Ignite Me (Shatter Me Book 3) Paperback – December 30, 2014

Originally posted at: [...]As with all books in a series, while I won't give any spoilers for this book, plots points from the first two books will be mentioned in passing. You've been warned. And if for some reason you haven't heard of these books, let alone read them, go now and get them. Do not pass go. Do not collect $200.AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH. Okay. Now that I got that out of the way. YOU GUYS. THIS BOOK. It was everything I wanted it to be. I don't even think I'll be as coherent as usual during this review. I'm that worked up over this book.I'm STILL in a glass case of emotionAs I mentioned in my review for Into the Still Blue, I have been a little weary of series enders ever since I read Allegiant. I am most happy to say this did not disappoint. Not even a little bit. I loved every. single. minute. of it. So much so that I started reading it at approximately midnight last night, and stayed up until 2:30 to finish it (yes, I read that fast).The story picks up right where Unravel Me left off. I love when books do this. I am not a fan of gaps between stories. I get enough of that on TV (*side-eyes Sherlock*). I want to know everything that happens. Luckily for me, Mafi delivers.I love being inside Juliette's head. Girl is fascinating. She has so many different thoughts running through her head at one time. One of my favorite things about this series, is that through Mafi's unique writing style, you can really see the growth in Juliette as a person. She started off as completely broken and basically came across as insane in Shatter Me. By the end of Ignite Me, she is a completely different, and amazing, person. I loved seeing her change and develop throughout the series. She really comes in to her own, and develops and OWNS her strength. Just like I'd been wanting her to do.Speaking of character growth and changes, can I just take a minute to discuss Warner? *sigh* I was pretty much Team Warner, even in Shatter Me. I ensconced myself firmly in his camp after reading Destroy Me. Unravel Me kept me there, and Fracture Me just made me really dislike Adam. So yeah, I've always been a fan of Warner. He is such a complex character, and I was more than happy to get to know him even more through the course of Ignite Me. Also, this happens:"Warner Anderson chief commander and regent of Sector 45, son of the supreme commander of The Reestablishment. He has a soft spot for fashion."And I'm jealous of the size of his closet.Oh. And Chapter 55. Better than Chapter 62 from Shatter Me. Hot.One of the biggest questions for the end of the series was who Juliette would end up with. While I won't say whether I was happy or not (thus giving away who she picks), I was at least glad, as Juliette puts it, she wasn't with anyone "by default."Also making an appearance? Our boy Kenji. If she ever decides to continue this series, or do companion novels, or basically anything, I hope Kenji gets to be the focus. I love his character so much. And his friendship with Juliette is absolutely fantastic. It reminds me so much of the friendship between Roar and Aria from the Under the Never Sky series. Right down the the quips and nicknames. I actually laughed out loud a couple of times, I enjoyed them together so much. I love how they are always there for each other, willing to back the other up, and also willing to tell the other when they're being an idiot. Seeing healthy relationships and friendships make me happy.Plus there's lots of great James moments. I love that kid. His interactions with Warner are priceless.I will say there is not a lot of action in this book. At all. It's mostly build up and relationships building between characters, which is totally fine by me. The action that you're expecting, honestly doesn't even happen until you're 90% of the way through the book. Then BAM! It's there. And it goes fast. And then.THEN it's over. I was so ridiculously sad to finish this book. I didn't want it to end. I felt like there could be so much more to this story. I hope one day Tahereh Mafi will want to revisit this world. I love these characters so much (except for maybe Adam...).There's so much more I could say. And want to say. But really, I just want you all to read these books. They're so wonderful and I love them. I hope you will too.

