Shatter Me

Juliette Ferrars is 17 and has been locked in an asylum for 264 days, because her touch kills. The regime that took over the world gives her a cellmate: Adam Kent, a boy she remembers from school. Adam is a soldier working for Warner, the young commander of Sector 45, who wants to use Juliette as a weapon. Warner moves her to his base, surrounds her with luxury and pushes her to use her power. Juliette learns that Adam can touch her without getting hurt, and they fall in love. During their escape, helped by the soldier Kenji, she shoots Warner and finds out he can touch her too. The book ends with Juliette reaching Omega Point, a refuge for gifted people led by Castle.

1. Behind the scenesOptioned before it was out

   20th Century Fox optioned the film rights in 2011, before Shatter Me even hit shelves. That movie never got made.

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2. Behind the scenesThe crossed-out lines

   The book is printed with scribbled-out words and lines, so it reads like a diary. The strike-throughs mirror the chaos in Juliette's head: she writes what she thinks, then tries to take it back.

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3. Behind the scenesFive books in the drawer

   Shatter Me was Tahereh Mafi's first published novel, not the first she wrote. She finished five manuscripts before it just to learn how to write a book.

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4. Behind the scenesAn award and a list

   The book got an honorable mention in the Children/Young Adult category of the Arab American Book Awards and made BuzzFeed's list of the best YA books of all time.

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