Destroy Me (Shatter Me, #1.5) (Shatter Me Novella, #1)

by Tahereh Mafi

Juliette escaped from The Reestablishment by seducing Warner—and then putting a bullet in his shoulder. But as she’ll learn in Destroy Me, Warner is not that easy to get rid of...

Back at the base and recovering from his near-fatal wound, Warner must do everything in his power to keep his soldiers in check and suppress any mention of a rebellion in the sector. Still as obsessed with Juliette as ever, his first priority is to find her, bring her back, and dispose of Adam and Kenji, the two traitors who helped her escape. But when Warner’s father, The Supreme Commander of The Reestablishment, arrives to correct his son’s mistakes, it’s clear that he has much different plans for Juliette. Plans Warner simply cannot allow.

Set after Shatter Me and before its forthcoming sequel, Unravel Me, Destroy Me is a novella told from the perspective of Warner, the ruthless leader of Sector 45.

• ISBN10: 0062208195
• ISBN13: 9780062208194
• Publish Date: 2 October 2012
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
• Imprint: Collins
• Format: eBook
• Pages: 111
• Language: English

Reviews

[Vicki]

4.5 stars

[ladygrey]

I normally don't review novella's because there's usually so little to talk about. But this one really is a key in this whole series. It reveals a lot about Warner that's important and interesting set up for the next novel. And it expands and deepens his character really well.

I like that it isn't just a novella because that's all the rage these days - it's actually really relevant to the overall story and the characters.

Oh... I am most definetly not okay.

[inlibrisveritas]

Destroy Me puts us in the mind of Warner and we finally get to see some of his motivation and his past. I really loved this since Warner was my favorite character in Shatter Me. Warner is, to me, the character that offers the most. He’s kind of crazy, he’s definitely tortured and confused, and he also has that who evil thing going for him. Now Mafi has given him even more by shedding some light on who he is as a person, and how his mind truly works. If you didn’t like Warner before you might after this, or you’ll at least see him for the human he is and not necessarily the monster he’s portrayed as with Juliette’s pov. And speaking of Juliette we get to see some more of her thinking as well, which really surprised me. I really love that it’s set right before Unravel Me and a few sections overlap some, so it’s the perfect bridge. I don’t really like to spend money on novellas but I found this one to be well worth the money.

[Linda]

I think Destroy Me is excellent because it's all about Warner... and it made me see that he is human after all.

Full review to come soon.

This and other reviews are originally posted on my blog (un)Conventional Bookviews

[littleread1]

Warner you sick sick bastard.

[jnikkir]

I liked Shatter Me alright, but seriously LOVED LOVED LOVED this short. When I realized it was from Warner's perspective, I was intrigued; but I thought we'd get the same creepy, power-crazy character we'd seen in Book 1. Oh boy, was I wrong.

READ THIS, especially if you were on the fence about Shatter Me. It will throw you for a loop and change your entire perspective about the first book.

Now I can't wait until my copy of Unravel Me arrives.

[kimbacaffeinate]

4.5 Destroy Me is all about Warner and the perfect appetizer in preparation for Unravel Me, the next book in the Shatter Me series. I love Tahereh Mafi’s lyrical writing style and was excited to learn about Warner the ruthless villain, and leader of Sector 45. This novella quickly drew me in and left me spent.

The tale picks up right where Shatter Me ended and is told from Warner’s point of view. He is injured, dealing with Juliette’s escape and traitors in his army. Mafi shares with us the many facets of Warner’s personality and we get to understand him. I spent most of Shatter Me despising Warner and in fact stated he made my skin crawl. We learned he had a dysfunctional upbringing but in Destroy Me we get a much clearer picture of what has made and drives Warner.

Mafi is wonderful at creating characters that illicit strong emotion from me and then she twists them around and makes me see them in a totally different light. Grrr! Warner, Warner, Warner…he loves Juliette, he is lonely, afraid and so complex. When he finds Juliette’s journal from her time in the asylum it is clear he understands her deepest fears and his emotions are so raw. Of course, he is still an egotistical maniac and truly believes he is the only one for her. I cannot believe that I now care about him, I mean honestly how did this happen?? His father and leader of this awful world is the man to fear and detest, the guy is a freak.

We get some nice world-building and a glimpse at how this dystopian came to be. We learn more about the civilians, troops and their lives. We also discover some things about Juliette and the people she is now with.

Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer

[Amanda]

I find myself having all these FEELINGS for WARNER. WHAT IS GOING ON? He is an oddly fascinating study, with his obsessive thoughts and very particular routine. I liked Warner's internal monologue. As much as he tells us (and yes, there was telling us how he feels), we see these things reflected in his narration, so that the narration strengthens what he tells us. Still, I find myself wanting more of Warner.

Is it February yet?

[Angie]

I have been beyond impatient waiting for this short story to be released! Warner has to be my favorite "villain" ever. I was fascinated by his obsession with Juliette in Shatter Me, so I could not wait to get into his head in Destroy Me. This takes place shortly after Juliette's escape, and follows Warner as he's immobilized by his injury and trying to find Juliette before his father does.

I absolutely loved getting to know him better! He's such an interesting character. We learn all sorts of little details about his life and personality, such as how much of a control freak he is and why he refuses caffeine. Above all, we learn the depths of his loneliness which explains his intense feelings for Juliette. His obsessions runs much deeper than I originally thought. He's definitely not what he seemed in Shatter Me. This was an amazing glimpse into Warner, and now my excitement for Unravel Me has grown exponentially!

Read more of my reviews at Pinkindle Reads & Reviews.