Mundie Moms

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

#BIR2011 Day 4: Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi



Published by: Harper Teen
Released on: November 15th, 2011

Juliette hasn't touched anyone in exactly 264 days.

The last time she did, it was an accident, but The Reestablishment locked her up for murder. No one knows why Juliette's touch is fatal. As long as she doesn't hurt anyone else, no one really cares. The world is too busy crumbling to pieces to pay attention to a 17-year-old girl. Diseases are destroying the population, food is hard to find, birds don't fly anymore, and the clouds are the wrong color.The Reestablishment said their way was the only way to fix things, so they threw Juliette in a cell. Now so many people are dead that the survivors are whispering war-- and The Reestablishment has changed its mind. Maybe Juliette is more than a tortured soul stuffed into a poisonous body. Maybe she's exactly what they need right now.

Juliette has to make a choice: Be a weapon. Or be a warrior. -quoted fromGoodreads

If you're looking to get addicted to a debut book, this would be the one! I seriously could not stop reading this book. SHATTER ME is one of those books that hooked me from the get go and had me wishing I already had the next two book in this trilogy. Talk about incredible writing. I'm shocked this is Tahereh's debut book! I'm thrilled to be able to spotlight this intoxicating story with you guys today!


I LOVED reading Shatter Me. I enjoyed getting so wrapped up with the story, the setting and the world building. What was your favorite element to create?

I think my favorite parts of any book are the characters. I love the people I meet when I read; if I can't connect with characters in even a small way, the adventure is somehow less exciting for me. I love exploring human nature, seeing what it is that makes us who we are and how our choices shape who we become. I like to imagine that the characters in SHATTER ME aren't very black or white; there's so much inner-conflict and turmoil that each of them face, and for various reasons. I like testing them, pushing them too far sometimes. You'll learn a ton more about Juliette and Warner and Adam and Kenji — and even many of the minor characters — in the second book. Their motivations and fears and doubts will propel the story in, what I hope are, unexpected directions.

You have a cast of fascinating characters. Which of your characters did you most relate to?

I think there's a little of me in all of the characters, actually. Juliette's concern for the world and what's happening to it, Adam's protectiveness of his brother, Warner's preoccupation with very nice clothes and Kenji's wry sense of humor. Though, I should probably point out that Kenji's character is actually an amalgamation of my older brothers. Some of the things he says are lines I've stolen directly from conversations I've had with them.

I love a strong, relatable, butt kicking heroine, which I think Juliette is. What's something you've come to admire about your lead character?

More than anything else, I love her sense of compassion; her determination to still see good in people despite how they've treated her all her life. She has this hope that she's clung to for 17 years — hope that there's something better, that maybe she can be more than what she's been branded, that she doesn't have to be a monster. I admire her for that. I wish I could've been that strong at 17.

We here on Mundie Moms are fans of swoon worthy romances. What's one of your favorite literary couples?

Oh goodness, I love this question. I'm also a huge, huge fan of swoon-worthy romances, so it's hard for me to choose! There are so many good ones that I think I'll have to narrow it down to YA couples, otherwise I'll go on forever. But first, I definitely have to recognize the Jace & Clary combo (hello Mundie Moms! haha), because they are fabulous and because Cassie Clare definitely knows how to write the swoons. But if I had to choose just one couple from all the YA novels I've read recently, I'd absolutely have to say Clara & Tucker from UNEARTHLY (Cynthia Hand). Basically, Tucker Avery is perfect. I can't wait to get my hands on the sequel, HALLOWED.

If you could give one piece of advice to an aspiring author, what would you say?

Read a lot and write a lot and keep doing that forever.

Is there one book you've read lately that you wish you had read as a teen?

Yes! In fact, there are many, many books I wish I'd read as a teenager, especially now that my world has been blown wide open by all the amazing YA books in the market; I realize now just how much I was missing as a teenager. One book I know my teen-self would've really appreciated is THE SKY IS EVERYWHERE by Jandy Nelson. It's a beautiful, beautiful story that I'm so in love with it's actually a little embarrassing.

If you could spend the day with one of your favorite authors (past or present) who would that be? Why?

I think I'd be happy to just sit within 5 feet of J.K. Rowling. The Harry Potter books brought me back to fiction even when middle school and high school and college told me I had no time for it. It didn't matter if I was too young to drive myself to a bookstore or if I was too broke to afford paying $20 for the hardcover. I found a way. I made time for Harry Potter. He's been my friend since I was 11 years old and his adventures will stay with me forever. I'd love to be able to thank J.K. Rowling for that.

Are you able to tells us a little bit about what we can expect in Shatter Me's sequel?

Yes — I can tell you that you'll learn a lot more about the characters and the world in the second book. There are a lot of intentionally unanswered questions at the end of SHATTER ME that are answered in the sequel. Expect a lot of drama. A lot of kissing. A lot of fighting. That sort of thing.

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Thank you Tahereh for stopping by to visit with us today!

Order From: Amazon | Barnes & Noble |IndieBound

Follow Tahereh on her Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Tumblr


Be sure to check out another one of my 2011 favorites Andrea Cremer's WOLFBANE, being featured on the Best I've Read Blog Today!

10 comments:

  1. What a great interview! I love SHATTER ME! "A lot of kissing" That makes me think of the epic shown scene we all can't get enough of.

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  2. Great interview. I'd love to sit by JK Rowling too. Can't wait to read Shatter Me.

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  3. Um, I love you Tahereh. Just saying. Shatter Me was a near perfect read. And now I come to find that the author and I share so many loves. *sigh* I can't wait for the sequel!

    - Asher (from Paranormal Indulgence)

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  4. Melina- Thank you! I know, I can not wait for the sequel. More kissy scenes, lots of action. I wish it was already out.

    Natalie- Thank you so much!

    A. Knight- LOL it's hard not to love her.

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  5. Sounds amazing!

    Thanks for the giveaway!
    Sonya
    sonyacullen at gmail dot com

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  6. I finished Shatter Me last night at midnight *yawn* and it was extremely good. I really enjoyed it and loved Juliette's growth in the book. Really looking forward to #2!!

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  7. I haven't read Shatter Me yet, but I've heard it's good. I'll have to pick it up one day then.

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  8. The writing in "Shatter Me" was splendid! And Juliette and Adam wow!

    And I also have a soft spot for Warner, I think it says a lot about the author and the book when they have you sort of feeling for the "villain", I want to see what's in store for him.

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  9. Great interview! I loved seeing that Tahereh loves The Sky is Everywhere, as that is my favorite YA novel.

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  10. Kate- I am too!!

    Kim- I highly recommend it!

    Nadinax- I totally agree with your comments! Warner is so well written, it was hard not to like him.

    Gabrielle- Thank you!

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