Title: Watch Me
Author: Tahereh Mafi
ISBN: 978‑0063419001
Publisher: HarperCollins
Pages: 368
Source: Private copy
Lose yourself in this exhilarating return to the #1 global bestselling Shatter Me universe, the first book in a new series set ten years after the fall of The Reestablishment.
James Anderson had a plan. Or half of one. All that matters is that he managed to do what his older brother, the famous Aaron Warner Anderson, never did: infiltrate Ark Island, the last refuge of The Reestablishment. In the past decade no outsider has breached the stronghold of the authoritarian regime, but James is in. In a prison cell, sure, but as far as James is concerned, a win is a win.
It’s been ten years since the fall of The Reestablishment. Ten years since the notorious duo — Juliette Ferrars and Aaron Warner Anderson — led a worldwide rebellion and established the New Republic of the West. But after a decade of unsettling quiet, The Reestablishment is ready to make a devastating move, and they have the perfect person for the job.
Rosabelle Wolff had a plan. She always has a plan. On Ark Island, where constant surveillance is packaged as security, even emotions must be experienced with caution. A trained assassin, her every movement is monitored by synthetic intelligence—and when she’s given an order to kill, she never hesitates.
Brimming with pulse-pounding action and torturous romance, Watch Me is an explosive journey through a dystopian landscape where enemies-to-lovers has never felt more impossible. Step into a beloved and breathtaking world that demands an answer to a desperate question—
Who are we when no one is watching?
Official Summary
18 July 2025
It’s honestly weird to say this, but I think Watch Me might be the beginning of the end for me and the Shatter Me universe. I feel like I’ve grown up and left something behind. I was fourteen when I picked up Shatter Me for the first time, and it felt like discovering a piece of myself. Now I’m twenty and finishing Watch Me felt more like flipping through the photo album of a past version of me than anything else. And this isn’t me dragging the book, it’s more like… quietly realising we’re growing apart. This series was such a core part of my reading identity and was my first ever review on this blog, it’s actually kind of heartbreaking to admit it doesn’t hit like it used to.
Now to the book itself. So much happened. Like, a lot happened. But somehow at the end of it, I was like… wait, what actually happened? It felt like things were moving, but the story was standing still. I’m confused but also not mad about it. Rosa is still such a chaotic little fireball, and I honestly respect her urge to stab first and ask questions never.
AND JAMES? He’s like if yearning was a person. The way he’s just spiralling the whole book. He is so soft and fragile and just completely ruined by his obsession with Rosa. It’s not healthy, and I do not care. I live for it. He’s so pathetic and sweet. The way he’s constantly fighting this losing battle with himself over her, get a grip.
In conclusion I still love this world but maybe not in the same way. Maybe not as blindly. Maybe not forever. I don’t see me continuing this series but I would still recommend it as it isn’t the book its me. It is with a sadden heart to actually admit that I will be breaking up with the Shatter Me Series.
Also by Tahereh Mafi
THE WOVEN KINGDOM
To all the world, Alizeh is a disposable servant, not the long-lost heir to an ancient Jinn kingdom forced to hide in plain sight.
The crown prince, Kamran, has heard the prophecies foretelling the death of his king. But he could never have imagined that the servant girl with the strange eyes, the girl he can’t put out of his mind, would one day soon uproot his kingdom—and the world.
Perfect for fans of Leigh Bardugo, Tomi Adeyemi, and Sabaa Tahir, this is the explosive first book in a new fantasy trilogy from the New York Times bestselling and National Book Award-nominated author Tahereh Mafi.
About The Author
Author Bio from the Author’s Site
Tahereh Mafi is the New York Times bestselling and National Book Award-nominated author of books for children and young adults. She currently resides in Southern California with her husband, fellow author Ransom Riggs, and their daughter. Her most recent novel, An Emotion of Great Delight, is on shelves now. Look out for the first book in her new fantasy series, This Woven Kingdom, in February 2022. Her work is represented by Jodi Reamer of Writers House, LLC.
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