Review Detail

Inevitable spoilers for Shatter Me and Unravel Me. Spoiler Free for Ignite Me though!

I wanted to read Ignite Me, because I have loved the books in the series (minus not being thrilled about the last novella) and I had to know what would happen in this dark world where nothing is quite as it seems. There is a love triangle that I am crazy for and I don't even know how I want it to end. My thoughts towards both have changed since I first met them and I usually have a gut feeling who will win out even if that is not the guy that I like the most. Warner has revealed so much about himself that I never would have guessed, showing he has a heart and the depths of his feelings for Juliette are great and that his actions have been carefully planned to try to win her heart and do things for the sector. Adam, I always just liked but despite their physical attraction and their past together, I just am torn because they have both changed so much since then and that really changes their dynamic. Plus of what I read in his novella, it really made me sad some of the thoughts and ways he viewed her and besides she makes a statement in this one that confirms another nagging suspicion I had. They are now on a more even playing field and I feel like they have had their books to shine, and I just need to know who will earn her heart and what will become of the other. So, not only did I want resolution for the love triangle that has stolen my heart, I also wanted to see further character development in Juliette and see how she steps up to be a key in peace and a better life in this dark world.

Pretty quickly we get into the story and seeing some of this growth in Juliette. While she is torn apart and grieving over the losses, she sees this healing and second chance at life in a new way, with determination. She isn't sure if her friends are alive and she is still wavering on Warner, which is understandable because while he has revealed some and they have had some pretty intense and hot moments together, she hasn't been inside his head quite like we have, and there were still lots of dark choices he's had to make. I loved the conversations they had together and just seeing how softened he gets toward Juliette and when he loses his composure and we glimpse through the facades.

We do get an answer about whether or not her friends are alive. We also get lots of insight into them in unexpected ways. Through Juliette we discover how heavy Kenji's burdens were with being the funny one, having to really shoulder his grief in different ways. We see the ruins of Omega, and know that it meant even if Adam and some others lived through it, then there were still great losses.

I don't know if I have just completely gotten used to the style and there is also the fact that we aren't really experiencing things through Juliette's writing. But the writing and the way Juliette's mind works is really still just so poetic and beautiful to me. It is unlike anything I have read really and it makes the books extra special. I am glad that it is still there even if not as shocking as book one with the setup.

And of course, Juliette makes a choice for which guy in this book, and with all of the work up to it, I agree with her so much. It ends up being the best decision for her, and the one that spurs her on to do what she needs to do to help bring down the reestablishment and make changes for a better world. It is someone who proves he sees her heart, believes in her, and has the love and support for her.

There was a lot of action towards the end as well as some surprise characters that made life even more difficult for Juliette and crew. She had to make some hard choices along the way, but watching her learn her strength and how to not only be stronger for herself but for others was amazing to watch. She had more help learning to master her powers and how to use them in order to gain control and to take down Anderson.

Ms. Mafi also manages to break up the tension and weight of their mission by some awesomely swoony scenes. One of the best YA scenes that while it eventually faded to black, it had me sweating and sighing, wishing I was Juliette in that moment. She also manages to write in some hilarious scenes that had me snorting and literally laughing out loud as I read.

I did not want to put down this book, and I am wholly satisfied with this conclusion to this series that has captured my attention and my heart. Tahereh Mafi has a bold writing style and she took some risky moves in these books that paid off, and made me love and remember them even more than I thought possible.

I think that the threads were tied off well, and that we have closure on the series, though I do think that it could have been well served with a bit of an epilogue, seeing a glimpse of Juliette's triumph and how the world begins to change into something better, and also a glimpse into the one not chosen to see how that works for him. But otherwise, perfection in hundreds of pages. I despised every moment I had to put the book down, and I am left with a Juliette and crew sized hole in my heart because I will miss these characters and their amazingly awesomeness.

Bottom Line: F*ing awesome series conclusion. Brave, addictive, hot, and full of action, character growth and resolution.