The Twelve Books of Christmas: Day 9

Day 9:
Shatter Me, Tahereh Mafi

Strong female protagonist who is badass and also surprisingly vulnerable? Check.
Stupidly hot villain who actually has mush for a heart and is a cutie pie? Check.
Incredible storytelling? Check.
Equally as hot, cute and sweet guy who desperately wants to help our hero? Check.
Ensuing love triangle? Check (sort of... it kind of resolves itself in book #2 without Juliette actually having much a decision to make)
Amazing world building? Check.
Should you read this/give this to someone else as a present? Yes, yes, yes!

Juliette Ferrars has a problem: everyone she touches, she tortures. Her touch can kill. Her touch is literally torture. She's locked away for it by her own family, isolated and alone.
Until one day she's offered a chance to escape and change her life. Warner wants her to be his weapon and his queen. Adam wants to save her - from herself and from the world. But can she be saved? And most importantly, does she want to be saved?
These books are Young Adult, but don't let that fool you: they are absolutely brilliant, and Juliette is a delight as a narrator. It helps that I have a deep, unconditional love for Warner.
For all my thoughts on the last book of the trilogy, Ignite Me, here's my review.

Shipping Saturdays #7: Igniting the Love

The winner of last week's Shipping Saturdays was: Will Herondale!

Welcome to Shipping Saturdays! Basically, I talk about my favourite ship in a book/series, and then you guys get to vote on which favourite pairing of that book/series you prefer. If there are any couples you'd like me to talk about, let me know in the comments (along with what book they're from, in case I haven't read it yet!) and I'll add them to the list.

Hello there beautiful bookworms! Today I'm talking about a ship that is very close to my heart for various reasons (not least because I love the guy to absolute bits).
It's time to talk the Shatter Me books.

In many ways, I think Aaron Warner is very similar to Damon, whom I talked about here, in that both of them are "the bad brother" (though with Warner we only find out about the brother thing on much later on) in the triangle, but ultimately they really just have massively soft hearts that have been hurt one too many times.
No, of course that doesn't excuse murder. If it did, every killer only had to plead guilty and tell the jury a sob story and they'd go off free. But I digress. Warner's tragic daddy issues don't excuse his less than stellar actions before he met Juliette, but that doesn't change the fact that he's perfect for her. In a world where it's kill or be killed for her, he brings out the strong, the confident, the side of her that can accept who and what she is, accept it fully and use it to make the world a better place; Adam accepted her and loved her as she was (which is more than can be said for Stefan), but he was also terrified of Juliette, and therefore she was terrified of herself.
It was only Warner's unwavering belief and encouragement for her to embrace her powers as part of who she was that Juliette was able to overcome her fear and control her powers, to use them for good. So no, while Warner's actions can't be excused, you'll have to present me with a very solid case to convince me that Warnette isn't one the most beautiful ships out there.

Aaron or Adam?

Adam!

Warner!

Kenji! (?)

Poll Maker

Ignite Me

Title: Ignite Me (Shatter Me #3)
Author: Tahereh Mafi
Genre: Dystopia, YA
Rating: 5/5
Cover: 10/10

Five stars aren't quite enough to describe this book. Even Adam's bitchiness was perfect. My one issue with it is this: it's YA! Oh the potential for smut! With my two beautiful babies, too. My heart still cries over what could have been.
But in a way like this fit them perfectly too. I didn't mind so much not getting to see that softer, more intimate side of them together because Mafi wrote it in a way that it didn't need to go into explicit details to show that softer side. And it was utterly, entirely, completely beautiful. 
And now I'm not quite sure what to do with myself. I'm just sitting here in stunned silence, thinking maybe I need to go back and read chapter 55, cause chapter 62 doesn't hold a candle to it. And I want more. I want to see them grow old together, bickering the entire way just because he loves to see her when he's mad at him. I want to see his relationship with James grow. Hell, I even want to see him and Adam grow closer.
I want it so much and it hurts so damn much because I know there isn't more.
Juliette was perfect in this book. The darkness I always knew was there finally broke through, and boy did I enjoy her putting Adam in his place. Jealousy because your ex is moving on is fine, but it turned into something much, much uglier, and if she'd given into her, she would have become just another victim of male oppression, always trying to be someone she's not because otherwise her boyfriend would go ballistic on her. No. And Warner, he brings out her strength. He pushes her to be only herself, to not be ashamed of who she is; and in turn, she makes him a better man. Not because she doesn't accept him the way he is and wants to change him, but because her love gives him the strength to do the right thing. And watching them bring out the best in each other out was mesmerising. Though the two stubborn mules were frustrating at times, his love for her shone through every single action of his, and that's why the ending was perfect...
... and yet not nearly enough.
But for this one, I clap and I bow to you, Tahereh. Perfect ending to a beautifully crafted series.

Book Covers: Ignite Me, The Selection Stories and The One

I'm doing some hasty catching up here, and putting together all the beautiful covers we've been given of late:

"The heart-stopping conclusion to the New York Times bestselling Shatter Me series, which Ransom Riggs, bestselling author of Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, called "a thrilling, high-stakes saga of self-discovery and forbidden love"

Juliette now knows she may be the only one who can stop the Reestablishment. But to take them down, she'll need the help of the one person she never thought she could trust: Warner. And as they work together, Juliette will discover that everything she thought she knew-about Warner, her abilities, and even Adam-was wrong.

In Shatter Me, Tahereh Mafi created a captivating and original story that combined the best of dystopian and paranormal and was praised by Publishers Weekly as "a gripping read from an author who's not afraid to take risks." The sequel, Unravel Me, blew readers away with heart-racing twists and turns, and New York Times bestselling author Kami Garcia said it was "dangerous, sexy, romantic, and intense." Now this final book brings the series to a shocking and climactic end."

Now if that doesn't pique your interest, here, have the blurb for The Selection Stories, out February 4th, right along with Ignite Me (above):

"The two novellas set in the world of Kiera Cass's #1 New York Times bestselling Selection series are now available in print for the first time. The Prince and The Guard both offer captivating views into the hearts and minds of the two men fighting to win America Singer's love. This collection also features exclusive bonus content, including a sneak peek at The One, the eagerly anticipated final novel in the Selection trilogy.

Before America arrived at the palace to compete in the Selection, there was another girl in Prince Maxon's life. The Prince opens the week before the Selection begins and follows Maxon through the first day of the competition.

Raised as a Six, Aspen Leger never dreamed that he would find himself living in the palace as a member of the royal guard. In The Guard, readers get an inside look at Aspen's life within the palace walls--and the truth about a guard's world that America will never know."

No? Still not good enough? FINE, then. Here, have the breathtaking cover for The One, out May 6th. And yes. That does look suspiciously like a wedding dress.

Sadly, no blurb for that as of yet, but I'll keep you posted.