Ignite Me - Tahereh Mafi

[This is the third book in the Shatter Me series, so there may be spoilers for the previous books. If you like, feel free to check out my reviews of book one Shatter Me, the novella Destroy Me or book two Unravel Me instead.]

Ignite Me by Tahereh Mafi
Series: Shatter Me #3
Publisher: Harper Collins
Publication Date: February 4, 2014
Source/Format: Bought || Hardcover

With Omega Point destroyed, Juliette doesn’t know if the rebels, her friends, or even Adam are alive. But that won’t keep her from trying to take down The Reestablishment once and for all. Now she must rely on Warner, the handsome commander of Sector 45. The one person she never thought she could trust. The same person who saved her life. He promises to help Juliette master her powers and save their dying world . . . but that’s not all he wants with her. (from Goodreads)

Honestly, before you check out my thoughts on Ignite Me, I urge you to read what my darling friend Hannah has to say about it. Done? Alright, now here's what I thought of this series finale.

The reason I'd been putting off reading Ignite Me for months now is because the book had garnered such a variety of reactions, and it was a constant worry that other people's thoughts would affect what I felt. The time felt right to pick it up in the middle of the summer, since I felt free of any expectations. And I have to say this: I really liked it.

The strength of the entire Shatter Me series lies in its characters. Juliette, our heroine, has come so very far from where she was at the beginning. Ignite Me pays homage to this beautiful girl who has found her way, a girl who finally has the courage to embrace the truth about herself, desires, abilities and all. In this respect, the novel definitely succeeds in showing us Juliette now, after all she's gone through, and I totally fell for her character all over again.

Of course, along the way, there have been many others who have graced the pages - including the two boys Juliette is caught between, Adam and Warner, and my personal favorite for always, Kenji. Ignite Me plays with perspectives, showing us how people are more complicated than we could have ever dreamed, with layers upon layers of feelings and thoughts and truths and characteristics that make them so unique and so interesting. It's really a clever way to turn everything upside down in the Shatter Me universe, and Mafi did it expertly.

Honestly, there are really no words to sum up Ignite Me (except maybe perhaps a plea to write Kenji into more novels, always and forever, because he's the best). The character growth, the high stakes, the twists - it all adds up to become such a satisfying conclusion, in spite of having a quieter, less action-packed plot than I expected. While I do feel like perhaps the main conflict (between the rebels and the Reestablishment) is wrapped up a touch too neatly + quickly for my tastes, I still really liked Ignite Me and feel incredibly satisfied with Mafi's choice of conclusion for Juliette's story.