User Reviews
Rating: really liked it
At this point we can all agree that Kenji is everyone's favorite.
Rating: really liked it
Sooo I knew I loved Kenji Kishimoto..... but this book made me realize that I would rip my fucking heart out and put it on a platter for Kenji Kishimoto. I LOVED this installment!!!!
I think this book was the perfect balance of exploring Kenji's voice, getting his funny inner monologue, learning more about the world, and seeing the events of Restore Me from his eyes. I wouldn't necessarily call it a bridge book between books 4 and 5 (honestly, these chapters could have been thrown in at the end of Restore Me because I actually think they better describe the events than Warner and Juliette did), but I still had SO much fun reading it and was laughing and gasping at all the new information and world building and conversations that we didn't see in Restore Me.
I have a TON more to say about this with theories and new info reveals but it's 4:30 AM and I've been making my way through this book since midnight so my brain is just a big happy mush in my skull because I love Kenji so much and I adored this novella.
Old reviewCONFIRMED KENJI POV!!!!!!!! I'm so stoked. Honestly, I wish this came sooner instead of just a month before Defy Me, but I'm not about to complain about more content. Eeeeeeeep I hope we see Warner in this and he and Kenji are stuck in a cell together and thriving and scheming to get Juliette back and skhjdflgbhfdkgdblhgdkfl IM EMO I WANT IT SO BAD
Rating: really liked it
”Everyone thinks I’m not supposed to give a shit – that I shouldn’t – but I do. I always do.”Okay, maybe I’m biased for giving this 5 stars but damn! I just loved this! *lol* It was amazing to be back into this world and even more amazing to see it through Kenji’s eyes! I always had a soft spot for him and I think he deserves way more attention than he actually gets! He’s such an awesome character, he has a great sense of humour and he’s the best friend anyone could ever wish for.
Do I have to say even more? =)
”I have friends. A makeshift family. I’m lonely but I’m not alone. My body works, my brain works, I’m alive. It’s a good life. I have to make a conscious effort to remember that. To choose to be happy every day. If I didn’t, I think my own pain would’ve killed me a long time ago.”It was kinda tough to read about his feelings though. I mean I always suspected that there’s a lot of darkness behind his shiny smile, but to actually read about it. To find out how he truly feels inside? It broke my heart! T_T Poor Kenji! I think Warner and him might have even more in common than they think. They are both broken but they hide it in different ways. >_<
”Kishimoto, if I considered other people’s mediocre standards a sufficient metric by which to measure my own accomplishments, I’d never have amounted to anything.” He looks up, meets my eyes. “You should demand more of yourself. You’re entirely capable.”
“Are you -?” I blink, stunned. “I’m sorry, was that your idea of a compliment?”Still, those two together were just too much fun! *lol* I loved to see their friendship bloom and to witness that Warner actually started to trust Kenji was one of the best things ever! <3 Warner’s pain however was really hard to bear! My broken boy! *sniff* I mean if even Kenji feels sorry for him this means that he’s in really bad shape right now. =((
”I don’t think you do, actually. In fact, I hope you don’t. I wouldn’t want you to know how I feel right now. I wouldn’t wish that for you.”I can’t help but wonder if Juliette and Warner will find each other again. I hope they do because they definitely belong together and I hate to see them so alienated. It’s not good for my health to watch them fight, I swear! *lol* Also with everything I read about Kenji and Nazeera I really want them to be together as well! XD Kenji was sooo adorable when she confronted him! Haha! That boy has no idea what he’s getting himself into, but he’s definitely head over heels! ;-P
”I managed to walk, not run, back to my room, and was able to hold on to what was left of my dignity. I hope.
Then again, who the hell knows.”JUST. A.D.O.R.A.B.L.E! *lol* It’s funny how he has such a big mouth but apparently can’t seem to be able to speak properly when she’s around! Not that Nazeera was doing a better job when she ran into him half naked in the hallway! Haha! Guess all those sexy abs must have been pretty distracting. ;-P Can’t blame her though! In my head Kenji is one hell of a sexy boy as well. XD A boy with a big heart that wants to be loved.
”Instead, I’m a big, raw, bleeding heart, and I spend my days pretending not to notice that I want more. That I need more.
Maybe it sounds weird to say, but I know I could love the shit out of someone. I feel it, in my heart. This capacity to love. To be romantic and passionate. Like it’s a superpower I have. A gift, even.
And I’ve got no one to share it with.”Plus, I love how Kenji cares about everyone around him so deeply! Even Adam! He’s basically some sort of glue that holds them all together and this even though he obviously doesn’t even realize how important his presence is. I loved how he saw Juliette and that he felt so much compassion for Warner and Adam. <3 He has such a big heart and is there for everyone, yet it seems like all his friends are so caught up in their own drama that they don’t even realize how tired and sad he is.
And this made me so damn sad! T_T
”I give her a lot of crap for being emotional all the time, but I love how empathetic she is. I love how she feels things so deeply that sometimes even joy manages to wound her. It’s who she is. She’s all heart.””If I had to live with that every day, I wonder if it would make me crazy, too. Because it’s not the pain that’s unendurable. It’s the hopelessness. It’s the hopelessness that makes you reckless.”A gentle and caring boy like Kenji deserves better than that!! And can we just mention that little detail that was dropped so deliberately in the middle of this short story: (view spoiler)
[”Winston’s been in love with Brendan for a long time, but I’m the only one who knows about it.”
