* This review may contain spoilers for previous books in the Shatter Me series. *
By Tahereh Mafi
Publisher: Harper
Format: eBook
Source: Purchased
To Sum It Up: As the resistance at Omega Point prepares to face the forces of The Reestablishment, Adam is preoccupied with other thoughts in addition to the forthcoming showdown. He fears for the safety of his younger brother, James, who is with him at Omega Point. And then there’s Juliette. So much has changed between the two of them, and a future together looks uncertain. When the battle begins, Adam must decide who is worth saving—and then live with the consequences of his choices.
Review: Disclaimer: I am a Warner woman, 100%. I don’t hate Adam. I don’t dislike Adam (though he did annoy me quite a bit by the end of this novella, but more on that shortly). He’s just not Warner. So while my pulse wasn’t exactly racing to read from Adam’s POV, I was very surprised by Fracture Me. Very. Surprised.
Adam practically seemed like a secondary character in Unravel Me, so getting a look inside his head in this novella was especially insightful. If there’s a single thing about him that you take away from Fracture Me, it’s how much he loves his little brother, James. Adam will do anything to protect him; James is everything to him. So, if Adam’s world revolves around keeping James safe, where does that leave Juliette?
The answer to that question is kind of hard to answer without spilling all the details of Adam’s thoughts. If you’ve read Unravel Me, then you know that Adam and Juliette aren’t exactly enjoying their very own Happily Ever After. What I did not expect, at all, were some of his feelings toward her, and I don’t mean in the romantic sense. During those times when he was so quiet in Unravel Me, he was apparently having these . . . illuminating musings.
Before reading Fracture Me, my opinion of Adam was neutral; he simply didn’t stand out. Now, though, I’m seeing him in a rather unflattering light, and I have to wonder what this means for everyone in the upcoming series finale, Ignite Me. Is the portrayal of Adam in Fracture Me designed to make you think that maybe he isn’t the right guy for Juliette after all? I mean, I was already rooting for Warner way back in the series (um, probably from the second he appeared on the page), so I didn’t need any convincing. What I’m afraid of is that I’m being led to believe that Warner might have a chance, only to have Adam sort out his heart and make a last minute comeback. Am I paranoid? Yes. It’s why I relate to Warner so much. And I swear, if things should end badly for him, I shall be writing a rant!
I know this review is on the scattered side, but that’s a pretty apt description of my feelings after reading this. Although I don’t think too highly of Adam now, I still very much enjoyed reading Fracture Me. Kenji gets in some good wisecracks, and Tahereh Mafi’s writing is top-notch, as usual. Am I glad I forked over the $2.99 for this? Absolutely.
All in All: Whether you love/hate Warner/Adam, if you love this series, you should read this.
