Restore Me by Tahereh Mafi | I need restoration too after this heart-wrenching read {Yomna's Review}

Juliette Ferrars thought she'd won. She took over Sector 45, was named the new Supreme Commander, and now has Warner by her side. But she's still the girl with the ability to kill with a single touch—and now she's got the whole world in the palm of her hand. When tragedy hits, who will she become? Will she be able to control the power she wields and use it for good?

I found a gif that perfectly describes my state of mind after this book:

No more needed...
My rating: 5/5 (Okay I feel more 4.5 about this book but this one's for my baby Warner).

Advice for people who haven't read this book yet: If you're going into this one expecting some romantic domestic fluff, boy are you in for a surprise, be warned!

Spoilers!

Let's start at the beginning like all good stories do. Let me be honest, the start of this book was quite underwhelming for me. I was bored out of my mind. There was no action, too much talking, too much hesitating, too much nothing. And yet, somehow the first half of the book still felt rushed in terms of the writing effort. It simply didn't feel as intricate as Mafi's writing before. But honestly, it was 100% worth it. The first half of this book was a stroll through the park compared to the rest. I thought I was ready to make stuff happen (spoiler alert: I wasn't ready) but wow, I was so wrong. I wish I could have warned past-me about this pain. 

I really didn't think at the start of this read that my love for Shatter Me was going to be restored (because the book is called Restore Me? Get it? Haha this is why I'm not a comedian). However, this book reminded me of all there is to love about Tahereh Mafi's writing. It's so captivating and extremely touching, and her characters feel so real and their experiences to me as a reader are emotionally harrowing. I read Shatter Me years ago and I never imagined that I would be happy or on board with a sudden reboot.

Now let's talk spoilers kids, because it was all fun and domestic fluff until it turned out Warner tortured her freaking sister! Is he redeemable? He was a different person then, but is that enough? If we save Juliette's sister, will that be enough to redeem him? I don't know what to think, but all I know is that this kind of moral dilemma over a grey character is what distinguishes Mafi as a talented writer. I want so badly to forgive Warner because he's well-Warner, but how do you separate the person from the action? How do you justify that kind of action? I'm definitely reading the rest of this reboot now, congratulations me, more torture and pain!

That ending though! I'm so shaken, I need a medical professional. Never in my wildest dreams could I have predicted that outcome! It's so weird to think that everything was okay after Ignite Me and then have everything change so dramatically. I feel very betrayed and shocked. 

My favorite part of this book was definitely Juliette's character arc, it was legendary. I loved how Juliette doesn't instantaneously heal from all she went through, it's gradual and it will take time. Obviously, I was sometimes disappointed that Juliette couldn't be braver immediately, but I understand. The part when Juliette kills 600 people in a room was a bit scary, to be honest. However, I admire that Mafi is willing to go places others wouldn't and I'm excited to discover how she develops her world and characters in the next book! 

I have a feeling we're in for lots of ugly crying. 

Thanks,
Yomna