Juliette. This poor girl cannot catch a break. My heart aches for her...Sometimes. In this book her wishy washy, love triangle is annoying. I hate love triangles. Hate them. Having said that, the book is still so super fantastic, I can't help it. Her abilities are growing every day, and she is becoming more confident. Thank heavens. I want her to be a force to be reckoned with!

The action was awesome. I cannot wait to read the next novella, and the next book. I hope it continues to get better :).

Such a great series! I am in love with Mafi's writing :)!

Just as good as the first with so much excitement. Of course I didn't like some of Juliette's chooses. Mainly her need to keep secrets and not tell the others important info they might need. Also, I'm really not sure who I like her with. I really love her with Adam. I think he is a great guy that loves her. But the fact that she can't always touch him makes a pretty complicated relationship. Also, he's so inherently good. And holds her up on this pedestal that is really unfair. He believes her to be this really good person that always does the right thing, and For the most part she is, but when she does mess up or does something wrong, he is overly upset about it and almost disappointed. Where Warner is a very complex character who might have some good qualities but he's not so Black and white. He lives in a world of grays and that seems better for her. It makes it easier for her to be strong and be herself while standing on her own. I keep going back and forth between them. lol. As always, I loved Kenji. So funny and not afraid to tell her how it is. Great book over all. If you haven't read it, you should.

Compared to the first book, I think this one is written better. There are still a lot of metaphors, but they don't seem as overbearing this time. And there are still strike outs, but not nearly as many.

I really enjoyed the book overall and always wanted to keep reading to find out what happened next. But sometimes Juliette really ticked me off with all her angst and and some of her actions. I can understand things being really hard for her and so she might not always do the right thing, but sometimes what she did just seemed to be the stupid course of action. Warner's interactions with Juliette continued to show the side of him we got to see in his novella. But Juliette's easily distracted thoughts and feelings urked me a bit because it really just seemed like she liked him because he too could touch her without getting hurt. Yes, she was seeing sides of him that make him seem more human and relatable (especially with all they have in common and him having read her journal), but I still think it all stems from him being able to touch her. The ending was crazy, and makes me definitely want to know how this will end. But I will admit, that I want her to end up with Adam. As much as I like Warner (and I really do), I kind of have this thing in my head where he should die protecting Juliette and that will leave Adam to hold her together. *shrug* that's just me though.

This book, this second book in the "Shatter Me" trilogy was just as good as the first one. Tahereh Mafi has a gorgeous writing style and the way she draws light on the flaws of society is amazing. The varied syntax just captures me and I couldn't stop reading. Juliette has such an interesting mind and her story is a fascinating tale. Right from the beginning the writing hooked me in. The writing was so poetic and kept building up into beautiful extended metaphors. I love how throughout the book, the writing never stopped amazing me or leaving me in pure awe.
The whole Adam situation... I don't know how I feel about that. Honestly I think the entire love triangle itself is a bit of thinker. I feel like Juliette's love for Adam was a bit to instalove, that is just isn't possible to be that in love with someone. I think she loves the idea of him, someone so familiar from her path and someone attainable (or rather he use to be) appealing. I also think Adam might not love her for all the right reasons. I understand that she is the girl he liked from the past, but is it possible to hold on to the infatuation for so long. Does he really love the new her? Or is it once again the idea of her?
Then there's Warner... the more I read about him, the more I like him yet at the same time hate him. He is such a complex character with deeply rooted psychological daddy issues. I'm not sure why he has such a strong desire to be with Juliette. And Juliette, I don't know about her feelings for Warner. I think he puzzles and intrigues her, she wants to fix him, and overall is just sexually attracted to him. I mean, I'm not going to lie, the physical appearance of Warner is almost enough for me to forget how twisted of a human being he is.
It was really interesting to learn more about Kenji. I originally thought he was present for just comedic relief, but it became very clear that he is a very important character, one who knows the time and place for being serious. At times, the serious part of Kenji kind of freaked me out, but then I would realize that it was necessary for him to behave the way he does because he helps life run smoothly at Omega Point.
The whole Anderson situation... god I hate that man. I understand why Warner is so messed up. (I also see why Warner doesn't go by his first name. I laughed so damn hard when I read what his name is.) The way that Anderson also ties in with Adam was mind-blowing. I was not expecting that, and honestly I want more backstory on that.
Juliette really grew as a character throughout this whole story. There were times when she was a weak, scared girl, but then she learned to get her s*** together because she is not the only person that matters anymore. She grew from hating her abilities with all of her soul, to mildly accepting them and realizing they are necessary for the war. I'm really interested to see where things go with her and Warner because their new "bonding" and revelations could really affect not only their lives, but the war. Also, Warner has slightly developed as a person, but doesn't think he can change, and I think that is really going to push Juliette to try to fix him.
(Can I just say, that ending though... it messed with me. Hell, this whole book messed with my head.)

My Thoughts: This series just keeps getting better and better. I am really starting to enjoy Ms. Mafi's writing. It just flows with such ease, which allows you to be read continuously without taking any breaks. But now that its over, the wait to book 3 is going to be extremely long. However, I am looking forward to reading the novella Destroy Me and get to know more about Warner.

What I Liked: This book really took off for me. It was action packed, filled with good suspense and some nice hot scenes. There were also some very sad moments, moments that crushed your heart and moments were you found yourself feeling sympathetic towards someone, which you would not have before. And boy of boy there is an INTERESTING TWIST thrown at you that you will not see coming!

What I Didn't Like: Once again there wasn't much I didn't like, however the problem with reading so many YA books, is that after a while you are able to start predicting plot twists. And there was one scene in this book that reminded me a little too much of Cassie Claire's Immortal Instrument series, hence why I gave the book a 4.5 instead of a 5.

WILL CONTAIN SPOILERS FROM SHATTER ME, CONSIDER SELF WARNED!

Juliette, Adam, Kenji, and James have escaped to Omega Point. Omega Point is a place hidden underground and is also the rebel resistance. People there have gifts just like Juliette does. After shooting Warner in the arm and rescuing Adam, Juliette is finally free from being held prisoner. No one but Juliette knows that Warner can touch her. The Supreme Commander of The Reestablishment, whom is Warner’s father is in town and no one knows what he looks like. He is very interested in Juliette and her gift, but doesn’t feel that she should be alive. Juliette has to make many life changing decisions, some that even include those she cares about.

My Thoughts:

Oh my gosh, okay. I am in LOVE with Tahereh Mafi’s writing style! I can’t get over how amazing and beautiful it is! I literally COULD NOT put the book down. Every time I would tell myself it was time to take a break, something would happen and I’d be drawn back in and read another 50 pages and repeat that process. I was so engrossed the entire time and always wanting more.

I kept telling myself that I wouldn’t love Warner, especially after I read Destroy Me… But I did. He grew on me a lot. I’m still conflicted as to what team I want to be for.. It does lean more towards Adam that’s for sure. Warner is slowing climbing up there though. I thought people were crazy to go for Team Warner, but after reading the past two books and understand him more as a character, it was hard not to fall for him. He’s crazy, ruthless and insane! I tried VERY hard not to like him and for everything that he did. But, Tahereh Mafi made me fall for him. But, that’s okay!

Juliette has gotten a lot more stronger as a person since Shatter Me. In Shatter Me she was very kept to herself and wanted to be alone. Yes, there were some parts where she continued to be like this, but she’s been that way since she was sent to the asylum. Overall, her character has gotten so much more brave, strong, and self-confident. She has started to accept who she is and her gift.

I was very curious what everyone was talking about with Chapter 62.. I had an idea of what it would be.. and HOLY MOLY GUACAMOLE! WOW! Talk about a scene!..

I’m so excited to read the second novella, Fracture Me which will be told in Adam’s point of view. We didn’t get to see the happy side of Adam at all during Unravel Me. I am also excited about Ignite Me, but I have a while to wait for that one… :(

Favorite Quotes:

“Every day I stare at these 4 walls and remind myself I’m not a prisoner I’m not a prisoner I’m not a prisoner but sometimes the old fears streak across my skin and I can’t seem to break free of the claustrophobia clutching at my throat.”

.

“It’s the kind of kiss that makes you realize oxygen is overrated.”

.

“Hope can make people do terrible things.”

.

“I want to be the friend you fall hopelessly in love with. The one you take into your arms and into your bed and into the private world you keep trapped in your head. I want to be that kind of friend. The one who will memorize the things you say as well as the shape of your lips when you say them. I want to know every curve, every freckle, every shiver of your body.

I want to know where to touch you, I want to know how to touch you. I want to know convince you to design a smile just for me. Yes, I do want to be your friend. I want to be your best friend in the entire world.”

.

“The man is moody as hell.”

“I am not moody—”

“Yeah, bro.” Kenji puts his utensils down. “You are moody. It’s always ‘Shut up, Kenji.’ ‘Go to sleep, Kenji.’ ‘No one wants to see you naked, Kenji.’ When I know for a fact that there are thousands of people who would love to see me naked—”

~4.5/5

[More of my reviews are available on my blog, Geeky Reading, to which there's a link on my profile.]

I am hugely impressed and in love with this series. I mean, I loved the first one, but this one was possibly even better.

Firstly, I love the writing in this series. It’s beautiful, gorgeous, enter all-other-synonymous-words here. I love the short sentences and paragraphs and spaced words and crossed out thoughts and repetitive thoughts, and all the different ways that Mafi uses the language here. Juliette’s voice is portrayed so well, which really makes me wonder what the writing will be like for a different character. I think the only other time I’ve been this impressed with a writing style is with Maggie Stiefvater’s, but in a completely different way. I am just in love with the writing here.

Second is the world. I’m so intrigued by the world set up here. It’s also a little disturbing to me how easily the dystopia set in, with the people actually voting and cheering for it, only for it to turn back on them. That could happen so easily nowadays, and that makes me uneasy. But so interested!

I completely love the characters. Juliette is one of my absolute favorite heroines at this point. She has problems with her self-worth, but she doesn’t back down, and she’s so good at standing up for herself and anyone she cares about. I love how she stands up to Warner, and then to his father (ohmygod, the scene with his father was the best!).

There are several other great characters as well. James is adorable, and I would have liked to see more of him. There was a lot of Kenji in this one, and I grew really fond of him. He’s funny and strong, and he evens out Juliette rather well. We met a lot of other characters and they were all fun, and I hope they show up more in the next book.

Now, the romance. The romantic element in this series takes up a lot of time, and I love that. It’s very important to Juliette, and it’s very intense and hot and sweet. I love it. I also like how Kenji will point this out to Juliette, as if letting us readers know that she knows this is happening.

Then there are the romantic interests. This is one of the very few books where I’m actually not sure which one I like more. I’ve kind of made up my mind at this point, but at first I wasn’t sure, and I still think I would be satisfied if she chose the other one, at least a little. But the fact that the romance is so well done on both sides really shows me how well this is written, that Juliette can actually feel believably strong emotions for both boys. That doesn’t happen very often for me.

I like Adam, and I have since the beginning. And now I feel really bad for him, because of what’s happening with Juliette. I also really like Warner, and am leaning more toward him, both because I like him and feel that he would be better for Juliette just as much as she’d be good for him.

Warner is very obviously the bad boy, and he’s actually a believable, actual bad boy, who has done a lot of bad things. Juliette’s feelings for him are very intense and honest. And I like that, even though she has romantic feelings for him, she doesn’t forget all the bad things he’s done. In a lot of series, a character will do something bad but very quickly the other characters will forget about it/never mention it again because the other characters like them now, but that hasn’t happened here.

Then there’s his father, who I completely hate. God, that scene with him and Juliette was so good, and the second one is going to lead to some very interesting things.

I loved this book, and that ending was so good, and makes me want the next one so badly. I cannot wait to get it, and the novella collection so I can finally read Warner’s short story and Adam’s. I’m so excited to see what happens next.

Oh Lordy me, I am undone!! Completely, I have no words (well actually I do) but I am stunned, shocked and well I have no idea which team to bat for!!

<del>Team Adam, Team Warner, Team Adam, Team Warner</del> Argggggh, I've no clue!! I think I'm on Team Kenji! (I know he isn't in the running, but hey he gorgeous...and funny and I loved him in this book.

So, Juliette is safe in the confines of Omega Point, she is having to train and harness her gift. She should be happy right? she has Adam right? She is out of Warner's clutches right? Wrong! The first part of this book was dealing with her insecurities, he inability to work out how she can use her gift. How she can be super human hulk one minute and cowering wreck the next.

I didn't like it, but I understood it. Oh the heart wrenching reaction to watching Adam try to understand how he can touch her, to the realization she could kill him in a moment of forgetfulness was wonderful.

Just as I was tiring of her whiny ways in steps the beautifully awesome Kenji and he tells her what's up. Oh Kenji, you are my new book boyfriend! *Sigh* She couldn't snap out of it at a better moment, Four of the Omega's have been kidnapped by Warner's dad, the deliciously evil Anderson. If you think Warner is bad wait until you get a load of daddy.

On a mission to "trade" Juliette for them she finally gets to grip with her anger, I was fanfirling in the stands when she gave him both barrels, I really couldn't understand why Kenji had to spoil her little party (but it was explained later on)

Back at the compound they have Warner hostage and Castle wants Juliette to gain information on Winston and Brandon (who are still missing) Boy, oh boy. Talk about steam fest, I was completely undone (yes I said it again) at the unfolding story between Juliette and Warner.

I was in love, I was confused, I had my pom poms going rooting for Warner, then just like Juliette I remembered Adam. Wonderful, angst ridden Adam.

The final chapters were delightfully filled with "What the Hell" moments it was divine. I love this story, I have no idea who the heck I'm cheering on but come the next installment "I'm leaving my gloves behind" Awesome story, Tahereh writes pure magic.

Read more of my reviews at Never Judge a Book by its Movie [...]

As the much anticipated sequel to Shatter Me, Unravel Me picks up where its predecessor left off and takes us through the struggles Juliette faces now that she’s a part of the resistance at Omega Point. Not feeling quite like she fits in, Juliette holds on to the fact that she can be with Adam, that is until Adam’s supposed immunity to Juliette’s lethal touch starts to fail and he begins experiencing the pain associated with coming in contact with her skin. This revelation prompts a breakup that is too much for Adam to accept, even knowing deep down that it’s for his own protection.

Throughout the book we are taken through Juliette’s emotional roller coaster. Her highs and lows as she learns more about the extent of her powers and how she has now become an integral part of the resistance. Our loyalties are put into doubt as we see a side or Warner that we had never seen before, a side that he only shows when he’s around Juliette. He is truly in love with her and will do anything to be with her, but he’s also the same evil guy we read about in Shatter Me who has done unspeakable things. I found myself thinking that maybe Warner was just a victim of his circumstances and that with the right motivation, maybe Juliette’s love, he could change. On the flip side, I was brought back to Adam and what a wonderful guy he has been the whole time and I’m torn all over again.

A lot is revealed in this book about the different abilities and weaknesses the characters have. We find out why Adam all of a sudden is hurt by Juliette’s touch, we find out why it is that Warner is able to touch her, and we find out what exactly is Kenji’s power. We also find out that what we know so far about Juliette’s powers is just barely touching the tip of iceberg and that there’s a lot of work to be done on her part to explore these abilities, that is if Juliette can stop feeling sorry for herself and works up the courage. Like in Shatter Me, there’s a lot of Juliette self-pity in this book. I’m hoping that by book #3, Juliette has found her worth and her voice.

As always, Tahereh Mafi’s writing is deliciously poetic. She never fails to deliver a story that will tug at your heartstrings and make you fall deeply for not just the main characters, but all the supporting characters as well. There was a lot of buzz online regarding chapter 62 in the book, which I can confirm contains a very passionate love scene while still keeping it YA acceptable. This book is a very worthy sequel and set up for the conclusion of the trilogy. As with anything that Tahereh writes, this a must-read.

Wow. That was impressive!

After reading Shatter Me, I was hoping the sequel will be better because I wasn't satisfied with the first book. I think it was destined to left us all hanging because there is more.

Unravel Me exceeds beyond my expectation. I am so satisfied.It was action-packed and exciting that I don't want to put this book down at all. The twists are better and some revelations that I didn't really expect. I'm having a book-hangover right now. I can't help being amazed with this book.

I find Juliette a bit annoying, but I do understand because of her traumatic experiences using her power. In this book, I find her selfish, whiny and feels sorry about herself. She can't focus at all because of that negative energy. She needs to grow up.She must accept her power wholeheartedly and use it in a right way. To defend everyone she cares about.

I feel sorry for Adam in this book. I couldn't help but feel sad for him. I still prefer him for Juliette and not Warner. I like Adam for trying to make things work between him & Juliette. He's one good man. He does not deserve to be hurt.

By the way, I couldn't get over with CHAPTER 62. O.M.G Warner! What have you done to me? You split my mind! You are such a complicated man. I think I forgot how to breathe on that chapter. He's driving me crazy! Despite of being a villain in the first book, I think he wasn't a villain at all. He has a good heart I believe. He needs to stop pretending for his father and unravel his true self.

Am I Team Adam or Team Warner?

- I LOVE THEM BOTH AND ADD TEAM KENJI HERE!
P.S: I love that guy too. He just made me smile. :)

This series just keeps getting better and better and better. All of the books have been deep and emotionally charged... and pretty emotionally disturbing when you think about the world that these characters live in. But this one, in my opinion, took it to a whole new level.

Watching Juliette grow and change is so fascinating. She was so devoid of human interaction that it left her more than a little socially awkward and emotionally damaged. Seeing her experience the world, even in the state that it is, is rather refreshing. But her story wasn't all happiness. Parts of it were just heartbreaking. I wanted her to have everything she wanted. She earned it, after a lifetime of being shunned, used, and treated like a monster. But nothing in life, not even in fantasy, is perfect.

And we meet a new evil in this book. Anderson, Warner's father and the leader of the all-powerful Reestablishment. He makes Warner look like a fluffy bunny rabbit, which is truly saying something.

Team Adam. Team Warner. Team Adam. Team Warner. I go back and forth, practically from page to page! There are moments when everything in you aches for Adam and you root for him with all of your heart. And then in the next moment, all of that is for the unexpected Warner.

Things to love...

--The depth of the characters. Love them or hate them, they are intense.
--The wold of Juliette, Warner, and Adam is scarily realistic, making you shudder at the possibilities.

Things I wanted more/less of...

--More Kenji! I love him! He's funny and hilarious, and sometimes the most supportive of Juliette.

My Recommendation: Love dystopia? Then run, don't walk, and get these books!

My Initial Reaction...
I was so relieved that Unravel Me didn't go down the path I worried it would after finishing Shatter Me. Overall I'm loving this series, though Juliette is driving me a bit crazy!

Note:Some minor series spoilers.

The Narration...
I think Kate Simses is a perfect narrator for this series. As I already said in my review for Shatter Me, there's a poetic sound to Unravel Me that I feel needs to be read aloud and read aloud well. Kate Simses nails it for me.

The Characters...
I've had a real reversal in how I feel about Juliette with Unravel Me. In Shatter Me I loved her. But she's just so wishy-washy, "poor me" in Unravel Me that I got tired of her. I understand she's had a hard life, but she's surrounded now by people who've also had a hard life, who also have had to deal with these disturbing differences about themselves and all she can think about is how bad her situation is!

And the relationship between her and Adam is so frustrating. She let's it consume her - and I get that it's different than just a first teenage relationship... this is the first person who's ever been able to even TOUCH her. But come on girl, don't let that cloud your ability to think for yourself and make decisions. Surprisingly, Adam grew on my with Unravel Me. I think because he's having to face some pretty rough realizations and I think he's dealing better than Juliette. But he's still not my favorite.

My favorite is tied - for two entirely different reasons and roles - between Warner and Kenji. Kenji is the friend that Juliette really needs. The person who cares for her but doesn't want to BE With her. I feel like she really needed a non-romantic relationship like this. Because not only does Kenji show her she can have friends, but like a true friend - HE TELLS HER HOW IT IS. I can't tell you how much I liked his willingness to tell her off. And I really want to know him better. I loved hearing about him as a kid through Castle's eyes.

And then there's Warner. God, he's still such a mess. And still playing the role of villain in a lot of ways. And yet I adore him. I think him and Juliette are perfect for each other because they've both been told their whole lives they are monsters. Juliette because of what she can't help but do. Warner because that's who he thinks he has to be. Both are trying to tell the other they can be so much more. Both are right. And both are stubbornly not hearing the other. Can't wait to see where that goes.

The Story...
I had been super worried that Unravel Me would go all X-Men after the first book. I'm so glad it didn't - I like X-Men but I wanted this to be more unique. And it is.

The basic story line for Unravel Me revolves around the resistance group at Omega Point that Juliette and Adam joined at the end of Shatter Me. They are training, learning more about themselves and preparing to fight the Reestablishment. Things aren't quite as perfect as they might have seemed at first glance, not to mention Warner's diligently seeking them out. I loved every twist Tahreh Mafi threw into Unravel Me - there's lots of unexpected challenges and lots of personal development. I'm actually torn a bit about the Resistance now - nothing is black and white, which I love. We got some SERIOUS, kick-butt action in Unravel Me, complete with superpowers galore! A really great balance between the conflict with the Reestablishment and the internal conflicts.

Also - as a note, I seriously recommend reading the novella Destroy Me before reading Unravel Me. The two overlap for the first bit of Unravel Me and it really changes your perception of the events in a great, exciting way.

Concluding Sentiments...
I'm thrilled I found this series and am really invested in the characters and can't wait to see where it goes. Unravel Me ended on a bit of cliff hanger (not a bad one) so I'm thankful that the next book is out already!

Wow. Just.... Wow. I'm so glad I stayed away from spoilers before reading this. There were a couple of unexpected twists that had me sitting up in my bed yelling, "Holy crap"! And "This is going to be such a good movie--is it going to be a movie?" and "oh my GOSH!!!"

Without giving too much away, Unravel Me picks up with Juliette and Adam (her boyfriend, one of two people in the entire world immune to her deadly touch) and Adam's pal, Kenji, in the compound they escaped to at the end of the first book in the trilogy, Shatter Me (the compound's called Omega Point). Kenji is by far my favorite character out of all of them, now. He's the quick-witted, sarcastic friend everyone wants to knock upside the head, but still loves to pieces.

One of the main points in Unravel Me is Adam and Juliette trying to learn how to deal with/harness their "energy". Adam discovers something about his "energy" that is a big issue in his relationship with Juliette (Issues are constantly coming up in this book. Constantly.) and that's quite the problem. Juliette still isn't sure how to get her strength to work on command, though boy are there some up close and personal strength moments in there!

Another main point is Warner. Now, if you plan on reading this series, I am telling you, you need to read the novella (ebook), Destroy Me, before reading Unravel Me. I am serious. This is Warner's story, it gives you a window into his brain, his heart and his soul, and not reading it before Unravel Me will only make you want to go read it halfway through Unravel Me to hear more about him, anyway (or kick yourself for not reading it first when you read it after Unravel Me). So, just read it first. I promise you will thank me later.

Regarding sensuality in this book, the heat is turned up even higher than in Shatter Me. Another... wow. There are moments you really truly did not think would ever happen. There are moments you're wanting something to happen, even though you know you should not be wanting it to happen! I wish I could say more, but I don't want to give it away! (As I was reading/reacting, my 13 year-old asked if she could read it. It's going to have to be a no--obviously others will feel different, but I'm talking hot and steamy Nicholas Sparks-y scenes here, guys.)

Regarding the "holy crap" moments, I am not going to ruin the mystery. But let me just say, Tahereh did a wonderful job of tying something in perfectly to where I almost thought later, Well of course she would write it that way--it's perfect. Of course! (And then another OH MY GOSH!)

A quick point before I draw this (hopefully really vague but decent) review to a close: for readers who have issues with Tahereh's prose and metaphors, I personally felt that she relaxed on those a little bit. (Or maybe I was just reading over them too quickly to notice!) And honestly, if just feels like Juliette. That's who she is.

Bottom line: if you liked Shatter Me, you're going to love Unravel Me. If you liked the novella Destroy Me, you're going to love Unravel Me even more. And if you're like me, you're definitely going to be rooting for... Warner.

Finally! It feels like it took me forever to get around to this one, even though I read Shatter Me six months ago and that's a short wait for me. Unravel Me picks up three weeks after Shatter Me ends and interconnects with a few scenes from the novella Destroy Me.

The one thing that remains strong with these books is the writing, which is so poetic and unique. I honestly think that if I picked up any other book that had so many words crossed out or separated I'd go nuts. The editor in me just can't handle it, but for some reason I welcome it with the Shatter Me books. It provides a more personal experience and it's surprising how you can create tension just by pressing enter a few times. At any rate we're back into the thick of it with this one and things really heat up...in more ways than one. War, relationship issues, budding friendships, and of course the love triangle. We get to see more of the Resistance, how they operate and some of the interesting powers that the other residents have. One of the best things about this is the fact that it acknowledges the grey areas involved in human lives and more importantly war. Nothing is as black and white as we want it to be.

I really enjoy the overall plot but this one felt a bit slow for me and I kind of blame that on all the attention given to Adam, who I personally find boring. He's a good guy, he's sweet and he loves Juliette but I'm at the point where if they are in a room together I immediately want them separated. I feel terribly for them both and the situation they have to deal with but at the same time I just don't want to hear it anymore. The surprising relationship with Warner is more my speed because there is more to it, there is more to develop and understand than there is with Adam. Warner is a bag of cats, he's rather pretty to look at but you can just see the crazy rolling off the guy...and you definitely know you don't want to open the bag but curiosity (and humanity) just makes you want to. That being said I don't necessarily want to see a full relationship between them unless some things change, but I definitely love the tension! As for the other cast of characters I'm super glad to have more time with Kenji, who is a lot of fun even when he's being weird, and I enjoyed getting to know Castle more.

Overall I loved the book but the added annoyance of the Adam/Juliette whine-fest kind of dropped it a bit for me. I can't wait to read book three!

'Unravel Me' had the same beautiful writing as the previous book but with a lot more twists, turns and suprises. You never know what to feel because your emotions will be changing the whole way through. This book is amazing.
You still are reading through Juliette's point of view and it is so interesting. Everyone knows her as the weak and quiet girl (on the outside) but she starts to turn into a strong and courageous girl who knows how to use her power for good and for evil. Juliette, Adam, Kenji and James are now living with the rebels at Omega Point and team up with them to wreck some havoc against The Reestablishment. Over the course of living there, Juliette learns that many other people have gifts like hers, she needs to stop feeling sorry for herself, and that her relationship with Adam has to have some sort of trick to it.
You get more of an insight into who Kenji really is and how important his job is at Omega Point. You also get a certain unexpected guest who you get to learn more about his feelings toward Juliette and who he really is. This unexpected guest also has some relatives who are very high up in the Reestablishment. Be prepared for some major surprises and realizations in 'Unravel Me.'

Can you imagine what it would be like to have spent the past several years in near total sensory deprivation? Unable to see, touch, or talk to another human being? Add to that the curse of killing anyone you touch. This is not a recipe for happiness, but as Tahereh Mafi has shown, it does create one of the most intriguing characters ever.

There is something so mesmerizing about the lyrical writing in the Shatter Me series. It is so immersive and textural that at times it can feel overwhelming. But that's part of what makes it so perfect considering the protagonist. Juliette has been locked away, starved of any kind of contact for years. When she first interacts with people again, falls in love, every experience is super charged and overly bright. When her heart is shredded, so is the reader's. When she experiences passion-even just a kiss or caress-the reader feels every exquisite sensation. When she unwillingly causes pain, the reader wants to die with her.

It can happen in YA with really great characters that the plot takes a backseat, but not in UNRAVEL ME. This dystopian world is fascinating with it's totalitarian Reestablishment and the small but growing resistance made up of people with abilities, like Juliette. War is coming and casualties are inevitable, the emotional ones are already happening between Juliette and the two people who have been able to touch her. My heart is still wounded just thinking about the two of them.

The next book in the Shatter Me series(coming in Fall 2013) promises to be as deeply sensual, deeply emotional, and every bit as thrilling as UNRAVEL ME. This series has a plot, characters, and writing that are beyond beautiful. It will be a torturous wait to return to Juliette's story.

Sexual Content:
Kissing. Sensuality

Unravel Me was so much better than Shatter Me, and I really loved Shatter Me, so that is saying something. So much changes over the course of this book; things you thought were unchangeable turn out to be quite changeable indeed. This holds especially true for Warner. I have been Team Warner from the beginning – don’t shoot! – something about him just caught my attention. However, I think a lot of people, especially people who disliked him, are going to be torn about him after reading this book. There is much more to Warner than just an evil villain. Unravel Me introduces the real villain that we should fear and Warner is not it.

Juliette grows up so much throughout the course of this book and I really came to admire her character. She was never one of the strongest characters out there, with very good reason, but in this book she really learns to stand on her own and I loved it. There is one quote that I think really sums her up perfectly in this one: “All I know is that it’ll never be safe for me to rely on someone else again, to need constant reassurance of who I am and who I might someday be. I can love him, but I can’t depend on him to be my backbone. I can’t be my own person if I constantly require someone else to hold me together.” I love that she recognizes that she can be strong without the help of anyone else. I am really looking forward to what she brings to the table in the final installment.

Now do not get me wrong, I like Adam, I really do, but he kinda got on my nerves at points during Unravel Me. He was just very mopey for a lot of the book and while I understood why, I still got tired of it. I just don’t do well with characters who are depressed for a majority of a book. I still like him but I just felt like a lot of the time we saw him, he was upset and it would result in the same scene between him and Juliette.

Warner… we all know I love the broken ones and Warner is definitely broken. I don’t want to give too much away, so let’s just say the Warner in Unravel Me is not the same Warner we met in Shatter Me. He is the Warner I always knew was hiding underneath his crazy exterior somewhere. See, I truly think that Warner understands Juliette in a way that nobody else can. He truly gets what it is like to be her, because he lived a very similar life. Whether you are Team Warner or Team Adam, Unravel Me will make you question who is really better for Juliette. Because honestly I think Warner accepts Juliette as she is, while there are things about herself she has to change for Adam. But I digress, that may just be my Warner bias showing through. I do think there may be a lot of team switching after this one.

Now I have to talk about Kenji. He literally stole every scene he was in. He has such an arrogant yet wonderfully witty personality. The things that came out of his mouth never ceased to amaze me. Kenji definitely has a way with words.

The writing in Unravel Me is simply breathtaking. The writing is just beautiful and astounding and gosh I just don’t know how to describe it. The story flows so wonderfully and the writing is just flawless.

My one complaint is the way Juliette is treated at the beginning of the book. Be warned this could be considered spoilery. It seemed as if the people at Omega Point just couldn’t understand why Juliette had trouble interacting with others and just wanted her to settle in and be BFFs with everyone right away. I’m sorry, but what did you expect from a girl who spent most of her life in solitude? I know she needed a push, I just don’t think anyone truly took the time to understand her and just kept telling her to suck it up instead.

Overall, Unravel Me is a great follow up to Shatter Me, and please do yourself a favor and read Destroy Me the novella from Warner’s POV beforehand; it really adds something to the story. This book will grab your attention and hold it until the very end.

‘I don’t understand what’s happening or why he seems so uncertain about me and us and him and me and he and I and all of those pronouns put together.’

What. The. Hell. Just stop talking.

Yeah, I don’t understand why I’m still reading this series either. I’m clearly the black sheep. Baa.

Unravel Me picks up where Shatter Me left off with Juliette trying desperately to get along with the rebel resistance that saved her life. Despite being surrounded by people just like her, she’s never felt like more of an outcast. Her powers are far more dangerous than any of the others and it’s easy for them to fear the unknown. Adam is also acting differently towards her and Juliette fears that the tests he’s been undergoing to determine why he’s able to touch her means their relationship will never be the same.

So my biggest issue with this book is lack of overall development in each and every part of this story. The storyline itself, the characters, etc. Nothing made progress. I think Juliette actually did some backtracking back to the weakling she was when she was alone in her cell. Not having the connection with Adam caused her to become this whiny, sniveling character that drove me absolutely batty. She spent a tremendous amount of time keeping secrets from everyone that obviously would have helped the situation the resistance found themselves in. It was ridiculous.

The love triangle continued, of course, and that was of course the sole focus of Unravel Me even when there were far greater concerns that could have been delved into. I’m sure if you’re into a more romance focused story then this will be your thing but if you’re going to slap a dystopian genre tag on a book I’m going to expect some detailed exploration into the world-building. The drama and angst was great and Juliette was so beyond ridiculous that she stopped caring completely for her future because she was determined to ‘live in the moment’.

