Destroy Me (Shatter Me #1.5)

Considering my tumultuous relationship with Shatter Me, I only decided to pick up Destroy Me to satisfy my increasingly nagging curiosity surrounding Warner’s growing allegiance of fans. And while it was most definitely not long enough, I immediately understood its attraction. With an inside look at the twisted and misunderstood mind of Warner, a man I found my heart breaking for by the end of Destroy Me, I have a new-found excitement for the rest of this series!

Beginning immediately after Juliette has shot Warner in the arm, I immediately realized Warner was a much more complex character than I had previously given him credit for. It was shortly after his return to base that his father – the Supreme Commander of the Reestablishment – shows up to clean up the mess caused by Juliette and Adam’s escape. He was in the same room with Warner for mere moments before I found myself hating him with a passion.

"His hand closes around my throat.

The movement is so rough and violent I’m almost relieved. Some part of me always hopes he’ll go through with it; that maybe this time he’ll actually let me die. But he never does. It never lasts.

Torture is not torture when there’s any hope of relief."

What kind of child could grow up to lead a normal life with a father that hands out torture as punishment on a regular enough basis for his son to recognize it when it was about to happen? It’s no wonder Warner goes through life, unflinching and emotionless – he needs to be, in order to handle his father.

"I’ve come to believe that the most dangerous man in the world is the one who feels no remorse. The one who never apologizes and therefore seeks no forgiveness. Because in the end it is our emotions that make us weak, not our actions."

But for Warner, what separates him from the evil that is his father, is his emotions. While he can easily pretend to be emotionless, inside he is living in constant turmoil.

"I squeeze my eyes shut tighter and make a weak effort to build the walls that would surely clear my mind. But this time, they don’t work. Her face keeps cropping up, her journal taunting me from its place in my pocket. And I begin to realize that some small part of me doesn’t want to wish away the thoughts of her. Some part of me enjoys the torture.

This girl is destroying me."

But not only did Destroy Me give me a glimpse into Warner’s abusive upbringing and his conflicting emotions surrounding love and duty, it also gave me a glimpse into his mind, his reasons for imprisoning Juliette and for pushing her to her limits.

"I looked forward to her temper. Her tantrums. Her ridiculous arguments. I wanted her to yell at me; I would’ve congratulated her had she ever slapped me in the face. I was always pushing her, toying with her emotions. I wanted to meet the real girl trapped behind the fear. I wanted her to finally break free of her own carefully constructed restraints.

Because while she might be able to feign timidity within the confines of isolation, out here – amid chaos, destruction – I knew she’d become something entirely different. I was just waiting. Every day, patiently waiting for her to understand the breadth of her own potential."

It made me see Juliette in a whole new way – I got to see her through the eyes of someone who understood what kind of childhood she had experienced, who knew first hand the techniques used to break her spirit, and who saw her potential. It elevated Juliette from “a weak, ridiculously melodramatic and frustratingly insecure protagonist” into a person I could understand, and possibly even relate to. Destroy Me might have saved this series for me, because it brought me greater understanding of not only Warner, but Juliette.

The only quibble I have with Destroy Me is its ending. Just as things are starting to get good, just as I’m getting the answers I so desperately needed in Shatter Me…it ends. But, considering it is a novella in the middle of a series, I guess I can’t really expect an ending that resolves anything for Warner – but anything over that abrupt ending would have been preferable! Geez, even give me a cliffhanger!

Fans of this series need to read Destroy Me - you will love it. People with reservations about this series also need to read Destroy Me - it might rekindle a flame you thought had extinguished.

"Empathy is not an emotion I've ever known, but now it's drowning me, pulling me into a world I never knew I could enter."

So far, I've been a good judge of character and I'm glad Warner didn't proved me wrong. All my suspicions and gut feeling about his character were all right. If in the first book, I compared him to Draco Malfoy, this book proved that he is indeed the muggle version of Draco.

To those who hated Warner and thought he was a monster in Shatter Me, here you will see the human side of Warner. Here you will see his reaction towards Juliette's betrayal when she pulled the trigger while they were kissing.

"Sometimes I wish I could step outside of myself for a while. I want to leave this worn body behind, but my chains are too many, my weights too heavy."

Behind the ruthless leader of Section 45, lies a vulnerable person who knows nothing about friendship, love and empathy. The struggle he felt between doing what he was taught all his life and what he think is right was one of his greatest dilemma. He's been following his father's instructions and instilling fear to his soldiers but there were times when what he does actually has an explanation. An explanation he keeps to himself. After reading this novella I can say that Warner is broken just like Juliette. As what he pointed out after he read her journal, they are quite the same. He's a prison in his own world, built by his father.

