Restore Me (Shatter Me, #4)

by Tahereh Mafi

[ladygrey]

Super fast read. I liked it but it also reminded me of everything I don’t like about these books. Because they’re all emotion and NOTHING happens. Literally one thing happens - halfway through the book - and then it’s all the emotional repercussions and then the end.

Theres a lot of talk about international politics and threats but it’s clear, again about halfway through, that nothing is going to come of it because there aren’t enough pages for anything to happen or for any sort of revelation.

Still, Warner is a great character and his pov chapters are interesting. He makes what little story there is worth reading. Juliette is still dumb but she’s not as annoying because she recognizes that she’s wildly unqualified, that being invulnerable doesn’t mean she’s capable of running a country or being a leader. The never ending Juliette has massive powers and can slaughter a bunch of people in all new ways is kind of stupid and really annoying. Also Mafi is bad about introducing elements into the story that she never picks back up, liked the drugged bullets. Why were they drugged? With what? Why did it affect Juliette the way it did? Why spend time on it if it doesn’t matter to the story?. Kenji is cool, as always. Adam is interesting again, what little there is of him. And I’m curious how James will grow and what will become of him.

But we’re not going to get to see that because Mafi tells very narrow stories all about invincible Juliette which is not as interesting as she thinks it is. Warner is the saving grace in this series.