‘His right hand slides up my spine and tugs on the zipper holding my suit together until its halfway down my back and I don’t care. I have 17 years to make up for and I want to feel everything. I’m not interested in waiting around and risking the who-knows and the what-ifs and the huge regrets.’

hahaha Just remember to wear a condom!

So by this point I’m obviously in for the long haul so I will be picking up Ignite Me. I don’t have much hope for Juliette making a noble sacrifice and putting her out of my misery but I do retain hope that the dystopian society will be explored in more detail considering this is the final installment. My hopes are not high though.

Oh how I loved this! I liked Shatter Me. I thought the plot was intriguing, and the writing was phenomenal. Juliette was a seriously damaged, tortured girl and I just wanted to HUG her. (wrapped in bubble wrap, of course) BUT, Unravel Me BLEW.ME.AWAY. This book is full of heart breaking drama, action and self discovery. One of the things I love most about this is the writing. It’s beautiful. It’s captivating. It holds you until the very end. I can’t express enough how much the writing alone makes this book stand out.

It’s only been two weeks since arriving at Omega Point, were Juliette, Adam and Kenji have ended up since escaping Warner and sector 45. We learn about the daily life in Omega Point and it’s residents. We also get to learn more about Juliette’s power, more about the resistance as a whole and yes, more Warner. It’s shocking to learn along with Juliette just how horrible and heart breaking her world is. The things that we witness the Reestablishment do was just terrifying. We get to see a lot more of the characters we were introduced in Shatter Me. Kenji. James. Castle. There are also HUGE mind-blowing discoveries and twists that just made me speechless.

Juliette. Gah, this poor girl. I just love her. She has grown so much over just a few weeks. She has handled everything admirably, considering.. well, everything. Although at times, she does come off as selfish and does feel sorry for herself on more than one occasion, I understood that. I felt that she had EVERY RIGHT to feel the way she did and react the way she did. Her “gift” is what has caused her to be treated the way she was (is) and is the reason WHY she has been isolated for YEARS. There was a lot expected from her and I felt that Kenji and Castle put way too much pressure on her. I understood her reluctance to train. I understood her awkwardness and shyness towards everyone. I understood why she kept secrets. Imagine never having any friends and family. No one to talk to; to confide in-and all the sudden being SURROUNDED by people and expected to mingle, make friends and most importantly, be apart of a team. Good grief people, give her more time to ADJUST. I hated how she was told to basically grow up and get over it. It was a heartless thing to say and do. She gave it everything she could and tried so hard to please everyone. She is so strong. And so brave. I love how she would do just about anything to protect the ones she cares about.

As for the love triangle; the is one of those times where I LIKED IT. I feel that Juliette’s feelings for Adam are mainly due to the fact he is the first person that has been able to touch her without killing or seriously injuring them. She truly does care for him, I get that, but it’s obvious to me that Warner makes her feel things that Adam just doesn’t. I felt sorry for Adam and at times his confessions broke my heart.. But I am rooting for Warner. We see a completely different side of him and it was sweet yet heart breaking at the same time, watching them interact and getting to know each other. She trusts him. And she is the only one that has believed in him. He is so raw and troubled and I love how he is around Juliette. He really lets his walls down for her and lets her see him. I felt sorry for him on a completely different level than I did Adam. He’s just more real. While there are some differences between Warner and Adam, they really aren’t THAT different. Had Adam lived Warner’s life, he would probably be exactly the same (and vice versa). Adam’s lust for blood is NO different from Warner’s lust for Adam’s. They both lived terrible child hoods and had to do unspeakable things to get by and live. They are the same down to the core. The only difference being Warner recognizes what he is and Adam doesn’t. Because Adam tries to justify his actions by claiming self-defense, claiming he had no choice, makes him a hypocrite. Yes, Warner has done a lot of horrible things but he owns it and doesn’t make excuses. He may be flawed (royally) but at least he knows who he is.

And just for the record; Anderson is one crazy, sadistic SOB.

Overall- I loved it! This book is fantastic. If you haven’t started the series, I would HIGHLY recommend it. I can’t wait for the next book! It’s going to a long, long year waiting for book 3!

I am at a loss for words with this one. It took all my hopes for a strong sequel and left me completely dumfounded because of the sheer creativity and unforeseeable surprises that were littered throughout the novel. It literally ripped out my heart, stitched it back up, and tugged on my heartstrings again and again. And I have no idea how to properly put my love of this novel into a coherent and intelligent review.

I'll be honest and say that as I first began this novel, I was incredibly disappointed. For the solid first hundred pages of the book Juliette reverted back to the scared, reclusive girl we met at the beginning of SHATTER ME. All of her growth, her new knowledge and self-esteem, was completely thrown out of the window and, I'll admit, it was slightly frustrating having to see her get built up a second time around. Her irrationality is always part of her as a character and it is one of the many things that makes her endearing to me, but my excitement for this novel began to waver as I had to watch these sequences unfold. But when it became increasingly apparent that despite Juliette's need to be built back up again, the plot of the trilogy was easily going to continue with new twists and ways to bring her out of her shell, I was easily relaxed. And let me tell you, the rest of the book more than makes up for the temporary set back that the beginning presented.

Watching Juliette's growth was amazing. Picking up a mere two weeks after SHATTER ME ended, our characters at the very beginning, aside from Juliette, do not change much. The immense growth among them all was fascinating to me as a reader and easily held my interesting. It truly made the novel for me. Kenji, as always, provided a large portion of comic relief.

But the biggest surprise, for me at least, was Warner. Warner does play such an important role in this novel, and man, do we learn a lot about him. Is he a psychopath? Without a doubt. But does Mafi somehow find a way to show his vulnerabilities and soft side, so much so that we actually learn to love such a twisted character and maybe even want to clone him for ourselves? HELL TO THE YES. His entrance into the whole of the novel set a new tone for the series and made this book not only stand out among the love triangles and dystopians, but set the bar even higher for a series that I never thought could get any better. I admit that I couldn't fathom why so many people were switching teams upon reading this novel, but Mafi is a literary genius that shows even those who are undoubtedly certifiably insane can experience a passion so intense that it is indescribable. With her unique writing style, Mafi is capable of amazing things, and she does not disappoint. I cannot even begin to describe how much I have missed her writing style before I was able to read this book. And the swoony moments that made my heart beat double-time because I simply could not fathom what I was reading is that amazing cheery on top of that already delicious hot fudge sundae with extra whipped cream.

In conclusion, this is one novel that surpassed all expectations and completely blew my mind. The ending unfortunately is a cliffhanger, but it's the type of cliffhanger that makes you eager for the next book because it clearly hints at the large character development that Juliette will experience in book three. I am eagerly anticipating its release and highly recommend this series to anyone. And I also feel obligated to apologize for this review. This book blew my mind so much that my brains have turned to mush and I simply cannot comprehend and properly describe my extreme love of Tahereh Mafi's amazing mind.

Unfortunately, I did not like this book as much as the first. The first half of the book was hard for me to get through, but once I hit the 200 page mark, it picked up the pace. I am having a hard time digesting Mafi’s writing style, where as in the first book I found it unique, I found it sometimes awkward in her sequel. Mafi writes phrases such as, “…you keep trying to speak but your throat was full of rain clouds and it’s like someone has taken the ocean and filled it with silence and dumped it all over the room.” (P. 352) This is a good representation of what you can expect to read in this book. At times, it was beautiful, but occasionally I had no idea what Mafi was trying to say.

I had some issues with character development as well. First off, I loved Kenji, he was funny and my favorite character. Adam lacked personality; I felt like I never really knew who he was because he would have a brief interaction with Juliette and then run off to do something else. The novella, Fracture Me, is told in Adam’s perspective, but I feel like this is a standalone book and should have had more insight into his character. I really liked Warner, I find his character interesting and the development is superb. However, when he would refer to Juliette as Love, I wanted to throw up in my mouth a little bit. Some people can pull off using pet names, but it felt really awkward and sleazy when Warner used them. I had a love/hate relationship with Juliette’s character. When she was self-reliant and confident, I liked her character a lot, but those times were slim. I thought Juliette was whiney and constantly making the same mistakes. She was always withholding information and then, of course, it gets out somehow and she realizes she should have just told everyone in the first place….and then it happens all over again.

I must admit that love triangles are my guilty pleasure, but I really didn’t like this one. I did like the two men in the triangle, both were interesting and worth rooting for, but I did not like Juliette. I found her to be a player, which I do understand that a love triangle requires interests in two different characters, but I thought Juliette was leading both on in the worst ways. I would have preferred it if she was not so involved with both boys at the exact same time and pretty much came extremely close to having sex with both of them. I just wish things did not escalate so fast and she would have not got so involved until she was really dedicated to one of them.

I do like the plot of this series and the aspects that dealt with the resistance were the most interesting for me. I found that there were enough twists to keep me interested and I really liked where the end of this book left the plot and characters. I really hope Juliette gets more kick-ass and independent, which would make me enjoy the third book more. I will read the last book purely to continue on with the resistance plot, not to find out who Juliette chooses. POSSIBLE SPOILER: I do have a theory that she will choose Warner, but I have not heard any spoilers other than the fact that everyone loves Warner more than Adam after reading this book, plus the name of the final book being Ignite Me.

Reading UNRAVEL ME was an intense experience of emotional upheaval. I was angry I was blown away I was amazed I was hopeful I was hurt I was shocked I was upset I was having to take breaks because the emotion was so intense. I read it 400 pages in one day because I couldn't leave these characters until the end. The title is appropriate because I felt just as unraveled by this book as many of the characters did throughout.

Quick Take: I LOVE Tahereh Mafi's unique writing. I'm emotionally invested in her characters. I hate what some (okay, fine, maybe only one thing one) of them did. This book destroyed me (but in a good way)-it tore me up and then mostly stitched me back together. UNRAVEL ME is an intense reading experience.

Writing style: Tahereh Mafi has this incredibly unique (and effective!) writing style. I loved it in SHATTER ME, and I love it even more in UNRAVEL ME. Emotions swirl off the page and into my psyche. There is so much going on internally in this book with these characters, and I was sucked right into it because of the way in which it's written. There is a bit of a stream-of-consciousness to the style and I am drawn to that. It makes for a sense of urgency and confusion and heart-which is what's happening in the book. It makes the internalness of the conflict for Juliette even stronger because we are so in her head by how it's written. Mafi also has the most brilliant and effective use of personification I've ever read. The way in which she describes things and the figurative language she uses just speaks to me and draws me into this world.

Characters: OK, so the thing is I care a lot about these characters. I feel as if I've been through the rough times with them and I want them to come out on the other side more complete. And that really shows the genius of Tahereh Mafi's writing. That being said, I do NOT agree with all of the decisions that they make (one in particular)! I get that they've gone through hell and back and that they're confused and tortured, but still, there are some things that I just can't agree with no matter how angst-filled the teenager is. OK. Rant over. Beyond that it is really showing the psychological damage done to Juliette and Adam and Warner because of the situations they've been forced into throughout their lives-and things aren't being made any easier for any of them in this book. UNRAVEL ME seems to really be about Juliette's ability to figure out how to harness her strength and become a more stable person. She needs to decide who she wants to be and how to get there. She needs to learn to rely on others to help support her, but to find her strength on her own as well. While all of that is going on, we're also discovering sympathies for some of the other characters as well as we get to know more details about what they went though. I still think Kenji is one of my all-time favorite "sidekick" characters-he brings the much-needed comic relief to the story, but also is the one to put it all in perspective and keep the focus on what it should be. And he's a good friend. I'm glad we get so much Kenji in this book and hope we get even more in the next.

Plot: The one thing that UNRAVEL ME has that SHATTER ME didn't is more outside world building. We get to understand how their world came to be the way it is, and a little bit more about these special powers some people have. There is a battle brewing with the resistance and it's going to come to a head. But, this book overall seems to be more about the characters to me. There is a major plot point in this book that I really didn't like. I have to put that out there. It's alluded to in the synopsis above, and I don't want to spoil anything too much, but I think it could be kind of controversial to readers and I'll be interested to hear more thoughts about whether people liked it or not. Personally, I get it-the writing and the emotion and the thoughts and the scenes Mafi used leading up to it help me to intellectually get it, but my heart and emotions and soul are not accepting of it. This book is full of emotion, and I think that is the stronger part of the book even over the plot of what's happening. However, if a book can make me feel so much, it has to be a strong story and writing (which I think it is).

Teacher/Parental Warning: This book is not so appropriate for middle schoolers in my opinion. There are certain scenes that are pretty intense/descriptive, so this one won't go in my classroom library. The 14 and up categorization by the publisher is pretty accurate in my mind.

So, yes, if you liked SHATTER ME, you'll definitely want to read UNRAVEL ME. I recommend setting aside some time because this is a book that will likely be hard to put down once you start. Based on the ending and where everyone ends up and the thoughts of Juliette on the last page, it's going to be a long wait to get my hands on book three!

WHOA. I'm not even sure where to begin. Team Adam? Team Warner? By the end of the book, shockingly, I was Team Warner. It took me a little while to get into this book. Mainly because of how whiny and self consumed Juliette was. Everything was about her her her. Boy did she get the shock of her life, along with a much needed wake up call, when Kenji and Castle opened up her pretty green/blue eyes to the fact that she was just one person among millions. One tiny, whiny, little girl who needed to grow up and stop feeling sorry for herself.

I know there have been a lot of bad reviews for this series but I honestly can't see why. I mean, yes, the authors way of repeating words and crossing others out is a bit out there but she's UNIQUE. Has anyone ever heard of that word? Because I'm starting to think everyone wants all authors to be like J. K. Rowling, Stephenie Myers and dare I say Nora Roberts.

I've never had so much emotional attachment to a book before. Probably around the middle of the book I started to feel every emotion Juliette felt. I was confused when she was confused and I was upset when she was upset.

Normally you can get a feel for most book and you can sort of predict the events that are going to happen. Not with this book. I was in shock for almost the entire duration of reading. I don't want to say it was an emotional roller coaster but it was definitely a theme park ride of some nature. I am slightly angry about the way it ended. Who does she pick? What happens to Anderson? What happened to Adam? Kenji? All of the read of the people from Omega Point? I'm just seriously hoping that there is going to be a third book. And, honestly, I don't know how I'm going to move on from this book. I have so many unanswered questions floating through my head and I want answers... NOW!

Not gonna lie, I was scared to read this after I skimmed some reviews and saw I was in for a roller coaster of emotions. And after all the twist and turns in Shatter Me I knew Mafi wasn’t going to let us off easy. Not to mention the rumblings about a certain chapter 62. But even with all that said, I was dying to read this one. So I put on my big girl panties and dived in. And man was I ever shattered, destroyed and unraveled. Mafi killed me with this book and I loved every painful minute.

Unravel Me continues right where we left off in Shatter Me. Juliette, Adam and Kenji are now with the people of Omega Point lead by Castle. Since arriving at the secret headquarters of the resistance and meeting people with gifts like her, Juliette has been trying to learn how to use her gift and what her gift means. But as Juliette begins to get a handle on her power everything else in her life begins to fall apart. Now Juliette is stuck between deciding with her heart, with her needs and with her life just what is important to her and with the reemergence of Warner things become a whole lot more complicated than she ever could have imagined.

I was so frustrated reading this book. I felt like everything that I didn’t want to happen happened and yet everything that happened left me wanting more. I was a jumble of contradicting emotions and that was the case from beginning to end. Juliette made some choices I just didn’t like nor did I understand on the surface, but then when I would think about them deeper I could see where she was coming from and why she reacted the way she did. Did I like it, most of the time no, but I understood it. I also completely understood where Adam was coming from. Adam goes through a major transition in this book and it isn’t easy on him, on his friends, on anyone. Everything he thought he knew about himself is different somehow and he is grasping at ways to make things right. I think that is what broke me the most. I hated a lot of the Adam and Juliette parts but I loved them just the same because I got it and it made sense to me.

What doesn’t make sense is Warner. I’m going on the record as saying I don’t like him. I didn’t like him in Shatter Me and I really didn’t like him in Unravel Me. When I read the brief eBook Destroy Me which was solely focused on him, I liked him a little more because I thought I understood a little more about him. But I was wrong because all Warner showed me in this book is that he is selfish, self-serving and has a sick, creepy obsession with Juliette. He was completely manipulating everyone around him and that left a bad taste in my mouth and the fact that Juliette felt the way she did about him left a bad taste in my mouth. Because the thing is it is easy to say Warner is the way he is because…<insert any reason>. But the truth of the matter for me is that he is the way he is because he chooses to be that way and I just can’t get behind him as a character because of that. The only reason my feelings on Warner didn’t lower my rating on this book is because I do have feelings on him. He is an awesome villain, simple as that. Without him you would just have a pretty book with gorgeous words and an adorable couple. Warner brings the conflict which is needed, but I also think he needs to grow up and become likable if I’m supposed to root for him.

With all that said Unravel Me is a poetically written story about uncertainty and your world being ripped apart leaving nothing the same. Mafi brings the exact same magic she brought to Shatter Me and give you twist after twist after twist that will leave you breathless and wanting more. Your heart will be trampled on and then ridden over again with a bus that has nails in its tires, but it is well worth the distress if even for the beauty. If you like angst then this is bar far the book/series for you. Can’t wait for the conclusion.

This is one of those series that will likely divide readers into the love or hate category. By this second book, it is clear that the story will be very emotional driven rather than action-oriented. And in setting up the story to be character driven, we have a clear arc of strong character development as the events in the book change each person in unpredictable ways. Clearly, I love that that focus and rate this book highly. I rate 4 rather than 5 stars because I really wish the x-files type subplot had been jettisoned.

Juliet and Adam are acclimating to Omega Point and making new friends among the highly talented individuals. From healing to telekinesis, everyone has a unique gift in the hidden rebel base. But Warner, and his father, still have plans for Juliet and Warner's obsession with her means he will never stop trying to get her back. And what Juliet first thought was a haven - Adam being able to touch her without dying - now turns out to be a curse. For as much as she loves Adam, if she touches him for long periods of time her ability eventually overrides his and she runs the risk of killing him. Then Warner is captured and everything she believes about herself will change.

In this middle book we have Juliet growing beyond her own prison and learning to communicate. The strikethroughs and stuttering of the first book are lessened as she acclimates and learns more about herself and the world. I really like that we can see that transition and change - that there is an overall arc to the story beyond just rebellion and fighting. This series is clearly about Juliet and her growth, with the dystopian elements thrown in for flavor.

It goes without saying that Kenji is the star of the book - amusing, clever, witty, and with such a distinct personality. Mafi really has an amazing talent for capturing a character and making them very conflicted, 3-dimensional, and full of layering and depth. But at the same time, she kept her focus on the Adam/Warner conflict and never gives in to temptation to make Kenji a love interest (fortunately!).

I loved the first book and felt this one was even better. Yes, it will likely get you heated if you enjoy obsessive love affairs. I really appreciate Mafi exploring the themes of insta love, puppy love, and obsessive love (to oneself and between the male/female characters). It made for a riveting book for me.

Note: I listened to the the Audible version and the narrator did an excellent job - really captured the heart of the story.

We get quite the story in the second book. It starts off a little slow as the three of them try to adjust to life in underground. Adam and Juliette fight so that they can be together, but that proves to be more difficult then they think once they find out what Adam’s ability is and Juliette learning about all her abilities.

Before reading that this book, it’s important to read the novella, Destroy Me. This novella is set right after Shatter Me ends and is from Warner’s POV. There is quite a bit of information that is in this novella that is important for the Unravel Me. Especially when it comes to Warner. Without it, you won’t like the shift in Juliette’s and Warner’s relationship because it won’t make sense.

Mafi has done a nice job at developing the story and creating fun and exciting characters. Juliette really starts to come into her own and Kenji shows that he can be more then just a pretty face. The overall best development in a character, though, has to be Warner. In the first book, you see him as this monster trying to use Juliette as a weapon, but after reading Destroy Me and Unravel Me, you start seeing him in a new light.

There are going to be times in the book that you are going to get bored and annoyed with how Juliette is acting (i.e. the parts when she is worried about Adam) but Juliette comes through in a big way by the end of the book. She needed a wake up call and her relationship with Kenji and her encounters with Warner are able to break her out of her shell.

Juliette's relationship with Warner is quickly becoming one of the more intriguing relationships in the story. He challenges her in a way that she's never been challenged before and unlike most other people (besides maybe Kenji) he doesn't walk on eggshells around her. He is honest and tells her how it is, which is exactly what she needs. She needs someone to push her into believing in herself and seeing what she can do, even if she's afraid of her abilities.

Overall, the story is a great addition to the story and really gets you amped up for the final book in the series. It might be a good idea to have the final book, Ignite Me, ready to go because once the second ends, you are going to want to read the third book. It’s not quite a cliffhanger, but it’s enough of a suspense ending that makes you want to read more.

Rating: 4.2 stars
Time read: 3 days

I have no idea to rate this book, because I didn’t enjoy the first, I’m gonna say, 200 or so pages but, the last half completely captivated me. All in all, I enjoyed this instalment better than the first book, Shatter Me, which I rated 3.5 although I think it should be lower now. I think the first portion of this book is only deserving of 1.5 to 2 stars max but the second half I would give 4.5 to 4.9 stars to so I would even that out to 3.5 or 4 stars. But, if I rated the last book 3.5 and this one is a lot better, then shouldn’t it deserve a higher rating? Additionally, does the better half of the book redeem it and therefore increase the rating even more? I think I’m going to settle on 4.2 stars (Ughh these are the struggles of only having a 5 star rating system hahah). Because even though the first part was a drag, the writing kinda bothered me and the characters were a bit boresome, I was captivated by some (okay one) character and the relationship that is forming.

This book made me realise somethings about my reading, tendencies I guess:
1. I read for the characters. I read to fall in love with the characters and to see them grow and blossom over the course of a novel. Yes the plot has to keep me entertained but it’s the characters I read for.
2. Writing style really does matter. I always thought I was down for whatever writing style a book offers but, I have come to realise the style of writing can really make a book (lol I guess that is a but obvious). Although I don’t particularly like the writing style of this book I still pushed through and actually enjoyed it, and maybe if I push through a few other books I put down I could also end of enjoying them.
3. I always thought I loved first person witting, but maybe I don’t, or at least not in this context. Perhaps it was just the main character and her thought process, more like whining, but I think this book could really have benefited from third person writing style as you would be less in Juliette’s head and more observant to the other characters around her.
4. (this point became less relevant as I read more of the book but I still wanted to include it) this isn’t a bad book, it just may not be my kind of book. In the first half of the book I saw how much potential the book had and reasons why people might love the series but there was something so glaringly "bad" about it (*cough* Adam *cough* Juliettete) that I couldn’t bring myself to enjoy it yet, I still pushed to read because I knew it could be a great book, and the second half of the book paid off and was worth it.

So I took some notes on thoughts I had during the first half which I didn’t enjoy:
• Why is Juliette so pathetic?????!!
• The writing style isn’t poetic, it just makes me want to skim read
• You can tell it’s her first series
• Lol all the tropes I hated in Shadow and Bone are here but worse
• When will Adam give it up... maybe the day he dies?!?!?

After reading thought/predictions:
• Warner was the one that kept me reading. I love the growth we saw from him and ahhhh if only he didn’t have such a bloody messed up childhood and dick of a father then he could have been a good person from the start.
• Anderson is a dick, I bet my money that he’s gonna die
• Juliette will end up with warner
• Kenji is a blessing, and like the only funny person
• Juliette is still pathetic lol
• Why does she think one thing but do another???
• I can tell the next book will defiantly be better
• Why is Juliette so attached to Adam?
• When will Adam stop being a creep chasing after her?
• If Adam and warner are brothers and both of them and James have abilities then won’t Anderson have an ability?

Comparison of the relationships in the novel:
Juliette and Adam:I don’t really get their relationship, like they knew each other as kids yet didn’t talk but have been in love with each other their whole lives? Like really they have only been in love/liked each other since being the asylum so why are they so attached?!? Like how can Juliette be in love with him if she feels like she needs to hide herself from him otherwise she will scare him and therefore, keeps secrets from him? In this relationship Juliette is stuck; she is co-dependent and leans on Adam to carry her as she is too comfortable with the stability he offers her. Additionally she has no character growth in the relation and is too scared to explore her power and be herself. Overall this relationship does not benefit either of them and obviously I don’t ship it.
I also think this says a lot about how relationships are though; people get comfortable and won’t leave even if it’s not good for them because we care stability; is what drives us and if a relationship stable and comfortable then why leave?
Juliette and Warner: dude I love Warner so much in this book and the conversations and interactions between the two of them that kept me reading. In this relationship both parties help each other to grow and be better, it’s a beautiful pairing that makes them both challenge each other to be better. Juliette with Warner is able to explore her powers, is independent and makes her own decisions and is constantly growing into a better person. In saying that I have to admit that if I am analysing Adam I also have to analyse Warner; it is kind of creepy how he had her diary and has the power to manipulate her and how he fell in love with her so fast.

Overall:
I really enjoyed the second half of the novel as the interactions between Juliette and Warner are what kept me reading. If the next book continues in the direction that this book was heading, then I think the series will end quite well.

This was another great read. Juliette, Adam, James, and Kenji are now at Omega Point. Omega Point is one of the rebel resistances headquarters. There are many others with special "gifts" like Juliette. War is coming and Juliette needs to prepare for it.

Juliette is starting to realize that she is more than just the girl with the lethal touch. She is stronger, braver, and has the capability to rely on herself. Adam is trying to figure out what his gift is and how he can be with Juliette. He still loves her as intensely. I learned way more about Warren in this book. I knew there was more to him than just the sadist because no one is just a monster. Monsters are made and they are never completely evil. Warren doesn't believe he can be any better though. He does love Juliette and I think that's great but you would think he would want to be a better man for her. I understand that he has to live with the things he was made to do but it doesn't mean that he can't want to be better. I love Kenji, he's a really wonderful and deep character. He is comic relief sometimes but there is so much more to him than he shows or appears. He is a brilliant character, he lets others see what he wants them to see. He's learned to survive and he does what he has to do. But he cares about others.

Definitely worth the read. Now I just need to read the final book - Ignite Me and see how it ends up. I'm still pro Adam!!!

Filled with beautiful, hammering prose, Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi is The Book that is better than its predecessor. It is everything that was Shatter Me, and infinitely more. Without a doubt, Mafi's writing is (still) some of the best I have ever read.

Unravel Me takes flight two weeks after the conclusion of Shatter Me, and overlaps a portion of Mafi's novella, Destroy Me. The first thing I noticed was a bit of regression in Juliette: ultimately, she stops striking through her own thoughts in Shatter Me, as she grows more confident, and less confused. In Unravel Me, the strike-throughs are back, albeit, not at as much a frenetic pace as the prior novel. It still shows a sort of backstepping in Juliette that is confirmed in the pages, as she gets to know her new surroundings at Omega Point, a place she is most unfamiliar. She didn't want to be used by The Reestablishment and Warner. Is she being used by the others at Omega Point? And even if she is, does she serve a good purpose? This internal struggle - not the story or the scenes - reminds me of Mockingjay, when Katniss thinks she might be a pawn by District 13, but wrestles with herself to be okay with it, because she will serve a greater purpose. I'm very interested in seeing how this plays out for Juliette.

The Love Triangle

Look, I'm Team Warner, I've always been Team Warner and you ain't neva gonna change my mind! I've always said Warner is redeemable, that he wants to be something other than what he is. His vulnerability gets its own expose in Destroy Me, probably wooing me even further, if that's at all possible, and Mafi carries this over into Unravel Me, when she brings him together with Juliette - and of course the now famed #ChapterSixtyTwo. *wink*
Adam Kent is something of an anomaly to me in Unravel Me. There are secrets about him that are exposed, and they took me by surprise. Most of the time, I can see a plot twist coming from a mile away, Tahereh Mafi managed to sneak up behind me and whack me upside the head with the very book I had in my hands. Now I'm left with even more questions than answers! Why do you do this to me?! *cries*

Kenji

Kenji gets a real chance to shine in Unravel Me. He is a star in his own right, and he often makes demands of Juliette that most would think are unfair and heartless. But he cares for her a great deal. In fact, I wonder if the triangle is about to become a square, because sometimes I suspect he cares too much, and pines after Juliette himself, in his own, comical way. Kenji is many things in this story, but among them, the most important is an anchor. Forget his supersweet abilities, he is a foundation for people to rely on. Tahereh, do you think, maybe, possibly, we could get a spin-off about him if Juliette ends up with Warner or Adam? *wheedles* Oh, also maybe could you just make Juliette end up with Warner, pretty please?

The Supreme Commander finally shows up in Unravel Me (although he's in Destroy Me as well), and this is something of a shock to citizens since part of his power is in his absence. We finally get to view Warner and his upbringing from his perspective, and boy, do that kick me right in the - feels. The Supreme Commander is a unique personality, and I'm interested in finding out what makes him tick. Things... things are revealed, that interesting dynamic between father and son, and my heart goes out to them.

One of the most interesting things though, are the titles about these books, and why I feel that Juliette and Warner are destined to be together. I think these titles reference Juliette's effect on Warner, and they are the ultimate teaser to the ending of this series, because he makes references that harken back to the first title and well, frankly, the novella was all about him. I can't wait to find out if they are destined to be together.

OhMyGod.OhMyGod.OhMyGod.OhMyGod.OhMyGod.OhMyGod.OhMyGod.OhMyGod. I just can't keep anything in. I was so excited to get this book, but I kept putting off reading it because I knew once I read it, then I would just have to wait even longer to get the next book because it's just so far away. I mean, I just can't even handle the thoughts that I am having about what is going to happen about this next book.

Everything you thought you felt about this book, thats going to change with this book. We get to see more of Juliette and Warner, and Kenji and Adam and you just get to see more of everyone. That absolutely thrilled me, seeing more and getting to know everyone. I was laughing and squealing and shouting and gasping at so many wonderful things in this book. I don't even know where to start talking about what I loved about this book and why! I read the first book before I starting blogging so there is no real written record of it, but I was easily pulled back into this really messed up world.

I was so happy to be dragged into this wonderful world. I felt bad for Juliette as we see that all of the progress that she had made seems to have been undone. While I felt bad for her, I also was annoyed by her lack of effort in trying to socialize. I wanted her to have adjusted from being like a scared mouse, but instead two weeks after Shatter Me ends, she seems to be on the brink of another break. I wanted to grab her and shake her and tell her that she needs to stop having a pity party, and do what she could do. It made me more than happy when Kenji did give her a talking to about this.

I adored getting more of Kenji. He added the comic relief element that was really needed as things got more intense with Adam and Juliette and with the really insane war. His humor made me feel better as I got sad about other elements in the book. He literally gave me the most LOL moments as I was reading and I just wanted to hug him. Forget Adam and Warner I just want Kenji to love me. What I loved most about him was that he seemed to fully grasp what was going on around him and what was happening, and that was what made his humor and reactions to things so great and appropriate.

Mafi was once again very poetic as she spun the twisted web in Unravel Me. We had a lot of new characters that were introduced, and I'm still not sure how I felt about Castle who seemed to be the leader of the resistance. I did enjoy Brendan and Winston as well, who didn't get nearly enough page time if you ask me. I felt at some points that there was a little too much in the ways of the language, but it didn't impede my reading. The story still flowed which I loved, but I did think that there was a lot of talk of igniting. It was wonderful imagery, but it was used too often in my opinion.

I'm not sure who I ship Juliette with any more. I used to love Adam, hate Warner and that was that. But then I read Destroy Me and I felt sympathetic towards him, and then this book happened. I think I might ship Warner and Juliette. I felt that Adam was a big baby in this entire book and it drove me nuts, absolutely nuts. That being said, I think the final book is going to be called "Ignite Me" but who knows.

Unravel Me is a great moving book to get us to book 3. It shows Juliette’s fantastic growth with her abilities and her own self-image. It is a bit slow, but has many twists that I was not expecting. I love the complicated nature that comes with being friends with Juliette. Being that I listened to the audiobook, I’d like to say that the narrator did an amazing job bringing all of the characters to life. I can’t wait to read Ignite Me next.

