Just Finished Reading ... Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi

Unravel Me (Shatter Me #2)
by Tahereh Mafi
Published by HarperCollins
on February 5, 2012

Source: bought

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Warning: Some spoilers if you have not read Shatter Me and Destroy Me. If you want to be completely safe, just scroll down to the bottom of the post so you can enter to win this book. Then come back and tell me what you think after you read it.

My summary: Juliette -- the girl who can kill with a touch -- has escaped with the help of Adam and Kenji. Now they are are safe at Omega Point, a haven for people with special abilities. They hope to use their combined powers to stay one step ahead of the Re-establishment, led by the super-evil Supreme Commander Anderson, who also happens to be the father of Warner, their former captor. But Juliette has been keeping a big secret from Adam, a secret that will come back to haunt her. As the scientists at Omega Point help Juliette and Adam learn more about their powers, these new discoveries begin to threaten their relationship. And when a new, high-value prisoner arrives at Omega Point, a prisoner Juliette begins to connect with, she will learn that she can wound others with her words and actions, not just her lethal touch.

My thoughts: Whew. So many thoughts about Unravel Me, and I will attempt to express them with no spoilers.

Warner.
I have mixed feelings about the novella craze, but in the case of this series, I do think that Destroy Me helps you understand why Warner has been nominated as both Favorite Leading YA Guy of 2012 AND Favorite YA 2012 Villain in my YA Academy Awards. He's that bad boy that women think they can redeem, the guy who's bad for a reason. I'm definitely buying that he has a softer side, and I'm on his team for sure (because I'm usually Team Underdog) but I wish he'd stop calling Juliette "love" because it creeps me out just a little bit.

Adam.
Poor Adam. He suffers a lot in this book, meaning that he also catches Juliette's case of the mopes, and I hope he gets his mojo back, or I'll have to switch to his team. (Team Underdog, remember?)

Juliette.
Being in her head -- as she is the narrator of these books -- gets a little claustrophobic at times. She's extremely self-critical. She seems on the verge of a nervous breakdown much of the time. She's intensely interested in the minutiae of her own thoughts to the point that she ignores everything and everyone around her. Her power can save the world, but it's all she can do just to keep herself from losing it. She can be ... exhausting. I say she just has to pick a guy who can handle all that cray.

Kenji.
My love for him grows with every page of every book. He says what I am thinking as I read, things like:

You only function on two settings: you're either moping or you're making out with Adam.  

He's the much-needed comic relief in this book. I loved him in Shatter Me. In Unravel Me, my love for him turns to extreme worship. His humor and snark and refreshing well-adjustedness (is that a word?) cut through all Juliette's angst like a breath of fresh air.

The Big Bad of Love Triangles.

Deep down, I know this can't be right. Deep down, I know it could end badly.

Um, yeah, Juliette. No kidding. I promised no spoilers, but ... whoa. In Unravel Me, Taherah Mafi sets up the most wrenching love triangle I have read since I cried through an entire box of tissues when that stupid Amy ended up with Laurie in Little Women. (I'm still in denial about that one.) Without giving too much away, let's just say there is a revelation in the book that sets this particular love triangle into This Is Not Going to End Well territory.

The Ending -- no spoilers

Mass chaos is in my future.

Juliette makes this promise at the end of Unravel Me. And I swear, if she doesn't keep it, I will find a way to reach into the pages and slap her. Because I always regretted not doing that in Little Women.

Have you read this book? If you're dying to, there's still time to enter to win it on my stop in the For Love of Swoon Hop. Enter through February 20th!