Shatter Me (Shatter Me, #1) in Enemies-to-Lovers Recs

Jan 25, 2022 Shelby rated it it was ok

Shelves: young-adult, young-love, awesome-but-i-wish-it-was-a-lot-lon, pleasantly-surprised, dystopian, romance

Hoo, boy. Where do I even begin? I was skeptical about this book, mostly because I didn't see many positive reviews. There were complaints on top of complaints about several aspects of this book, and... I kind of get it. A big problem seemed to stem from the writing style itself, which was a pain in the ass to get through so I could actually finish the book. And the metaphors. My God, so many damn metaphors.

Sometimes it's better to just say, "I felt my cheeks burn with heat as I blushed," instea Hoo, boy. Where do I even begin? I was skeptical about this book, mostly because I didn't see many positive reviews. There were complaints on top of complaints about several aspects of this book, and... I kind of get it. A big problem seemed to stem from the writing style itself, which was a pain in the ass to get through so I could actually finish the book. And the metaphors. My God, so many damn metaphors.

Sometimes it's better to just say, "I felt my cheeks burn with heat as I blushed," instead of something like "I catch the rose petals as they fall from my cheeks, as they float around the frame of my body, as they cover me in something that feels like the absence of courage."

That being said, it definitely does make sense with how the protagonist acts, especially in the beginning. After all, she's been locked up with no company, no one to speak to, nothing but herself, a notebook, and four blank walls for 264 days. So yeah, her sanity is probably shaky at best, and it's easy to see in the way that she processes her thoughts. The lack of understanding social cues, the ignorance of the progress of the outside world, the paranoia - I get it. However, that paranoia and mental deterioration only showed in her thoughts and not in her actual speech. There was no babbling, no rambling like I expected - just a mish mash of mental metaphors and broken sentences that left me, as the reader, struggling to not toss the book aside and tear out my hair.

Ah, how easily creative writing can go wrong.

As for the plot, I enjoyed it! Once you got past the grammar, run-on sentences, and annoying metaphors, I thoroughly enjoyed the plot and I was absolutely rooting for Juliette to be free and safe. And Warner? Man, what is wrong with me that I always end up liking it when the villain shows up to screw over the protagonists? It adds excitement, drama, and kept me reading until the last page.

I do wish there was a little less obsession and fascination over Adam and more world-building. This type of dystopian nightmare doesn't happen so quickly, so I need more backstory! Hopefully the author will explain a bit more during the later books.

Will I read the next one? Yeah, probably. I found a few spoilers during my research and I'm optimistic about the sequel and later novels. I'll keep my fingers crossed. ...more

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Mar 15, 2022 arlyn ⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚ rated it really liked it

shatter me is a prime example of a book that has an overused plot that’s been executed well. i couldnt put this down the second i started reading it, it’s been a long while since a book made me feel this way <3

im so glad i gave this book a chance because im not a big fan of 2013 dystopian novels and the synopsis didnt pique my interest at all

i was only lured into reading this because of aaron fucking warner and boy did he not disappoint!!! he is as attractive as all the mesmerising fanart of h ...more

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Jan 15, 2022 Grace rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: science-fiction

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Okay, to be honest this book is not the best. I excepted way more with the plot especially with how the book started. It pulled me in immediately, but as it went on it was clear this was less of a dystopia and more of a romance. I love romance, but the plot needs to be superb for it to become a fav of mine. Basically, this book should be categorized as YA romance rather than YA fantasy/sci-fi.

The reason why I am giving it more than 4 stars though is because of Warner (who probably shou ...more

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Jan 28, 2017 Lesr Kew rated it liked it

3.5. Couldn't get past the over dramatization in moments. Great story line.

(ex of line i hated had to do with upside down rainbows. worse. line. ever.) ...more

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Jul 05, 2023 Amber rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: genre_science-fiction, genre_young-adult-new-adult

I’m not sure that YA dystopian romance is for me, which is weird because I love YA fantasy romance.

I did enjoy the writing style, although I can understand why folks would find it to be purple prose. I like flowery writing. Weirdly, Juliette’s isolation in the asylum and her thoughts then were the most interesting part of the book to me. I’m not super invested in either Adam or Warner as characters, although the latter is almost interesting.

I may or may not continue the series.

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Apr 03, 2023 Hajra Bibi rated it it was amazing

I really enjoyed this book. I know a lot of people hated the way it was written, but I LOVED IT. I truly felt like I was in Juliettes mind. Feeling all her feelings. I love how every feeling is exaggerated. I love how the things she actually wants to say are scratched out. It's such a beautiful way to tell this story.
I didn't find anything confusing or too much, the dystopian aspect of the book is written really well. ...more

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May 20, 2018 Kimberly Carley Bailey rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Kept me hooked!

I loved it. It's an entirely new concept and was written very well! Loved every word. Would 100% read it again! ...more

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May 31, 2022 Kelsea✨(Rowan’s Version) rated it it was amazing

Immediately hooked

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Mar 01, 2024 Robyn rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: enemies-to-lovers, magic

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. 2⭐️, 1 in 🌶, ❌ escape test

I rated this book 2 stars because I could not figure out if I liked the purple prose or not. Part of my struggle could have been that I listened to the audiobook and I'm assuming this book uses a lot of strikethrough. The audiobook used a sound that I assume was supposed to be someone crossing something out but it, in fact, did not sound much like that. It confused me a lot at first. Maybe I would have enjoyed this a lot more if I had read a physical or ebook copy inste ...more

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