Unite Me by Tahereh Mafi

Reading Level: Ages 12 and up
Hardcover: 240 Pages
Release Date: February 4, 2014
Publisher: HarperCollins
Narration: First Person: Warner, Adam
Genre: Dystopian/Superpowers

The Shatter Me Series
Book One: Shatter Me
Book Two: Unravel Me
Book Three: Ignite Me
Novellas: Unite Me

Order On Amazon: Paperback
                           
Order On Barnes and Noble:
Paperback

Author's
Goodreads  Website  Twitter  Facebook

Goodreads Synopsis:

Perfect for fans of Tahereh Mafi’s New York Times bestselling Shatter Me trilogy, this book collects her two companion novellas, Fracture Me and Destroy Me, in print for the first time ever. It also features an exclusive look into Juliette’s journal and a preview of Ignite Me, the hotly anticipated final novel of the series.

Destroy Me tells the events between Shatter Me and Unravel Me from Warner’s point of view. Even though Juliette shot him in order to escape, Warner can’t stop thinking about her—and he’ll do anything to get her back. But when the Supreme Commander of The Reestablishment arrives, he has much different plans for Juliette. Plans Warner cannot allow.

Fracture Me is told from Adam’s perspective and bridges the gap between Unravel Me and Ignite Me. As the Omega Point rebels prepare to fight the Sector 45 soldiers, Adam's more focused on the safety of Juliette, Kenji, and his brother. The Reestablishment will do anything to crush the resistance . . . including killing everyone Adam cares about.

My Review:

Just a heads up, if you've already read Destroy Me and Fracture Me, there's no point in getting Unite Me. Unless of course, you just want a physical copy. The only "extra" content is Juliette's Journal. However, I don't really count that as extra because the entries are nothing new, with the exception of maybe one or two. The majority of them are just the little snippets from Shatter Me, Destroy Me, and Fracture Me combined. 

*May contain implications from Ignite Me, 

since I read that before I got my hands on these novellas.

Destroy Me:

It was interesting, peering into the world through Warner's point of view. I read that this novella played a major role in getting people to change their minds about Warner, and if I had read it before Ignite Me, I would've been no different. Since we were seeing situations through Juliette's point of view, we weren't privy to other essential information. Just because she believed something to be true, didn't mean that it was actually true. Like her, we were misguided into thinking one way, when really, something totally different transpired. Now, looking back, I see how Warner and Juliette are similar personality wise. They were both oppressed when they were kids, unable to be themselves for one reason or another. They lived in constant fear of what they were capable of or in constant fear of disappointing others. Because of this, they never fully shook off that sense of loneliness, even when they were surrounded by people. The dog scene through Warner's POV was perfect. The only thing that bothered me a bit was how much Warner and Juliette's internal thoughts sounded alike. Yeah, I know their personalities match each other, but I still would think that the phrasing of their words would vary.

Fracture Me:

Bored and irritated me. I understand where Adam is coming from, I really do, but there's a point in time when you have to trust others to be able to take care of themselves. Throughout the story, Adam kept on repeating the same mantra over and over again. I have to keep Juliette safe. She doesn't know anything about war. She's a helpless girl in need of saving. I must protect her. She should've stayed home where it was safe, but no one ever listens to me. GRAGUHEIUGHNKAJHED! Juliette may seem broken on the outside, but on the inside, she has a heart of steel. When it really counts, she won't hesitate to fight for herself and all of her loved ones. Yes, she may have seemed in need of saving in the beginning, but she didn't need it from anyone else. She needed to save herself, to realize that she wasn't the monster that everyone claimed her to be. Adam held her back, fell in love with the sheltered girl who needed his protection. Thing is, Juliette was never that girl.

On a completely unrelated note, WE NEED A NOVELLA FOR KENJI! Or maybe a spinoff or something. I want Kenji to have a happily ever after. 