Read for Fun (Library Book)
Overall Rating: 4.25
Story Rating: 4.50
Character Rating: 4.00

Part 2 of the Series Review

First Thought when Finished: Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi ramped up the story, plot, and pacing to a blistering speed that I enjoyed!

Part 2 Thoughts:

I picked up Book 2 of the series because Shatter Me got me wondering what was going to happen to Juliette. I am going to say upfront that while in Shatter Me it was the characters who shined, in Unravel Me it was the story that blew me away. The pace was blistering and the action was top notch. I felt every moment was fueled with something significant that would impact all the players. The players changed positions in Juliette's life and the way that they changed made the story plow forward in a way that you knew was going to give you a "WOW" ending (which delivered). The angst was kept to a minimum and survival was first and foremost in every person's mind. My favorite character had to be Kenji. I think he was the voice of reason in the story. He called BS when it was happening and told everyone (in a very blunt way) to keep their eye on what was important. I liked that he called the "angst" on the floor and said drop it. There needs to be a character like Kenji in EVERY angst-filled (or potential) story. The Juliette/Adam relationship stuff was the only thing that I think drew me out of the story at times and part of the reason I think the characters weren't "wowing" me in Unravel Me. I felt that Juliette was growing (and going through some growing pains) but that Adam's lack of communication with her was making this far more "over the top" than it needed to be.

Final Thoughts: So much story to go and can't wait to see how it ends!

Sometimes, sequels just sort of dive over a cliff, and you wonder how it's the same author, how the story could have possibly tanked that badly. What happened to the plot, the characters you loved? What is this absurd sophomore slump your favorite author has fallen into?

Then, on rare occasions, a sequel goes above and beyond anything you might have expected. It takes the worldbuilding and the characters and the plot that was introduced in book one, throws them all on a spaceship, rockets through the atmosphere, and sends them to the moon. It's just that good.

Unravel Me was the latter.

Where the style was sometimes awkward in Shatter Me, it's matured and developed to a great literary sort of voice. Where the characters had too much angst, now they react with such intensity, you can practically feel their emotions. And where Juliette and Adam's romance fell kind of flat, you have Warner stepping in and becoming ZOMG THE BEST CHARACTER IN THE ENTIRE SERIES.

There are a few book boys in YA that hit my best-ever list. Some of these include Will Herondale from Cassie Clare's The Infernal Devices, Cassel Sharpe from Holly Black's Curse Workers series, and Luca from Lisa T. Bergren's River of Time series. But there is a chance that Warner could surpass them all. Why? Because Tahereh Mafi did what I have been WAITING for an author to do for like, ever.

Which is make our heroine fall in love with the villain.

And yet, Warner really isn't a villain. I love that his character is so ambiguous. I love that he's seriously messed up. And I love that Juliette can't hate him. Honestly, I could go on and on and ON about how much I love him, but really, all you need to know is this book is incredibly emotional and GOOD.

I've decided that the last book should be titled Ruin Me because that's what this one did. Seriously. This book goes down with Days of Blood & Starlight as the most intense YA books I've ever read, with some of the most heartbreaking scenes, with some of the best, most well-developed characters that I WANT TO HUG SO BAD I COULD DIE!

Bottom line: this book is SO good! I think everyone who read Shatter Me and didn't like all the strikethroughs and purple prose will like this one better - a lot of that's been cut out. Also, yes, there's a love triangle. But lawd, it's good. This book basically rips your heart out and throws it onto the ground, then stomps on it really hard. And you just want more.

Juliette is at Omega Point, so at least she has some semblance of safety. Here they want to train her to harness her energy. They want her to be able to use her power instead of being a loose cannon. Juliette still doesn't know how to trust people though and clings to what she has with Adam. Adam's different now though. Juliette isn't sure what's going on but he seems more tense and short-tempered. Juliette starts to shrink back in on herself. That's when she finds out that Warner is looking for her...and he's getting close.

At least the dreaded love triangle started in the first book. That makes this a regular love problem versus the awful second book in a series triangle. I don't blame her. There's the safe choice and then the sexy choice. It's a hard decision for a girl to make, especially one with limited human contact.

I quite enjoyed this sequel, finding out all the ins and outs of Omega Point was fascinating. There are a lot of great characters there and even if they only made short appearances they were memorable ones. In this book we also get to see more sides of Warner. It's still hard to pinpoint exactly what is going on in that beautiful head of his. I hope we get to find out more about some of the things Juliette began to discover about him in the next book.

There were a lot of really intense scenes in this novel so...be prepared. It was interesting to see some of Juliette's shell breaking in this book. She is slowly starting to figure out who she really is and I can't wait to see what she decides.

This book is going to leave you wanting more. Book three cannot get here soon enough. A year is a long time to wait, but a delicious amount of time to savor all the things that have happened so far. I can think of a couple of chapters you may just re-read over and over. Tahereh's writing is fantastic and I can not wait to see what happens next to Adam and Juliette and Warner and everyone else. Don't miss this one.

First Line:
"The world might be sunny-side up today."

Favorite Lines:
"Because it's so difficult to fight what you cannot control and right now I can't even control my own imagination as it grips my hair and drags me into the dark."

"The antonym of excellent."

"I'm all out of letters. Fresh out of words. Someone has robbed me of my entire vocabulary."

Well... that was one intense book!

I honestly don't know what to make of Unravel Me. I loved it and hated all at the same time.

I love Adam from Shatter Me and I'm solidly rooting for him but I hated seeing him all broken and confused here. I feel like he took a step back from the strong, favourable character that he was before. It's sad.

I loved seeing a different side of Warner; it's a little uncomfortable for me to think that it makes me see him worthy of Juliette. As much as I hate to admit it, but getting to know this side of Warner made me understand why he too has just as much fan-girls as Adam. He's still creepy and psychotic though, but still...

Sheesh! This love triangle is probably the most intense part of this book. It's a little exhausting even. I wish Juliette would make up her mind sooner, but I understand that given all that she's been through, she is bound to be struggling on her decision.

See, that's another thing I find troubling here - Juliette was constantly in hot water. She lost all the confidence she's come to develop during the end of Shatter Me. She's back to feeling sorry for herself and at some point it got a little annoying. And yet there are times that I can't help but empathize with her. Then I got to see her voice this out: "What I really want to say is who the hell do you think you are to tell me that it's awesome to be able to kill a living thing, that it's interesting to be able to ensnare another soul, that it's fair to choose a victim simply because I'm capable of killing without a gun.." And that just made me admire her.

What I love most about this book is Kenji. His character just got even more awesome than he already was in the first book. He's funny and hot. And he just makes everything all the more exciting! Good ol' honest to goodness, Kenji had become one of the foundations for Juliette to snap out of her moping around and self loathing.

As for the infamous Chapter 62... thank goodness it's not as bad as I thought it would be. Close. But not so. *Whew* Ha! Ha!

There are a lot of shocking revelations in Unravel Me that never really crossed my mind, so I treasured and cursed the idea all at the same time. Wow, the craziness of all this is catching up on me! Now if you think Warner was bad... *scoffs* wait till you meet Commander in Chief Anderson.

The ending feels a little anticlimactic though. Maybe it's because I already expected Warner's decision. I'm also still absorbing the idea of what Adam and Warner are truly capable of and I'm looking forward to seeing them make use of what they have.

It's been two weeks since Adam and Juliette arrived at Omega Point. While Juliette is training her powers to be of greater use in the war against the Reestablishment, Adam is keeping secrets and undergoing mysterious tests with Castle. I never imagined that I'd be giving this novel anything less than 5 sparkling gold stars, but while there were many terrific things about Unravel Me, there were also a few very disappointing ones too.

My favourite thing about Shatter Me was the characters. Although vulnerable in some ways, they were strong and independent and always found a way to deal with whatever was thrown at them. At the beginning of this novel, Juliette is almost unbearable. People at Omega Point are terrified of her and she fails to make much progress with her training, so she throws herself a pity party because she feels useless! I was very sympathetic towards her situation at first but she took it a bit too far. Then when Adam begins pulling away for unknown reasons, she becomes even more upset and all she thinks about is Adam Adam Adam Adam Adam. We're at war, girl! WOMAN UP! Adam isn't too much better in the man department, avoiding her and trying to play hero like he knows best. Mafi does, of course, eventually turn things around. Juliette's growth as a character was phenomenal! I was in awe of the powers she discovered and her new-found mental strength. The characters go through quite a bit in this novel so by the end, they're all in the right frame of mind and ready for some badassery in book 3!

Adam and Juliette's relationship was always a high point for me too. In Shatter Me, it was flawless and all kinds of delicious! In this sequel, their love is really stretched to the limits as Adam discovers something shocking, hence the secretive tests. Unfortunately, both characters make some VERY questionable decisions in Unravel Me. This leads me to talk about the love triangle... We always knew that Warner would become a love interest and I actually didn't mind it in Shatter Me. Although he was a big villain, we could see that there was something there beneath that tough exterior, a good side, a good person who was just a product of his environment. I like him, really, but the sudden relationship that sprung up between him and Juliette...I wasn't the biggest fan of. I'm probably the only person who didn't fallen head over heels for him. I honestly thought I would before I began reading, but feeling sorry for him and finding out about his past isn't enough! I thought he was a great character who brought a lot of things to this novel, but my issues with Juliette's behaviour and decisions stopped me from just letting go and going into swoon mode.

I really enjoyed the direction the story took in terms of the fight against the Reestablishment. I would've liked to have learned more about Omega Point but perhaps that'll happen in the next book. While Unravel Me isn't as fast-paced as Shatter Me, it has some great twists which should lead to extremely interesting things in the future. Some twists present challenges or new opportunities and others simply make life more difficult. I can't wait to see how Mafi deals with these! I'm also hoping the secondary characters come into play just a bit more, seeing as they faded into the background a little in this book. Kenji was the exception. Front and centre, that adorable flirt never failed to make me smile!

Overall, Unravel Me was very enjoyable despite some moments where I felt like slapping some sense into certain characters. It wasn't the exciting, heart-pounding action story I was hoping for, based on the way the previous book ended, but I have high hopes that these characters will come out guns blazing in book three! Unfortunately it was a bit of a bridging book to me but I'm happy with the new developments and look forward to seeing them through to the end!

Unravel Me is a beautifully written masterpiece. Mafi does not disappoint with the second installment of this series. The characters are fantastic and evolve naturally, the plot is suspenseful and emotional, and the pacing is perfect. This captivating sequel will take you on an emotional roller-coaster ride that you won't forget as you get to know new sides of characters you thought you had figured out. Unravel Me cannot be missed.

Mafi's writing is even more unbelievably poetic, tortured, and beautiful in this book. I don't know how she does it. Life inside Juliette's head is poetic and painful, but addictive. No wonder Warner kept reading her journal. Her words are magical. The descriptions and her expressive feelings really spoke to me, and I was hooked from the first page.

Juliette grew a lot as a character over the course of this novel. She got on my nerves some at the very beginning because she was just so weak and defeated. It made me sad for her and also irritated me because she couldn't seem to snap out of her funk. However, she is extremely self-aware, and she made the hard choices needed in order to grow. I really love how she began to create her own space in the world.

Adam annoyed the ever living crap out of me in this book. Oh my God, he was such an emo/angsty brat! And clingy. Dear Lord was he clingy. I'm not sure if he was supposed to come across that way or not, but I was not his biggest fan. Warner, however, blew me away. I have completely switched from Team Adam to Team Warner. I thought Warner was the ultimate bad guy, but the more I got to know about him (through Destroy Me and now through Unravel Me), the more I loved him. And at least he acts like a man and not some spoiled 10 year old girl who broke her favorite Barbie. His character growth and development really blew my mind. It's just shocking that he has so many layers. I really can't wait to learn more about him.

The plot was action-packed, emotional, and suspenseful. Mafi threw in a ton of surprises, and I was blindsided on more than one occasion. However, all of the surprises made sense and came across naturally instead of forced. The plot was intricate and intense, but I had no problems following it. The pacing was perfect, too. The book flowed from one event to the next. Also, the ending really got my hopes up for book 3, and I wish it was out now. I can't wait until it's released!

Overall, I'd recommend this book (and Shatter Me and Destroy Me) to anyone who enjoys Dystopian novels with beautiful writing. If you're looking for something different, and something with meaning, then this series is for you. I do have to warn you about one thing, though... you will lose sleep with this book.

Unravel Me was one of my most anticipated reads for 2013 and Mafi gave me exactly what I craved from her lyrical writing style to the way she captures Juliette's fears and thoughts I was completely swept up in the second installment of the Shatter Me series. A few twist, a messy, wonderful, rip-your-heart-out-love triangle and a fight for the oppressed kept me spellbound.

Unravel Me literally picks up where Shatter Me ends and we find Juliette below ground dealing with her affliction or gift; depending on her mood. Omega Point is an underground facility where others with gifts like her are working together to fight the Reestablishment and all that it stands for. Juliette struggles to fit in, and longs for more time with Adam and fears Warren is coming for her. With gut-wrenching revelations, war and betrayal the tale that unfolds will blow your mind.

We see a lot of character growth and get to know some key characters in this second book. Juliette still struggles and worries about rejection. She questions whether here is any better than there and who is right. Sometimes her emotional baggage consumes her and Mafi beautifully captures her thoughts and emotions. Poor, Juliette has to make difficult decisions regarding Adam and Warren. Unexpected complications make it so much harder for her, and I really felt for her. We also see tremendous growth in her abilities and a maturing in her personal growth. Has she emerged as the kick-ass heroine I believe she is capable of being? No not yet, but we catch glimpses of her. Adam, sweet, Adam *swoons* He loves Juliette but oh the secrets he is keeping. Warren is back and my feelings for him wavier between pity and love. Those who haven't read the novella Destroy Me, will gain more insight into his life and even those of us who did will learn more about him and his dear old Dad. A clever twist changes thing and we see some really raw emotions from him. He has a line in this tale that just about unraveled me! We really get to know Kenji more and I liked this soft-spoken leader. I almost wished he were the love interest. His role directly impacts Juliette and a lot of her growth he brought to fruition.

I hate love triangles except in a few situations. One of those is Cynthia Hand's Unearthly series and the other is this one. Mafi makes it all seem very real and plausible. Juliette's background, personality and situation all led to this tidal wave of emotions and uncertainty. The dystopian aspect of the tale is interesting and we gained more insight into what happened to create this oppressive government. The abilities of the resistance are unique and there missions interesting. As news of Omega and the resistance reaches civilians we see them begin to rise up, and make a stand. The complexities of the male relationships and back story were fascinating and I am anxious to see how they unfolds. I have to talk about Mafi's writing style; how do I even begin to express the beauty of it? It slides of the paper like honey or music to my brain. Her descriptive language for even the most mundane things takes on an elegant beauty. Between the journal entries and the thoughts racing through Juliette's head we literally breathe in and consume her emotions. The tale just flows and I am able to complete immerse myself into it. The romantic scenes are some of the most beautiful and emotional I have ever read. Here are two tender moments with Juliette and ?!?

"All I know next are his arms, the desperate edge to his voice when he says my name, and I'm unraveling in his embrace, I'm frayed and falling apart and I'm making no effort to control the tremors in my bones and he's so hot his skin is so hot and I don't even know where I am anymore." Unravel Me

"I want to be the friend you fall hopelessly in love with. The one you take into your arms and into your bed and into the private world you keep trapped in your head. I want to be that kind of friend," he says. "The one who will memorize the things you say as well as the shape of your lips when you say them. I want to know every curve, every freckle, every shiver of your body, Juliette--" Unravel Me

Mafi made me melt. I could have easily consumed this in a day, but forced myself to do it in two so that I could savior it. This is a series I will re-read and except for a few classics..I never do that.
Publisher provided ARC for unbiased review and review originally posted at caffeinatedbookreviewer dot com

A huge improvement on Shatter Me!!

1. (+/-) Juliette, the protagonist - Juliette and I have had a rough past and I still found it hard to like her in this book. She and the other characters were so self absorbed that it was hard to relate to them. She, especially in self pity; in the first 200 pages, she undergoes what I'd call a regression--keeping to herself, that strength she gained towards the end in Shatter Me fading in the face of a new environment, enough so that for a while, Adam is basically her only friend (though she lives with a group of people with paranormal abilities, maybe not as scary as hers but still). I thought her struggle trying to stay good while protecting herself and her friends was really interesting, and I found I could identify with her more in those moments than when she'd complain about how people would judge her, though really she'd made no effort to talk to the other members of Omega Point. After the first half of the book, I grew to like her more. At one point, she's assigned a pretty dangerous mission, and she says something like "Maybe I was just meant to die." There was something about her, her strange and unlikely response, that endeared me to her.

2. (+) World-building - By no means is this world building complete, but I'm fine with that--that is, I'm fine with not knowing precisely how our world devolves (there's a brief mention of growing cancer rates and the weather becoming terrible) so long as I'm given something concrete. Unravel Me details the way Juliette and other paranormal powers work while exploring the extent of Juliette's and whether or not she can "project" the way others can. It also gives more details on Omega Point's structures underground and on how The Reestablishment is organized, though it's kind of vague about how it came to power. One thing I will say is that the Reestablishment is weird. Really weird. Of all the elements in this world, I'd like more information on this, so I could visualize the Reestablishment better than I do now, this pseudo government that rose to power and stripped people of almost everything without the people fighting back? or before they fought back? or? Why the obsession with repeating numbers (3333 sectors, 555 in each area)? That just seems like an odd reason to split ruling regions, not something a logical corporation like this pseudo govt. would do. Now that we know more about Juliette's powers and the war has started, it seems like the next book will really focus on the two factions, and we'll know more.

3. (+) Romance - You learn the reason why both Adam and Warner can touch Juliette. You learn Warner's first name. Warner gets a whole lot of screen time, and good screen time in this with less psychotic maneuvers, though not less manipulative. I found Adam and Juliette's relationship to be extremely dramatic and honestly, kind of annoying in this novel. Teen angst to its max. I was also kind of frustrated that both Adam and Juliette had kept secrets out of fear for how the other would respond, but Adam was the one who got angry for that; Juliette doesn't pay attention to that part? She gets frustrated no one will tell her what happened but not angry at Adam... I was always more of a Warner fan just because his character seemed more complex than Adam's (Adam is that typical broody, protective, I've always loved you type, which I'm quite sick of), so I enjoyed seeing Warner's relationship with Juliette become deeper--I'd be surprised if the people who said they hated him before still hated him after reading this.

4. (+) Character Development - First 200 pages, Juliette regresses... but after that, after people trust her to get s*** down, she does--seems like she just needed a little push?--and she becomes fiercer, more willing to use her power. I was happier with her decisions when she grew more confident of herself and her needs in the growing war. I was especially proud of the ending, and if Juliette sticks with what she said... then she's truly going to kick some ass in the next book, and I'm quite looking forward to that.

5. (--) Villain - You know... I'm not sure there can be as dangerous a villain as Warner was in Shatter Me. The villain that rises to take Warner's place didn't have the same panache and realism. Two reasons for this, I think: one, Juliette can take the villain down if she acts quick enough; two, every time she met with him, it felt like it was a bad-guy-explains-all type of thing.

6. (+) Side Characters - Thank God for Kenji. He completely stole the show. When I was giving Juliette the evil eye for her self pity (and for the DRAMA), he came in and told her what's what. He provides humor for this dark, dark book and is also admirable for his strength and tenacity, and the charisma he exudes. Other characters like Winston and Castle are further developed, and new ones like Juliette's roommates--"the girls"--and Brendan are introduced. Though this book doesn't have a huge character cast, the ones that are introduced I'd like to know more about.

7. (+) Plot - Much better this time too. Last time I took issue at how little progress was made, how it was like they were constantly on the run, like nothing had really happened. I'm not saying there's a whole lot of action in this one--this trilogy is very much also a trilogy on Juliette's growth character-wise, so I don't fault the plot for not being as action filled--but I got the sense that the war was progressing, that there was growing tension, and both sides were about to make a move on the other.

8. (+) Writing - Tahereh Mafi's writing style reminds me of spoken word, and I love it. I can imagine it being performed, with the dramatic imagery and prose and the way the words flow. She makes Juliette's voice so, so strong, like I'm there with her, even if I'm not Juliette's biggest fan. Mafi also writes killer hot and steamy romance scenes, which is great for this trilogy.

9. (+/-) Pacing - I've already kind of mentioned how character development went in stages, and for me that also correlated with the pacing. Not much is happening in the beginning--Juliette is hiding herself away from the judgment--and as such, I struggled a bit to get through that part and onto the action.

10. (+/-) The Cover - It's pretty, artsy like the writing, and symbolic with the bird in the eye and the coldness of Omega Point, but it freaks me out a little.

A sequel that surpasses the first book, and I can't wait to find out what happens next. Especially look forward to reading more of Tahereh Mafi's writing.

I’m not sure who I mistrusted more. The back and forth in this book was killing me…..can’t anyone else in the resistance see this but me, come on people! I was getting so frustrated, I wanted someone to uncover the truth, before the walls came crashing down. We had Juliette trying to control her special powers living underground in Omega Point with Adam. Adam, the boy she thought she loved, the boy her universe revolved around, who was now being tested by Castle which disturbed Juliette. Adam and Juliette, they thought they were a perfect pair but now that they have been under Castle’s care with the testing that they have undergone, things have changed. Having supernatural abilities does have its drawbacks and for this couple, the warmth that they shared while together was not based on attraction. Based on her history, Juliette is having a hard time adjusting to life in Omega Point and her thoughts are mixed on how to fix this. While above ground, the Reestablishment is still pushing for global domination. Warner is disturbed that Juliette has escaped again and with his father, Supreme Commander Anderson, the tensions are building for an attack. But with Warner, the connection to Juliette is more than just prisoner and captor. As the citizens fight against the Reestablishment, a group of special individual from Omega Point will come topside to join them which will include Adam and Juliette. Prisoners are taken, past histories are revealed and blood will be shed. This is more than just a battle for power and Juliette is in the middle.

Juliette was one confused individual and I was confused with her. I wanted to like her, I really did. Although she was 16, she acted childish and shy which surprised me for someone who had experienced so much and had some much going for her. Then on the other hand, she was a player. Oh, she played people so I hated detested her actions at times. No wonder she didn’t have any close friends. If she had any, they would have helped her out. I was surprised how much I got into this book; I read it in one afternoon, all 461 pages. No lunch and supper was late. I thought I would find a point where I could stop, but no….it just kept getting deeper and deeper. Will I continue on to find out what happens to Juliette? Yes, I am hooked…dang it Juliette. I really despise you right now, you better get yourself together!

“I don’t know what I’ll do if he keeps talking I don’t know what I’ll do and I don’t trust myself.”

Oh my word, you guys, this book was GOOD. Tahereh Mafi broke my heart in this book and I really think I'm going to die in suspense as I wait for the final book in this incredible series to come out.

I don't even know how to describe Unravel Me. It's hard to describe the emotions and feelings this book made me feel. It's beautiful, harsh, poignant, mindblowing, and it will leave you reeling and wishing over and over for the last book.

Oh, the characters. The characters. Excuse me while I go gush over Warner. I KNOW. Warner. I was firmly Team Adam in the first book, though I thought Warner was a fascinating character. Then I read Destroy Me, the novella from Warner's POV. Probably the best novella I've ever read, by the way. And I began feeling sympathy for him. He's not a monster; he's a person. And slowly, throughout Unravel Me, I fell in love with him right along with Juliette.

And Chapter 62. I can't even. I was an emotional wreck after reading that chapter. Why, why, why did Tahereh Mafi have to go do that? This is one of the most well-crafted love triangles I've ever read. While I do really love Adam, and I felt so bad for him in this book, I think I'm Team Warner now. There's something about Warner...his character has so much depth, and feeling, and loneliness, and he understands Juliette in a way that Adam doesn't.

So back to the characters. Like, Adam's little brother James. So cute. He wasn't in the book a ton, but he stole my heart in every scene he was in. And can I squeal over Kenji now? Sure, he was funny enough in the first book, but I completely adored him in Unravel Me. He had so many funny lines, yet he showed a serious side. I kept rooting for Kenji and admiring the tenuous friendship between him and Juliette.

Oh, Juliette. I admit, she's not one of my favorite heroines ever, but I do like her. Sometimes, she just seems a little too wimpy, a little too dramatic. But she toughens up in this book and learns to put her feelings aside and do what she has to do. So overall, I like her and was glad she had more character growth in this novel.

The writing! How is Tahereh Mafi so talented? I wish I could write like she does. She has this incredible talent for creating metaphors, painting vivid descriptions, and her writing is just so lyrical and gorgeous and it blows me away. I will read anything she writes. Her writing touches your heart and makes you think. I love it.

I'd ramble on about the amazingness of the plot too, but this review's already too long. So suffice it to say that there's so much more action, so much plot development, and I loved every single one of the characters in this book, even all the minor ones (oh, except Warner's dad though. I've probably never despised a character so much), and basically this book is perfect and you need to read it. I know I will be reading it over and over again.

Gawd, these books are going to kill me. So many different things going on in this one. The war between the resistance and the Reestablishment is finally happening. I liked seeing their powers in action and I don't know about anyone else, but while reading those action scenes and then the discussions with Castle I was thinking this is X-Men in a dystopian world. What with the superpowers and the normal people turning against the unknown powerful people.

I gave this book 5 stars even though I did have issues with it (Read Juliette), but it still had me at the edge of my seat through the whole thing. I just didn't know what to expect sometimes. I'd have it all figure out and then one of them would just do or say something completely out of left field, and I would just end up speechless.

We get some more world building here, a couple of much needed details here and there, but honestly, once Warner was in the picture I could care less. The war and Omega Point were in the background. Warner totally stole the show. I don't even know how to describe him, and his powers! Damn useful. I'm really hoping that decision of his towards the end has some kind of hidden reasons cause if not I would just be REALLY dissapointed. Oh and Chapter 62, I ended up with a red spot on my forehead after the huge face-palm I did. REALLY JULIETTE?! WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOUUU.

As I said before my biggest issue here was Juliette, not even the love triangle cause I just don't care about Adam. He is too clingy and needy and doesn't know how to talk. He just doesn't even register in my mental radar anymore. Anyway Juliette...she was really enjoying those pity parties there for like half of the book. Kenji had to give her some tough love, and yeah she did start getting a little better, but there was still too much woe-be-gone attitude going on for my liking.

The girl is freaking KICK ASS and she just doesn't see her potential at all. Refuses to think of her powers as something that might come in handy. Yeah she is a risk, but she is a huge help too. It took the combined efforts of Kenji, Warner, and Anderson (he helped the most LOL. Notice how there is no Adam there? Yeah he is freaking useless.) to finally get her to see reason. Which is why I can't wait for the next book. She finally got with the program!

I'd like to point out that there were some very uh, really and you got this just now? moments. The whole invisibility thing with just Adam and letting Juliette go by herself. I thought this was totally obvious. I hadn't even realized they hadn't thought of it till Juliette pointed it out...

So despite the issues, I really liked that ending and I'm expecting a mind-blowing finale now that Juliette finally got her crap together, this is a must read for everyone!

Reviewed by Nyx @ [...]

Holy crap!!! Okay... I need a little time to process all of this...

(Several Days Later:)

Okay. I'm back and ready to attempt to put my feelings regarding this book into words. Once again, as with Shatter Me, I decided to go the audiobook route. And wow... I don't know if that has anything to do with my love for this series, but I think it must play a part. Kate Simses as narrator is just perfect. She's impeccable as Juliette. The raw emotion, total utter confusion, and pure hatred Juliette possesses throughout this series is shown incredibly through Kate's performance in this audiobook.

As far as the story itself, Mafi has an incredible mind. The way she puts things into words is simply amazing. I was blown away completely with this story. As with Shatter Me, it's intense and gripping from the beginning to end. In Unravel Me, sooooo many things are revealed, it's almost mind-blowing! Things about Juliette, about Adam, and mostly about Warner.

I wasn't a huge Adam fan in Shatter Me, so I had trouble really relating to the relationship between Adam and Juliette. I just didn't feel it. As far as Warner... okay, yeah, so he's evil and all... but after reading Destroy Me it really helped me see that my initial feelings about him were right, and that he DOES have an ability to love, and hopefully learn how to be a better person in the future. But I have to say as far as favorite characters go in general... I'm totally for Kenji! Yeah, he's a total smart ass, pompus and annoying as all hell... but I think he's adorable. Maybe it's because he reminds me of a friend of mine (who shall remain nameless ;)) or maybe it's just that his character is spot-on, but he's my fave for sure. Way to go, Kenji!

I'm trying hard not to make this a completely gush-overloaded review, but I'm having some difficulty. If you haven't started this series yet, please, do yourself a favor and read it. I would absolutely recommend the audiobook. I can't believe I finished it so quickly and now I have to wait forever what seems like forever until the next book in the series is released.

I was worried about picking this book up because I didn't think I'd be able to stop reading it....aaaand I was right! I started it and couldn't put it down. I was so sucked into Juliette's life and her struggles that I felt like I really got to know her better in Unravel Me. She is trying to adjust to living at Omega Point. She is surrounded by people who are afraid of her and she feels more alone then ever. She has Adam but, something bad happens and their relationship is in jeopardy. Not only that but, Warner's boys are doing extra patrols and after they find out what the Omega Point crew is capable of they threaten innocents and a war is coming. We also get to learn more about Adam and Warner's gifts. They are pretty awesome if I do say so myself. We also find out some crazy things about Adam's family...I never saw them coming that's for sure. Juliette's world is about to change in a huge way. Can she handle it? Will her gift end up tearing her apart? Will her and Adam make it?

I was a HUGE Adam fan in Shatter Me and even after Destroy Me. I felt that their relationship was a little rushed but, I loved them together. After Unravel Me I have completely switched my team. I am 100% Warner now. I have never done a 180 like that on guys in a book. I feel like Warner hates himself so much and has given up on himself. He really has nothing. He is a broken man. Juliette is so conflicted about how she feels about him. She no longer hates him. I don't blame her. He was sculpted by his life and his father to be the man he is now. There's nothing he can do to change that. Ugh, I just love him. He is like the bad boy lost cause that has no one and nothing except his love for Juliette. Love may not be strong enough to describe it. Devotion maybe. I am really hoping Juliette will end up with him!

I had been looking forward to Unravel Me for what seems like forever. I am hooked. I need to know what is going to happen with Juliette. The writing style is so unique and I love it! I can't wait for book 3. It suppose to come out this Fall and it can't come soon enough. If you haven't read this series yet then you MUST!

I'm relieved the Cover Gods decided to repackage this series. The "I'm gonna eat you for breakfast" model photo from the original cover of Shatter Me was seven different kinds of wrong. The only thing I loved about that original cover was the slashed title. I do miss that and kind of wish they'd ported it over in the repackaging. And while I'm not a huge fan of the sky blue and pink they've opted for in the new covers, I applaud the general direction and the nod to some of the overarching themes of the series. Most of all, I hope it reels in new readers for Tahereh Mafi, because she (and her books) really deserve them. Not long back, I caved and read Destroy Me, the e-novella Ms. Mafi wrote from Warner's perspective. It takes place in between the first and second books, and I finished it even more crazy devoted to that crazy psycho than I was before (and that is saying something). And, of course, I've spent the last handful of months impatiently waiting to see what insanity he would perpetrate next in this the second full novel. And I can tell you now, as far as Warner goes? I was not disappointed.

I do apologize, but beyond this point there be unavoidable spoilers for the first book. Proceed with caution.

Juliette is not adjusting to Omega Point. Not even a little bit. Of course, it's pretty hard to relax and let your guard down when every single unusual inhabitant of the secret haven stares at her askance, afraid they'll accidentally brush up against her and pay the price with their lives. Her reputation, as always, precedes her. And so life at Omega Point is, in many respects, not so different from life at the compound. With Warner. No one is actively trying to kill her, and that is a definite plus. But no one is telling her anything either. And, as the days go by, even Adam grows more and more remote, preoccupied with something he won't can't tell her. The ever-boisterious Kenji tries to bridge the gap by sitting with Juliette in the cafeteria and trying to teach her a little of what they do there and why they need her to get over her inhibitions and put her unparalleled powers to work on their behalf. But she's spent 17 years distancing herself from those around her. It's going to take more than irreverent humor and overtures of friendship to break down the barriers she's erected. It's not until she's allowed out on her first mission that a crack appears in her armor. She comes face to face with Warner once more, and the resulting emotions (on both sides) are . . . not what she expected them to be. It seems he is to play a part in her life whether she likes it or not. The question is, will either of them survive the encounter, whether Warner can touch Juliette or not?

