“Shatter Me” is a young adult dystopian-fiction book series written by New York Times best-selling author Tahereh Mafi. It takes place in a futuristic North America and follows 17-year-old Juliette Ferrrars learning to live with her cursed power of lethal touch.
The series was originally planned out to be a trilogy, consisting of three main books: “Shatter Me,” “Unravel Me,” and “Ignite Me.” However, as the popularity of the riveting novels grew, Mafi expanded the series to include three more books: “Restore Me,” “Defy Me,” and “Imagine Me.” She also published five novellas from various side-characters’ perspectives.
Before Mafi knew it, “Shatter Me” was a global phenomenon, capturing the hearts of millions of young readers. Its unique blend of “dystopian fantasy, heart-stopping romance and characters that practically leap off the page” are all aspects that culminated into its popularity, according to the Harper Collins website.
Having read the series myself, I can confidently say that the collection is a lot more than it seems. Although the premise is fairly simple – a young girl with destructive powers being controlled by an authoritarian government named the Reestablishment – the narrative twists into an unforgettable story that left me questioning my own ability to grow and persevere.
A friend and fellow “Shatter Me” lover, Tamara Quintanilla Danlag, explained that her favorite part of the story was the unique characters. She described, “The storyline and plot was very good, but the complex and diverse characters are really what got me attached to the series because, by the end of it, I loved all the characters.”
The most recent installment of the “Shatter Me” series, “Believe Me,” is a novella directly following the events of the end of “Imagine Me,” which was published in 2021. Since then, fans have given Mafi no shortage of pleas to continue writing about the beloved characters.
Opportunely, on Aug. 20, 2024, Mafi made the long-awaited announcement that she would be publishing a brand new spin-off series taking place in the same universe as “Shatter Me” called “Watch Me.” It will be following a new generation of characters set 10 years after “Believe Me.”
To say her fans were excited would be an understatement; I can vividly remember seeing her posts go up regarding the announcement and feeling like the greatest gift had been given to me.
In fact, one of the first people I told this information to was Danlag, who had similar emotions: “I am really excited to read “Watch Me” and have high expectations for the book to continue a complex storyline with good characters… I am also really excited to see James’ [the new main character’s] development and look forward to seeing him finding himself as he takes on a new conflict.”
“Watch Me” was recently released on April 15, 2025 and book lovers worldwide flocked to the shelves to get their copy. While I have not read the book just yet, I plan to do so soon, and with the book glittering on my bookshelves, I’m reminded more and more each day that this book is ready to be read.
To “Shatter Me” fans out there, I hope you (and I) love this new installment!
