Juliette has lived her entire life in fear that she might hurt someone simply by her touch. As a result, Juliette lives in a small cell separated from the outside world, a world that is dying as famine and plague run amok. Taking advantage of the chaos, the Reestablishment, a new regime, begins to monopolize all of Earth’s resources.

During her incarceration, Juliette lives in total solitude until a boy named Adam is thrown into her cell, which changes everything. She discovers that Adam is actually a soldier sent by the Reestablishment to see if Juliette will kill him so that she can be used as a weapon of torture.

Adam,however, is not exactly as he seems. Together with Adam, Juliette must face the challenge of choosing who she is to become. A fighter of justice or a weapon of torture?

“Shatter Me” is reminiscent of “The Hunger Games” and “X-Men,” yet it is surprisingly refreshing. Mafi’s lyrical and poetic writing style drops the reader into Juliette’s thoughts. With a captivating story line, a strong romance and three-dimensional characters, Mafi has created a riveting, captivating novel. Although the ending of “Shatter Me” leaves a tinge of disappointment as it is cut abruptly short, readers will be sure to anticipate the upcoming installment.

“Shatter Me” is recommended for older teens as it contains some violent and inappropriate scenes for younger readers.