Restore Me

March 1, 2018

Gr 9 Up-Mafi returns to the world of Shatter Me, Unravel Me, and Ignite Me. The Unnatural known as Juliette has put a bullet through the head of Supreme Commander Anderson, leader of the Reestablishment government of North America, and has named herself Supreme Commander in his stead. His son-and Juliette's lover-Aaron Warner stands by her side to help her; not only in navigating the treacherous political waters, but in keeping her powers under control. But there's a lot Warner has never gotten around to telling Juliette, and when the children of other Reestablishment leaders worldwide show up for an impromptu conference, it's really a signal that their parents are planning to move in and reassert control over both Sector 45 and the American continent. Their weapon of choice? Juliette herself. Much of what drove the previous novels forward is lacking here: Resistance fighters? They're now in charge. Juliette's powers raging out of control? She's got it figured out. Love triangle? Resolved. With a short synopsis, the author could have started on page 200 and moved forward with what appears to be the new conflict, namely, the identity and purposes of Juliette's parents; as it is, many YA readers will bail long before getting to that point. Sexual content and language make this appropriate for mature audiences. VERDICT Purchase where the first three novels are popular.-Elizabeth Friend, Wester Middle School, TX

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 15, 2018
Grades 8-12 Juliette is at the top of her world (naming herself Supreme Commander of The Reestablishment), in love with and loved by the enigmatic Warner, and hoping to broker peace in a war-torn world. But the other supreme commanders aren't interested in anything except repossessing their failed experiment, aka Juliette. Secrets surround her, and their exposure may do her in before her enemies can. This opens a new planned trilogy to extend the Shatter Me series, and readers will definitely need backstory to make sense of what's happening. Juliette and Warner share narrator duties (and a few steamy scenes) in alternating chapters, and the last third of the book incorporates entries from Juliette's time in the asylum. Pacing is a bit of a problem in this book?almost the whole first half drags?but when Mafi decides to stop dancing around and start moving the plot, it picks up in a delicious way. The last pages build to a cliff-hanger that will have fans groaning aloud for the next installment.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)