"Sticks and stones keep breaking my bones but these words, these words will kill me."

My love for this book is entirely tied up in my love for Warner. This should come as no surprise to any of you. And I fully own up to my inexplicable attachment to this scary, broken antihero. I referred to him as a villain in my review of Shatter Me. But I no longer think of him as such. No, he pretty much singlehandedly slides into antihero territory in this installment. Which is exactly what I was hoping would happen and which just complicates my mess of feelings, all of which mirror Juliette's. But I'm telling you, the scenes in this book that crackle are the scenes in which Warner is in the room. That's all there is to it. It's almost as though he consciously wraps himself in the most urgent and beautiful language Ms. Mafi has at her disposal. And it works like a spell to draw Juliette (and the reader) to him and to his explosive existence. When he's not in the room, the whole thing dims a bit. One of my favorite moments comes when Juliette looks into Warner's face and realizes,

"It's the kind of face no one believes in anymore."

And she's right. There's something hesitant and fine about him here and I, for one, was mesmerized. Don't get me wrong. Adam and Juliette's relationship is as sweet as ever, but I did feel as though it relied a bit too much on its portrayal in the first book. That their connection wasn't as present and tangible as it was then. Oh, who are we kidding? It's all about Warner and Juliette for me. Poor Juliette. She doesn't have an easy time of it this go round. I love her. I feel for her and the lot she's been given. Her constant internalization and self-flagellation didn't bother me as I gather it has some other readers. She felt as consistent to me as ever, and I understood and sympathized with her at every turn. Interestingly, I did miss the sweeping, throbbing language of Shatter Me. There are smatterings of it throughout, of course, but it is decidedly dialed down in this sequel. And I missed it. This is ameliorated to a degree by the added humor present in the form of Kenji. The larger-than-life rebel is a razor wit and an utterly welcome addition to the we-take-ourselves-so-seriously-we-can-barely-crack-a-smile duo of Adam and Juliette. They need him. Every nutty denizen of Omega Point needs him. And I giggled helplessly at every arrogant, hysterical word that comes out of his mouth. Humor aside, though, I was a bit bothered by a couple of key plot points, a couple of manipulative moves that took the wind out of the book's sails right when it needed the most momentum. They felt unnecessary to me, too rich for a book already wealthy with words and angst and impossibility. But where Shatter Me wound up to a crazy, out of left field ending, UNRAVEL ME kicks butt and takes names with an ending that shot me to the moon and back. No joke, chapter 62 is enough to lay you out flat. And so I'm gonna leave you with that and hope it gets under your skin enough to send you running to the bookstore to get your own copy.

MY THOUGHTS
LOVED IT

****spoilers if you haven't read Shatter Me****

To avoid most of the spoilers, this is kind of a rambling review --just totally random thoughts about the book.

Sigh. I didn't think a sequel could live up to a first book like Shatter Me, but this second effort by Tahereh Mafi was nearly as good. The story balances dialogue with descriptive prose just perfectly. Instead of feeling devastated while reading this one, I was filled with hope although I wanted to knock Juliette upside the head a few times or get her some Prozac. This girl is seriously depressed and even though she has good reason for being down on herself, she really needs to get her life in order if she wants to save the world. I realize that being held captive for about five years would do some serious damage but she really needs to snap out of it now that she is surrounded by acceptance. Seriously, can't the Girls lay hands on her to fix this? They can fix physical ailments, so why not mental?

Juliette is still building walls to keep people out, well, almost everyone except Adam. She connects with him and he can touch her, but she is starting to notice that unlike Warner, Adam weakens around her. The characters still remind me of the high school X-Men and everyone at Omega Point seems to have found a purpose except her. The lines are drawn between The Reestablishment and of course war is imminent but with such a small group against a multitude, Juliette soon discovers that she is their secret weapon. And that brings us back to Warner.

Without going into detail, she comes back into contact with Warner and discovers that he really has feelings for her, although they are not exactly what Juliette is looking for. Yep, there ya go: the dreaded love triangle. There is something about Warner that I can't explain. He seems just as damaged as Juliette. Can he be rehabilitated or is he too far gone to have any good left in him? At least Juliette is just as confused as I am about him. Is Juliette really a weapon or is she a pawn? Oh and dear Kenji? Really? I think everyone needs more Kenji in their lives, so please Ms. Mafi, write a series just about him. Can she get her life together by the time they need her? Will she stop wallowing in self pity to realize that she is of worth and worthy of love? Ok, these questions are answered by the end of the book, but I am still in doubt of her progress. I need the last installment for conclusive facts.

Parents - There is a bit of language, a bit of heavy petting, some kissing, some violence. This is best suited for mature teens.

It is hard to really like a book, when you don't even like the narrator. I despise Juliette so much! She is such an over exaggerator, she complains and cries about everything. Almost everyone at Omega Point has a power, but is she the only one that has ever made a mistake with her power when first figuring out how to use it? Has no one else accidently kill someone because of their power? Because according to Juilette she is a monster, everyone is afraid of her, and they are always whispering about her behind her back. But come on, you would think the guy with electricity would be just as bad? She is just over the top, just wear your gloves and get over yourself.

The main character is so wishy washy too. She goes from saying she isn't dangerous, that she never means to hurt anyone. To I am a monster, people should be afraid of me. Which one is it? Even other characters in the book are annoyed by her. Kenji hits the nail right on the head when he finally has enough of Juliette and gives her a piece of his mind...but even that doesn't stop Juliette from being whiny and complaining. Why make a main character who is so annoying?

The only thing that makes the book better is the side characters like Kenji and Warner. I really enjoy reading about Kenji he is funny but serious when he needs to be. And after reading the Novella in Warner's point of view I really started to enjoy reading about him. But Juliette always seems to ruin things.

I quickly and wholeheartedly fell in love with Shatter Me and Tahereh Mafi's distinctive writing style, so I was absurdly pumped to read Unravel Me, especially after getting Warner's perspective in Destroy Me. At the same time, I was a little scared because I loved Shatter Me so much. Luckily, no worries here! There a lot of things I could talk about to fill space here, but only a couple I'd like to touch upon, since I'd much rather you go off and read the book than sit here reading my review. :)

Juliette has been placed in an utterly new environment, one where she's not physically separated from the world, one where she's supposed to contribute to a community and reap the benefits of being surrounded by people who are different, just like her. The problem is that she's so different--and potentially dangerous--that the people want little to do with her when she arrives. Instead of working to make people accept her, Juliette retreats into herself and into Adam's company--what little of it she can get, at least. This is where we find her at the beginning of the book: scared, lonely, and frustrated. She 's been trying to hone her abilities for a short time, to no avail. What I loved reading, though, was how Juliette--with the help of Castle and Kenji (KENJIIIIIIII)--grows, how she learns to befriend people, become part of a community, and care what happens to those people. She's whiny and self-absorbed at the beginning, but she becomes fierce and dedicated to helping those people she's quickly come to care about. It's a lovely transformation to watch.

I don't believe I can stress enough how big of a dilemma we are put in when it comes to Adam and Warner. Love triangles tend to make me gag a little bit. There's always the guy who it's obvious the girl is going to choose in the end and the guy who's just put there for some conflict, generally the bad boy. In Shatter Me, this was totally the case, but in Unravel Me and Destroy Me Warner has come into his own as... Something I really don't have a word for.

I couldn't help but think about him in relation to Shylock in Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice (I know, I know, but I'm in a Shakespeare class right now and we JUST finished reading it!) My professor talked about how scholars deliberate over Shakespeare's intentions when it came to Shylock. He starts off as a clear villain, wanting to take down our nice, generous hero, but by the end of the play, he is easily the most complex and compelling character in the show, and one really can't help but root for him. Some scholars like to say Shylock got away from Shakespeare, that he became more than was intended, but I don't think that was the case. The ambiguity presented when Shylock speaks brings the play to a higher level; it makes it a powerful commentary, rather than just a play where the bad guy gets his dues. While I don't think Tahereh Mafi is making some huge commentary, I do think her intentions with Warner are clear. The "bad guy" is not just a bad guy. Taking Warner from a stereotypical villain to a very human, suffering character makes the reader think about labeling people from the beginning, and it makes me adore the book even more.

Now that I'm done with that rant.... I honestly don't have much to say past: Get to reading! Unravel Me takes the world and the characters established in Shatter Me to a whole new level. There's more action, more romance, more funny lines from Kenji, and just more to love all around.

I knew this was going to happen.

Tahereh - why have you done this to me? Why did you have to go and make Warner human?

I purposefully chose not to read Destroy Me yet because I didn't want to understand Warner. I didn't want to feel warm fuzzies towards him. I didn't want to believe that he could change and be a good person.

Now... now I don't know what to believe. Like Juliette, I want to hate him - but I've seen too many glimpses inside his head and just can't anymore.

Which makes me dread reading Destroy Me that much more.

The interactions between Juliette and Warner are truly what made this book.

I also really enjoyed the scenes between Kenji and Juliette. Finally there's someone who isn't afraid of her and will tell her the truth about the world and her place in it. For awhile, I was right there with her and angry at Castle and the position he was putting her in - but Kenji set us both in our place. I appreciate that he would be that honest with her. I wish Castle was that open and honest, considering he's the leader of the compound. But I do think he should be more understanding of what Juliette has been through in her life.

I devoured this book in a single sitting. It's not perfect; some world building aspects are under developed for the sake of the character development. But I'm okay with that when I think about it because the character development is so brilliantly done.

There is one significant plot twist, and I can't help but wonder how it will effect the outcome of the third novel. I can't wait to find out!

And let me tell you - Ms. Mafi knows how to write a steamy-as-hell love scene. That's all I have to say about that.

This was an excellent second book. I definitely recommend reading the novella, Destroy Me, before reading this. I am not usually a big fan of novella's but that one helps give a good perspective on Warner which you will want for the second part of this book.

So far this series has managed to take some of the annoying story aspects of YA books and make them good again. Juliette becomes a whiny, mopey, angsty teenager in the beginning of the book but just when it gets too much Kenji tells her to get over herself. There was also several declarations of love scenes between Juliette and Adam and once again Kenji is there to tell them too much. Kenji is definitely one of my favorite supporting characters. I would love to read a book about him. There is also the beginning of a love triangle in this book. This usually annoys me but it is done well in this series.

The author does a great job of conveying Juliette's emotions. I think this is due to the very personal, narrative, first person perspective. When Juliette is sad, I am sad. When she is conflicted, I am conflicted.

The story is interesting and there are a few surprises. When Warner comes back in the story I felt as conflicted as Juliette. Having read the novella made me even more conflicted but really added to this part of the story.

The ending was not what I expected and I am eager to read the next book to find out what happens. The writing of this book reminds me a lot of Maggie Stievfater so I think if you like those books you would like these as well

Unravel Me is Tahereh Mafi's second book in a dystopian trilogy. It picks up directly where the debut, Shatter Me, left off. Juliette has escaped from The Reestablishment and thwarted their efforts to use her unique abilities as a weapon. Taking refuge at Omega Point, the headquarters of the rebel resistance, offers Juliette hope and the chance at a new life. It also gives her an opportunity to explore romance with her fellow escapee, Adam. But if she thinks The Reestablishment is going to give up on her that easily, she's mistaken, to say nothing of Warner, son of The Reestablishment leader. He has acute, raw feelings of his own in regard to Juliette. He's not above letting her know how he feels. Things are heating up in more ways than one.

Mafi certainly didn't suffer a "sophomore" slowdown in this second novel. She does an excellent job of fleshing out her characters as the saga continues. There's a good dose of the psychological. The author peels back the layers of their psyches and lets the audience in on what makes them tick; what drives them. Interspersed between the first novel and the second, Mafi released a short ebook named Destroy Me. I think it only cost $2.99 and it was so good, I wish it were longer! It's written from Warner's perspective and is a surprising look into the feelings of a boy that appears hell-bent on destruction. It whets your appetite for what you know will be an explosive meeting between him and our heroine, Juliette in Unravel Me.

In the midst of learning more about the inner lives of the characters, the action and the forward momentum of the story is not neglected. The action and emotional components, indeed the romance, are all seamlessly blended. The author utilizes the device of repeating words or phrases, sometimes in triplicate, when Juliette is in a particularly emotional or stressful state of mind. It can work, but it can also become redundant. I began to skip over the extra phrasing.

Unravel Me is a novel that works. The story and character arcs are glorious and well thought out. The conclusion will leave you hungry for that third book. You have to learn how Juliette comes into her own and resolves her relationships with Adam and Warner. The connections between all three are rich and complex. Tahereh Mafi has proved herself to be a masterful plotter and storyteller.

Juliette is now firmly established in Omega Point with the other "special" people, but she is still struggling with who she is, how she fits in, and how her power can be used for good, not just death. Adam is also there and still in love with her, but he is trying to figure out his own power and how it will affect his relationship with Juliette. Then there's Warner. Oh, Warner (sigh). In Shatter Me I thought of course there has to be a bad guy and of course he will be intrigued with Juliette and want to get in her pants, but really he's not a clear runner for her heart. Was I ever wrong! Mafi completely turns us around in this book and shows us a side of Warner that is intriguing and heartbreaking. Clearly he has had a horrific childhood being raised by his dictator father and this has shaped him into the "monster" he has become, but we get to see that his feelings for Juliette are hopefully changing him for the better. That make-out session between them towards the end put a real fire in my lady pants that some romance books i've been reading lately have failed to do. Of course my heart belongs to Adam and his unwavering love towards Juliette and their scenes are just as hot, but Warner came out of nowhere.

The twist of making Warner and Adam half brothers was a shock. I never saw that coming, but I have to say I kind of like it. Warner will have to find out somehow and hopefully there will be a showdown between the two of them and their father. The hate is alive and well there!

Sidenote: Give some love to Kenji cause that boy is sweet as hell!

Unravel Me was absolutely spectacular. There aren't enough words in the world to convey the amount of awesomeness that Unravel Me was. Shatter Me floored me and left me wanting so much more. Destroy Me made me ache in ways I never imagined I could. Unravel Me blew me away so much, I'm surprised I'm still rooted to the Earth.

This is one of those virtually impossible reviews to write because I'm stunned. I've already read Unravel Me twice because I had no words the first time I finished. I thought I needed to reread it in order to organize my thoughts, but I'm still rendered a bit speechless. But I will try...

First, Unravel Me was utterly unpredictable. In fact, I thought I knew too much going in because I waited so late after the release day to read it. I already knew all about the glorious Chapter Sixty-Two and I hated knowing that because I thought I would be ruined by the information. I imagined a handful of different scenarios that could lead up to what I knew was inevitable and not one of them was even remotely similar to the actual events in Unravel Me. It defied all expectations and was a thousand times more imaginative that I thought it could be, and I had pretty high hopes considering I'm a huge fan of Tahereh Mafi's imagination.

I'll never stop being amazed by the author's writing. I love every single word and every scene. I love how she writes and it makes the story flow in such a way that I'm affected each and every time something happens. Nothing is trivial or explained away lazily or quickly. Everything is steeped in detail, emotion, and importance. And the coolest part is that even though I'm getting Juliette's point of view, which can be complete tunnel vision-ish and skewed, I can still see around her a little bit and imagine how another character might view the same scene and then I'm just amazed at the entire thing.

Juliette grew so much in Unravel Me. Her thoughts and actions were intriguing and there were moments where she was so badass, my jaw dropped. The rest of the characters were equally interesting. Kenji was much more than he was in Shatter Me, with a lot more depth and insight into things than I ever would have imagined. All of the Omega Point citizens were incredible.

Of course, both Adam and Warner were present in Unravel Me. I don't want to give anything away, especially considering it's hard enough to avoid Unravel Me Love Triangle Spoilers. I am definitely Team Warner for a thousand reasons after reading Destroy Me earlier in the year and I love how the conflict played out in Unravel Me. The series is so intense and emotional and wrapped up in feelings, but the conflict is so real and challenging and interesting. I find myself more invested in Juliette's relationship choices than I've ever been about a fictional character. And arguing valid points about deep things like character and integrity and challenges (instead of the traditional, but X is so hot! or Y is obviously better kind of arguments that love triangles bring about). It isn't a love triangle in the traditional sense at all. It's so beyond hormones and hotness and intrigue.

Chapter Sixty-Two, since everyone talks about it, is worth every ounce of hype. The way it was written and executed is so unique and somehow the way it should always be. The author has such a way with words... It really doesn't matter if you're familiar with the series or not, it's worth buying the book just to read that chapter so you can walk around knowing that 1) not all steam needs to be specific or graphic in order to be effective and 2) you've read the best thing ever and 3) you have now lived a full life and can die happy. lol

The external conflict in Unravel Me was also incredibly interesting. A few negative reviews about the series mention the uncanny similarities between it and X-men. But I feel that it is entirely different. There are many similarities that I see, but they all exist for different reasons. The conflict is different, the enemies are different, the entire world is different, and the development of extraordinary abilities has a completely different reason for manifesting. And, of course, the characters are so different, even if some of their abilities might resemble those in the X-men series. And if the ending of Shatter Me reminded people of X-men, I thought Unravel Me and the direction it took was unique enough for me to feel like it's not the same thing at all. I loved getting to see a little more of the world in Unravel Me, though it was executed like no other dystopian setting I've seen. I loved the author's amazing comparisons and references about war and fighting and killing.

I would love to go into intricate detail about everything and I have so much to say, but I refuse to spoil anything in the book. I loved having no idea how the story would go and how I would feel about anything and everything. I'll save my thoughts for discussions with friends and fellow readers and leave my review as spoiler free as it can be.

I highly recommend the Shatter Me series. I can't get enough. I've reread the series more times than I've reread ANY recent series/novel. I don't have TIME for rereads, but this series is unavoidable for me. I want to spend so much time in the world of Shatter Me that the time I do spend there never seems like enough. Already, I want more. I want more books, I want Unravel Me scenes in other character's perspective, and I want more of Juliette and her evolution from cowering girl in the corner to the badass girl who can punch through anything and fight for what she believes in. I love the series.

There's a million reasons why some people won't read this series. I hear things like, "But I don't read dystopians, YA, love stories, books with love triangles, science fiction, etc" ALL the time. And typically, I realize that people have different tastes and won't like something and dismiss it. But the Shatter Me series is so unique that I think most people will end up loving it, regardless of their preferences, so don't let your preferences or assumptions about what kind of book it is stop you from trying it!

True to its title, Unravel Me did more than just that, it consumed me, shook me, broke me, and left me without words and with so much emotions. 



The familiar yet alluring and lyrical writing of Tahereh Mafi is back and better than ever. Like always, it took my breath away and left me gasping for air. The writing in Unravel Me was beautiful, haunting, and totally made my skin tingle and shoot straight to my heart. It was the type of writing that made me want to close my eyes, absorb, savor, and relish every single word, sentence, and page and brand them permanently to my soul.

Now settled in Omega Point, Juliette still had her old doubts and fears that continued to plague her. Although Juliette felt like this, there were plenty of times where she wanted to prove herself, pick herself up, and actually do something to help with the upcoming war. Juliette seemed weak before, but in Unravel Me, she exudes strength physically and mentally. She grows, develops and really tries her hardest to fight her demons and insecurities away. I'm even more impressed with the amount of restraint and strength Juliette possesses. I really got to see even more improvement in Juliette throughout this second book from start to finish. A little fragile and still struggling internally, Juliette continued to be the good person I knew her to be. She finally stepped out of the hole she dug herself in and really showed an immense amount of courage, bravery and damn it all, she was fierce and a little scary too. I loved it!

I will always have a soft spot for Adam. I loved his love and devotion for Juliette. Even when trouble rose up between them, he kept on trying to make things work and never gave up. He was determined more than ever to stand by Juliette's side. And as much as I love Adam, I have to admit I love Warner just a bit more. While Juliette owns this book, Warner shines brighter. Warner had me holding my breath, clutching my heart, and had me feeling all kinds of inappropriate feelings and things. I got to see another side of him that had me falling for him, hard and painful. I saw the tortured, lost and broken boy he tried so hard to hide. He was delicate, yet intimidating and like a tornado you can't help but want to be closer to watch and be fascinated by no matter how dangerous. Warner was so intense and beautiful and magnetic, I was drowning in that intensity, tension and ethereal beauty he had. When he spoke, he was captivating. When he was quiet, he made me curious. I'll tell you now that Warner got me addicted before, but after Chapter 62, I think I need an intervention.


While some sequels fall flat, Unravel Me was a sequel far superior than its predecessor. Any questions I had during and at the end of Shatter Me are answered; from Adam and Warner's immunity to Juliette's touch to Warner's first name and more. The inner workings of Omega Point are explained and experienced with great detail that I found very interesting. Any other powers and Energies are touched upon and explored more as well. There are some new characters that I fell in love with and old ones I missed and ended up loving even more. Even better, Mafi throws in surprises that never gives Unravel Me a dull moment. 



Overall, Unravel Me was bolder, darker and a lot more sexier. Tahereh Mafi doesn't fail to impress. She tug tug tugs on the heart strings in plenty of different ways. For me, the whole book was exceptional!


Okay, this story was kind of boring...hahaha! Just kidding! I loved it! The story was seriously really, really, very, very good. I'm so happy that it didn't fall under the curse of the second book in a series. It's not just a filler book, not even close! I'd say it was even better than Shatter Me. A lot happened in Unravel Me and there was a lot of action, a lot of romance, and a lot of new discoveries. We discover more about Juliette's power and all of its glory, we find out Adam's power, and we meet new character and learn more about Shatter Me's secondary characters. I also loved that some areas are more developed in this book, which is nice because I felt like they were missing in Shatter Me (such as the development of Juliette's relationship with Warner and her internal conflict).

I think that Juliette is loveable. I definitely connected and identified with her. She can be frustrating at times, like when you know she should be using her power but she's too afraid or freaked out to do so. But, she is so incredibly badass when she does use it!

Adam (love interest #1) is sweet and kind and secretive. We don't actually see as much of him as in Shatter Me, but don't worry...he is still present and accounted for.

Warner (love interest #2) is very confusing and frustrating and I just wish he would be strong enough to stray from his s****y father and do the right thing! Ugh...Warner is likeable and hateable at the same time.

Kenji! I have to talk about Kenji. He is one of my favourite characters in Unravel Me! He's just awesome. Kenji has some kind of broken past, that we don't get to know very much about, but he still manages to let it go and embrace the good in life. He also whips Juliette into shape (so to speak)!

Overall, I would definitely recommend this book! I thought Shatter Me was good, but Unravel Me (this one) was fantastic! I cannot wait to read the third book!! If you like Shatter Me, or even just though it was okay, you should read this one; it's even better than the first, which is rare. Dystopia, YA, Romance fans will love it!

I am in love with this book.

The writing you guys. It's almost criminal how good it is. It's the kind of writing I want to sink into and wrap around myself and live in forever. Tahereh Mafi has the most gorgeous way with words. Descriptive, evocative, painful and all sorts of other adjectives that can't possibly give justice to her magic. She writes like no one else out there and even though it probably shouldn't work, it does in the best possible way.

And her characters. These beautiful, complex, tortured, hopeful, amazing characters.

Juliette just blows me away. This girl feels so much and her mind is so beautiful. There are times when her self-loathing literally had me crying. She's such a complex character and watching her slowly accept herself and this immense, overwhelming, earth-shattering power of hers was an amazing reading experience. She's still got a long way to go. She's still angry and confused but she's finally starting to come out of her shell and make her own choices and I can't wait to see where they take her.

Adam. I honestly don't know how I feel about him. Or Warner. Going into this, it'd been long enough since I read Shatter Me that I couldn't remember how I felt about any of the characters, and since I haven't yet read the Destroy Me novella, I was looking at these boys and this triangle with completely fresh eyes, and I love them both. I literally cannot choose.

Juliette and Adam are beautiful together. I cannot handle how much Juliette loves Adam and how much Adam loves her. It's beautiful and painful and I really want them to have their happily ever after. And it doesn't hurt that because of Mafi's gorgeous way with words it is easy to picture just how amazingly sexy and passionate Adam is. There were times when he was definitely frustrating, but this boy is dealing with so much, including a couple of revelations that rocked the foundation of his world, so I think he can be forgiven for feeling and acting the way he does about certain things. And it breaks my heart because I know that things are probably going to get worse for him before they get better.

Warner. UGH. I fought so hard not to fall for him. But then Chapter 62 happened and that was the end of everything in the world for me. Seriously. I think I read it 3 or 4 times before I could move on. It might be the greatest chapter in YA history. Or maybe that's just me. But on to the more important stuff. Warner is definitely flawed. He's done some horrific, unforgivable things. Thing's he doesn't apologize for and he's definitely got a long path to redemption, if redemption is even possible. Warner and Juliette have such intense chemistry, and once again Mafi's talent with words had me struggling not to fall in love with them as a couple. They just connect in a way that Adam and Juliette don't. They could be the best or worst thing for each other. I especially enjoy them because Juliette doesn't know how to handle Warner at all, which definitely has its fun moments. While there is a part of me that not so secretly hopes that they find a way to keep each other, I'm trying to harden my heart because the much more realistic part of me doesn't see a way for Warner to survive this war.

As for the other major supporting characters...I'm not sure how I feel about Castle. I'm definitely on the fence about him and don't trust him at all. I look forward to Warner's father's death immensely and Kenji is my favorite person ever. If you don't love Kenji I can't know you, and if he doesn't survive I will cry forever and ever and never forgive. Even though it may seem as if he's just there for comic relief, there is definitely more to him than that. Maybe we'll get a Kenji novella. That would be awesome.

2014 cannot come soon enough. I can't wait to see how this all ends, especially after that intense ending.

I had to take a few days after reading this to calm my nerves, which were rightfully frazzled, before I could compose a review. Unravel Me is a beautifully written and exciting sequel that shows us the complexities of human relationships and I was even more engrossed in this one than the first in the series, Shatter Me.

In Shatter Me, I was sucked in by author Tahereh Mafi's unique style of writing and the steamy romance between Juliette and Adam, which was fairly sexy for a YA book. I loved Adam's sexy confidence and his attachment to Juliette. I was also intrigued by the story's villain, Warner, and found him dark and interesting, but I didn't view him as a love interest. Imagine my surprise when all this "Team Warner vs. Team Adam" stuff came about. In the interim novella, Destroy Me, readers got to read from Warner's POV and learn a little about his horrific upbringing at the hands of a psychotic monster and why he became so obsessed with Juliette. After reading the novella I felt like I could sympathize with Warner as a character and while learning his history and his inner most thoughts didn't completely justify all of his actions in Shatter Me, I felt like I could better understand his motivations and reasons.

Fast forward to me after Unravel Me: I am now completely infatuated with Warner and ready for him to keep me as his prisoner for as long as he wants.

In Unravel Me, everything goes topsy turvy and Mafi surprises readers with all sorts of shocking plot twists that I honestly didn't see coming. We get to watch as Juliette and Adam try to adjust to their new life at Omega Point and learn about the abilities of the other inhabitants. We also get to learn more about the outside world, a dystopian landscape of clustered towns of people living in horrible conditions. It all just expands the world Mafi has created and made me feel even more immersed in the story.

Omega Point is counting on Juliette to be a major force in their coming war with the Reestablishment, due to the strength of her abilities, but as we learned from reading her inner monologue in Shatter Me, she is a bit of a wounded bird and has to overcome her own issues before she can be of any help to anyone else. Juliette spends time training with Kenji in order to learn how to control and grow her abilities. By the way, Kenji is an absolutely amazing character who is somehow a perfect combination of humor and heart. I loved all of his scenes with Juliette and I enjoyed watching her grow and become stronger throughout the course of this novel. I think that growth is going to be a major factor in this series' final book.

Juliette and Adam suffer some relationship setbacks in this sequel and their ups and downs were at times, heartbreaking. To make things even more complicated for Juliette, she finds herself thinking about Warner all too often and the metaphorical dam breaks when she is reunited with him under unusual circumstances. I never thought you could make a Team Warner girl out of me, but his understanding of her deepest, darkest places is undeniable. And Warner gets his own steamy scenes in this book. In fact, I just about passed out while reading from all that steam, whew!

"Juliette," he says and he mouths the name, barely speaking at all, and he's pouring molten lava into my limbs and I never even knew I could melt straight to death. [...]
"I want to be the friend you fall hopelessly in love with. The one you take into your arms and into your bed and into the private world you keep trapped in your head. I want to be that kind of friend," he says. "The one who will memorize the things you say as well as the shape of your lips when you say them. I want to know every curve, every freckle, every shiver of your body, Juliette-" [...]
"I want to know where to touch you," he says. "I want to know how to touch you. I want to know how to convince you to design a smile just for me." I feel his chest rising, falling, up and down and up and down and "Yes," he says. "I do want to be your friend." He says "I want to be your best friend in the entire world." [...]
And I drop dead, all over the floor.

Here's the thing, when it comes to fictional characters I love me some bad boys. I love watching a big and bad get all crazy once he realizes he's accidentally fallen in love and I love watching the growth he makes for the heroine. It's really the ultimate challenge for an author, to take a bad guy type of character and make readers fall in love with him. Take Damon from Vampire Diaries, Barrons from the Fever series, Eric from Sookie Stackhouse/True Blood, Dorian from the Dark Swan series, etc. Making a character lovable enough for us to understand why the heroine would choose him while still keeping the integrity of the "bad guy" persona is an amazing talent and Mafi has somehow managed to turn me into a Warner lover.

I cannot WAIT to see what she does to me next.

Recommended for fans of: young adult dystopian, shocking bomb-like plot twists, people with supernatural abilities, love triangles, character growth, and good-looking villains in boxers.

I really liked this book and it was such a great 2nd book, it pulled me in even more to her story. Now I will admit Juliette is whiny and the dialog is so irritating at times but really it is true to the age of the characters as I have a 17-year-old myself and the communication skills of this age is astoundingly poor. But the writing is not, she continues to write Juliette's voice like poetry. The additional characters were good and the similarities to the X-men was welcome because I really like Superhero films. There is an amazing chapter towards the end that give a glimpse into the relationship that I am rooting for (Ch. 62). I recommend the whole series and the two novellas that accompany it. Very good story.

So heart wrenching! You literally live in Juliette's head, feel her emotions, her feelings. She is such a beautiful girl, inside and out, refusing to hate the world, the same world who's been rejecting her, treating her like a monster. She's lived isolated, alone, without speaking to anyone for months, without any touch, tenderness. She sees herself as a monster and so weak but she is so strong.
I was reading on the train and could not stop crying. How embarrassing!

As life is not easy on Juliet, her newfound hope is now crushed. Her touch is weakening Adam and could kill him too. So she's bluntly refusing to put him at risk and to touch him anymore but at what cost!

You also discover a more human Warner and I could not stay indifferent to him. Even feeling compassion for him and at the same time being torn, like Juliette, knowing it's the same guy who's been torturing Adam. What a knot of conflicting emotions! Poor me, it was like a roller coaster.

This is a new love triangle and you just don't know at the end if some of the bad guys are still so bad. Is redemption possible for everyone? Does everyone deserve a second chance? Can all the people change given the opportunity and the right incentive, as to say love?

I know the next installment will not come out soon enough!

Congratulations missis Mafi!

Juliette feels trapped. She tries to tell herself that Omega Point, the secret underground headquarters for the rebel resistance, is not another prison, but the confining four windowless walls and lack of social interaction are saying otherwise. It only took a day for the other residents to find out about her lethal ability to shatter, break, and sap with her touch, and now they're avoiding her. Not only does Juliette have no friends, but she has limited contact with Adam, who says he's been busy training but is clearly hiding something from her. Compound that with her inability to harness or control her special energy in her own training sessions with rebel leader Castle, the fact that a full-blown war with the Reestablishment is ticking closer and closer, and that Warner is still after her, Juliette is being backed into a corner after all. But something's got to give for Juliette eventually, right?

I opened Tahereh Mafi's Unravel Me with conservative anticipation. Despite its somewhat predictable, derivative ending, Shatter Me was a surprise hit for me last year. The metaphor-ridden prose, perfectly angsty characters, and the swoon-worthy relationship between Juliette and Adam had me singing its praises. Though I was decidedly Team Adam, after reading Destroy Me, the enovella published last fall, I was conflicted. Told from Warner's perspective, the supposedly evil villain suddenly had a sympathetic back story and a complexity that placed him in gray territory. I didn't know it at the time but the novella was the perfect preparation for what happens in Unravel Me. It is equally Juliette and Warner's book and will make any loyal Team Adam fan question their allegiance, the legendary chapter 62 aside. But for me, whether it was Warner or Adam, Juliette badly needed what happens in that chapter, and my happiness for her sake means that ultimately, I'm with her.

