Goldilox and the Three Weres: Audio Review: Ignite Me by Tahereh Mafi

Ignite Me
(Shatter Me #3)
Author: Tahereh Mafi
Narrator: Kate Simses
Release: February 4, 2014
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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.

Review:

I'm not sure my review of Ignite Me is going to really describe my feelings for the book, but I'll try my best. I just finishing the audio less than an hour ago, so I'm still coming down from my Mafi high. Bare with me. There has been so much growth among the characters, so many twists and turns, and everything has come full circle.

Some readers have had difficulty with the introduction of Warner as a real love interest for Juliette in Unravel Me, but I made the decision to go along for the ride and see where Tahereh Mafi would take things. I adored Adam in the first book, but in the sequel I could see the appeal of Warner. Okay, I freaking loved me some Warner in the sequel. The way he understood the dark and twisty parts of Juliette that Adam didn't get. The way they were both broken and unstable - in different ways mind you, but broken still the same. There was a connection there that I understood. In this third and final book in the series, I see Juliette's attraction to both guys, what keeps her attached to both Adam and Warner for different reasons, but I just have to get behind Team Warner. Adam has always supported Juliette, but never really believed she could stand on her own. Warner not only supported her, but encouraged her to become something more. Plus...he's the BAD BOY. Do I really have to say anything else? I mean, he's literally The. Bad. Guy.

There are few things I like better than when an author takes a 'bad guy' character and shows how he grows and changes to become a better person because of his love for the heroine. In Ignite Me, we get to see both Warner and Juliette maturing and becoming stronger, both in very different ways. And, as Juliette becomes a new person, I began to believe that she really could lead a resistance against the Reestablishment. Mafi took a weak teenage girl who was a half-crazy captive and turned her into someone powerful and independent. It's been amazing to watch her throughout the trilogy and I'm so happy with a lot of the choices Mafi made with Juliette.

Ignite Me answers pretty much all of readers' questions from previous books. In fact, the first several chapters almost felt like they were bordering on info-dump land with all the information that was being laid at our feet. But after those chapters the story took off in so many different directions I was almost holding my breath every time I was listening. I never knew what would happen - what plot twists might be coming, what would happen with the love triangle, if all my favorite characters would make it out alive, etc.

There's not really a lot of action in this book, but really, has there been a lot of action in any of the books? This series has always been more about Juliette's self-discovery, her inner thoughts, her feelings for Adam and Warner, and her desperation to be something more. This has never been an action packed urban fantasy. This is Juliette's story. With that said, there is a war going on throughout the book and enough of that action is shown for us to understand the fighting and the battles. I loved scenes where Juliette used her powers since in previous books she could barely control what she could do. I like where the book ended a lot too. It felt like enough of the story to feel complete, but Mafi doesn't overdo it with wrapping and a bow. It was perfect.

There are some really emotionally intense scenes, some hot hot hot scenes, some scenes that brought tears to my eyes, some scenes that made me angry for certain characters, and some more HOT HOT HOT scenes. This book is seriously all over the place emotionally. It took me on a crazy ass journey and I'm so sad that there are no more books in this series! I am SUPER excited to find out what Mafi will be working on next. She can take me on a crazy ride ANYTIME.

I loved loved loved this book so hard. The end.

Recommended for fans of: character growth, love triangles, dystopians, X-men, Kenji, bad boys, and holding your breath.

Notes on the Narrator: I read the first two books in this series in print, but I wanted to listen to this one on audio because I heard it was really good. The narrator sounds very young and small, a perfect fit for Juliette. She's tender and scared when needed and strong when needed. I seriously think this book was even more incredible due to listening to it on audio. I almost want to go back and listen to the other two now! Her voices for Warner and Adam were perfect and her Kenji voice - high pitched and snarky - was great. Highly recommend the audio for this series!