Review: Ate This One Up But Too Pricey (B Grade)
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 10 10, 2012
Some spoilers if you haven't read Shatter Me...Destroy Me is a very short novella from the POV of Warner, the nasty, psychotic villain obsessively in love with Juliette, the heroine from Tahereh Mafi's Shatter Me. I ate Shatter Me up like you wouldn't believe, and regardless of the over the top prose and flowery sentences, I'm hooked on this series, specifically with the character of Warner. Make no mistake, even after you read Destroy Me, Warner is still very mentally unhinged although we are given some insight on why he thinks and acts the way he does.Destroy Me takes off right after the events of Shatter Me. Warner ends up shot by Juliette in order to escape from his clutches. Juliette can kill with touch and Warner sees her as a weapon he can use. He's been watching her for a long time ever since she was put away in an asylum and left to rot there for accidentally killing a small child. He sprung her out with the sole purpose to possess her. He also has fallen head over heels in love with Juliette and believes he can seduce her and bring her over to his side. Warner thinks Juliette is amazing and has an incredible ability he wants to mold. He will force her to fall in love with him and accept him. Juliette hates him and has fallen for one of Warner's solders, the kind hearted Adam who she knew when she was a little girl. Now that Juliette has escaped with Adam, Warner will do whatever he can to get Juliette back, kill Adam and make those around him tremble in even more fear.Warner is now weak because of his recovery from his gunshot wound. He hates being a weakling, especially when his father arrives, disappointed in his son's failure. Warner hates his father, who's the leader of the Reestablishment for reasons we still aren't aware of. Warner will prove to his father he can be a leader and a dictator, but now his father has more of a hold over him. He knows Warner wants Juliette more than just a weapon and threatens her life. Warner won't let his father kill Juliette and decides on a plan of action to find her and bring her back to him. Warner can touch Juliette without feeling any pain or dying for some reason, but after forcing a kiss on her, he could tell she wasn't as disgusted by him as she seemed to be. He'll use her attraction to him and his own touch to show her how special she is and make her want to be with only him.Destroy Me was way too short and pricey. I think it should have been .99 cents instead of $2.99, but then again the publisher must make money. We're given some insight on why Warner acts the way he does, and some readers will sympathize with him, especially after we meet his father and why Warner is obsessed with Juliette. We still don't know what Warner's first name is and how a man so young, age nineteen, is given full reign over a district and soldiers even though his father is the most powerful man in all the land. Warner has also found something special Juliette left behind, and he becomes even more obsessed with finding her. He now feels he's the only one who can protect her and help her harness her power she has at her fingertips.Warner is not the monster we're lead to believe. (I still think he is, even though there are reasons for why he acts the way he is, which are revealed here) BUT, he's still a psycho, trying to justify his actions. If Juliette falls for Warner I'll be thoroughly disgusted because even though you feel some sympathy for Warner, make no mistake, he's cold blooded and an opportunist who will do whatever he can to succeed. If Juliette won't accept him, he'll continue to use fear or violence to make her be with him. I have a feeling in the next book, Unravel Me, Adam will fall into Warner's clutches and Juliette will try and save Adam. Warner won't kill Adam and use him as collateral to keep Juliette in line. I wouldn't be surprised if Juliette accepts Warner (in the form of a marriage proposal) and will be "his" to protect the man she loves.We also find out why Warner shot that soldier at point blank range in the face in Shatter Me (soldier is a bad, bad man, another coy justification.), and let's just say Warner may have found a new furry friend, which again is a way to show he's misunderstood because he does have some kindness in him. It's a bit of a manipulation on Tahereh's part but somewhat well played.Team Warner fans will eat this one up, and now I love the deranged Warner even more. Also the sensuality factor because of Warner's thoughts and feelings for Juliette are very high. *fans face*If you don't mind paying the price for this very short, but insightful story about Warner, who has become a fan favorite (I'm one of them), do read Destroy Me. You'll be aching for Unravel Me even more so come February 2013.Katiebabs