It's time for war in the edge-of-your seat sequel to Tahereh Mafi's dystopian Shatter Me. Juliette, who was confined to isolation in Shatter Me because of her lethal touch, has resisted becoming the villain's weapon. She later escaped with Adam, the boy she loves who's mysteriously immune to her power, and settled in Omega Point with other rebels like her.
Unravel Me opens two weeks after Juliette's arrival at Omega Point, and she's struggling to become the warrior needed to fight off the Reestablishment's soldiers. The psychokinetic leader of Omega Point, Castle, forces Juliette into more training while putting Adam through testing to uncover what makes him immune to Juliette. Warner, the beautiful and sadistic son of the Reestablishment's leader, has been seen hunting for Omega Point's hidden location and for the girl with the lethal touch who got away; his obsession is compelling, and further explored in the e-novella Destroy Me.
Mafi creates characters that readers feel invested in, as they evolve and regress in the face of imminent war. There's a strain on Adam and Juliette's relationship when they learn they'll be at their strongest if they separate. Mafi rigs her love triangle with Warner, a soldier with an unfortunate cause, who gains readers' sympathies even as they remain wary of his ruthlessness. The lyricism of the first book carries over in this installment, while Mafi pumps up the urgency in this war that waits for no one. --Adam Silvera, former bookseller and Paper Lantern Lit intern