What also makes Unravel Me satisfying as far as middle books in a trilogy go is that Juliette is left far better than she started. She makes friends, she taps into what controls her energy, and she experiences the physical touch she craves. Her unsure reserve is replaced by an empowering need to act with a confidence she has never had before. As the story progresses, Juliette grasps a beautiful, tangible hope that only Mafi can describe:

Hope.

It's like a drop of honey, a field of tulips blossoming in the springtime. It's fresh rain, a whispered promise, a cloudless sky, the perfect punctuation mark at the end of a sentence.

It's the only thing keeping me afloat.

She also gains a training partner and friend named Kenji, who offered much needed comic relief. A favorite exchange:

"Adam?"

He lifts his head to look up and freezes. Blinks, eyebrows up, lips parted. His eyes travel down every inch of my body, pausing to study the harness framing my chest, the guns slung close to my waist.

He says nothing. He runs a hand through his hair, presses the heel of his palm to his forehead and says something about being right back. He leaves the room.

I feel sick.

Kenji clears his throat, loud. Shakes his head. Says, "Wow. I mean, really, are you trying to kill the guy?"

"What?"

Kenji is looking at me like I'm an idiot. "You can't just go around all `Oh, Adam, look at me, look at how sexy I am in my new outfit' and bat your eyelashes--"

"Bat my eyelashes?" I balk at him. "What are you talking about?'

...

"I'm just saying," he says, hand up in mock surrender...

I kind of love him for how he can speak with no fear of others' reactions. My likes of this installment said, I had my dislikes. While many readers found the poetically-overdosed prose of Shatter Me jarring, I missed that quality of the prose here, which seems to be toned down accordingly. I also missed Adam, who spends less time around Juliette and therefore receives less quality page-time. I have no idea how Mafi is going to resolve the ethically-questionable love triangle she's formed but I have no doubt that I won't be disappointed. I'm especially interested to see how the new understanding of Juliette's ability plays out in the war against the Reestablishment. As for more intense characterization, unexpected plot lines, and striking prose in the final book? Bring it on.

So, this is the part where I'm supposed to sum up my feelings towards the book I have just finished reading, which, in this case, is Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi (who, by the way, is awesome). I'm finding this to be very difficult, however, because at the moment my thoughts are scattered in incoherent bits and pieces. I usually write a review immediately after finishing so the words and story are fresh, but I didn't with this, because I needed some time to gather my brain bits. And, okay, it might have had something to do with the fact that I read this from 10 pm to 3 am. I actually needed to get some sleep. ;)

I was so, so devastated last year when I learned that Unravel Me was coming out in February of 2013 instead of November 2012 like I originally hoped. I mean, almost three extra months?? Harper Collins must hate me. But I have to tell you something. It was well worth the wait. As much as I love to read in general, I go through slumps like everyone else. Anyway, the point is, books like these remind me why I am so passionate about books, why I love them and their stories and covers and pages and words so, so much.

I love Unravel Me's writing, plot, characters, and absolutely everything else, but to me, the shining point in this book was the feeling. The whole time I read my stomach was hurting, and I was fairly certain I would kill anyone who would dare to interrupt me while I was reading. It made me sad, happy, angry, surprised. I laughed and swooned between random bouts of sadness. This book should be re-named "Roller Coaster" because that's what it really is.

As much as I loved Shatter Me last year, I have to say I loved Unravel Me much more. Because even though the writing is gorgeous in both, I feel like it was structured better in the second, and the metaphors were more strategically placed for maximum effect. If you asked me to pick a favorite quote, I would be at loss at what to tell you. I guess I would just have to hand you my copy of the book and tell you to read it, because the whole thing is my favorite quote.

Juliette, Juliette, Juliette. How I went back and forth with you. Through at least the first half of Unravel Me, she is very, very angsty. Like, I'm drowning in angst. And while this kind of sadness and darkness is not really fun to read about, I found that I couldn't be as annoyed with it as I would normally be, simply because of all the pity I felt towards her. I honestly think she has every right to feel as broken and tired as she does, though I will be rather excited to see her step up to the plate and become the awesome fearless heroine I know she could be in book three. I see some real potential there and I'm all for it. I want to give her a big hug, but I'm also really glad that Kenji was there to talk sense into her. I love how he can be so funny, but also serious when he needs to be. He really stole all the scenes he was in.

And, of course, I have to talk a little bit about the love triangle. There are some steamy, sexy moments in the book for both of the boys. I still really like Adam, and really felt for him at different points in the book. I think he rocks as both a character and a love interest, and if he was up against anybody else I would be screaming TEAM ADAM at the top of my lungs. But sadly for him, the other interest in this book is Warner, and Warner outshines him in so many ways. Warner is simply more interesting as a person, and I want sit down with him over tea and discuss absolutely everything (though I don't think he would let me). He's so different in this book, but also the same. I didn't expect him to all of a sudden turn good and start running around with Omega Point, because in all honesty, he is still rather cold and callous about other people. It would have been a bad expectation. But what I got regarding him was some very realistic events playing out that stayed true to his character. I realize that the heroine of these series always ends up with the first person they fall in love with, and I am probably an idiot for hoping, but I hope that Warner and Juliette end up together. I want Adam to be happy, too, and I doubt he would be if such a thing occurred, but the heart wants what it wants. I blame chapter sixty two. *sighs dreamily*

....

....

Oh, sorry. I should get back to writing the review.

So many plot twists and turns happen here. Some of my predictions came true, others did not. One in particular I was throwing around for some time, and I thought it would be interesting if it did happen, but I was pretty sure it wouldn't. But then it DID, and I was like, "No. Way." Questions are answered in Unravel Me, such as: What is Warner's first name? Why are he and Adam able to touch Juliette? Do they have gifts? Is Warner's father as much as a jerk as I was led to believe in Destroy Me? Spoiler: YES HE IS. Someone needs to push that guy off a cliff, seriously. Of course, new questions have replaced the old ones.

I'm happy that the world-building was explained more in Unravel Me, that was my only issue with Shatter Me. I mean, I'm so into the characters half the time that I don't care what's going on with the outside world, but I'm still very eager to see how it all goes down between the Reestablishment and Omega Point. I feel like I have a better idea of how their world works.

Even after having said all that, I still don't feel like I've accurately expressed how I feel about this book, but I don't think I ever will. If I typed exactly what was in my head, all you would get is gjinsoingsptnseineisneosblkz?!READTHISBOOKssoinepgesnps.

I partly didn't want to read this book so fast, because I knew the sadness about having to wait a year for the third one was going to set in, and already the calender is mocking me with the far-awayness of February 2014. How can I WAIT that long? *cries* Oh, well . . . I think there might be another novella for the Shatter Me series out in December, so that's at least something to look forward to that's a bit closer. Who's POV will it be in, I wonder? Personally, I wouldn't mind another Warner one. ;)

Definitely a five star book. If you haven't started this series yet, allow me to personally come to your house and hand you a copy. (That's not creepy, right?).

Can I just say how truly awful this whole trilogy is and I stuck it out to the end. Let me first say I LOVE the concept that Ms. Mafi had, I love that kind of thing, the main character reminds me Rouge from the X-man comics. However, where she fails, in my opinion as an avid reader, is her delivery and writing style. I felt throughout the series that a 12 year old wrote it. There was unnecessary angst between the three main characters because of a major lack of communication which 16 year olds are capable of, but for some reason these 16 year olds couldn't. Characters were thrown under the writing bus, there was poor character development and I really didn't care for anyone even if I did in the beginning. The conclusion of the series was anti-climatic and there was a feeling of incompleteness, I felt like she had a lot of good ideas but she couldn't put them together. Over all it was a big disappointment and I wouldn't recommend reading this trilogy.

I have waited so long to read this book! I read Shatter Me last year and it gripped me immediately; I loved the colorful and embellished writing style and couldn't wait to read more about Juliette and Adam. At the end of book one there are so many exciting revelations that set up the sequel to be much different from what I ever could have imagined it to be when I first started reading. There were so many new, interesting characters to learn about as well as a new villain and, of course, Warner returns.

I love how the writing style has evolved as Juliette changes and grows stronger. It's less centrally focused as she comes out of her shell and less whimsical as she's forced to face reality for maybe the first time in her life. She's found people who might come to accept her if she gives them the chance. I think it's really brilliant, how Tahereh Mafi manages to pull this off so smoothly and seamlessly and doesn't interrupt the flow of the plot at all. Unravel Me is more fast-paced than the first book. Now that everything has been set up it's time for action and I can't wait to see how that climaxes in the next and final book in the trilogy.

I've always had a thing for characters with superpowers, even more so when they're flawed and the reader really gets to see the changes the character has to make throughout the book. As a rather shy person myself, it's awesome having a leading lady like Juliette who is often afraid to speak for herself or offer up information even if it's being asked for or she feels ridiculous for not speaking up. I think that having a person like her as a role model is great; even if she isn't perfect, it's easy to see how she's testing the surface and making her way now as her own person.

I'd recommend this series to anyone! I love the characters so much . . even if the only complaint I have is the whole thing between Warner and Juliette, that I didn't warm up to until near the end of the book. Other than that this book was as great and gripping as I'd hoped it would be and now I can't wait to read more!!

Despite "Shatter Me" being one of my most favourite books of all time, I must admit that I was extremely hesitant to read this book. Why? Because of second book syndrome- I didn't think it possible for me to like this more than I did "Shatter Me" (I mean, how does one top essentially perfection?). However, after having finished this book all I can do is shake my head at my earlier stupidity. This book, if possible, is even better than "Shatter Me".

While there were countless aspects of this novel that I loved, the largest would most likely be the love triangle (no, I can't believe that I wrote that either). This book has, what I like to call, a successful love triangle. What might a successful love triangle be? One where there is actual competition. I literally have no idea who Juliette will end up with (if either of them). On the one hand everything that Adam has done in his life has been for Juliette, but on the other hand ,Warner has entirely given himself to Juliette. How does one choose between the boy who is steady and safe or the boy who is anything but, but burns so brightly with his passion for her.

As becomes evident, I am more so leaning towards Warner in this novel, despite having declared my undying love for Adam in "Shatter Me". While I have always been intrigued by Warner in "Shatter Me", those feelings were amplified in this novel, becoming something more. I think that him and Juliette are so perfect together because they are so broken and as such, who better to put one another back together than each other?

Aside from the boys, I did enjoy Juliette in this novel, though perhaps not as much as I had hoped to (while she has grown, I do think that she still has a ways to go before she truly becomes the person that she is meant to be). And, of course, Kenji. Whenever you feel like you are going to choke on emotions, Kenji appears, bringing with him a breath of fresh air.

If I had to come up with a complaint it would be the predictability. I had guessed the big surprise surrounding two of the characters halfway through "Shatter Me". That being said, I do look forward to seeing how it will be addressed/ played out in the third, and final, book in the series. I think that its reveal could quite literally reshape everything we have ever known about these books and the characters within their pages.

All in all, Tahereh has been able to do what I believe that few authors have been able to- write a sequel that is worthy of the original. I think that she has elevated YA and really brought to light how artful/ beautiful it can be. I cannot recommend this series enough and I cannot wait for said third book in this series.

This is the honestly the hardest review I have written. I had no words when I finished reading except for "All of the stars!" because really, this book deserves way more than that measly five. I actually had to sleep on it, to come down from the high it gave me, so that I could even form a coherent thought. Now I'm here, and I'm telling you all that Unravel Me is the best book of the year so far. At least for me. I don't even care that I'm not really a fan of the flowery writing. In fact, I think it feels kind of out of place amongst all of the action and ass kicking. But Tahereh Mafi is some kind of storytelling genius. I could not get enough of this.

Unravel Me had me feeling way too many feelings. I cannot even identify them all, but one that I am sure of is giddiness. I could just feel myself getting more and more giddy the more pages I turned. I was getting light headed from anticipation, and I probably could have passed out at any time. That might be a really unhealthy reaction to have to a book, but I couldn't control it. I received this book on a Tuesday, and read it straight through the very next day. I only took breaks to update my GoodReads and Twitter statuses. And to eat a brownie, which gave me tummy ache that I'm choosing to interpret as "Serves you right for putting the book down!"

Juliette starts out as a timid little mouse with rabies. You're afraid she'll bite you, but you don't really think she will. Then she morphs into a jaguar with rabies, and you nearly pee your pants. Now she wants to bite you and she probably will, but you can't turn away from her because she's just so majestic. She's scary. Juliette is so afraid of being seen as a monster and hurting someone, but she is downright terrifying in Unravel Me. I also feel like she's quite unstable. That makes me a little happy because Warner is quite unstable, and then they can be unstable together, and everyone knows that two negatives make a positive. At least if you multiple them, but whatever. Juliette is bad ass, but I think she owes that to Kenji.

I was always oddly suspicious of Kenji, but now I adore him! He's so full of himself and hilarious. He stole nearly every scene that he's in. But he's not only the jokester. He's a great support for Juliette while she's in emo mode. He essentially tells her to stop crying and put on her big girl panties. He's not her babysitter. Juliette needs to take control of her powers before she kills someone, and Kenji knows all to well what her powers can do to a person.

Everything about this book is better than Shatter Me. Shatter Me does not even compare. I would say that Unravel Me is 62 times better than its predecessor, which I gave 4 stars to, so that means Unravel Me really gets 248 stars. It's that simple. My biggest issue with the first book was quickly resolved in this one, and it made me super happy! Well, it made me kind of sad for Juliette and Adam, but I was glad that things weren't that simple. I may not be on Adam's team, but I still like him. I actually really enjoyed the romance, but I was really just waiting for Warner to show up...

CHAPTER 62!!! Warner doesn't just magically appear that far in. He's around much earlier than that making my heart flutter. But holy crap Chapter 62. Unravel Me was fantastic before I got that far. The rating in my head was hovering around 4.5 and 5 stars already, but that chapter just pushed it over the edge. I was ecstatic to get so much Warner. My feelings were floating on a warm Spring breeze beneath a rainbow and a unicorn flew by, then a tornado hit and shredded my feelings, deposited them in an abandoned field where they were promptly set on fire and turned to ash, then I inhaled the ash and couldn't breathe. Then I died a little. That's a pretty accurate description. There's one quote that I really want to share, but it's like a giant spoiler monster! It's just so amazing! But I won't, because you all need to go read it for yourself! It's the bottom paragraph on page 394 of the US Hardback for those curious.

I might be rambling, but I beyond loved Unravel Me. When I finished I felt like sobbing. It's not that the ending was particularly sad. I just didn't want it to be over, and I was on emotional overload. I'm not even eager for the next book, because I'm still stuck in the pages of this one.

Unravel Me does something that most second installments can't do - it eclipsed the original in every way. Shatter Me was a great read, an interesting read for me, but the level of detail and emotional connection involved in Unravel Me blows it away. Mafi brings the reader in at roughly the same place we left off. Juliette and Adam are getting acclimated to Omega Point and Juliette is expected to start learning how to harness her power. She's having a little trouble fitting in, being social, understandably, but with Kenji and Castle's help, she begins to really learn what she's made of. The threat of the Reestablishment becomes much more real, as we are finally introduced to Warner's father, Supreme Commander Anderson (how's that for a frou frou title?!?) and we see more of the evil things he and his son are capable of. We also get a healthy dose of Warner and his confusing dual nature, including the now infamous (and rightfully so) chapter 62.

I can't think of anything I didn't enjoy about this book. The issues I had about Juliette and her wacky inner monologue from book 1 are gone. We still get her thoughts and her fears, which are completely necessary to understanding her and her actions, but the stylized crossing-out and italics aren't as in-your-face this time - it really works here. Juliette grapples a lot with very conflicting feelings about herself, about Adam, about Warner, about the Omega Point operation. She processes how to trust other people and sometimes acts without thinking. She is a completely real person now and she's starting to figure that out for herself. Her power is just insane and has the potential to be a real game changer in the end, for all parties involved in this now full-on war.

Adam is still deliciously damaged, dealing with some newly presented issues from his past, as well as the discovery of his own power. We get a lot more Kenji, who is really everyone's rock and presents a streak of humor throughout. And, we get a ton of Warner. When I picture Warner, I see every character Christoph Waltz has played in recent years - suave, charming, endearing, and lethal - at age 19. His charm and his vulnerability make him that much more dangerous.

I totally saw this play out as a movie in my mind. There were times when I laughed out loud, when I gasped, and when my heart pounded wildly. Mafi has really out done herself this time and with a new, more determined Juliette emerging in the last pages, I will be counting the days for the next installment!

5/5

It’s not often that the sequel outshines the first book, but Tahereh has got some fantastic writing skills and sure knows how to capture your attention with her intense plot lines, heated romance, and unforgettable characters. Shatter Me knocked me off my seat with how much I loved it and I have to say that Unravel Me doesn’t disappoint in the slightest. This is definitely one of those books that will have you thinking about it for days after you’re done reading it.

It starts off kind of slow at first and I got really irritated with all of the characters. But once Juliette figures out what’s going on around her, that’s when things pick up, drama ensues, and the action takes place. After that point, I pretty much couldn’t put it down. Not only can Tahereh write an amazing story, she can create some pretty awesome characters. In addition to the two swoon-worthy leading guys, Kenji stands out as an excellent secondary character and one I enjoyed learning more about. He definitely brings the humor and life into an otherwise dismal and desolate tale of destruction and pain. I also liked Juliette’s character development in all this. She slowly learns that it’s not all about her and begins to see the bigger picture. She also realizes that she can’t let anyone tell her what to do, which side to choose, and how to use her powers. She’s a strong and fierce one, whoever she fights for will be tough to beat, so it was interesting to see her struggle with that (figuring out what’s right and wrong). Oh, and the true villan in all this, Warner’s father, is as despicable as they come. I loved it!

I just have to say that I am still 100% Team Adam. That boy has my heart, for sure. There is honestly this one scene where he just wrenches my heart and if I could cry, I would’ve cried at that moment. Their love is nothing short of heartbreaking, tragic, and downright gut-wrenching in the best way possible. It’s not often that I truly feel something deep down for a character or particular set of characters, but Tahereh has done well in making me love this couple and I want nothing more than for these two crazy kids to find a way to be together. Yes, sometimes Adam was a bit closed-off, aloof and irritating, but his love for Juliette is unrivaled. Some might consider him weak, but it takes a truly strong and dedicated person to admit how crazy in love they are for someone and Adam shows Juliette, and everyone else at Omega Point for that matter, just how much she means to him.

Now about Warner. We definitely see a different side of him in this book. We get to know more about his past, how he really feels about Juliette, and we learn what is so special about him. I liked how his relationship with Juliette slowly evolved and you can see the changes in both of them because of each other. I totally sympathize and empathize with the guy, don’t get me wrong. It’s hard not to fall for him in this book and you can see why Juliette struggles with her feelings for both guys. Warner basically lays it all out on the line for Juliette and you can see the love, compassion, and heartache that this guy endures. It does make you just want to hug the guy. But, I stay strong in my resolve for Adam. And as for Chapter 62? Yes, it was sweet, intense, and pivotal; but I guess since I’m totally for Adam, it just didn’t do it for me as much as I was hoping. Don’t get me wrong, I liked it and the way Tahereh wrote the scene was fantastic, but, yeah, you know.

I think what really gets to me about these two guys is that I feel like although both of them love Juliette fiercely, Warner seems like he can manage and survive just fine without her. Adam, on the other hand, needs and wants Juliette with a strong and dedicated passion, more than anything else in his life. I think it’s that aspect of it that makes me lean towards Adam so much more than Warner.

Unravel Me is a whirlwind sequel to an outstanding first book and I seriously need Book 3 right now. I love/hate it when the author has me screaming “NOOOO!!!” and flipping the pages at the end like a mad woman, hoping that there’s more. I don’t know how Tahereh can make things any better or any more complicated but I’m sure the ending will be nothing short of epic. If you have yet to start this series, you’re truly missing out as this is definitely one of my very favorites.

I don't even know where to start. Tahereh Mafi is such an ingenious writer. Despite a few characters that are a little underdeveloped I can't help but love them. Especially Warner.

Especially Warner

I tweeted once that if Juliette and Warner didn't end up together in the final book I will forever hate the entire series. A little harsh, but unless you read the books you just won't understand.

The beginning of the book was a little slow and I was counting the pages until some real action began (or more accurately counting the pages until Warner showed up). Don't get me wrong! Adam is...great and all...

Anywho, I should jump off the Warner ship just a moment to properly review this book.

I can never begin to express how much I love how Mafi wrote this novel. I'm remember in Shatter Me how strange it was, just because I wasn't used to it. Now though, it's like the way the paragraphs end and begin, the repeating words in a row, and the obsession with numbers, it's just Juliette's mind. I feel more connected to the main character because the paragraphs aren't 4 or more sentences, it's thoughts, thoughts aren't perfect and well constructed. They are a jumbled mess. And I think Mafi pulled this off without having a confused reader.

The only complaint I can think of is that Juliette got a little annoying with her self-loathing/self-pity. I just wanted to lovingly shake her and yell "Get over yourself!" But the other characters did it for me.

Let's jump back on the Warner ship for a moment because, my heart, when he confessed his love. (This isn't a spoiler, it's quite obvious since the previous book that he was in love with her.) Chapter Sixty-Two is undeniably my favorite. Not for the reasons you may think though (for those who have read it), it's for the most beautiful words I've ever read from such a damaged man.

"I want to be the friend you fall hopelessly in love with. The one you take into your arms and into your bed and into the private world you keep trapped in your head. I want to be that kind of friend."

"I want to know how to convince you to design a smile just for me."

And then Juliette, sweet, sweet, Juliette accurately describes the wonderful feels I got from that chapter..

"And I drop dead, all over the floor."

This series is so worth reading, I can't even begin to express. My heart longs for the final book but it also aches that it will be the last.

Just...read the book, you won't regret it.

Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi is finally about Juliette becoming stronger. For those of you new to the game, Shatter Me hit the YA scene in 2011 and shook up just what "untouchable" meant. In October 2012 Tahereh released Destroy Me and completely changed readers' view of Warner and what he really is (he was the villain in the first book). Now reading Unravel Me, I can't help but feel bad for Warner and want him to win Juliette. (Yes, yes, I know all the Team Adam readers hate him.) But, frankly, he is right: Juliette needs to stop apologizing for who she is.

Unravel Me opens deep underground in the resistance's headquarters, called Omega Point. Juliette is not coping well, and Adam seems to be always tired, always weary and always away. Warner hasn't given up the search for her, even though she shot him. She's the only one who really sees him and a peek into her notebook (containing her year being locked up in an asylum) only confirms his feelings. There are deaths, there are kidnappings, a war is brewing and Juliette doesn't know if she'll be able to stand and fight, or end up killing her comrades. When Warner's father comes to the Sector everyone realizes that the Supreme Commander is warped and twisted and wants Juliette's head on a platter. I got a chance to talk to Tahereh about her Shatter Me series.

to read the the interview with Tahereh check out the HEA Blog

After the action packed ending of Shatter Me where Juliette, her love Adam and the hilariously awesome Kenji make it to the rebel resistance base Omega Point; while leaving the devious Warner injured and humiliated in his attempts to recapture Juliette. With Juliette among other gifted people like herself, and finally able to have physical human contact with someone she loves, you'd think she'd be in absolute bliss! But it's not all sunshine and roses deep in an underground bunker where there are constant whispers about the girl who kills with a touch of her skin, a boyfriend who's harbouring a dangerous secret and a new player in Sector 45 that's hellbent on finding Juliette...

Firstly, I hate cover changes in the middle of a series; but for these ones I'll make an except because they're ridiculously gorgeous and eye catching (sorry I couldn't resist).

Juliette is having major problems adjusting and in typical teenager fashion she just wants to be completely absorbed in her beau. For a good portion of the first half of the book she was completely self depreciating, whiny and generally a downer. I really thought I was going to snap and throttle the book in frustration because I wasn't sure how much longer I could keep going, but then Juliette does this complete 180 when she taps into her powers with purpose. She becomes methodical, ruthless and a comment I made while reading was "Juliette Hulk SMASH!" because...WOW what a change. Mafi creates this incredible divide in Juliette filled with obstacles and internal struggles - at the end of the book it's almost like a rebirth and Juliette's finally chosen what kind of person she's going to be.

What makes Juliette's depression in the first half of the book bearable was characters like the leader of Omega Point Castle and his right hand man Kenji who call Juliette out on all her excuses and force her to move out of her isolation no matter how much she resists.

Kenji -who I LOVE to bits is honestly the best character ever. We got a glimpse into his personality nearing the end of Shatter Me but there just wasn't enough Kenji to go around. I'm so glad that Mafi has given him a much more prominent role in Unravel Me and we get a good look into his equally tragic past. He's the down to earth guy that you just have to love, you can see why he inspires so much confidence and leads people so effectively. He knows when to joke to ease the tension, and when to break out the master plans.

I think that we all knew that there'd be a serious love triangle between Adam, Juliette and Warner at some point. Unravel Me is equal parts heartache and passion. A secret creates a chasm between Adam and Juliette. This turns Adam into a really weird desperado that spends all this time being moody and angry - it was a radical change from the Adam we know and love in Shatter Me. It's a completely legitimate reason, but I got tired of his mopiness halfway through - I'm just hoping he can pull himself together in the next installment. But this leaves it wide open for Warner! Juliette and the readers discover that behind that hard slightly psychotic soldier exterior Warner can be an actual caring person - mind you he's still a bit unstable but I think I'm totally on team Warner now. Also that fabled chapter 62? Ahem...yea WOW, it was totally worth it to get to but in true YA fashion someone always ends up with a serious case of blue ....you know.

Mafi's continues with her signature languid and richly descriptive writing as it pulls the reader into the mindsets and voices of of the characters. In Unravel Me Mafi gives us a taste of intense action, steamy romance and one of the HUGEST TWISTS EVER. I didn't see it coming at all - Mafi buried it perfectly in the action!

Mafi gives a great recap of Shatter Me for those who might have forgotten the exact details. She also gets into the special gifts of people a bit more, there's a lot more character development and backstory and she introduces a new villain that is worse than Warner - who knew that was possible? So if you haven't read Shatter Me yet and you love dystopians and X-Men/Avengers/Comic Book heroes in general definitely go check it out!

When the synopsis says that she has to make some hard choices, it is not exaggerating I thought it was just being fancy, but she is faced with a twist that I didn't see coming. And it makes her have to make choices about love that can kill, or breaking her own heart... and his?
I love the first book, and the second doesn't disappoint. We get to see more about Omega Point, and we get more of Kenji, who quickly became one of my favorite secondary characters. In Unravel Me, we see more of the day to day operations and Castle's research. The action is well written and the character development is superb. Juliette learns so much about herself and about stepping up, but she of course is still not perfect. She makes some mistakes that hurt to read about, and she literally couldn't make some of her decisions without hurting someone.
Besides the above mentioned twist, there are others that left me reeling. I finally began to see the appeal of Warner to an extent (this part of the review was written before I read Destroy Me) but I still go a little crazy for Adam He makes me happy just how much he adores her and how loyal he is to his family and what he believes in. Speaking of his family--James has grown up a little in this one and he is one of my fave characters besides the obvious choices.
Although I still think that Adam is the best for Juliette, I know that between what I have learned in this and Destroy Me, that I don't want Warner to get hurt. I don't know how that is going to happen, but I know I don't want it. Where Shatter Me was Adam's book, and it made me love him, and it seems like the main character always picks the first love, Unravel Me is Warner's book. We get to see more of that deep, emotional and scarred side of him. And we see more connection with Warner, because Juliette is afraid of hurting Adam. My mind doesn't even know what to think, and that is good writing when I can't make up my mind.
As usual, the pacing is great. There is always some sort of action going on, whether battles or character development. Or some scenes that will break your heart, or make you sigh because of the romance. The sequel is hot and I absolutely can't wait for the third.

Bottom Line: Awesome sequel, enjoyed Juliette even more in this one!

From Reading and Writing Urban Fantasy and Paranormal Romance

At A Glance
I've died and gone to heaven. Why, oh why must it end? Can I just live in this book?

The Good
Decimation...
Yes, ma'am, may I have another? This book will tear you apart, stitch you back together, then decimate you once again. Reading Unravel Me was like reading macabre poetry in a cold, dark room with just a sliver of hope sunlight peeking through the bars of my window. It is both a salvation and a torment. Why must good things come to an end? Because Mafi likes to torture us, that's why.

Juliette...
Where to begin? I feel so lost and found at the same time. Like everything is so clear but also muddled. Okay, let's start with Juliette. We met Juliette in Shatter Me and she was effed up a mess. Being locked up in a prison with no human contact will do that to a person. But we saw her grow and fall in love after Adam rescued her. In Unravel Me, we see Juliette revert back to the shy, self-deprecating, emotional timebomb we have come to know. All her old insecurities came rushing back as the people in Omega Point, a place that is suppose to be a safe haven, started treating her like a leper. With her ability to kill with just a touch, no one is willing to go near her. And the fact that she has killed people before causes everyone give her a wide berth, even the few friends she had. You can't help but feel bad for this girl. It can't be easy to be the freakiest amongst freaks people with special powers. Though I feel Juliette often brought on the misery herself by not even trying to engage people, my heart still broke every time she cried in defeat. Juliette did try to be strong but blow after blow brought her farther into a pit of disappear. But by the end, there was definitely light at the end of the tunnel. I think Juliette will find her resolve because it's there, it's just hidden beneath layers suppression.

Adam...
Adam was his same sexy, caring self. His love for Juliette is so strong it's frightening. I truly think he could not live without her. In the beginning, they had some hot moments. I was surprised they both didn't combust from the sexual tension. Any of us would be lucky to have a love like they do. But then this horrible HUGE revelation about Adam's power comes and all bets are off. Juliette and Adam's relationship takes a hit and I truly don't know how it is all going to work out. Adam is beyond devastated, he is broken. :(

Team Warner...
The biggest surprise was Warner. I love hate him so much sometimes. He has done some horrible things in the past but the question is, can the devil be redeemed? In this book, we really get the full impact of why Warner is the way he is. Warner is not naturally a cold killer. He has been raised and formed to be heartless. Only Juliette can see the real Warner, the one who lays beneath the surface, the one that can love care. I didn't think it was possible to ever see Warner as the good guy. Really, he's not, not yet anyways, but oh the possibilities. And then there is Juliette and Warner...together. I hate to admit it but they have the most out of this world sexual chemistry ever, it's not even right. Them together makes sense, and by the end, you want it to happen. I know, crazy, right? Don't throw things at me when I say this because it must be said. I am so TEAM WARNER. AHHHH!

The War...
Unravel Me takes us further into the war between the corrupt government and the rebels. We see how the people of Omega Point are rallying together to fight The Reestablishment. With their unique powers on their side, I can see the rebels having a fighting chance. But no one could have predicted what the bad guys were willing to do to win this war. We can only hope things will get better from here.

She's A Poet And Didn't Even Know It...
The action was really good and the pacing was spot on because Unravel Me kept my interest the whole time. But, as always, it is the writing that hits this book out of the park. This series is not your basic book. This is art in the form of words. It's as close as a novel will ever come to poetry. I want to live in Mafi's head for forever just a day. It must be like Disney World for book nerds.

The Bad
Juliette continues to self-deprecate and make horrible decisions because of her whacked out emotional/mental state. At one point I just wanted to yell at her, tell her to get her ass up and stop whining.

The Snuggly
Holy Sexual Tension, Batman! Have you ever read a book that actually made you shiver? Not a chill, not a twitch. A bone-deep shiver that eats consumes your being and takes over your body. When sexual tension is so solid, so consumable that all you want to do is ingest it, gobble it up till there's nothing left. Well, that's what Unravel Me is like. I have never read a hotter YA book in my life. If you thought Shatter Me was naughty, then you will pass out, dream of the Hemsworth brothers feeding you calorie-free chocolate drizzled on their bodies, and wake up naked and crying after reading Unravel Me. And yes, we get some sexual touching this time and it is delish.

