The Shatter Me series by Tahereh Mafi was a genuine surprise for me; I never would have expected how much I’d like it. Going in I was a little apprehensive, as the blurb on the back didn’t appeal to me. I had heard so many good things about the books on Tiktok, but those reviews weren’t what drove me to finally purchase the books. I was walking around Barnes and Noble, and I made an off comment about how I heard the series was good. A group of girls beside me nodded along and told me it was worth reading, and then walked away. That was the driving force. I bought the first book that day.

This book was written in 2011, which means it was either going to be really dated or it was going to stand the test of time. From the first page, I was hooked. Tahereh Mafi somehow drew me to a character I would have usually hated because she didn’t make any choices for herself and waited for someone to save her. Despite this, Mafi made me care about the main character Juliette, despite her slightly annoying actions. I was excited for everything that happened next, and there was never a point in the book where I felt bored. Something was always happening, and it was the most fun I had reading a series in the longest time. 

The characters were what really sold the book for me. I enjoyed how they all interacted with each other, and despite the plot being good, the cast of characters is what kept me reading. I loved Warner and Juliette along with every scene they had together. The tension and the funny responses to what the other said were what made reading the chapters they were together in very fun. My favorite interactions were between Juliette and her best friend, Kenji. I fell in love with their friendship and how it was portrayed. They reminded me of my friends and I and how we talk together. It was also very nice to see a friendship between a girl and a boy not be turned into a romance.

I wouldn’t say this book was the best I had ever read, and I have recently read books that are objectively much better. Something about this series stood out though: it was so fun and refreshing to read a story that didn’t take a lot of my mind to read. It was easy, and it was fun. I enjoyed every moment that my eyes glided across the page, gaining knowledge on the characters and their stories. I would recommend this story to anyone, I think it’s something that everyone can find some kind of enjoyment in.