“‘To the world she is formidable. To me? She is the world.’ Juliette and Warner fought long and hard to take down The Reestablishment. Now faced with stabilising a chaotic world, life in the aftermath still isn’t easy. Warner, however, has his sights set on more than just politics. Since proposing to Juliette, he’s been eager to marry her, and at long last, Warner and Juliette’s future together seems within reach. But with so much uncertainty around them, and the world continuing to pull them apart, will they finally be happily, officially, together?”
What is the book about?
Everything has finally fallen into place. Juliette and Warner have taken down The Reestablishment and have begun to work towards a better future. And now they are finally able to do something they have wanted to do for a long time: get married. However, nothing is ever as easy as it seems and the aftermath of The Reestablishment is just as challenging as life when they were in power. They have all waited so long to be able to achieve happiness and yet, even when everything seems right within reach, the world seems to be conspiring to pull Juliette and Warner apart. All they want is to be united for the rest of their lives, but will they ever be able to be together, or will the world finally win?
What were your initial thoughts on the book?
I had mixed feelings approaching Believe Me: I was so excited to finally be able to reach the end of the series and hopefully see all of my characters happy together, but I was also so sad to see it end. I was desperate to read the book because I wanted to see Juliette and Warner finally get married and get to live the rest of their lives together like they had been planning since Warner’s proposal in Defy Me. However, I was also torn because I knew that, once I finished Believe Me, that was it. I would never read anything else about Warner, Juliette, or Kenji, and I would never find out anything else new about them. I am always sad to see the characters go, but I knew this was going to be harder than ever before because this series was longer and more amazing than the others I have read. Once I finally got over my fears and worries, I picked up the book and began to read. It began just as I was expecting and it flowed to so perfectly, like all the other novels and novellas. However, I did struggle a little to truly get into it because I couldn’t help thinking about the fact that this was truly the last book. The first couple of chapters were also in the epilogue of Imagine Me, so they were a little difficult to read, however, once I got past those, I was fully absorbed into the book and soon I was reaching the ending, feeling a mix of happiness, excitement and dread.
Who was your favourite character and why?
I think that my favourite character this time has got to be Juliette/Ella. Personally I think that the fact that the book was written from Warner’s perspective did influence my decision a lot because he sees Juliette as a completely perfect girl, with no flaws whatsoever, but I do believe that she deserves to get the recognition for all she has done. One reason why I really liked Juliette was because seeing her so happy and strong showed me how, despite everything, she never lost hope in humanity. She lived a life of torture and was constantly let down by everyone around her, betrayed by her biological and adoptive parents. Every time she seemed to settle down, something happened and she just ended up with injured and in pain. However, no matter how much life tried to put her down, she managed to get back up and never lose hope that maybe one day she would be able to have a better future. She really taught me to not look back and dwell on the past, and instead to live in the present and look to the future. She has really inspired me and I’m not at all surprised that she has also inspired so many characters from the book and that the entire world looks to her for guidance.
What was your favourite part of the book and why?
My favourite part is definitely, definitely the ending. I cannot even begin to describe what I felt reading it. This whole series has been following Juliette’s life and nearly everything has been horrible. She has gone through so much torture throughout the books, and even before that, and just reaching the end knowing that, finally, she gets to be happy made me burst with joy. I loved the ending so much because I knew that, for her, nothing that happened to her before that moment when she saw Warner waiting for her mattered anymore because she was happy. This ending made me feel so much happiness because it gave me hope that, no matter how much I go through, no matter how stressed or sad I am, there will one day be a time when I get what I have always wanted. It really showed me that everyone can be happy.
What was your overall impression of the book?
Overall, Believe Me was an incredible book and I loved reading it. One thing that I loved about it was the fact that it took me further than I have ever gone with any other book series I have ever read. Most series end quite quickly and I never get to see a couple get engaged or get married or anything at all and I'm always left wondering whether or not those things will actually happen. But, with the Shatter Me series, I got to experience so much of Warner and Juliette's relationship and it has been the most incredible experience I’ve ever had. I love learning about the characters from the books I read and every time a book has an epilogue I burst with joy at the idea of getting even the slightest glimpse into a character’s future. Another thing that I really loved about the book was that it ended absolutely perfectly. Most books end a little bit too soon and I don't fully get to see what happens next, or they will go too far and won't give me any creative freedom to picture the characters life at I want to picture it. However, Believe Me ended at the exact moment where it should have ended because it was the exact moment where I had enough information to create my own picture of their lives in my mind. I now just can't wait to have a moment to myself when I can picture Warner and Juliette and Kenji and all the other characters in the place where I think they will be. One last thing that I would like to mention is the fact that, after reading so many books, this series has actually come to an end. I just can't believe that this all started with a timid, little girl, curled up in a corner, locked up in a mental asylum and now she is one of the strongest, most fiery female characters that I have ever come across. I can’t believe that right now, she's not only free but also happy. Reading these books has been one of the most amazing experiences of my life and I don't think I will ever forget these books and these characters. I know that it is the end and I will not read any more about these characters, but I also know that these people will live in me for the rest of my life and what I've learnt I will never forget. I really loved reading the Shatter Me series and this has become one of my favourite book series of all time.
Would you recommend this book?
I would definitely recommend that you all read Believe Me as it is the perfect ending to an even more perfect series. I think it is best for those over 15, though, and it’s perfect for lovers of romance, action and dystopian fiction.
Summarise the book in one sentence. (Verdict)
A beautiful and romantic novella that perfectly concludes the Shatter Me series.
Reviewed by Jimena Gutierrez Reviriego
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