Final Thoughts
Trying to review Unravel Me is like trying to describe Starry Night by Van Gogh to a blind person. No matter how hard you try, the full impact of the piece can only be fully realized by experiencing it first hand. There is nothing more I can say other than, READ THIS BOOK NOW! Chop, chop. Stop dilly-dallying. Highly recommended to EVERYONE.

Quotes
All I know next are his arms, the desperate edge to his voice when he says my name, and I'm unraveling in his embrace, I'm frayed and falling apart and I'm making no effort to control the tremors in my bones and he's so hot his skin is so hot and I don't even know where I am anymore.

*****

"The man is moody as hell."

"I am not moody--"

"Yeah, bro." Kenji puts his utensils down. "You are moody. It's always `Shut up, Kenji.' `Go to sleep, Kenji.' `No one wants to see you naked, Kenji.' When I know for a fact that there are thousands of people who would love to see me naked--"

*****
I want to study the secrets tucked between his elbows and the whispers caught behind his knees. I want to follow the line of his silhouette with my eyes and the tips of my fingers. I want to trace rivers and valleys along the curved muscle of his body.

*****

"I want to be the friend you fall hopelessly in love with. The one you take into your arms and into your bed and into the private world you keep trapped in your head. I want to be that kind of friend," he says. "The one who will memorize the things you say as well as the shape of your lips when you say them. I want to know every curve, every freckle, every shiver of your body, Juliette--"

The first book, Shatter Me was a fun read for me, and now that I have the second book, I can't help but squeal with joy. I'm just so excited to read what's going to happen next!

In Unravel me, we see our dear heroine, Juliette, struggling to get her powers under control (who by the way isn't really doing a good job), and fit in with everyone else in Omega Point. They are like her after all with all those supernatural powers. She thought she has finally found a place where she won't be treated as a freak-- a monster. But she was wrong.

Tahereh Mafi did an awesome job once again. Personally, the second book is twice as awesome as the first one. I just love Mafi's writing style. It's something new and refreshing and it quickly draws you into Juliette's world, as if you were her yourself. You feel every bit of her feelings, as well as the other characters. (*coughs* Warner *coughs*)
Unravel me is filled with so much emotion that I myself am confused as to what I'm supposed to really feel while I read this.
First of all, I didn't know if I love or hate Juliette's character here. After the first book, I expected her to grow into that strong girl she's supposed to become, but no. The exact opposite happened. She curled up in a shell, and buried herself a thousand leagues under the ground. When things go wrong, she just switches to that sad, sad little girl who pities and hates herself for being, well, her. She's not a prisoner now, and she can be whoever she wanted to be. It's about time you become strong girl, not just physically, but emotionally as well. Unravel me ended in another cliffhanger once again, and I hope - REALLY HOPE--Juliette becomes stronger in the third book.

Well, I did say Juliette's character almost made me want to give up on this book, but then again, we get a lot of Warner goodness. So what the hell? I'm never letting go of this book! I've always hated him in Shatter me, but now, Oh Warner, I just can't hate you love. We get to explore more about him, his childhood, and the reasons why he has become that hateful person in book 1. All that hatred I felt for him was quickly washed away and now I'm definitely swooning over him. I'm team Adam but now, I don't think so. Book 3 might change my mind. (Although I have a strong feeling that I won't) Let's just see about that.

And let's not forget about our heroines love interest, Adam. Well, I actually almost forgot about him. Yes, I loved him because of his strong character and his undying love for Juliette. But there's just too much drama regarding their relationship and when everything goes wrong, he easily crumbles. What happened to the Adam I've known in book 1? Right now, Kenji is already stealing the spotlight from you, soldier. I really enjoyed the parts where Kenji is there. He's the comic-relief of the book and he just doesn't fail to make you laugh. So Adam, put yourself together and you better redeem yourself soon.

Over all, Unravel me has drowned me in different kinds of emotions, only wanting me for more. This is easily one of my favorite books of 2013. I can't, can't wait for the next book! (And I can't wait to see you again my lovely Warner)

I give this book 5 Swooning whales.

I started listening to Unravel Me and got so caught up in the story that I could put it down and had to finish listening. For me, Unravel Me is like that cheesy teen night time drama that is a guilty pleasure and I am totally addicted to it. This book is cheesy, melodramatic, and of course has a love triangle. It is also poetic, beautifully written, and incredibly sexy. I have not read or listened to a book in long time that has made me feel like I was 17 again and on an emotional roller coaster like Unravel Me did.

This book is like the show Revolution meets Xmen because you have a military government that rules the land with a dictator iron fist and the rebel group fighting them with wits, weapons and supernatural abilities. Unravel Me picks up where Shatter Me left off with Juliette and Adam healed and training with the rebels. Juliette loves Adam and has chosen to stay and fight with him. Then of course drama comes in and cause a rift between Juliette and Adam. Then Warner's father comes to town and kidnaps some of the rebels and holds them hostage to meet Juliette. Juliette fights Warner's father and they take Warner back to the rebel compound.

It becomes Juliette job to interrogate Warner the other boy in love with her. The more she questions Warner and gets to know him the more she questions if he is really evil or if there is more to this boy than meets the eye.

Unravel Me is a heartbreaking and gut wrenching tale of what it really means to be yourself and question what would you do to save the ones you love. When I read the first book, Shatter Me, I thought it was just ok but after reading the second book I am hooked on this series and it has become a guilty pleasure because there is just something about having my emotions ran through the ringer. My heart broke for Juliette and then my heart sored for Juliette and then again it was breaking. I would recommend this book for older teens because there were also parts that were incredibly hot and I thought I would need to go splash cold water on my face, hehe.

In conclusion I love the poetic writing style that may not be for everyone because it is like reading a diary. The narration was wonderful Kate Simses really makes the listener feel like you are in Juliette's head and makes the story come to life. In the book there are passages marked out with lines because Juliette dd not like the way sounded so I like the added sound of scratching out in the audiobook. I thought this book was out of this world and therefore I have giving it four laser pistols.

I'm such a fan girl of Tahereh Mafi's Shatter Me series. Regardless of the over the top flowery prose and the plot that you have to suspend your disbelief with, Tahereh has me hook, line and sinker about a young woman who can kill anyone by touching them, including her unreachable dream of being normal and finding someone who can love her without their fear of dying of a horrible pain by her hands.

Unravel Me is the sequel that picks up right after the events of Shatter Me. Juliette, the abused outcast has been rescued and is in a better place thanks to the rebels of Omega Point who want to bring down the Reestablishment. The people at Omega Point have powers like Juliette does (think of a heavily X-Men influence here). But Juliette isn't fitting in at all. She fells trapped and alone even with Adam, the man she fell head over heels in love with, who rescued her from Warner, the son of the leader of the Reestablishment. Warner is obsessed with Juliette and will do whatever he can to make her love him and transform her into the ultimate fighting weapon. Adam can touch Juliette, as well as Warner. Juliette keeps Warner a secret, afraid to even tell Adam that Warner can touch her without getting sick or dying, just like Adam. But Adam can only touch Juliette for short periods of times. No one knows why. Adam is open to be experimented on even though Juliette is against it. If it's true that Adam can't touch her for no more than a few minutes, she'll be all alone again.

The powers that be at the Omega Point aren't happy with Juliette, and don't like how close she and Adam are. They feel she's a bad influence on Adam. Juliette has to decide if it's in Adam's best interests to give him up, but then something shocking happens. Warner is taken hostage and is much more likeable then when Juliette first met him. He's not that psychotic megalomaniac Juliette first thought him to be when he took her out of the asylum she was sent to and held as his prisoner/guest. He's starting to make more sense about things, and Juliette can't help but soak in what he says, especially since he can touch her and has this seductive way of making her believe him. But Warner's father wants revenge and feels the way to control Warner is to also control Juliette, or even eliminate her for good. Warner and Adam must work together to protect Juliette or she could become the ultimate victim to the ongoing war that's about to come to a head and destroy everyone in its path.

I picked up Unravel Me at New York Comic Con last year and finished it within hours of reading. Fans of this series will love this one. The angst factor is high, the sensuality factor is even higher, and the idea of touch becomes very important for Juliette, Adam and Warner. The over the top prose has been toned down and the plot and action here is much more cohesive. There's many reveals here, most importantly about Juliette and her feelings for Adam and for Warner.

Warner is so seductive. Tahereh makes you like him. He has more a likable factor (but is still so damaged and deranged), which was shown in Destroy Me, the novella published prior to this. We gain a lot more insight on Warner's relationship with his father and why he needs Juliette. But he's still a master manipulator who knows how to play Juliette so well. You the reader, as well as Juliette may not mind.

We find out Warner's first name and the very complex relationship between him and Adam is not what it seems. These two men love Juliette with everything they have inside of them. Talk about Angsty McAngst with Adam and Juliette.

We see an angry Juliette here. If you watched Buffy the Vampire Slayer and remember the episode where Willow goes feral due to the loss of her lover, Tara, then you'll get the idea what's in store for Juliette. Juliette is angry and she's not going to take it anymore. She's on a mission to right the wrongs done to her, and watch out, it will be a doozy when the third and final book is released in February 2014

The last line of this book says what's to come in book three. I wanted to stand up and cheer for Juliette for finally coming to the conclusion she's not some insect to be prodded or walked all over. Warner will have a big role in helping Juliette realize this. Team Warner fans, rejoice.

Here's just a small taste of why there's a Team Warner: (Warner says this to Juliette in her bedroom, alone)

"I want so many things," he whispers. "I want your mind. Your strength. I want to be worth your time." His finger graze the hem of my top and he says "I want this up." He tugs on the waist of my pants and says "I want these down." He touched the tips of his fingers to the sides of my body and says, "I want to feel your skin on fire. I want to feel your heart racing next to mine and I want to know it's racing because of me, because you want me. Because you never," he says, he breathes, "never want me to stop. I want every second. Every inch of you. I want it all."

And I drop dead, all over the floor.

I dropped to the floor just like Juliette with a statement like that.

Katiebabs

[...]

What can I say. I loved Unravel Me. I haven’t put a book on my ‘favorite shelf’ on goodreads for a while now. Not only is Unravel Me thicker than the first book, I believe that the writing has also been richer, very poetic, and has been a big improvement as compared to the first book. Unravel Me will definitely make you swoon, spazz, and just freak out. Of course to get the full experience, you would need to read Shatter Me and Destroy Me.

I love that Tahereh Mafi was able to insert more humor into her writing, leaving me very entertained. It is also filled with unexpected twists and turns that kept me engaged in reading nonstop until I finished the whole thing. I kept thinking about it for hours after I read it.

The characters that appeared in Shatter Me have also had bigger appearances in Unravel Me, fleshing out the characters’ personalities. We get to learn more about Kenji and Warner, and even the other people at Omega Point. Confession: I fell in love with Kenji, Warner, and Brendan after reading this book. Warner’s words were the most beautiful things I’ve ever heard a guy tell a girl.

This book is filled with romance, comedy, and action to boot. This book made me a believer of Tahereh Mafi. It definitely made me want to read the upcoming installments!

I spent one thrilling weekend reading the Shatter Me series, and all I can say is "wow". Tahereh Mafi has done an outstanding job with these books, and Unravel Me was probably the strongest and most exciting book out of the three books in the series. My only complaint is that now I have to wait for the next book to be released.

I loved the setting of Omega Point, and the introduction of other gifted people. I thought the premise of the gifts and how they are used was very well-done. It made for an interesting read, and I liked that everyone has a unique gift, instead of all the abilities being focused on a few select people.

I have never been a huge fan of love triangles, but the concept really worked well in Unravel Me. Especially after reading Destroy Me, I had a much better understanding of both Adam and Warner. I confess that I liked both guys in Unravel Me. I thought I'd be all about Adam, but Warner has his redeeming qualities and you really can't fault his devotion to Juliette.

I loved that Juliette finally accepts and owns her abilities in Unravel Me. The ending was perfect, and while I was so sad to have the book end at all, I thought it was the perfect stopping point for the story. I really can't wait to see where Mafi takes the story in book three. I highly recommend the Shatter Me series.

I have been disappointed by so many second books that I've lost count. I honestly wasn't expecting much from Unravel Me, so boy, was I surprised.

I couldn't stop reading this book, it kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time worrying about what was going to happen next, & now I can't wait to read the next (final?) book. I don't want to get too specific, because I'm trying to keep this spoiler free, but there were times when my heart just bled for Juliette, she's been through so much, & it never seems to stop. I know some people find her whiny & too apologetic, but she's only been at Omega Point for a couple of weeks. She's had 17 years of having to apologize for existing & for what she did, a lifetime habit isn't just going to go away overnight. At the end of the book it seems like she finally got some backbone, so hopefully she'll be a lot stronger in the next book. As for Warner, I'm still not sure about him. I didn't read Destroy Me, so I don't know his full story, but I can make a good guess. I think he may be too damaged to ever be a good guy, even if he wants to be. Loved Kenji, felt bad for Adam, found Castle to be annoying, & can't wait to see who James turns into.

Hopefully when the next book comes out it will be even better than the first two.

Why?! Why?! Why?!
Why do I feel like such a traitor??
Damn that Warner, he is swoon worthy EVIL.

I do not want to feel anything for that cold, calculating creature. But this thing called a heart has found a strange little corner to put him into. Honestly, I don't even want to look into that corner....but Warner keeps taunting me with those sweet lines to Juliette!

Once again, Tahereh has Blown.My.Mind.
Genius does not even begin to scratch the surface of what she is able to on paper. There is just something about the way she is able to crawl up into your mind, illustrate this story and make it seem like you're not even holding a book in your hands.

Coming off of book one I thought for once Juliette might find her place, make a peace with herself and a path would start to form for her. (Honestly, I should have known better) So, yeah, take the opposite of all these things and that's the plot for book #2, buttttttttt it was a on hell of a plot! Truly I couldn't have asked for better twists & turns. Not only with the Adam/Juliette story, but as you can tell from my first rant, the Warner/Juliette story kept me on my toes.
There wasn't a single time I felt bored, tired or even remotely sick of these characters, I was even having a good time reading about Castle! So in the end, all of the emotional chaos that was running rabid through Juliette was truly evened out with hostages, blood, guns, War and adrenaline!

To keep this from going on for days I will just sum it up with a perfect! Pick it up, enjoy it, thank me later payments of coffee & pretty books!

5/5

I'm having some mixed feelings with this one. I've been waiting so long for it and I was so excited to finally be able to read it. I've been hearing such amazing things. But I didn't like it as much as I liked Shatter Me. It was beautifully written and the storyline was fantastic. I'm not sure why I didn't like it as much as I thought I would. It was still a amazing sequel.

So this one continues Juliette's story. Juliette, Adam, Kenji, and James have arrived at Omega Point with no idea what to expect. Not only do they discover more about themselves but they also get thrown into a war they aren't sure they can win.

Juliette really surprised me. She had a tough time adjusting to Omega Point. And, at times I got a little frustrated with her. I wished she would finally step up and let go of that fragile side. Eventually she did and I loved her even more. I do really like the fragile side because her thoughts are so complex. But with this story that didn't work. She had to toughen up and fast. I loved getting to learn more about her and her power. I kinda missed Adam. He wasn't as huge of a part and I missed him. He was having a harder time with certain things. That really drew him and Juliette apart. I missed their closeness. Okay so I know pretty much everyone became Team Warner. I did enjoy him a lot more because I felt like we really got to know him. But I'm still Team Adam! He's too complex for me. I don't see him as a very good match for Juliette either.

I found this ones storyline vastly different than the first book. It was very exciting. There was all kinds of action and suspense. And, there was tension between characters. This never slowed. It was literally impossible to put down. It was very fast paced. It was pretty hard to predict where the story was going. There was lots of steamy which is always good. I'm not sure why I didn't enjoy this one. I think because I really liked the closeness between characters in the first book. This one had less of that but more action. So I'm pretty conflicted with my feels. Overall though, it was an amazing read. I'm so happy I finally got to read it. Now I'm in the know :). I highly recommend this one. Especially if you like broken and complex characters or a very action filled plot!

I have really been looking forward to this book. There was so much hype surrounding events that took place and certain developments. It didn't completely let me down. The book wasn't quite as consistently exciting and as engaging as I had hoped. Scattered throughout were "Oh my goodness. Did that really just happen?!" moments and they were HUGE, but I almost would have preferred those moments to occur much more regularly in smaller increments just so I would feel like I couldn't put the book down. It ended up taking me kind of awhile to read this simply because it would get boring and drag a little and then we would have these moments that made me want to devour the story, only to have it cycle back into the drab.

I'm really not a fan of the Juliette, Warner and Adam triangle. Mainly because Adam really irritates me. He just seems far too emotional and whiny and I just don't see the appeal. Kenji is featured much more in Unravel Me and I really wish Adam would have got the boot and Kenji would take his place. Kenji is funny and lighthearted but knows when to be mature and serious. Maybe the next book will make my dreams come true?

Juliette is also fairly irritating. She is just so wishy-washy and nothing is ever black or white to her. It literally seems like she is always in the gray.With that said, her character does make some serious strides and towards the end of this installment I found myself really liking and looking forward to all things Juliette.

The ending to this book was superb. It left me absolutely wanting to read the next book!

This is one of the very few times I liked the second book better than the first in a trilogy.

Shatter Me I found okay. The story was original, but the characters did not really get to me. Juliette had not much of a voice and cried too much. Adam I found a flat character, he had no character development at all and it seemed Juliette only liked him because he was not affected by her letal touch. Warner was just your typical villain, no development there either. Ergo, I was not really captivated by this book. But nevertheless I tried the second book, thank God!

The beginning of the book was quite the same as Shatter Me. Juliette had escaped her imprisonment by Warner with help of Adam and Kenji. The three of them were taken to the rebel base. The book starts with Juliette whining and Adam being distant and not very nice. Luckily there was Kenji, who brought humor and talked the occasional sense into Juliette which she really needed.
Then the big chance happened that made me love the book: Warner was captured and brought to base. And he appeared to be so different from the villain in book 1. He had read Juliette's notes from the asylum and it had changed him. He really loved her now and he was not afraid to show it. His father had now become the ultimate villain and Warner had defied him. It seemed too good to be true. Juliette started growing towards him, which I found quite weird, since she hated him in book 1... But she did and Adam moved more and more to the background.
In the middle of the book they found out Adam and Warner are actually brothers, but this was quickly forgotten and not really mentioned again (also weird).
The rest of the book was about Juliette and Warner growing close. Warner discovered he had a gift too and Juliette realised more and more she and Warner are actually the same. Warner turns out to be more of a misunderstood than a bad guy. They are both hated by everyone (although this is not actually the case for Juliette, she just thinks that) and share the same interests. But of course when Warner asked her to run away with him she chooses Adam. Why she does that I do not know, since she and Adam almost never talk and have even broken up. Then the 'big' attack by Warner's father begins (this took about 3 pages and was made seem unimportant) and Juliette is captured. At the end Warner saves Juliette from his father and it seems everything is well.
What struck me about this book was the beautiful style of writing. The crossed out words gave an edge to the book and some lines were really poetic and beautiful.

Okay, I know this review seems a little negative about the book, but I really did love it. I still found Juliette a bit irritating and Adam was even worse than in the first book and developed into a whiny guy who could not let go of his ex. The thing that made this book great was Warner. His character changed so much since book 1. He went from villain to misunderstood, likeable guy. I know he is still not nice to anyone but Juliette, but I truly believe she has changed him. We also get a sort of explaination for his bad behaviour. First, we meet his dad, who is the worst dad ever. Then, we discover his ability: sensing people's emotions. If you your whole life sensed people hated you, would you not become a little irritated with them?

I would definitely recommend Unravel Me to everyone.
I cannot wait for the next book!

http://www.evelinesbooks.blogspot.nl

Oh man. Oh man. Oh man.

End of Review.

No really- this book. Ok, so I read Shatter Me. I thought it was good, but absolutely not the best book ever. I decided to give Unravel Me a chance (mainly because of Chapter 62). THIS BOOK! It has made me completely unable to make coherent thoughts. I neglected my family, my house, everything so I could devour this book.

Unravel Me is ruthless. It is fast paced action, heart wrenching drama, and enough angst to make me bite off all of my already barely there nails! I feel like I was put through an emotional wringer with Unravel Me. It literally is one of the most romantically dramatic books that I have read- I loved every second of it. I want to hug Tahereh Mafi for letting me be part of this journey. I just want to thank her for exsisting!

Did you really think I was going to give away any of the details in this book? HA! Go get it yourself and then join me in the Warner love. This book is so visual- it would be a phenomenal movie. I found myself playing out scenes in my head. Ugh! I need this to be a movie!

"It will get better," they said. "Warner is worth it," they said. "Juliette grows as a character," they said. They LIED.

I finished Shatter Me, considered for a few hours, and then got Unravel Me later that night because I really just wanted to know how the whole thing with Warner worked out. I was curious. I love a good villain and I needed to find out how he could become a love interest. Then Unravel Me finally ended and I was rooting for Juliette to hurry the hell up and die. To be honest, this was the first book that has ever made me regret keeping my reviews PG-13. There were many, many choice words I would love to say. For your sake, I'll try to keep it clean.

Unravel Me picks up shortly after book one left off, with Juliette and Adam at Omega Point trying to fit in with the other gifted people. Well, sort of. Mostly it's just Juliette and Adam making out and making huge scenes in public. But whatever. Throughout this book Juliette is attempting to discover more about her gift and what its properties are. She discovers that her super strength is pretty freaking super and attempts (poorly) to learn to control it. Mostly, though, Juliette spends the entire second book being a miserable human being.

Juliette is literally the worst heroine I've ever read about, which is saying a lot because I have absolutely hated some others. She is incredibly selfish and, despite trying to act like she gives a crap about other people, actually only cares about ALL HER FEELS and getting in the most make out sessions with as many people as possible. World needs saving? Make out. Friend is dying in another room? Better make out. When Juliette wasn't making out, she was crying, shaking, forgetting how to breathe, or counting something. She was literally useless.

Then there's Adam. Not quite as useless as Juliette, he's basically Bella from New Moon. He spends this book being pissed off or depressed, fighting or wanting to fight people, and begging Juliette not to leave him. The plot surrounding Adam in this book was one of the dumbest things I have ever seen in a book. (Guys, I am trying SO hard to keep this clean for you!) Remember back in Shatter Me when Juliette and Adam spent all night sleeping, cuddled in each others arms? Remember?? Their skin was touching all night long while they were ASLEEP? Well, just forget all of that because the author needs a convenient reason for them to break up so Juliette and Warner can be together!

Speaking of Warner, he is the least worthless of these three characters, although he still wasn't the incredible villain love interest I was promised. Yes, he has a tragic backstory. Yes, he calls Juliette "Luv" a lot. Yes, he has green eyes. That's about where it ends. I don't get it. I don't get why he's so swoon-worthy to every other person who has read this book. Despite his Big Bad status, Warner is weak and apparently "he's in love with [Juliette]" almost immediately for some reason. (WHY does everyone love Juliette??)

Kenji was honestly the only character in this book who I cared about at all. I mean, seriously, even the 10 year old brother got on my nerves. But Kenji seemed like a normal human being with normal human emotions and priorities.

I don't even have anything to really say about the plot of this book other than that it was worthless. I said it in my review of book one and I'll say it again: this is not a dystopian novel. This is crappy romance disguised as dystopia. There is zero world building and I give zero cares (I'm trying) about whether or not the world even survives. Honestly, just blow the whole thing up.

And who could forget about the writing? It is just as ridiculous in Unravel Me as it was in book one. I actually (seriously) had a headache by the time this book finally ended from rolling my eyes so much at the idiotic metaphors and descriptions. I counted at least 7 uses of the phrase "small smile" in this book and those were just the ones I paid enough attention to make note of. Of course I wouldn't leave you without a sampling of my favorite quotes from this book!

"Panic is doing backflips in my bones."

"My emotions jump out of a plane."

"He says it like it's a lit cigarette lodged in his throat."

"I am the incarnation of air."

Seriously, if it wasn't for all the ridiculous metaphors this book would be at least 100 pages shorter.

In case you hadn't guessed, I hated this book. I try not to hate many books because I understand how hard authors work to create them, but this one had not one redeeming quality. The writing was painful, I was screaming for characters to hurry up and die by the end, and the world building is non-existent. I am aware that a lot of people adore this series, but I wouldn't wish it on anyone.

How tormenting it must be to be totally in love with someone that you know if you touch him, you'll kill him and the only one you can touch is the one who loves you but doesn't have a second thought of hurting anyone else.
That is where Juliette finds herself at Omega. An underground city with people with special talents. Almost everyone is afraid of her, especially since she hasn't learned exactly what her talent is or how to control it.
In a fit of rage, she almost destroys the whole facility and she must learn to control her gift.
Nora is included in an above ground mission where she sees a different side of Warren. When some of the others from Omega get kidnapped and she is forced to confront Warren's dad, the supreme, she nearly kills him and they kidnap Warren.
They soon realize that there are more similarities between Adam and Warren than they realize. Warren escapes and soon there will be an all out war. The supreme is ruthless enough to kill of the civilian to flush the Omega group out and it isn't long before he calls for Nora to come by herself. Will she be strong enough to use her gift to defeat the supreme once and for all. Can she ever trust Warren again for running back to his father cowardly and telling him about Omega. What will become of Omega.

I love, Love, LOVE this sequel! I usually never like the second book in the series as much as the first, but I am wrong on this account. Living inside Juliet's mind and heart through all of the first emotions in this story is amazing. The author has the ability to transport you into a world that lives in Juliet's head and the constant battle between what she feels she should be doing compared to what she just CAN'T resist! So who is it going to be Adam or Warner?

I'm REALLY happy I read the 1.5 story from Warner's perspective before reading this second story.

I listened to unabridged audio version and the narrator was stunning! The emotion she was able to give to the words really made the story for me. If it had been a different narrarator I'm not sure it would have had the same impact.

Can love conquer all? Can you split your heart in half and figure out what is the RIGHT thing to do? Or does it even matter if its the right thing or not.....

I don't know how I made it out of this book alive. I swear, half of the time I was an emotional wreck, and the other half I just yelled at the characters and had so many questions. I excitedly waited for the arrival of this book, and was not disappointed.

Unravel me should really be called Character Develop Me. I'm not complaining, I really enjoyed seeing a different side to Adam and Warner. Even Kenji, and the other characters got more air-time then they normally would have in series. I really enjoyed reading this book, but as a warning, there are some scenes not advised for the younger YA crowd, and the book doesn't have as much action as you would expect from a 450 page novel. But, I think I liked it better than the first.

Just in case you aren't sure if we have the same opinions I like: yelling at my books, getting so into a novel that I forget to eat, having my emotions run crazy, and constantly asking myself questions. And I enjoyed this book, because a good book makes you think.

Unfortunately, I am horrible about remembering what has happened in previous books in a series. So when I get the chance to review them close together, I always feel more relieved. And luckily, I was able to do that with the first 2 books in the Shatter Me series.

Since I had just read Shatter Me less than a month ago, I remembered how unusual the writing was and was able to get absorbed into it right away. And I loved it just as much this time around.

For some reason, this book reminds me of the X-Men. Except I don't like that movie and I love these books! I love how all of these superpowers are coming into play. It has me on the edge of my seat. And there are definitely some surprise twists and turns. Especially with Juliette and Adam and his power.

I didn't want to put this book down and I don't know how I'm going to wait until the third book comes out. I did just discover that there is an e-book set between the first two books, Destroy Me, so I'll be downloading that one right away!

Wow! Oh, wow! What has this book done to me?!? This book was one roller coaster ride of amazing. Best sequel I have ever read! I am at a loss for words.

Tahereh Mafi writes like poetry. I loved how the story just seemed to flow. And everything that happens happens for a reason, and it all comes together to be just beautiful. Unravel Me has the best romantic scene I have ever read. Ever. I want to reread the book so I can experience it again.

I loved watching Juliet grow, and falling in love with Adam, and discovering Warner who wormed his way so far into my heart. I need more of this series.

My only complaint is that I now have to wait until next year for book 3. I recommend this book and series, and anything in the future by Ms. Mafi to everyone. Well alright. Not to babies. But I am going to make my 14 year old son read it immediately, or torture him until he does:)

Oh my gosh! I've been reading a book a day. I can't put these books down. I absolutely LOVE this series!
Action packed. Sexy. Twists here and there.
I seriously love love love this series.
Its heart-breaking the struggles Juliette faces. Its so incredibly raw the relationship Juliette and Adam share.
Wow, Warner and Juliette - I don't know who to vouch for. And of course...Kenji...who doesn't love a Kenji in every story there is to tell!
Wish there were six more books in this series and most probably I would still not be satisfied.

Even better than Shatter Me... Totally Team Warner... Review later because I need to finish IGNITE ME before I lose my mind. Warner you've completely shattered me, unraveled me and can't wait for you to ignite me... (okay that was cheesy.. but damn this book... in soo many many many good ways)

All the reluctant goodwill of Shatter Me goes up in smoke with this installment in the series. I confess that the rage I experienced while reading this tripe forced me to set the book aside several times. There is zero character development with this girl Juliette. No detailed spoilers, but she's selfish, needy, fickle, foolish, immature, unbelievably insecure -- to the point of frustration for the reader, dumb, DISHONEST and hormone-addled -- and these are her good qualities. The inconsistent love triangle will give the reader constant whiplash, and the utter lack of world-building is astonishing. C'mon! This is the second book. Give us more. Never have I so wished for a main character's demise. I continue to enjoy Adam, Kenji and even Warner. They are well-drawn as characters. I suppose Juliette is well-drawn, too, but dishonest, dumb and pathetic is all she is. Hated it. I really don't like to abandon a series but I don't see how I could stomach reading Ignite Me (unless she actually combusts, and then I would read that with popcorn and glee). What a waste. I guess I should stop reading YA, but there have been series that have knocked these dystopian, young love themes out of the park. If you want to read it done well, read Ann Aguirre's Razorland series, or Veronica Rossi's Under the Never Sky series. These were outstanding and well worth a first read and a re-read.

I finally forced myself to read this one. I had tried, back in September, but just couldn’t get into all the melodramatic metaphor that spills out of Juliette on every line. Thank goodness it seemed to calm down a bit after a few chapters. The story was interesting and somewhat predictable. I have to say, I was kind of delighted — but also confused — by the infamous Chapter 62. I’m really not sure how I feel about Juliette and her relationships with both Adam and Warner at this point. The story took a pretty typical turn for dystopian series, where they’re forming a rebellion and striking back against their oppressors. Oh! I did really enjoy Kenji in this book, though! He’s absolutely my favorite character in the series. And now, of course, I need to read the final book.

Holy crap.

So. I loved Shatter Me. Like a lot of people I loved the originality of the story and the writing. There was a lot of buzz around this book and I was one of those people who really loved it. I remember I read it really fast too. So of course no doubt that I would be reading the next book.

And now, finally, Unravel Me came out and when it arrived I couldn't really believe I finally could touch and actually read it. I really had no expectations. Well, I mean, of course I'd hoped it would be as good as the previous book but mostly sequals aren't as good as the first book, right? So I didn't want to get my hopes up. But... I was completely and utterly blown away by this book. Like, tornado style blown away. It was SO SO SO SO SO good. More than that, really. It's now my favorite book I've read so far in 2013. So I'm really happy to say that I loved Unravel Me even more than Shatter Me so that's saying a lot! Not only that, she also has written some of my all-time favorite characters... :D

Man, oh man, Juliette, she's such an interesting character to follow. Though she has to stop breaking my poor Warner's heart! When Shatter Me ended it seemed like she'd found her place at Omega Point but Unravel Me starts with Juliette having kind of crawled back in her shell of self-pity and doubt and angst. But slowly and surely she makes her way back out and turnes into one kick-ass lady, discovering the through extend of her powers.
Her relationship with Adam is continuing in Omega Point but when Adam discovers his power and what it contains and reveals, Juliette has made a heart-wreching decision that made me, although I'm not the biggest Adam fan, sad.
I felt really bad for Adam in this book. What the poor guy has had to go through and what he discovers. I can tell you right now there's some unexpected twist in here that'll kill you were you stand. It sure gave me some heart attacks!
And then we have Warner. My beautiful broken Warner. My love for him has grown. Is that even possible? After Destroy Me I thought I really knew the extend of Warner's feelings but boy, was I wrong. Warner feels so deeply, you don't even know the half how deeply. Also we finally learn his name! I was so happy when I found out! And dude, all I can say is: Chaper 62! ^^
I'm usually not the biggest fan of love triangles by Tahereh does an awfully good job at them. But Juliette should just go for Warner, is my opinion. lol. They just have it all together. The chemistry. God! But moving on now...
In Shatter Me we already met Kenji. Kenji, oh, Kenji. I fell in love with him in this book. He doesn't top Warner but you just can't help but love Kenji. Beneath all the jokes and stuff I know there's some pain inside. There has to be with what he went through as a kid. So I hope we find out a little more about him in the next book. And also, I love the almost father/son relationship he has with Castle. Makes me smile.