Destroy Me- 4.5/5
Fracture Me- 3/5

Erased by Jennifer Rush

Reading Level: Ages 12 and up
Hardcover: 288 Pages
Release Date: January 7, 2014
Publisher: Little, Brown
Books for Young Readers
Narration: First Person: Anna
Genre: Dystopian/Science Fiction

The Altered Series
Book .5: Forged
Book One: Altered
Book Two: Erased
Book Three: Reborn

Order On Amazon: Hardcover
                               Kindle
Order On Barnes and Noble:
Hardcover and Nook

Author's
Goodreads  Website  Twitter  Facebook

Goodreads Synopsis:

They thought they had escaped. They were wrong.

After fleeing the Branch with Sam, Cas, and Nick, Anna is trying to make sense of the memories resurfacing from her old life. At the same time, she's learning how to survive in hiding, following Sam's rules: Don't draw attention to yourself. Always carry a weapon. Know your surroundings. Watch your back.

Then a figure from Anna's childhood reappears. Is it a Branch setup, or could it be the reunion Anna has hoped for? Uncertain of where her loyalties lie, Anna must fight to learn the truth -- before she is betrayed again. Ultimately, the answers hinge on one question: What was the real reason her memories were erased?

Jennifer Rush delivers a thrilling sequel to Altered in a novel packed with mysteries, lies, and surprises that are sure to keep readers guessing until the last age is turned

My Review:

Good, but not great.

Erased was disappointing, especially when compared to Altered. The content wasn't boring by any means, but I definitely didn't find it as entertaining or thrilling as I found the happenings in Altered. The plot, to me, wasn't much of a plot at all. It's hard to put in words. 

At times, I thought Anna was a capable heroine. Despite her lack of training when compared to the boys', she could hold her own in battle. She made the best of what she had, and for that, I respected her. No damsel in distress shenanigans here. Although, she did get herself in a pickle more than a few times. My point is, she tried to defend herself rather than rely on the boys to always take care of her. However, that's not to say that she didn't have her TSTL moments. She jumped head-first into danger multiple times, heedless of the safety of her and those around her. I understand her motives, but I wish she thought of some stealthier way of doing it, using her intelligence instead of relying on brute force to save her. Physical strength is definitely a great thing for a heroine to have; however mental finesse is just as important, perhaps even more so. Another thing that I found quite disturbing was her reaction to traumatizing events. Can't go much deeper than that without giving away spoilers. However, if you've already read the book, feel free to read my rant. :D

*************************SPOILER: READ AT YOUR OWN PERIL.*********************

When Anna killed Dani, I was like...."What?" To be honest, it didn't even sink in until I got through the next few pages, because it was so shocking. Even though Dani did some unsavory things, she did all of those things for one purpose only. To protect her little sister. And what does Anna do? Stab her in the chest. GAH! WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU? If she had to rough her sister up a bit to get to the boys, ok, whatever. But to kill her? Couldn't you just have, I don't know, knocked her out or something? Luckily, I wasn't too attached to Dani, because I hadn't really known her very well..but still. Anna basically killed her entire family, with little remorse. She was saddened and shellshocked for a short period of time, but not long after, she seemed as good as new. Creepy, much?

*************************************END SPOILER*********************************

The other guys were cool. However, I am a bit wary of how this love triangle is going to pan out. Not much of it in Erased, but I'm guessing it'll be one of the main focus points in the last novel. As for the characters, Cas is my favorite of them all. He always brightens the atmosphere with his witty banter and brings much needed humor into dark situations. 

The action didn't have me clinging to the edge of my seat. It was enough to keep me interested, but not enough to capture my full, undivided attention.

In conclusion, Erased was so-so. Although Anna was a strong protagonist at times, I still questioned her actions and reactions to certain situations. Sometimes I felt like her emotions drove her to make reckless decisions while at other times I felt like she didn't show emotion enough. The boys were interesting to read about, but I wasn't dying to know more about them. Will I be reading the sequel? Probably. Just won't be as excited to read it.

Heroine- 3.5/5
Romance- 3/5 Meh
Action- 3/5
Writing- 4/5
Overall- 3.5/5