I have a curse. I have a gift.

I am a monster. I’m more than human.

My touch is lethal. My touch is power.

Juliette Ferrars has a curse. In the post-apocalyptic world of “Shatter Me” by Tahereh Mafi, Juliette is shunned, labeled as a  freak and kept under arrest for murder. When she was young, her parents blamed her for all their problems. Juliette never had a single friend throughout 17 years of her life before she got arrested by The Re-establishment for murdering a child. The baby was being abused and all she wanted to do was help him up. Forgetting about her power, she touched him.

But things happen when people touch her.

Strange things.

Bad things.

Dead things.

In this first book of the “Shatter Me” series, strikethroughs are the most prominent part of Mafi’s writing. With brilliant descriptions and lighting-quick plot twists combined with fast-paced action, “Shatter Me”drew me in right from the start. I especially love the metaphorical writing and the elaborate descriptions of scenes. While I read, I was frequently astounded on how Mafi used words common people wouldn’t even think of.

Take this quote for instance.

 “I always wonder about raindrops.

I wonder about how they’re always falling down, tripping over their own feet, breaking their legs and forgetting their parachutes as they tumble right out of the sky toward an uncertain end. It’s like someone is emptying their pockets over the earth and doesn’t seem to care where the contents fall, doesn’t seem to care that the raindrops burst when they hit the ground, that they shatter when they fall to the floor, that people curse the days the drops dare to tap on their doors.

I am a raindrop.

My parents emptied their pockets of me and left me to evaporate on a concrete slab.”

I wouldn’t be surprised if one day Mafi’s quotes would become the basis of English literature for students around the world to marvel at. Just wait for it.

In the book, Juliette faces both inner and societal problems. Nobody believes her innocence in the murder case, except for Adam Kent, a guard who was stationed in her cell in prison. But events take another turn when Juliette reveals slowly through flashbacks that Adam was a childhood acquaintance who had a lasting impression on her. Throughout “Shatter Me,” the friendship between the two characters develops to a complicated relationship because Adam’s loyalty to Juliette is not certain and Mafi keeps the readers on their toes with the instant turn of events. Warner, the antagonist, becomes strangely smitten with Juliette near the middle of the novel and readers also find out that The Re-establishment is not the only major leader of society. Juliette has hope, as long as she can escape and doesn’t kill anyone.

So far, she has avoided in coming in contact with anyone for 264 days.

In general, my opinion about this piece of literary work is a 5 out of 5 stars. It’s a beautiful book with words, sentences, and a storyline that is pieced together so fluidly and skillfully that it makes a newspaper reporter, ahem, seep with jealousy. It should definitely be recommended for those who love romance, dystopian, science fiction and supernatural genres. I strongly recommend this book for fans of Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins or Divergent by Veronica Roth. Strong female characters are all present throughout the series. I enjoy reading books where the character develops strength to rebel against society, and “Shatter Me” is definitely a match. Over time, readers notice that Juliette has more confidence in her abilities and the amount of strikethroughs and negative words noticeably decrease.

You are undecided. You are going to read this book.

You may read this book. You will read this book.

You will pick this book up tomorrow. You will buy this book today.

When you pick up “Shatter Me,” be cautious of your touch because you never know how poisonous suspenseful deadly captivating the first glance is.