This book was simply perfection. The only thing that bothered me was how Juliette in the beginning was pitying herself a lot and she did nothing else than making out with Adam. But she quickly recovered from that.
I just need the next book so badly. I want to know what's going to happen to them all next. If the next book will be half as good as Unravel Me, I'll be one happy girl.

Unravel Me has it all. Heartpounding action, intense romance, drama and the most unexpected twists I've seen in YA fiction so far. Tahereh Mafi's way with words, her writing, is so magnificent. It was almost impossible to stop reading. The unique writing style was chaotic and rambled but yet astonishingly beautiful. Bravo, Ms. Mafi, bravo!

Okay, I gotta be honest. I bought the first book, Shatter Me on a lark & while I read it quickly I wasn't terribly impressed. Not because the writing was bad, Mafi's writing is amazing, so beautiful her words weaving together so perfectly it' almost as if they lift from the page, becoming airborne, flying right into your heart. But the characters in Shatter Me, what we learned, how we met them......

THAT, is what turned me off so greatly. I found Juliette to be terribly whiny, too much poor poor me. But given her circumstances I understood & accepted that, I knew given time Juliette would accept herself & by extension her views of herself.

Adam.
I disliked his character IMMEDIATELY in Shatter Me. Why? Well, for a love interest/hero/white knight type character he's awfully 1 dimensional. Yes I get that he has pined away searching for Juliette, that he cares for her. I respect that he found her in the 1st installment, but other than that moment of rescue I'm Shatter Me Adam was the weakest character. All the flowery words he says to Juliette, all the petting & doting, it just seemed "off" to me. I have felt from book 1 that Adam is a regular guy who just wants a regular girl, but he's known Juliette & she's gorgeous so he attached to her. But she's not a regular girl. Not ONCE does Adam ever try to talk about Juliette about her powers in a context that is useful. Meaning every time Adam mentions her powers it's only in reference to how wonderful it is to touch her, not anything useful, like how can she focus to control her powers. Adam is a boy that wants to lay around kissing Juliette, not help her reach her potential.

Warner.
Yes. I thought he was an absolute psychopath in book 1. Crazy as crazy gets. But I also felt that while he was pursuing Juliette he was also trying to help her, get her to open up, realize just how strong she is. His methods? Very questionable. But his intents? Well, his heart was in a semi right place.

As I stated above, Shatter Me was a good book, but didn't blow me away. I really bought Unravel Me because if I start a series, I finish it unless the 1st book is just terrible. And Shatter Me did have good points. But where Shatter Me didn't deliver like I'd hoped, Unravel Me did so & more. To say that Unravel Me is definitely 1 of the best books I have read in a very long time is an understatement. It's easily going to be 1 of the best if not the best book I read in 2013.

In Unravel Me Mafi grabs onto you with her words & doesn't let go. We get to have more interaction between Warner & Juliette, good interaction, not scary with a gun interaction. And it's amazing. Unfortunately Adam is still moping around pining away for Juliette, serving no purpose I can see other than to hold her back & make her feel guilty for wanting something other than him.

We find out lots of new information regarding Warner, Adam, The Re-Establisment & how the 3 are connected in ways that have nothing to do with Juliette. Lots of reveals here.....We get tons more character development with Warner, TONS. And all I will say is if Unravel Me doesn't change your opinion of Warner, then you have no soul. He becomes less of a looming threat in this book & more of an actual person. A real living person who has thoughts, who loves, who laughs. I won't lie, I'm smitten.

It's been forever since I read a book that had me absolutely chained to it, the words literally leaving me just as breathless & at a loss for words as our heroine. It's that good. And without adding spoilers really I will say, CHAPTER 62, those few pages are better than, sexier than, more meaningful than ALL Fifty Shades books combined. I've never read a book passage where my heart was in my throat like this one. All I can say is WOW.

If you haven't read this series, READ IT. There is a ebook Novella called Destroy Me from Warner's perspective, I hadn't read it before Unravel Me & I'm glad I didn't even though its set between Shatter Me & Unravel Me. I thought reading Destroy Me after the other 2 was cool because of the twists & situations that line up in Unravel Me.

My only problem? I'm going to DIE, seriously, DIE having to wait for the 3rd book. Then I'll die again because the series will be over. But it'll be a beautiful death......

Thank you Miss Mafi for sharing this gorgeous story with the world. I'm in love with it.

Fans of Beautiful Creatures, Dead Beautiful, The Iron Fey, The Hunger Games, The Mortal Instruments & The Infernal Devices will love this.

You know those books you read, the ones that you think about for days after you've read it and the words keep replaying over and over in your head? This above description exactly fits how I felt when I finished Unravel Me. This whole past day, all I've been thinking about is how jaw dropping Unravel Me was and how it took my breath away from start to finish.

Tahereh Mafi's writing style is so fantastic and brilliant, and really gets me swept into Juliette's story. The words are so poetic, and I really feel that I can actually feel what Juliette is going through when I read this book. This was the type of book that I stayed up so late in the night to finish because I had to know what going to happen next. The plot of Unravel Me was fantastic..it picks up right off where Shatter Me ended. It was interesting to see Juliette interact with different people then just Warner and Adam, and I liked seeing her go out of her comfort zone. Her whole life she has been afraid of being near other people and now she is around so many different people. Plot wise, Unravel Me was fantastic. The only thing that made me a little sad was that the ending was a cliffhanger!! Not as bad as Shatter Me's ending, but this one for sure will make the wait for the next book feel like forever.

Now onto the romance, literally this part of the book took my breath away. All throughout Shatter Me, I was always such a big fan of Adam. He is so sweet towards Juliette and puts his whole heart into everything for her which is so great. Warner, literally is the opposite of Adam. During Shatter Me I really really really didn't like him, especially after seeing all of the horrible things he had done. I didn't think I would like Warner at all during Unravel Me, but I was totally shocked. Warner goes through some major character development in this book and I really felt like he became almost a new character. I've definitely warmed up to Warner (just like Juliette has) in this book and I am excited to see where this love triangle will take us next.

Overall, this book literally was so brilliantly written, so earth shattering, that I still can't stop thinking about it. Tahereh Mafi is a fabulous writer, and probably one of the best YA authors out there. If you haven't read this series yet GO READ IT. It literally is such an amazing series and you won't regret it.

I was a wreck reading this! It had been a month or two since I read book one so I wasn't sure I could get into the story again and had kinda decided I was over it. But then -- then -- I got pulled in. I loved the Adam-Juliette story from book one, but that sort of takes a backseat in this book -- and please don't let that stop you, it's a good storyline. I'm feeling like Juliette. I don't know what I want from this storyline either. I'm just enjoying the ride. And I love the character development of Kenji this book. I'm relatively hard to impress and he had me laughing (really, legitimately, out loud) a few times. It's just so good. On to book 3 for me! Can't wait!

This series as a whole is amazing and "Unravel Me" is my favorite! Juliette is back and faces forces so evil and powerful but with some help from friends she realizes she is not the monster everyone has led her to believe and she's finally strong enough to put her 'gifts' to good use! Alot of awesomeness and shocking surprises throughout this book and the ending.. OMG.. will blow you away! i can't wait for book 3!!!!! I am so glad my friends recommended this author to me Tahereh Mafi is just amazing and i can't wait to read more of her books! If you have been wanting to read these books but just didn't know if it's worth reading let me tell you.. GET THESE BOOKS and read them! they are definitely worth every minute of your time!

n “Unravel me” by Tahereh Mafi, a dystopian reality set in the future, Juliette Ferrars continues her story in a world of destruction. With a dangerous and deadly power Juliette spends a good part of the second book in the “Shatter me” series wallowing in fear and hate of herself and her abilities. As the war around her progresses Juliette finds that the strength of a person lies not in their physical but in their mental traits. Tahereh Mafi paints a vivid picture of self discovery and the power to break free. Faced with old enemies in a dying world Juliette must navigate relationships and her own self confidence. While “Unravel me” is not a typical coming of age story, Mafi explores loving yourself rather than being afraid. With beautifully crafted sentences Mafi shapes a world of denial and disaster. as Warner, Juliette’s former captor becomes more and more apparent in her life the war continues to fester. With Warner in position as commander of sector 45 it seems that they may have the upper hand but as secrets are unveiled this proves continually faulty. Surprising connections and daring experiences give way to an entirely different world the language exhibited is Mafi’s writing work is unparalleled in its opposition to the accustomed writing of our generation. Startlingly beautiful and complex Mafi has a unique ability to touch her readers and make them think. The sentence structure flows with grace and a slightly undone quality, giving way to raw emotion and experiences. As Juliette wakes in a different reality she must learn to fight not only for those she loves but also for herself. In a world where government has complete control and all are oppressed a theme of freedom emerges. Freedom for self, for those you hold dear, for humanity. “Unravel me” is a book with a with a fast paced premise and a whole lot of discovering exactly what it means to be human. The writing is surreal and the content wildly engaging. Made to be read more than once “Unravel me” is a book that faces some of the best and worst parts of being alive. Standing out in it’s uniqueness “Unravel me” is a book for those who have read and enjoyed books like “The Hunger Games” or “Divergent”. Although there are darker and more mature moments throughout the text this book is suitable for most teens and young adults. While “Unravel me” stands out as the second book in the series the “Shatter me” series should be read and loved by many.

I can't even explain how awesome it was. Better than the first, and filled with so much action, and romance. So many twists and the end was not what I expected. The way it was all written kept me wanting more, and I couldn't believe what happened on each page. To simplify into two words.... Utterly Amazing!

When I read the first book- it was a breath of fresh air! I loved the deep POV and the style of the main character's voice- I should have waited a few weeks before reading this second book. It gets tiring and old, but it's still good. Not great though.

I seriously have fallen in love with the characters. For Adam, Juliette, and Arron/Warren. So much has happened and it's unbelievable. I seriously want to know if something else happens next after everything they have gone though. The lose, the pain, the tears, the touching after not being touched by another person in so many years. Connections being made both physically and emotionally. How after almost dying and having the person you love cause even though she keeps denying its true, She cares for him and wants to be near him, saves your life with the help of friends, being so close to you it's just,....... OMG I need to know what's next if there is a next.

As Juliette is encased in the new world of Omega Point she is going to find new challenges not only with the people around her but also in her own relationship with Adam. New consequences come to light and people turn out to be different than originally seen.

I have to say I am surprised. I ended up liking this book a lot more than the first one. The writing style was still annoying but less so than previously. I liked how the author was able to transform Juliette into a stronger and more striking figure. She has more personality and self-confidence.

I am surprisingly exciting to read the next book.

4.5 stars

'We have plenty of time, is what Castle should have said. We have all the time in the world, is what he should have said to me. But he didn't because what he meant tick tock is that our time tick tock is shifting. It's hurtling forward heading in an entirely new direction slamming face-first into something else and
tick
tick
tick
tick
tick
it's almost

time for war.'

The sequel to the amazing Shatter Me, Tahereh Mafi really outdid herself this time, making obvious improvements and adding satisfying romance, heart stopping action and endless twists. Anyone who fell in love with Shatter Me will be absolutely speechless when they finish this whooping 500 pages.

After escaping to Omega Point where there are people with special gifts, Juliette feels finally free. Free from everything. Of the past, of her gift and Warner. And she is completely wrong. As war brews closer and closer, Juliette has to make her own sacrifices and actions that could possibly change everything forever. It's a triangle of death.

I am in love with Tahereh's words. They are so original and outlandish compared to other authors, and I love it for that reason. Didn't like the hyperbole and exaggerations in Shatter Me? Don't worry, there's barely any of that in here. None. Thankfully though, the prose still stays, as beautiful as ever, so entrapping that I loose myself in it at times. The voices Tahereh creates are so real and loud that they feel like they're shouting at me- instead of being in this pretty book. Is it the short sentences? Of the characterisation of the characters dialogue? Or even the imagery? Or maybe all of that together? I seriously cannot pin point what made me love this writing so much, but it's there, and that's all that matters.

For some time I refuse to talk about the characters, there is SO SO much I want to gush about Juliette but I think it'll go on forever. But in simplified version, Juliette changes as a character in Unravel Me, she becomes braver and more and more invincible in some matter, then packed with her blunt sense of humour... that just completely tops off everything. I relish her personality, it's so full of hope, control, clear minded-ness and most importantly, fortitude. Juliette really gets to show off her gift and kick ass-ness in Unravel Me. So be prepared to get blown away.

'"Do you like Shakespeare?" he asks me.
An odd segue.
I shake my head. "All I know about him is that he stole my name and spelled it wrong."'

Two of me favourite supporting characters were James and Kenji, while both hold totally different personalities, I love them equally. James is Adam's little brother who was also taken to safety in Omega Point, while we do not get to see him at all in the first half, when we do have his encounter with Juliette, I almost cried. I won't quote anything as its too precious to quote for peeps who haven't read Unravel Me yet but yeah...it's a real subtle and emotional scene that nearly tore me into two. James is so much like Adam, he's eager, thoughtful and straight minded, definitely the cutest little dude ever.
Kenji is one of those fun, playful characters, and Tahereh surely describes him perfectly. Kenji seemed to lighten every subject and make me laugh when I was on the verge of heart break or infuriating screams. Somehow, I felt that it killed the feeling too much and was overused a bit. But all the same, Kenji rules!

'"I am not moody-"
"Yeah bro." Kenji puts his utensils down. "You are moody. It's always 'Shut up Kenji.' 'Go to sleep Kenji.' 'No one wants to see you naked Kenji.' When I know for a fact that there are thousands of people who would love to see me naked-"'

Don't get me wrong, but I felt like the first half of the story was pulverised with romance. The story line felt slow as the book was focused on the romances more in the first third. But once things got moving, everything was alright.
In Shatter Me I was Team Adam.
In Destroy Me I was Team Warner as we got to see everything from Warner's perspective and made me feel horridly sorry for him and saw why he did such cruel things. Clearly, I had forgotten how much I loved Adam until
Unravel Me when I was Team I-refuse-to-choose I feel like I'm still leaning towards Team Adam but now, I have given a piece of my heart to Warner, who is still quite a bad guy in this novel. This is a great example of a good love triangle where I cannot even choose with absolute idea. For now, to make things easier, I'm Team Adam.

Dramatically addictive, Unravel Me will satisfy everyone, playing on each emotion possible to exist in this world. There is a killer cliffhanger that undoubtedly made me want to punch something. Oh well... Recommended to lovers of...ANYTHING. HA.

I finally pushed back my fear and picked this book up. I knew it would be powerful and intense and scary and so, so good. I knew all that. And it terrified me. Not it being good, but it being intense and scary.

Emotions. SO MANY EMOTIONS! My feels are just all over the place!

Mafi is such a gorgeous writer. All her words just flow so beautifully and her style of writing makes me feel like I am Juliette while I'm reading. I'm so deep into her character that I feel like I become her. I feel her pain and her love and her heartache and everything else she feels. And it makes everything that much more intense and crazy. Every single word in this book just took my breath away. I'm aware that it's not a style for everyone, but I personally absolutely love it.

People have been shouting about being team Warner and all that (not a spoiler, it's everywhere!) and I just wasn't so sure it was possible to like a bad guy. Not like that. However, I can say that I'm very confused on my emotions. There were times I was understanding why people would fall for him. I felt sorry for him, I wanted to help him, I understood why people could really fall for him. But yet, I don't know... still mixed feelings. I can say that the whole love triangle thing is certainly working in this one. I love not knowing, but hate it at the same time. Do I love him? Do I hate him? I mean talk about the extreme here. So much confusion!

It's hard to say much about this book without spoilers. I keep going back and deleting stuff. I can tell you that I completely fell for this book and everyone in it. The bad guy in this book was truly bad. Like as evil as anyone could be. I definitely detest him. I was tad frustrated at Juliette at times but I was satisfied with her at the end. I think she needed to go through that stuff to get to where she needs to be. The ending of the book about killed me. It's kind of a cliffhanger in some ways. We don't have resolution or anything, but yet it could have been worse. At first I thought it would be worse. Luckily we got a few more chapters. I will definitely be DYING until I can get my hands on the third book. I'm SO in love with this series!

* Contains spoilers for Shatter Me ~ fair warning *

At the end of Shatter Me, Juliette seemed to be on the verge of taking control. At least, that is what it felt like for me. She had escaped to Omega Point, found refuge with others who have bizarre powers, found a safe place that was willing to help her nurture her abilities. I expected Unravel Me to start with a huge punch of power, of self awareness and control on Juliette's part.

What I found instead was the same old Juliette. Mopey, depressed, self-deprecating and annoying. There were several moments when we would see a spark, a flicker of something...something that maybe meant Juliette was finally ready to be more. All too quickly that little flicker would snuff out.

I understand her life has been ridiculously horrible and hard but come on already. Grow a backbone and use it rationally. That's all I'm asking. I lost a bit of my love for Juliette with Unravel Me. She just got more and more ridiculous, more selfish, more ridiculous...did I say that already? Her decision making ability was non existent, she did dumb thing after stupid thing followed by moronic thing. When she should have been learning and training and working to save lives she was instead dreaming about boys and kisses and touches and ugh....just getting utterly distracted by all things Juliette, Adam and Warner.

Let's move on, shall we? We are finally exposed to the reason Adam can touch Juliette and brings on a whole new set of problems for them. While I can sympathize with the situation, Adam's reaction to it and decisions he makes because of it had me gritting my teeth in anger on multiple occasions. I'm (almost) always spoiler free so I can't go into any detail here but I can say he should be thinking a little more about her than himself at this point. Yet, he is still so sickly sweet and loveable that it tears at my emotions.

I was pretty upfront in my review of Shatter Me that I was Team Warner ~ all the way. I loved him even more after reading the novella Destroy Me which is told in his point of view. However, Warner also has my emotions torn in two now. I still adore him, he's the best character in the series as far as I am concerned. But there are more and more confusing decisions made by him that make me think, yes he's redeemable but not necessarily ever will he be deserving of winning the girl.

Then we have Kenji. Kenji takes a much more prominent role, being a big wig at Omega Point he seems to be everywhere. He too is an amazing character and this book would be missing something horrible if his quirky jabs were not a part of it.

The writing style is as strange as it was in Shatter Me, and again I have to applaud Kate Simses for her wonderful job of narrating. She is remarkable at taking me to a place I don't think I could get to on my own.

With all that I hated about Unravel Me, I still loved it. Sometimes I wonder what is wrong with me. Why do I like these train wrecks so much? I love the world, I love the struggles, I love the turmoil of this stupid love triangle, I love that it makes me an emotional puddle of soupy goo. I think I am just as ridiculous as Juliette for wallowing in this misery. Or maybe I am just as insane as Kenji...insane for this crazy emotional roller coaster ride.

Hmm. I really like the stream-of-consciousness vibe, it's very raw. Tahereh is the queen of similes and metaphors. Is there some sort of thesaurus for them? I swear she has one. Some of them are really amazing and you kind of go "Wow, she's right, it IS like that!" and some of them make you go "What?" Lol. But they're really creative. I don't believe that you can love two people at the same time in the same way. I feel like Juliette "loves" Warner and Adam. I don't like that. I love to hate this series. I want more characters, more people and conversations, more war, and less love triangleeeeeee. Please. Just pick one and stick with it. You're not the center of the universe, Juliette. Except your own. She annoys me at times but I like the story. Throw us a curveball and pick Kenji! ;)

Warner is seriously the best character in this series and I am SO glad that we get to dig a little deeper in to what makes him tick. He's tortured and beautiful and broken and fascinating all rolled up into a hot body (come on, even Juliette says that Warner is beautiful in ways that Adam is not.)

I am usually not a fan of love triangles, but I am completely and utterly bored by Adam and Juliette. There is no fire or intenseness between the two. They seem to be better fit as good friends than they are as lovers.

In Unravel Me we learn why Adam and Warner are able to touch Juliette, and we see some growth from Juliette as a character. By the end, she finally accepts her power and has a fierce determination to right all of the wrongs that have been happening around her.

Her relationship with Warner shifts (for the better IMO) and we really get to see a different side of him that we barely got a taste of in Destroy Me.

Warner has been my favorite from the beginning, yes, even when we thought he was crazy...I never really saw him as a suitor for Juliette until Destroy Me. I was content to let her be with boring Adam (even though he is a sweetheart...he's just not Warner.) Chapter 62. ENOUGH SAID.

There are a few surprises throughout, and I'm anxious to see how all of this plays out in the next book. I want to know more about Warner (obviously) and I want to see Warner and Juliette team up to overthrow the Reestablishment and then live happily ever after. I feel like they can help each other grow because they had similar childhoods. Warner understands Juliette in ways Adam never can...not to mention that Juliette kept and is STILL keeping things about Warner from Adam. It's like she wants to keep it all to herself because she doesn't want anyone else to taint it.

This was one of those books that I couldn't help but take my time with and dissect literally EVERYTHING said. I started highlighting my favorite quotes, only to find that 95% of them were either said by Warner or were pertaining to Warner. I absolutely love Mafi's writing style and the world she has built. It is very reminiscent of X-Men in terms of the powers and stuff, but we don't know why some people have gifts and others don't (I hope this is explored in book #3.)

After this book, I fell in love with Warner a little more and I can't help but hope that he gets his HEA

This was a phenomenal read, and one of the best dystopian books I read this year. Tahereh Mafi writes beatiful prose that is always on the verge of appearing self-indulgent; a tiny bit more would make it unsufferable ;) Her and Maggie Stiefvater are their own separate class in this respect.

UNRAVEL ME was even better than SHATTER ME. It had loads of romance and action, good character development and an unpredictable plot (apart form the "he's my father" part, I saw that one coming from miles away). I appreciated that TM did not summarize or even rewrite the entire first book, as is so often done in second and third installments of trilogies, but. I do wish it had had a bit more world building. The book was not perfect: There were a few slow parts, a bit too much teenage angst and self-reflection, and a few bits that were unrealistic, like the fact that finding out the location of the hostages took a backseat to what Warner's tattoo meant and how he felt about her, and also the fact that she keeps his "secrets", which did not make any senese AT ALL, but, overall, it was a great read.

Even though I finished it last night, I am still stuck on it in my mind, ... Not sure how I'll be able to wait until the third book comes out, and how I'll handle it being the end of the series.

I got both the ebook and audiobook. The voice of the narrator was dead-on and helped bring the book to life - to me, it was definitely a richer experience.

I cannot STOP. READING. THIS. BOOK.

I finished it and turned around and read it again. I haven't been this addicted to a book since I read THAT BOOK (yeah, Twilight) back in the day.

I haven't added a book to my favorites shelf in about two years, but this book landed on it fast. Mafi's writing is so absorbing, and her characters are immensely fascinating and complex (and hot).

I kind of cried a little when I took this back to the library. It felt like I was saying goodbye to a dear friend. Must get copy for my own shelf fast!

Oh, and TEAM WARNER. Chapter 62. Need I say more???

Your mind will be blown by this book! I though Shatter Me was explosive, but this book took the entire story to a whole different level. Juliette is now in the process of honing her unique range of powers, and then Warner is added to the mix. This spells a lot of crazy funny banter between the two as well as more than it's fair share of fireworks. Then, you have the relationship between Juliette and Adam and the threats coming from outside entities and the action is just phenomenal. This book kept me up burning the midnight oil, and it will have the same effect on any reader who picks this book up. With the constant shock and awe in nearly every chapter it will leave you on the edge of your seat then have you begging for more!

To say this sequel to the electrifying Shatter Me is intense would be an understatement of epic proportions. I was merely a few pages into it when my heart decided to jump out of my chest and take up residence in my throat where it pretty much stayed before exploding it went *poof* right along with my mind. *poof* I tell you... *POOF!*

Unravel Me pick ups where Shatter Me leaves off and is full of gut-wrenching feels aka, action, suspense and plot twists that are both shocking and heartbreaking. Tahereh's prose is still poetic and beautiful and once again, you feel like you are IN Juliette's head peering out of her eyes. (Not a bad view mind you.)

Juliette wants nothing more than to fit in and spend her time making out with Adam, um, I mean, safe within Omega Point but her battle to overcome a lifetime of insecurities makes it difficult for her to trust others. She's supposed to be learning how to manage her ability but a situation arises that leaves her feeling dead, weak, alone and useless. With the help of the others and the snarkilicious Kenji, Juliette will begin to discover that there is strength in power and while it may be deadly, it can still be good.

Adam is as fantastic as ever but he broke my heart in this book. I seriously wanted to write myself into the story as a character with the ability to bake lethal cupcakes, so I could hug him - forever. He not only has James to look after and a war to prepare for, but he and Juliette will face challenges they never could've imagined. His love for her is the one constant she can count on but will it be enough? *clutches chest*

We get to spend more time with Kenji and he is made of awesome! He's the kind of friend everyone needs because can make you laugh one minute with his snark and throw down some truth in the next.

"Yeah, bro." Kenji puts his utensils down. "You are moody. It's always 'Shut up, Kenji.' 'Go to sleep, Kenji.' 'No one want to see you naked, Kenji.' When I know for a fact that there are thousands of people who would love to see me naked-"

Then there's Warner. *sighs* I didn't think it was possible to love a would-be villain more but OH.MY.WORD! *fans face* We get a glimpse of the different layers that make up Warner and he's more broken than Humpty Dumpty. A tormented mix of strength, hotness and heart aching vulnerability, I couldn't decide if I wanted to punch him in the junk or do something to take all of his hurt away. (Like bake him some brownies and talk like we've done in my dreams.)

This book ended with me frantically trying to piece my shredded heart back together and as a result, I predict this will happen with book 3:

1) I will love it.

2) I will want to sleep with WarnerAdamJuliette under my pillow.

3) It will be the death of me.

4.5 Stars.. I have such mixed feelings about this book and the person I didn't like is becoming one of my favorite characters and the struggle is so real every word sucks you in further and further this is series is so so good and just gets better and better

I would give this book series four or five stars based on the story line alone. As an xmen fan, I loved this story line. I loved the characters and the weird writing grew on me. However as a momma, I would never let my young teenage girls read this book. (Thus a 3) It was full of colorful language and very intimate in places. I kept thinking man I would not want my daughter to read this and then go on a date.

What can I say but wow.... Tahereh Mafi diffently has a way with words. It is like I was listening to a troubled, teenage that felt no one was in her corner. We hear very thought and every emotion Juliete feels. We want her to do the right thing. We want her to tell what she know we want her to love Adam or is it Warner. This is differently a emotional story of love, loss, strength and trying to do what is best for all. In the future. Waiting patiently for what Juliete and the rest will do. Hurray. Please! (Listen to on Audiobook and the narrator was perfect!)

Excuse me while I pick my jaw up from the floor after reading Unravel Me!!! I honestly don't even know where to start without giving a spoiler induced summary of everything that happened while flailing around the room. Unravel Me starts out with Juliette and Adam at Omega Point working with Castle to try and harness her powers for the good of the team against the Reestablishment. Of course things aren't as easy as it seems, and she eventually ends up working with Kenji, who is just too insanely precious for words.

And Adam? Oh sweet Adam. I don't really play the "team" thing in YA romances, but I have such a sweet spot for Adam, which is mostly wrecked in half when we meet Warner's half naked, tattooed adorned body. I pretty much melted to the floor. Who needs Fifty Shades of Grey when you have Chapter 62 of Unravel Me. Am I right? Despite this, I can't help but feel completely heartbroken for everything resting on Juliette's shoulders as she navigates through her feelings with Adam and Warner, her powers and not to mention everything else going on in this book.

Without spoiling things more than I have, I will say that Tahereh Mafi is, quite simply, a poetic genius with her words. We first saw this in Shatter Me, and the way she crafts her words on the page doesn't change one bit in Unravel Me. Much of my feelings about the characters and where the book hasn't changed since Shatter Me, so I'm very excited to see where the next book in the series will take us.

And can we talk about the cover? I wasn't so excited for the hardcover cover of Shatter Me, and absolutely loved the cover re-design. I don't think it matches the series, but they are stunning.

I wasn't really sure what to expect with the second book. Second books are notoriously weaker than the first so I was apprehensive about it.I had adored Shatter Me so much that the thought of Unravel Me being subpar just broke my heart. But I didn't need to worry. Unravel Me not only matched up to Shatter Me, it EXCEEDED Shatter Me by a landslide. Very rarely are 2nd books better than the first one but this one was.

I kind of fell in love with Kenji in this one. He tried so hard not to get into anyone's business but he found himself worming his way into my heart. I really wish we had seen more of James. I think James is adorable and I just want to hug him every single time he's mentioned in the book. From what little we saw of the other secondary characters such as Winston,Brendan and the girls I loved them and they were all likable.

Of course I'm gonna have to talk about the three main ones. I never thought I'd say this but Adam was aggravating nearly the entire book.His strength that I admired SO much in Shatter Me,had completely disappeared in Unravel Me. Juliette was awesome. She was stronger and friendlier and happier. I could see the natural progression of her personality changes and it wasn't unexpected or weird. I loved that she had become less independent. I loved that she interacted with others and especially that she came to view Kenji as a friend.I loved watching her try to figure Warner out.

Oh Warner, Warner. He was easily my favorite male character in this book. He is definitely flawed but this time we got a whole new insight into who he really is. Maybe he's not the creep that scared the hell out of me in Shatter Me. In this book we learn that Warner and Adam share a connection that I sure as hell never saw coming.

This book gets a five star rating from me. It was perfection.Actually better than perfection and I cannot wait to see what happens next.

Wow. I truly don't understand why it took me so long to read this book.

Unravel Me was everything I wanted it to be. It was action-filled, intense and packed with romance. I loved every second of it. I really liked getting to know Kenji a little more in this book and finally meeting the scary Commander Anderson. Did I mention yet that I am absolutely obsessed with Warner? Well, let's just say I finished this book feeling extremely satisfied. Chapter 62 wasn't too shabby either ;)

It's no secret that I absolutely adored Shatter Me and I'm so glad this sequel lived up to my expectations.

I am lost for words. It took me a whole two days, just to calm down, so I could write this review. Now, this being a sequel, I was wary, and didn't expect much from it. Most sequels fall short of my expectations, but I can honestly say that this book is far better than it's predecessor. It has literally unraveled me, and left me not knowing what to do.I have absolutley no idea how I will be able to wait for the next book. I got this book from the library, and therefore don't own it, but I'm so much in love with it, I'm thinking about buying a copy, just so I can read it over and over again.

I will try not to put so many spoilers in this review, but there might be some things that I need to say. First off all let me start off by saying, I never though Warner was psycopathic murderer. For some reason I always belived that there was something else, and *spoiler alert* this book completley reinforced that. All of the characters in this book are so complicated, and so much like real human beings with faults and talents, I feel like I acctually know them.
Juliette. I don't know how to describe her. She's everything a great human being should be, and yet she doesn't know it. And Kenji- " he was like a breath of fresh air" ( i think someone else write this somewhere). He made me laugh at the strangest of times, and I don't know what I woukd do without him. Adam- as much as I like Adam, he seems so bland to me. It's almost as if he has very little depth. Adam was a lot better in the first book- but I guess that was the whole point.Warner- I don't want to pity him, but I do. I don't want to feel sorry for him, yet I do. I don't think I should be rooting for him,but I can't help myself.
After finishing this book I had no idea what to do with myself. It has left me wanting more, and I do not know what to do to occupy myself until the next one is released. This book is a must read- but I would reccomend reading Destroy Me sometime before or after this also.

I liked the first book, I thought it was a bit unique and interesting. This book however was just annoying. The main character is completely caught up in herself and it was a whole book of “woe is me”. Boring and ridiculous

Wow wow wow is all I can say this book definitely unravels me. it deserves all five stars this book never fails to keep me reading if you read books non stop like I do you would understand. Unravel me has so many twist to it you are always on the edge of your seat . I love all the characters they were written so perfect.
(Juliette )is so amazing she has been through so much through out her life and has to struggle the fact that she has a power that can kill with a simple touch. She struggles with thinking she a monster and that to keep people safe they should stay away from her. As she realizes a shocking fact Adam about the one person she can touch (well besides warrner) she has to make a difficult decision. All while try to cope with her new environment at omega point. Juliette starts to learn her full extent of power and slowly learns to harness and control it. In unravel me Juliette starts to become such a strong person and I can't wait to see her I the third book.