"In a world where there is so much to grieve and so little good to take? I grieve nothing. I take everything."And it's over! I feel like I just got into this story and now it ended. I need more. A prequel, a spinoff, another novella (maybe from Kenji), ANYTHING! I so desperately need more of this world, more these powers, more Warner!But alas it over and I am left grieving for yet another finished series.Whenever a series ends I kind of just sit around for a day or two to re-read all my favorite scenes and get my life together. But this series? It's killing me. Maybe it was because I read the books and the novellas back to back. Maybe it was because it ended just as I was starting to really love the characters. All I know is that I want more.So anyway this takes place days after Unravel Me ends. Juliette is now with Warner and the few surviving members of Omega Point are hidden away. But in order to defeat the evil commander Anderson they must reunite and team up with an unlikely ally; Warner.DO NOT READ BEYOND THIS POINT UNLESS YOU'VE EITHER READ IT OR WANT TO BE SPOILED!!!!YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!!!!!Since this is the end of a series and I have a lot of pent up feelings inside of me I'm just going to vent them out. That also means that I'm going to rant and probably make a lot of Team Warner comments. Here we go.The book starts with the main characters divided and thinking that the other is dead. I am so glad that was cleared up quick because it would only have dragged the story on and serve to make more problems than solutions. Thankfully this dives quickly into the thick of it having our characters regroup and form a plan to take down the Reestablishment.When Juliette goes to Adam's house to make the plan everyone is all happy to see her alive, all except Adam. Honestly, throughout this entire book I rally just wanted Adam to fall off a cliff and die. So Juliette shows up and Adam starts screaming at her. He tells her that she is a terrible person and that he would rather she be dead. Really? Who says that to a person they claim they love. Then he talks about their relationship even after she already broke up with him like twice and then kicks her out of his house. You have no idea the satisfaction I felt when he ended up living at Warner's house or his "ex-girlfriends new boyfriend's bachelor pad" as he called it. I wanted him to feel horrible because the same girl he kicked out of his s***ty house was the reason he didn't freeze or starve to death along with his little brother. Also, I really wanted to see Warner walk in and punch him in the face. That would have made me happy.Anyway so the all move into Warner's personal training facility and begin training there and planning for the war. And I must say that I love this about Warner. He is always pushing Juliette to do more, to be more. I love when he teaches her to fight, when he gives her a gun, when he doesn't question her judgment or abilities. While Adam is putting her down making her feel weak, Warner is lifting her up making her feel strong. I love how when Juliette first tell Warner that she plans on taking down the Reestablishment. Warner starts laughing but it's not at her. He knows that she can do this and instead of changing her mind, asks if she would like help. I love the confidence he gives her. This happens again when Juliette and Adam are arguing where Adam asks Warner if he'd like to step in and he responds saying that Juliette doesn't need his help. This is why I knew that she had to end with Warner. He believes in her.While training a lot of things happen and a lot of deep heartfelt moments occurred. One of the being when Juliette finds out that wait for it... she can now touch people! I loved that she could now truly live and be happy. Another when Kenji starts talking about his feelings. By the way I love Kenji in this book, he cracked me up! He is a far deeper, serious yet hilarious character than I first gave him credit for.Then finally after all that training they manage to convince all the sector 45 soldiers and civilians onto their side and go to war. This war could have lasted longer. It's like the last few chapters and since Juliette didn't go to war we don't even get to see what happened. All that happen is that they get to the boat where Anderson is and Juliette manages to shoot him. "Twice. Once or Adam. Once for Warner." That is literally what it says. Then it ends. It's just over. Kenji is injured and unconscious, Anderson is dead, there are dead bodies everywhere, their side of the world is saved and that's how it ends. Warner and Juliette looking out at the world from a roof. That's it. That is it!?!?!?!?I'm so angry! I was expecting an actual ending, not this crap! I needed an actual conclusion. At the very least an epilogue. But no. I have to settle for this. Also I think it should have been Warner who kills his father, as payback for all the both physical and psychological scars.In the end though I really did like this book and it's characters. Most characters undergo some form of growth in books but none like Juliette and her companions. Their development was slow and we only got to see bits and pieces at a time. While some characters peak after they have gained some strength Juliette never stops growing. She always wants to do more and be better and push herself as far as she can go.Adam and Warner also changed. With Adam it is true that you don't really know a person until you see them is a tough spot. And I must say that Adam is a pretty horrible person deep down. No let me rephrase that, he's not a horrible person, just a horrible love interest (who deserves to fall of a cliff and die). Seriously though, he was always whining and crying and always making a scene. It was obvious that everyone around him was just done with him. I bet even James was done with his BS. When Juliette said she had to break up with him a third time, you could just tell she was done. Finished. Its like he didn't know how or when to shut up and it was annoying.Now Warner. My dear, beautiful Warner. I love learning new things about him as his is probably the most interesting back story of all. I would love a detailed retelling of his past. He is yet again shown to be loving and kind and caring in ways that even Adam was not. At one point Juliette wonders if Adam would save her life or let her die if given the chance while knowing for a fact that Warner would save her all over again. Then that scene with his mother being dead? That scene killed me! I have never so radically changed my opinion on a character. He is truly such a good man and I'm so glad Juliette got her crap together and finally loved him. This is the first time I have done a complete 180 turn and seen a character in a new light. In book one I hated him and compared him to all kinds of things. Now I love him and am team Warner all the way.But seriously, is anyone even Team Adam anymore?But before I wrap up there are just a couple of things. Things that were never explained or that are just plain bothering me.1. His mom has powers? WTF?2. How come Warner can't touch her though he can touch Juliette.3. Delalieu is Warner's grandfather! WTF, again!?!?4. Why was Delalieu not sad when Warner's mom died?5. Did Anderson have powers too?6. What's with the bird symbolism? Is that it? Warner is the bird? That is a little to convenient so I'm calling it BS.7. Was it really that easy to win a war?Other than that I really enjoyed reading this books and regret not jumping on the bandwagon much sooner. I wish there is more of this story in the future or some kind of continuation. I am now willing to read just about anything Tahereh Mafi writes