This made me believed more in Warner and wished that Juliette would choose him. I know this might lead me into heartbreak when Juliette picks Adam. That maybe all that Juliette could offer is her friendship and understanding but would still love and pick Adam in the end. But Juliette, as cliche as it may sound, is what Warner needs. She's the only person who managed to break his defenses down and made him feel something. Maybe in some stories, the good guy gets the girl but Warner deserves this after all he's been through.

I have been beyond impatient waiting for this short story to be released! Warner has to be my favorite “villain” ever. I was fascinated by his obsession with Juliette in Shatter Me, so I could not wait to get into his head in Destroy Me. This takes place shortly after Juliette’s escape, and follows Warner as he’s immobilized by his injury and trying to find Juliette before his father does.

I absolutely loved getting to know him better! He’s such an interesting character. We learn all sorts of little details about his life and personality, such as how much of a control freak he is and why he refuses caffeine. Above all, we learn the depths of his loneliness which explains his intense feelings for Juliette. His obsessions runs much deeper than I originally thought. He’s definitely not what he seemed in Shatter Me. This was an amazing glimpse into Warner, and now my excitement for Unravel Me has grown exponentially!

So I should have started this one before I read Unravel Me, but I only realized that it was addition that gave important insight when I was 2/3 of the way through Unravel Me. But I guess better late than never. So I stopped Unravel Me, and started Destroy Me.
Mafi is as amazing story teller in this on e
At first, Warren's voice seemed to clinical and detached, but I told myself, he's just been shot. If there is ever a time... But I kept going because I wanted to see what was so great about Team Warner. And did I find out. There is so much in his past that makes him act the way he does, and it is almost as sad as Juliette's background. His voice sounds that way because that is the way his father taught him to be. He has built up walls within himself in order to lead the way he does.
But then you find out even more about his motivations, and my heart just wanted to melt. He did so many things that I thought was just downright evil, but when I discover the cause, I have to rewrite everything and question it all through Juliette's eyes.
The love he has for her, just wow. He tries all of the time to talk himself out of it, and it is sad. I still adore Adam, and I know that one of the two is going to have to get hurt, and that makes me sooo torn. Ms. Mafi definitely knows how to write a character so that they make me feel for them and connect with them.

Bottom line: Great novella that gives great insight into Warner.

Destroy Me by Tahereh Mafi
Published by HarperTeen
Release Date: Ebook Available Now
Reviewed by: Middle Sis Jenn
The Sisters Say: Dark and Despondent, A chilling look into Warner’s world

If I could just list all the quotes that broke my heart instead of doing an actual review, I totally would because then you would realize just how much you need to read this novella!

Tahereh cracks open a door into Warner’s world, revealing a bleeding heart, a broken childhood, and an unwavering love. Never before have I been truly swept off my feet by the villain of the story. But is Warner really a villain? Destroy Me will have you questioning everything you thought you knew about Warner, Juliette, and the world that is crumbling beneath them.

“Sometimes I wish I could step outside of myself for a while. I want to leave this worn body behind, but my chains are too many, my weights too heavy.” Location 138-140

I relished seeing through Warner’s eyes. I have already read Unravel Me, so there were many things that were not surprising to me, but I still felt like I understood Warner a bit more—understood that his circumstances drove him to the brink of madness, understood how a man that appeared so strong and invincible could be at the mercy of another, understood how one woman could both save and destroy him.

Most of the novella centers around Warner’s thoughts, but there are times when action happens outside of the safety of his mind. These are the times when Warner’s dad appears, and he is just as evil as you would think! Ferocious, like a snarling dog, Warner’s dad lives his life taunting and manipulating everyone, including his son. His actions are so cruel that Warner wishes for death saying, “Torture is not torture when there’s any hope of relief.” Loc 405 Warner’s dad pushes and pushes until Warner is right up on the edge of a cliff, and then he stops, putting aside the torment until another day. Seeing this mangled relationship was heart-breaking and eye-opening.

But perhaps the best part of the novella was seeing Juliette through Warner’s eyes. I really believe that Warner understands her more than Adam will ever be able to. It’s more than that, though, it’s even more than Warner being able to see into Juliette’s mind and soul. It’s more like they are two halves to the same whole. Or they are magnets that are inextricably drawn together, maybe for no other reason than that’s what they were made for. Whatever it is, seeing Warner fall for her was breath-taking. He doesn’t lie about who she is, what she’s capable of; and he finally doesn’t try to twist her to his will. He sees her for who she really is, and he knows what her future holds:

“She’s either going to completely shut down, or she’s going to explode.” Loc 1072-1073

There were some slower parts to this novella, but the insight was enthralling. I love Adam, and I know he wants the best for Juliette, but there is a part of me that just can’t help rooting for Warner.

I’ll leave you with one final quote that shows how Warner faces his world:

“I build walls until they begin to crumble, and then I force another set to take their place. I build and build and remain unmoving until my mind is clear, uncontaminated, containing nothing but a small white room. A single light hanging from the ceiling.” Loc 134-135