(Adam) oh Adam I can't explain what Adam can do to you in this book he can melt your heart ,break your heart or just simply make you cry when it comes down to how much he loves Juliette. In the first book shatter me Adam finds out he could have powers in unravel me he finds out a heart breaking discovery that could end in his death but he is determined to do every thing he can to prevent this from stopping the one thing he loves most in the world. I love Adam he is so strong and so loving that I can't imagine not having Adam in this book.

(Warner) as much as he bugs me in the first book shatter me I still liked him a lot because he seem so interesting especially when it came to Juliette. When I read destroy me (a look into Warner 's mind) I instantly couldn't help but to really like him. In unravel me Warner made me fall in love with him. I was in awe we I started getting to know him better because he started to show different sides other than the cruel murderer he was in shatter me. In love triangles I usually know who will be picked but in unravel me I wasn't sure so I can't wait for the third book to come out because I can't wait to see who Juliette picks but I really hope the she picks Warner, because I feel that Warner really connects to Juliette. Not to mention that Warner is the only one (besides Adam) who can touch Juliette. I was absolutely dumbfounded when I found out Warner shocking gift it was awesome. I can't wait till the third book to read more about Warner and Juliette.

(Kenji ) out gosh I love kenji is so funny so arrogant so KENJI. Kenji always makes you laugh and can always put a smile on your face. Kenji is so loved and needed at omega point it amazed me. He becomes one of Juliettes first friends and really helps her to come out of her shell. He so is so amazing and I love how he uses the word $*** for every thing it just works for him. But I really hope that in the third book we can learn more about his past life because under all that arrogance and joking he has some secrets and I would love to learn them.

All the other characters are great their were no unneeded characters in this book every one added something special to the book I loved this book and recommend it to any body who loves to read. Just make sure you read the first book shatter me also you should read destroy me even though you don't have to but I think It really ties the two books shatter me and unravel me, and there are parts that would make more sense in the third book if you read destroy me pulse it a great read. Sorry my review is so long but there are so many great things to say I could probably write my own book of just my thoughts on this book.

This was a wonderful edition to the first book. Often times a sequel seems forced or only designed to set up a gran finale, but this book delivers a separate story all on its own. The characters are further developed and the plot line thickens. Additionally, the next book is set up with anticipation. I love Mafi's style of writing with the extensive personification and poetic descriptions of feelings. The reader is left with a strong desire to see the final book play out an intricately woven story line. Much thanks to the author for writing a book that is entertaining as we'll as an example of what artistic story telling is all about. My students will anxiously devour these books.

Strong second book in the series, Tahereh’s writing just keeps getting better and better.

In this second book we find Omega Point getting ready to fight against the Re establishment with Juliette as their secret “not so secret” weapon, the only problem is that Juliette is still not able to control her abilities in a way that can be helpful, so in the book we see her grow a lot, she is still very sensitive and kind of down on herself but as the book progresses and she realizes what’s at stake she starts making better choices even if they don’t always turn out the way she wants them to.
I really liked this book, I liked how we got to know more people from Omega and the things that they can do, and there was a lot action and some revelations as well.

On to the next one.

It is so seldom that the sequel is even better than the first book, so I was not really expecting to be wowed by the story, but I was totally blown away! Not only do I love this amazing book, now on my favourite's shelf, I love the unexpected direction the story is going.

I adore Aeron... Adam.. Aeron.. and can't wait to see who finally wins Juliette over.

Oh and the cover...... Stunning!

I fell in love with Shatter Me. Like, it was love at first chapter. Getting the chance to read Unravel Me had me jumping around the room with glee. It.did.not.disappoint. Oh my gosh, it certainly did not disappoint. Actually, I had high expectations of this book and it exceeded them, which is insane. I cried at least three times throughout the book though it was probably more. They sort of blended together. There were chapters that were so hot I found myself fanning myself. After reading both Shatter Me and Destroy Me I went from being 70% Team Adam / 30% Team Warner to being about even. This book fluctuated. I actually think I may be slightly more on Warner's side.

As much as I love the love triangle between Warner, Juliette and Adam I really think my absolute favorite character is Kenji. We get to see so much of him and he has different sides. He has the best lines, hands down, in this book and he has such a vibrant personality you can't help but love him. He also seems so real. Not to mention, I should have counted the amount of times he said `***' in this book, it was definitely his favorite word. (My favorite saying from him is "Holy *** on a cracker") Kenji is so much more powerful than you could ever imagine. He is one of the best people Juliette could have around her. He helps her harness her powers and he loves to joke with her but he doesn't bullshit with her. He tells her how it is and I adore that about him. He is blunt and well, someone needs to be so I'm glad it's him.

Adam is so damn swoon-worthy. He truly is. I'm swooning over him right now, actually. He's so passionate and in love with Juliette it makes me incredibly jealous. My heart breaks for him in this book, hell my heart breaks for a lot of characters in this book but Adam is the first and the heart break never stops. He goes through an incredible amount of growth and discovery; I really can't wait to see what he manages to do in the last novel.

Juliette. Oh Juliette. Where to begin with you? I want to give her a hug. We thought we all knew the extent of her power but it turns out, she can become so much more than what she already is. It's actually rather frightening what she is truly capable of.

We also find out in the hands of one of the guys who loves her, she is a danger to him but in the hands of another guy, she can share her extreme power. It's quite a miraculous find...

Without writing a ten or so page review, there is not enough space for me to write about everything I want to write about. This book is so much more addicting than Shatter Me and I thought that book was like a drug. This book is like being addicted to everything with no restraint control whatsoever (not that I would really know what that feels like but you get my drift...).

Basically, if you've read and loved Shatter Me there is absolutely no reason for you not to pick this book up the day it's out. If you haven't read Shatter Me then I ask, why not? You really need to get on that. Unravel Me was so much better than Shatter Me which is saying a lot because I loved Shatter Me.

Reviewed by Jessica @ Step Into Fiction

This whole book from start to finish made me want to strangle the female lead. She contradicts herself in almost every paragraph! She says she wants to help and be useful but in the next paragraph she's in a ball on the floor crying!! This continues for 400 pages.... She's weak, selfish, self absorbed and way too emotional. The whole book is redundant!!!!!!

4.5/5 stars.

Okay, so...you know when you watch a movie, or read something that hurts so much it actually feels good? Like plunging into ice cold water - so cold that it actually starts to feel scalding hot? That's "Unravel Me" right there. There is so much hurting and a love rhombus and usually I'd be screaming at said love rhombus but Mafi makes it work, and work hard. You're going to need a lot of ice cream after this one, guys - I know I did. And you probably will cry at least once. In this follow up to "Shatter Me" (and the inter-novel novella, "Destroy Me"), Mafi shows that not only that she's got staying power as an author, but that she's grown hugely between that first novel/novella and this book. Which is always a joy to watch. If there's one sequel you have to read this year, it's most definitely "Unravel Me".

I think what I really, really love about this series is its boldness when it comes to breaking standard prose form - more precisely, into free verse poetry. I loved all of those moments, and it was really refreshing. A risk? Yes. But Mafi makes it work with keeping things dreamy yet horrifying real, a total dichotomy in reality but here, it all worked so very well. I wish more YA authors would be bold enough to let their prose unravel (no pun intended) into free verse because the results are not only lovely, but interesting. It changes the entire cadence, rhythm, and beat of Juliette's narration for the remainder of the book.

Okay, so, the love rhombus (because in this book, with all of his flirting, I do kind of consider Kenji a semi-love interest, even if it's just in name only): It hurts. It hurts a lot. But it's also steamy as hell. For a YA book? My god. The scenes with both Adam and Warner (separately, not together) actually made me blush, and it's hard to make me blush. I attribute this to Mafi's style when writing Juliette - it's very innocent, yet very knowing at the same time. Throw in the aforementioned poetic changes in prose form, and wow. You get dreamy sensory run-on sentences that will make you want to fan yourself. There's a sense of loss of innocence in the physical sense for Juliette, though no one actually does the deed. Those almost-but-not-quite moments make things all the steamier - and that's where Mafi really gets it when it comes to sex and YA - letting down the velvet curtain, as it were, actually makes things MORE attractive and will make you want to come back for more.

Generally, I feel like Mafi grew in every technical area in writing between these two books. In the worldbuilding arena, though, Mafi uses her main cast to do a lot of filling in of backstory when it comes to Omega Point and the rise of the Reestablishment. This is a very clever (and easy) way to keep building your world. She teams up this approach along with the relationship web school of worldbuilding (how everyone connects within a world and using that to actually build it), and bam, said the lady, we have a lot more information and backstory on previous events for pre-"Shatter Me". It also sheds a lot more light on Kenji and Warner's characters, specifically, as well as the Big Reveal on Adam's parentage toward the end of the book. We don't learn too much more about Juliette here - just that we have a timeline in terms of at which point the Reestablishment took over, and what happened in between that happening and her unintentional murder (and who helped manipulate her into doing it) and then being imprisoned up until Adam and Warner come into her life. Which was awesome. We get new characters, too, that help finally complete a main cast both in the antagonist and protagonist arenas - which is rare, to have a full cast for both sides of the war. Rare but not unpleasant.

As for character growth and development, the relationship web comes to the rescue again in terms of learning more about Adam, Warner, Kenji, and the rest (as well as giving everyone separate character journey/development arcs, no matter how small they may be), but for Juliette alone, Kenji voices our (well, my) frustration with Juliette in terms of being ostracized by the rest of Omega Point - stop sitting on your pity pot, Juliette. I wanted to stand up and cheer. Because as much as I love Juliette and I know how legitimate her very serious issues are, I was getting a bit tired of her throwing herself pity parties every other chapter. So yay Kenji for that one. Thanks to Kenji's kick in the ass, Juliette is forced to grow, and is forced to realize that there may not just be black and white/good and evil, but a very wide gray range in between that ranges the spectrum between the two. The last scenes are the book were some of the most gratifying in Juliette's character development so far. And it also made me start frothing at the mouth for book three.

But I think the most significant character development award has to go to Warner - because never has such a villain had such an insane bunch of extremes in one body. He feeds stray dogs, and happily creates mass graves of people who don't obey him. He loves Juliette, but is willing to kill anyone and everyone to get her. I can't believe I'm saying this, but I actually want to take up the "Team X vs Team X" flag when it comes to this love rhombus - and in Warner's favor. He's easily the most complex character, and I really hope we get another novella from his POV.

Final verdict? Mafi's grown by leaps and bounds, so if you've already started the journey with Juliette and the rest in "Shatter Me" and "Destroy Me", respectively, you simply must continue it with "Unravel Me". Definitely one of my favorites of 2013 so far, and one of the most satisfying sequels I've read in YA in a very, very long time, "Unravel Me" drops on February 5, 2013 in North America from HarperTeen. Definitely be sure to check it out when you get the chance!

(posted to goodreads, shelfari, librarything, and birthofanewwitch.wordpress.com)

"It's like spending 6 months just trying to inhale.

It's like forgetting how to move your muscles and reliving every nauseous moment in your life and struggling to get all the splinters out from underneath your skin. It's like that one time you woke up and tripped down a rabbit hole and a blond girl in a blue dress kept asking you for directions but you couldn't tell her, you had no idea, you kept trying to speak but your throat was full of rain and it's like someone has taken the ocean and filled it with silence and dumped it all over this room.

It's like that.

No one is speaking. No one is moving. Everyone is staring.

At me."

The writing continues to be beautiful in this book, and much easier to delve right into that Shatter Me. It flowed a lot more, and I was sucked right into the action. I could not put it down. I found Juliette to be a heroine who was not perfect, did not claim to be, yet continued to push forward. Held back by a character, but still pushing for more.

For me, this books was aggravating. Juliette's constant indecision and constantly being frightened bothered me, despite the fact that it's her character. I loved the book nonetheless, it's plot constantly twisting and turning, but I am not fond of this "love triangle"(i mean, let's be real, what is it even if Juliette doesn't even know herself?)and I have high hopes that it is resolved in Ignite Me.

Tahereh Mafi's debut, Shatter Me, presented a girl who struggled with who she was in a dystopian setting. Reading wise, what young girl hasn't struggled with finding her identity? I think this was part of what made SHATTER ME a bestseller. Also, the characterization of several young, handsome men vying for the girl's attention ups the appeal. The writing is tricky to get in to, but once you get into the flow of Juliette's thoughts, it gets better.

With UNRAVEL ME, Juliette is still the fragile, about-to-cave-in-on-herself girl, even though she showed a moment of self-realization at the end of SM. I was disappointed with her turn back to this girl. In fact, after some realizations about her boyfriend Adam come into light, she actually gets worse. There are pages where she just feels sorry for herself. There's a quote by Carlos Ruiz Zafron that says, "People tend to complicate their own lives, as if living weren't already complicated enough." Juliette, life is hard, but you have to pick yourself up.

The world building wasn't as strong as it was in SM. I couldn't picture the settings and locations like I could before. What Ms. Mafi did excellently was expanding her male characters: Kenji becomes more than just a jokester; we see him at his highest, and I like what I see. Warner, a crazy, dangerous young man whom I found myself drawn to in the first book (this made me question my sanity on more than one occasion), is given a depth which was revealed in the e-novella Destroy Me, yet he still manages to be cunning. At first I was skeptical because I thought he was going to "sell out," but he stayed true to his nature, and for that I still like him. But for some reason, I could not say the same for Adam. I felt like his character wasn't as thought out as it was before.

As much as I had to force myself to read the book, when I reached the halfway point, I had to finish it. I have hope that Juliette, who has another moment of realization at the end of UM, will come in to her own, and that wherever her road takes her, she'll walk down it with her head up and her eyes on the prize.

Unravel Me is the perfect title, because many of the characters come unraveled within this story. It was almost like a theme, but it was gradual at the same time. I sure felt like I was unraveling as I read, and I think slowly but surely Juliette is unraveling too. For the better. I think she's finally about to embrace who she is, and I'm ready for it!

NOOOOOO!!!! a cliffhanger? really? really. Not cool. But, okay, as much as I want MORE MORE MORE MORE! I loved this sequel. oh, it was so anxty-good.

I love the writing style; at times it's a little "emo" overcooked, but I think that might be the point.

Am I screwed in the brain for wanting her to end up with Warren? Likely. But he just has so much more umph, you know? Great book. Great series so-far.

This book catches you off guard. It plunges you into a world you can imagine but puts it into a perspective that is new, unique, and surprising. By far my favorite new series of ya fiction. The main character is dynamic and the sub characters add feeling. Love the writing style. Very unique. To the point. Yet descriptive enough that you can relate. Can't wait for the next book to come out.

I loved Shatter Me.
More than ANYTHING, I loved the writing! The best writing ever!

Now, The last page of Shatter Me leads you to believe that Juliette has grown and will no longer be a whiny child. But, as she admits herself in this book, that lasted for ONE day!
She remains a selfish child who cares nothing about anyone but herself. She thinks only about herself, or her attraction to a boy.
so sad.

And I do NOT like Warner. I dont care that he is a sad person, with a horrible past. Even someone with a terrible past can choose HOW they choose to live and how they choose to be. Just look at Adam who was abused just like Warner...

And, for the record, I HATE triangles! I hate that every YA author feels they have to incorporate a triangle. UGH

I think I might be a little devastated by this book. I wanted so much more! and it didn't deliver.

The writing was still AMAZING though (which is why I cant give this book a 1)

WHAT WAS THAT. What did I just read. I still can't.. OH MY GOD.
(I can't even express myself anymore. Look at what this book did to me.)
I liked Shatter Me, but THIS book was unbelievable. It blew me away
This story took my breath away! I was high on emotion and excitement that kept me glued to the pages. I am in awe of Tahereh Mafi’s writing, so beautiful, so captivating. In a sea of YA she stands out and shines.

After my excitement for this series had been rekindled by Destroy Me, I was really looking forward to Unravel Me. I was sure my dislike of Shatter Me was a situational thing; I must have disliked it because of the headspace I was in when I read it! And then I realized it wasn't Unravel Me per se that I disliked, but it's heroine; it's pathetically whiney, dependent and frail heroine who showed no little growth since Shatter Me.

Before I get into all of the reasons why Juliette has ruined this series for me, I would like to comment on the one thing things I did enjoy in Unravel Me. With its stream of consciousness narration, Unravel Me manages to succeed at being incredibly fast-paced, even though almost nothing is happening during its 400+ pages. I will admit to skimming over most of Juliette's angsty monologues about feeling inadequate, which means I probably skimmed over most of Unravel Me, but thanks to almost nonexistent punctuation in between Juliettes' thoughts, Unravel Me reads surprisingly quickly for its lengthier size. Mafi's prose, while definitely of the purple nature, is also quite pretty even though it rarely makes sense.

"It's the kind of kiss that makes you realize oxygen is overrated."

This is where I almost put the book down. I should have known then, but I was promised a world of delights if I read through until Chapter 62, so I persevered.

As for Juliette, I'm going to quote from my review of Shatter Me, since it seems appropriate here:

"For the vast majority of the book, she spends her time crying/trembling/gasping/blushing, all while adamantly refusing to understand how anyone, but especially Adam, could care for her. This type of behaviour I could have forgiven, had she shown any growth. But it wasn't until the last few chapters that she went from being a weak, ridiculously melodramatic and frustratingly insecure protagonist into one with the glimmer of something resembling strength."

It's surprising that I could have written that without my quotation marks, you wouldn't have known it had come from a review of a different book! Juliette has seen absolutely no growth since Shatter Me; the description I posted above is equally as fitting in Unravel Me. You know how I know Juliette is supposed to have grown? Because she tells me so!

"I've come to realize that being away from him has forced me to rely on myself. To allow myself to be scared and to find my own way through it. I've had to train without him, fight without him, face Warner and Anderson and the chaos of my mind all without him by my side. And I feel different now. I feel stronger since putting space between us.

And I don't know what that means.

All I know is that it'll never be safe for me to rely on someone else again, to need constant reassurance of who I am and who I might someday be. I can love him, but I can't depend on him to be my backbone. I can't be my own person if I constantly require someone else to hold me together."

But guess what she was doing ten pages previous to this enlightenment? Sobbing on her knees, trembling in fright, and relying on someone else to pick her up.

I understand that Juliette had a tough childhood. I understand that she was tortured at a young age and that there will be psychological repercussions because of it. I understand that this might lead to moments of confusion/angst/self-pity/etc. But understanding and believing are two different things. I didn't believe that Juliette was acting out of some deep psychological torment when she played mind games with both Adam and Warner. I didn't believe that Juliette thought herself a monster, and that was the reason she was so afraid to learn how to control her abilities. And I didn't believe in her inner strength because every time she was pushed, she fell to the ground, crying.

As for chapter 62, I was too distracted by Juliette's complete and utter betrayal to enjoy any of it.

This book is a must read. It's so amazing and I can't believe I read it in one day because I couldn't even put it down. It's nothin short of amazing and will definitely keep the attention of anyone who loves the Shatter Me series.

I absolutely loved this book and the whole idea and plot of it in general is fascinating. It even seemed as though it had a moral to the story to teach us about ourselves and others. Even though the beginning of the first book went a little too fast it was still very hard to put the book down. I loved the series and how attached I got to every word. I would read these books and give them five stars.

Seriously, I don't like overtly sexy writing, but Chapter 62 is the best chapter I have ever read in any book. Don't skip ahead, but just wait! And then, once you have finished the series, you can do like I do and just go back to Chapter 62. I love love Warner as a character. Tahereh Mafi is amazing.

This book gets five stars. I don't know if I'm team Warner or Adam after Reading this book. And usually I don't even write reviews but this was so awesome. The author so detailed wrote Juliette's feeling i could feel her pain and sorrow every time. Juliette is very strong through all her many struggles.(. Adam is the cute boy willing to do anything to save julliete and get revenge. Warner is the perfected boy taught to never have any mercy and to kill. That is until he meets juliette who doesnt want to hurt anyone and wants to people to understand her. I cried about two times in this book about heartbreak, love, survival, and finding out who you really are. This book is a apocalyptic book that ends in a clif hanger.

Oh look, as if the goddamn boring, so boring plot, and constant repetition of the same angsty scenes between Adam and Juliette weren't bad enough, I just opened this freaking book to find Juliette and Warner casually chatting about Shakespeare, which leads to Warner almost taking his pants off, and now she can't stop thinking about his boy parts and how she wants to "study the secrets tucked between his elbows... follow the lines of his silhouette... trace rivers and valleys along the curved muscles of his body"...

ARE YOU F****** KIDDING ME???

Yeah, read it if you enjoy angsty relationships, annoying heroines, and especially dumb-a** love triangles. I've had enough. Goodbye, Shatter Me series. Good riddance.

I'm a really jaded reader, I read books all the time, non-stop, & lets just say, that this book, is really wonderfully written! And I agree with another readers quote "It's been forever since I read a book that had me absolutely chained to it, the words literally leaving me just as breathless & at a loss for words as our heroine. It's that good. And without adding spoilers really I will say, CHAPTER 62, those few pages are better than, sexier than, more meaningful than ALL Fifty Shades books combined. I've never read a book passage where my heart was in my throat like this one. All I can say is WOW."
That, really says it all, I read that chapter 3 times! just to make sure I really absorbed all the words written and the meaning in it all, it was so powerful!

Really a must read!!

Seriously this book is nothing like I've ever read before. This whole series is nothing like I've ever read before. It's one of those books where if you don't keep reading you feel like you might explode. Yeah. That's me.. ever since I've picked up the read the first page. I love this book.

This could be a great book. It would be a great book if every other page wasn't a rambling Oh, Woe is Me internal monologue from the supposed heroine. I have never wanted to bitch slap a fictional character before.

I have been a diehard Warner fan from the start, and I do not really understand how she was happy with Adam. I mean it was confusing from the start. At least she seems to hqve gotten over her afinity of the mark through tool.
(Did you know that on on epic reads, Ignite me the sequel got the award for hot under the cobers, abd the award for villan you love to hate?)
Other than that initial relationship confusion, I thought that it was a good book, ALTHOUGH Ignite Me was/is myfavorite

See more of my reviews sooner on The YA Kitten! My copy was an ARC I received in a swap with a friend.

I'm going to be completely honest here: if Warner weren't such a fun character, I never would have bothered with Unravel Me. The prose of Shatter Me bugged me, Adam and Juliette's relationship wasn't well-developed enough to make me believe in it, not much happened, and characterization overall was underwhelming. Still, hot villains obsessed with the heroines are like catnip to me. It's a good thing the catnip brought me back for once because there's a great deal of improvement here!

Juliette's angst is still deep enough to drown in and at times, the urge to shake her (or the book in place of her!) is irresistible. She could have saved people so much trouble if she'd just opened her mouth and told people things, but she kept it all to herself to the very end! Characters like this are beyond frustrating. Thank goodness Kenji is here to be the voice of reason when he's not being annoying. Juliette needs someone to call her out every now and again. Too bad he couldn't coax her to say things that could have saved people's lives.

Speaking of saving other people's lives, stuff actually happens this time. They go on missions, they steal stuff, they save people, and more people get shot. Juliette even starts learning more about her powers! I like where the plot takes us for most of the novel, but some twists are just ridiculous. Why so many novels have decided to reveal the love interests as relatives of each other either late in the first book or sometime in the next book is anyone's guess, but it's catching on. It irritates me.

Her love for Adam isn't really expanded on either. They love each other and that's that. They spend a lot of the book apart anyway, so it's not really anything that matters. Juliette's attraction to Warner (which I think she's mistaking for love when she just thinks he's incredibly hot) is what gets more attention. The infamous chapter sixty-two? It's focused on them and pretty steamy. I approve of the moment, but not of them becoming canon. I don't like to see my crackships turned canon!

The prose, which was a major point of contention for readers of Shatter Me, sees a lot of improvement. Less repetition, less strikeouts, less "whut?" moments,... Instead of being like a child who is out of control and scribbling all over the walls, the prose is now more like a child whose parents disciplined it until it learned better, but it still has its occasional tantrums. There are still some awful moments, though. Moments like these (all quoted from the ARC):

"My head is full of missing buttons and shards of glass and broken pencil tips (p. 226)."

"I'm checking my pockets for spare words and sentences but I'm finding none, not an adverb, not a preposition or even a dangling participle because there doesn't exist a single response to such an outlandish request (p. 282)."

"My fists are full of unlucky pennies and my heart is a jukebox demanding a few nickels and my head is flipping quarter heads or tails heads or tails heads or tails heads or tails (p. 296)"

Also, try speaking in strikeouts and parenthetical asides. Hard, isn't it? That's why people shouldn't use either in dialogue. use them all you want in every other part, but when people are talking, they aren't going to be speaking in strikeouts.

The ending swears on its life that Juliette has grown as a character and she's going to take many more steps up in the third and final book of the series. I want to believe it. The way it looks right now, I'm going to be sticking around to see how everything ends. (But seriously, if Warner and Juliette end up together, I will be an angry little kitten. My crack pairings can have moments in canon like this Warner/Juliette did in chapter sixty-two, but making them canon? Uh, no. Please don't.)

Can I just say, wow. I gave this four stars because I really liked the book but just found that it was VERY annoying how she cried so much, and kept saying she was going to toughen up but never did. But finally, finally, she stands up for herself and is about to become the awesome super girl we all knew she could be. I am soooooo excited for the next one!

This book was utterly amazing. I personally recommend reading destroy me before you come to this one though. I'm absolutely in love with Tahereh Mafi's style of writing. If you don't have a lot of freetime I do not suggest you read this book because you WON'T be able to put it down. I cannot WAIT for book 2.5 & book 3 to come out!!! Ahhh! The anticipation is KILLING me. With that being said I think in Unravel Me, you should go ahead & pick #teamWarner or #TeamAdam I'm so torn its pathetic... Tahereh please... Don't keep us waiting much longer! I love this author!

Oh Warner... I really wanted to hate Warner in this book, but it was absolutely impossible. Even after all of the terrible things he did to Juliette and Adam in the 1st book. This book had everything for me. Definitely one of the BEST books I have reads so far. Kenji makes me laugh out loud in so many parts of this book. Such a great read.

Oh Gosh. I'm so torn between my feelings. A part of me wants to give Unravel Me 5 stars just because we get to know a different side of Warner, but I can't go through with it because I didn't like the first half of the book at all. It was tortures to read, nothing happened, well besides major character changes with no explanation. What made it bearable was the writing. Tahereh Mafi has a gift, her writing is hypnotic and so captivating that you'd want to devour the book in one sitting (which I didn't because it was really long, but you get my point). The story picks up when Warner enters halfway and after that, there was no complaining, only swooning.

Juliette and Adam are settled in the Omega Point and are training to make their powers more controllable. I don't know what happened with Adam between Shatter Me and Unravel Me but his character changed. He was very weird and uncertain towards Juliette and kept secrets from her which I didn't like. I get Adam, I get why he acted that way but I feel like he was given a backseat in Unravel Me so that Warner could shine. I have no problem with that. In fact, I fell in love with Warner in a way I never expected. He is the perfect representation of Don't Judge the Book by it's Cover. He was powerful, confident, determined, ruthless yet he was so charming, beautiful and kind towards people he cared about. I'm Team Warner for sure.

I like where the story is heading. The Reestablishment and the Omega Point have had it each other and they are heading towards war which was expected. I guess the ultimate showdown will take place in the next book, and I'm really looking forward to all the gifted people coming together and using their powers to the fullest. That should be exciting. As for secondary characters, I liked Kenji, he was the entertainer of this book and kept the scenes light and funny even if the situation demanded seriousness. But I wasn't a fan of Castle. I just get a bad vibe from him and I don't like the way he makes his people fight just for a sacrifice. It smells fishy.

Unravel Me is a good continuation of Shatter Me. The way I was ranting on goodreads during the first half, I'm happy to say that the curse of second book didn't hit Unravel Me. Warner was a saving grace for this book and just by him opening up made this story so much more stronger than it would have been. On top of it, Juliette matured a lot, she is more controlled and focused than before, and I can't wait to see how she would handle her feelings in the next book. Shatter Me series is recommended to readers who enjoy dystopian setting with a great cast of characters and an innovative storyline. I'm rooting for Warner and so should Juliette!

This book is awesome. I thought about reading this book for a long time....kept seeing it on my goodreads list begging me to read it. After I got my kindle fire, this was one of the first 10 books I purchased. It has a GREAT storyline that will have you contanstly flipping the pages (screen) and staying up all night to know what will happen next.

I LOVE THIS BOOK! It's the best book I've ever read in my life. Such a good story, from the first page I was hooked. I couldn't put the book down. So beautifully written! I cant wait for the next book!!!

Is how I feel after finished reading this book. I thought it would be a thriller mystery but it is a type of fantasy sci- fi, similar to the Maximum Ride series, but oh so much better written. My only complaint is the considerable number of
edits that were not removed from this digital copy

Contemplating whether to give 3.5 or 4 stars, obviously you see what rules out in the end.
I have a thing against sequels most of it usually suck or isn't as good as the book one with the few exception of some series but sadly this is one of those that didn't impressed me much.

This is an excellent,yet extremely frustrating, series to read. The reader knows exactly what the main character needs to do or say to help her situation, but she doesn't do it. Other than that, the dystopian society and love triangle(or maybe square,not sure which) will definitely keep a reader interested!

The girl ticks me off
I want her to become strong
I'm on team Warner

Yes I know he's mean
But Adam is so wimpy
Destroy Me was good

Though I have to say
I don't like love triangles
The ending surprised

You have to first read
Destroy Me to understand
Why I like Warner

I will say this though
If Kenji becomes a choice
I won't read the book

This is a great series! At first I thought it would be a bit silly , but after reading the first two books, and Shatter Me (the short story) I'm thoroughly impressed. I can't wait for book 3 to come out. I've already marked my calendar for its release date.

Extremely well written, though the first few chapters were rather draggy, they were definitely necessary to help progress the story. I absolutely love it, without a doubt. Everyone should give it a try (starting from 'Shatter Me' of course).

Mafi is an amazing author. Her writing is poetic and easy to read. Unravel me is a dystopian novel that is different from many others, you have no idea where the story will take you so instead you become a part of it! I can't wait for Mafi's next book!

I read Shatter Me in about 2 days; it wasn't that good, it was just okay. Unravel me, on the other hand, was the stupidest book in the world. I say the because Juliette was so self absorbed, self fish, idiotic, and coquette-ish (old timely word for a "ho") heroine ever. Unravel Me started off good and went down from there. Juliette is always afraid of hurting people and running away from her responsibilities; she is afraid of hurting those who hurt her and she hides facts from the leaders of Omega Point. Firstly, why?! Juliette is always rambling on about how she wants to fit in and hates the way people don't trust her, well she hides the fact that Warner can touch her and hides the fact that Warner can basically take someone's ability and use it. If she actually wanted to fit in, she would have told the people of Omega Point that fact. Juliette also has a hefty making out session with Warner, which end with Juliette saying she didn't mean it; she says it was spur of the moment. So Juliette is making out and crushing on the enemy who tortured her and held her captive; what a stupid person. Juliette also lets Warner escape for Omega Point; so she's just gonna let the enemy escape! Like WTF? Juliette is always rambling about wanted to be trusted, well she sure as hell doesn't deserve the trust. Juliette takes 480 pages to come to the obvious conclusion that her future is going to be chaotic and her powers must be used; last sentence of the book. So instead of reading this almost 500 paged waste of space, time, and tree book, all you have to know is that Juliette hides crucial info from omega Point, Warner rescues Juliette and has a secret power and makes out and loves Juliette, and the dude who's not Wanner (I forgot his name) has to stay away from Juliette, and that Juliette loves both Warner and the other dude. The worst sequel ever written witha stupid repetitive heroine who can't decide what team she's on and how to gain trust; a waste of time, space, and trees. I hope you will enjoy it, 'cause I sure didn't.

Juliette is weak female, who can't decide who she really love. She is self absorb and will not see others unless they are affected my her super power. I feel that only reason this book is so highly liked is because there are unlimited almost sex scene for all of those lonely women out there who act just like her, a man says a few nice words to her and she falls into bed with him. She has too many pity parties and needs to grow a spine.