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olivialandryxo 's review for:
Imagine Me
by Tahereh Mafi
4.5 stars
Although I did have a few issues with this book, I’ve got to give Mafi credit — I can’t remember the last time I read a book (novellas and poetry aside) in under 24 hours. Imagine Me was a brilliant conclusion, through and through.
First, I want to say that I did not expect to be so thoroughly transported back to my early years of reading YA. The emotional investment I had in the story and the characters....it was like I was 14 again. I love Juliette, Warner, Kenji, and now Nazeera too.
As for the story itself, there were a few parts where I lost track of exactly what was happening; surprisingly, I wasn’t very bothered by that. A couple of times the plot went in a completely different direction than I expected, and it was quite the roller coaster.
The relationships were great too. Platonic and romantic bonds were strong throughout the book and I liked that. I was invested in that. My favorites were all those involving Kenji, and of course, Juliette and Warner.
On that note, though, I have to say that I had mixed feelings on Warner’s character, specifically regarding his attitude when separated from Juliette. While in a way it was endearing that he cared so much and was willing to do anything to be reunited, the shift back to his original self à la the OG trilogy was slightly off-putting. The cold, cruel, emotionless Warner wasn’t endearing. A guy can only threaten to maim and murder so many people before it gets old. Instead of arguing with people that try to help, maybe — hear me out — let them? There’s grieving and then there’s being an awful jerk. Just saying. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
You know who never let me down? I mean, Warner didn’t, exactly, but my point is, Kenji has been the best character since the beginning. If I ever said differently, we’re going to ignore that; I have better taste now. I love Juliette, her development has been incredible, but Kenji is my favorite. He’s crucial to the story for multiple reasons, and his humor is unmatched.
The most emotional part of the book, romance aside, was also one of the biggest spoilers. I can’t say much, but Emmaline.... I feel so bad! And I’ll leave it at that. If you know, you know. It’s so sad.
As for the ending, I have somewhat mixed feelings. It was intense and epic, but I was left with questions. After that last chapter, I would’ve liked to know a bit more. The epilogue was great, very cute and entertaining, but again, I would’ve liked to know more. So while it was good, I might call it underdeveloped, like some loose ends didn’t get tied. Questions didn’t necessarily get answered.
Maybe my rating is too high given my criticism, but in all honesty, this was such a fun read. At times it was terrifying, heartbreaking, and even gruesome, but overall, a good finale. I look forward to seeing what Mafi does next.
CW: blood, gore/mutilation, violence, torture, death/murder, kidnapping, war, anxiety, PTSD (Not sure if PTSD is 100% accurate, but it seems fitting.)
Although I did have a few issues with this book, I’ve got to give Mafi credit — I can’t remember the last time I read a book (novellas and poetry aside) in under 24 hours. Imagine Me was a brilliant conclusion, through and through.
First, I want to say that I did not expect to be so thoroughly transported back to my early years of reading YA. The emotional investment I had in the story and the characters....it was like I was 14 again. I love Juliette, Warner, Kenji, and now Nazeera too.
As for the story itself, there were a few parts where I lost track of exactly what was happening; surprisingly, I wasn’t very bothered by that. A couple of times the plot went in a completely different direction than I expected, and it was quite the roller coaster.
The relationships were great too. Platonic and romantic bonds were strong throughout the book and I liked that. I was invested in that. My favorites were all those involving Kenji, and of course, Juliette and Warner.
On that note, though, I have to say that I had mixed feelings on Warner’s character, specifically regarding his attitude when separated from Juliette. While in a way it was endearing that he cared so much and was willing to do anything to be reunited, the shift back to his original self à la the OG trilogy was slightly off-putting. The cold, cruel, emotionless Warner wasn’t endearing. A guy can only threaten to maim and murder so many people before it gets old. Instead of arguing with people that try to help, maybe — hear me out — let them? There’s grieving and then there’s being an awful jerk. Just saying. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
You know who never let me down? I mean, Warner didn’t, exactly, but my point is, Kenji has been the best character since the beginning. If I ever said differently, we’re going to ignore that; I have better taste now. I love Juliette, her development has been incredible, but Kenji is my favorite. He’s crucial to the story for multiple reasons, and his humor is unmatched.
The most emotional part of the book, romance aside, was also one of the biggest spoilers. I can’t say much, but Emmaline.... I feel so bad! And I’ll leave it at that. If you know, you know. It’s so sad.
As for the ending, I have somewhat mixed feelings. It was intense and epic, but I was left with questions. After that last chapter, I would’ve liked to know a bit more. The epilogue was great, very cute and entertaining, but again, I would’ve liked to know more. So while it was good, I might call it underdeveloped, like some loose ends didn’t get tied. Questions didn’t necessarily get answered.
Maybe my rating is too high given my criticism, but in all honesty, this was such a fun read. At times it was terrifying, heartbreaking, and even gruesome, but overall, a good finale. I look forward to seeing what Mafi does next.
CW: blood, gore/mutilation, violence, torture, death/murder, kidnapping, war, anxiety, PTSD (Not sure if PTSD is 100% accurate, but it seems fitting.)