Publisher: Electric Monkey
Page Count: 448
CW: anxiety, panic attacks, transphobia, recollections of abuse, depression, mention of suicide
Restore Me is the continuation of the Shatter Me series (I once talked about it way, way back in the day and you can read that post here) and I got to read it with my very good friend Marie @Drizzle and Hurricane Books. Definitely stay on the lookout for her review in the near future!
When I first heard the announcement for the new additions to the series, I was both super excited and dreaded their release at the same time. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely adored the original Shatter Me trilogy, but they were tied up nice enough for me. Obviously there was room for more to tell, but I was a little worried about whether the things to come were really necessary and afraid that they might change my feelings towards characters I love. I think Tahereh Mafi managed to truly create another plot element that made sense to the history of the characters and at least I wasn’t disappointed in that area.
I wish I could say this book was everything I had dreamed of, but that would be the overstatement of the year. It took me quite a while until I was really back in that world. Something about the writing style has changed and didn’t feel as enchanting and unique as it used to. I think that’s really a shame, because the writing style is what made the original trilogy so special to me and made me want to revisit it time and time again. Also, I felt myself being far more impatient with the characters than I used to be, annoyed at their utter lack of communication. They kept tiptoeing around each other, assuming things that sometimes weren’t even true or just plain exaggerating for … drama? I don’t even know.
As much as I just complained, it was nice to have the old gang back. Obviously, Kenji is still my most favourite person in the entire series (and I honestly don’t think that will ever change). At first, I struggled with Warner’s perspective a little bit, feeling quite detached from his narration style, but by the end, I think I often felt more with him than with Juliette. There are a lot of things that surface from his past and I just think that he was judged unfairly sometimes. Do I condone everything he did and feel like he shouldn’t suffer any repercussions? No. But the way he was brought up and plain had to survive sometimes, I just don’t think most of what he did was really news to anyone (except J apparently).
This book also introduced some new characters and I love, love, love one of them especially and am intrigued, to say the least, about the others. I don’t really want to talk about anyone by name just so you get to meet them all by yourself and can form your own opinion, but I have a weird trust for that person and hope they’ll continue to play an important role.
Overall, Restore Me was mostly an introduction of what these new books would be about. It was an incredibly fast read and interesting to see alternating chapters from Warner and Juliette’s POV. I didn’t find much of the plot surprising, but … maybe that’s just me? There was definitely A LOT happening without much happening at all at the same time. Again, it felt like a set-up for the future the majority of the time. There’s also a cruel cliffhanger, so consider yourself warned!
On a final side rant, I am really sad that the font for the paperback was changed. I do realise that they rereleased the entire series with Electric Monkey and changed the font for all the books, but why wasn’t it also available from the same publisher as the hardcover, that had the previously established font still? I will never understand certain decisions …
Fazit: 4/5 stars! Interesting continuation of one of my favourite series.
Have you read Restore Me? Do you want to? Have you read the original books in the Shatter Me series?
Life and Other Disasters 
Great review for this book Kat, and I’m glad you enjoyed it. See when I heard they were releasing more books in this series I was thrilled, I think the ending to Ignite Me was left open and it always felt to me like there should have been more books, but I get what you mean because sometimes when authors go back to series that you thought were finished ages ago it doesn’t always live up to your expectations.
Also I’m glad to hear Kenji is still your favourite character, he’s still my favourite character and I don’t want that to change when i read Restore Me. 😀
Great review. 🙂 ❤
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Hmm, I don’t know. Maybe I just don’t remember the original trilogy in as much detail as I pretend that I do, but I was okay with the amount of info left open for interpretation. I am honestly still not sure this continuation was strictly necessary, but it also wasn’t terrible, which is important.
Kenji will never not be awesome. He may or may not even get a love interest *wink, wink*
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Hmm, see I can kind of remember the original trilogy but I’m not sure whether I should try and re-read it before starting Restore Me (maybe if I have the time, I dunno). I guess not terrible is something right? 🙂
Ohh, now I’m even more excited to read this one! 😀
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I thought about re-reading but then Marie and I decided to just be confused together in case we forgot too much haha
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I suppose unless you were both confused about the same thing you could always ask each other right? 🙂
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I think it actually worked remarkably well and that we weren’t confused about anything in particular at all.
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You can be surprised what you remember once you start reading. 🙂
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So true!
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Ohh I’m sorry about the font, I totally get why it bothers you! I stopped reading this series after the first book, because I didn’t like the writing & the main character(s), but I’m genuinely rethinking my decision now. And it’s great that new characters are introduced, maybe it’ll split my focus a bit, haha.
Great review, Kat! ❤ (The Friends GIF warms my heart – Monica is so pretty & I love her + Chandler so much.)
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Hmm, I don’t think you should rethink that decision if the writing style wasn’t for you. I have found that Shatter Me either works for people or it doesn’t, but I just loved the story and how the love interests all did a 180 on their personality and such. But if you are curious, maybe wait until these “spin-off” books are concluded to see if it would really be worth it.
Monica and Chandler were always my favourites!
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Thanks, I think I’ll do that! 🙂
Mine too! I never got the hype that surrounded Ross and Rachel, to be honest.
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Yes, stay on the lookout for my review….. but don’t wait on it, you know, it will probably be there in like three weeks 😅 Sorry haha I had to mention that 😛
I am SO happy we buddy read this together, I loved buddy-reading with you once again ❤ Also I completely agree with your review – I had a bit of a hard time getting into it and I missed the writing style at first, but I thought somehow it got more compelling by the end and, maybe with the journal parts, I found a bit of the previous style again and I really liked these moments.
And YES for Warner. I really ended up loving him and feeling for him WAY more than Juliette, somehow. And KENJI is obviously the best in this entire series haha, I love him so, so much. I wish he were there ALL THE TIME. He just brightens up everything 😛
I can't wait to read the sequel after what happens (and we should totally buddy read it again. you know. that would be cool :P)
Fantastic review! ❤ ❤ ❤
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Well, I originally wrote “stay on the lookout for Marie’s review in the upcoming days” and then I made sure not to put a time frame on it hahaha I honestly wouldn’t be able to write a review about some things if I didn’t write them right away haha
I am definitely down for another buddy read! I always enjoy them 😀
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Yeah I have been nervous about going into this too. Fair enough that it wasn’t as good- it kind of makes sense that the writing style has changed, but it’s also a shame. I’m really curious about this new character you love! Good to know about that cliffhanger! Awesome review!
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I understand that there were changes made to the writing style, especially since it’s a dual POV now, but I missed the many crossed out words. They came back a little later in the book, but it just didn’t FEEL the same. It was weird. I bet you’ll like the new characters as well 🙂
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[…] Buddy-read this with my amazing friend Kat @ Life & Other Disasters, check out her review here! […]
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