LIKE OMG!!! WHAT?! O_o I never saw that one coming! *lol* How come my LGBTQ+ radar failed? Mafi must have written those hints way too subtle to notice! XD I’d be happy to see that ship sail though! Really, really happy because this would be a first for Mafi and I’d be so there for it! (hide spoiler)]As for the ending?!
ADFLAÖSDFSAKDFLASDKFLASD! WHAT THE HELL WAS THIS!!???I can’t believe Kenji’s POV gave us an entirely different outlook at the ending of “Restore Me”!!! And I don’t even know how to process this! I don’t want to know what is going to happen to Juliette because she has no idea of anything that happened after her outburst!!! ARGH!!! I’m so dying here just thinking about how much she’s going to suffer! Her and my precious baby Warner… T_T
I can’t deal with all those emotions and I’m probably going to read “Defy Me” soon! *lol*
Might as well be brave and get it over with! >_<
Wish me luck! I’m sooo going to need it!
_________________________
Either my coffee isn't working and I'm still dreaming or this is actually happening!
*rubs eyes*
A KENJI POV?!!OMG!!!!
Give me this book!!! I've needed this in my life ever since I started to read "Shatter Me".
Tahereh you can have all my money!
I'm ready!!!! <333
P.S: How gorgeous is this cover? <3
Rating: really liked it
4.25 STARS! well, that was confusing but also satisfying :)
It’s not the pain that’s unendurable. It’s the hopelessness. It’s the hopelessness that makes you reckless.
A short but gripping novella from Kenji's point of view, giving us a chance to relive the end of Restore Me.
I found the choice of Kenji as narrator to be the
perfect choice—since we get to understand and see many characters better! (check Characterization for more)
Her words are a threat to their livelihood.
That aside, I'm unbelievably confused right now π I just reread the ending of
Restore Me, then
Shadow Me, then
Restore Me again—and
I can't make sense of any of this!Not only do their endings not make any sense individually, but they make
even less sense together! I feel like I'm actually reading two different stories π
So I obviously need Defy Me and hope that we get answers??
P.S. I've also got solid theories of what went down actually; you can find them in spoiler tags in the comments. I hope—think—they're true!
I gape at him. “Are you out of your mind?”
And when he says, without a hint of irony—
“No more than usual”
—it’s crystal clear to me that this dude is not okay. Storyline Between all the drama of Warner and Juliette, and the suspicious children of the supreme commanders, Kenji is hurting in his own way—it just so happens that his feelings end up coming second all the damn time.
I wish, so much, all the time, that I didn’t give a shit about this sort of thing—that I could be like Warner, a frozen, unforgiving island; or even like Adam, who’s found his happiness in family, in his relationship with his brother—but I’m like neither. Instead, I’m a big, raw, bleeding heart, and I spend my days pretending not to notice that I want more. That I need more.
The last day of Restore Me was a whirlwind of madness and a cliffhanger that had us all tumbling to the depths of the abyss, and we only knew a
part of what was going on!
In
Shadow Me, our favourite and hilarious Kenji tells us his side of the storyΨ and makes us question exactly
what happened and who was behind it...
It doesn’t seem right that so much horrible shit should be, like, allowed to go down in such a short period of time. There should be a fail-safe in the universe somewhere, something that automatically shuts down in the event of extreme human stupidity. Maybe an emergency lever. A button, even.
This is ridiculous.
Storytelling Tahereh Mafi has a very raw and beautiful writing style, focused on feelings. In the rest of the books, we got the emotional personality that is Juliette, and Mafi accurately narrated the story how
Juliette thought and viewed everything.
But in this book we get
Kenji's hilarious outlook on the world, and his unique way of seeing things.My eyes light up. “Is that coffee?”
Winston pulls away from the door, horrified. “It’s my
coffee.”
“Hand it over.”
“What? No.”
I narrow my eyes at him.
“Why can’t you get your own?” he says, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. “This is only my second cup. You know it takes at least three before I’m even half awake.”
“Yeah, well, I have to be downstairs in five minutes or Warner’s going to murder me and I haven’t had any breakfast yet and I’m already exhausted and I really—”
“Fine.” Winston’s face darkens as he hands it over. “You monster.”I have to say, I've always admired Mrs. Mafi's writing and how she
wears the skin of her narrator, completely delving into their specific way of thinking.And, while the Shatter Me books have never gone above 4 stars for me, her other books have all been 5 stars! I simply don't think her dramatic way of writing fits into the genre well. I'd like to see how that'll change :)
Characterization Kenji: I don't even know what to say about this awesome guy. He's so sympathetic and understanding and I hurt for how he feels obligated to care, incapable of being cruel. His focus on the blessings in his life is so inspiring and I just want the best things for him :)
I force myself to say it, out loud. I’m grateful.
I take a few moments to feel it. Recognize it. I force myself to smile, to unclench the tightness in my face that would otherwise default too easily to anger. I whisper a quick thank-you to the unknown, to the air, to the lonely ghosts eavesdropping on my private conversations with no one. I have a roof over my head and clothes on my back and food waiting for me every morning. I have friends. A makeshift family. I’m lonely but I’m not alone. My body works, my brain works, I’m alive. It’s a good life. I have to make a conscious effort to remember that. To choose to be happy every day. If I didn’t, I think my own pain would’ve killed me a long time ago.
I’m grateful.
Juliette: it's amazing to see and scrutinise her from somebody else's point of view (and, no, Warner doesn't count—he's in love with her). Kenji says it best and I can't help but agree with him:
I give her a lot of crap for being emotional all the time, but I love how empathetic she is. I love how she feels things so deeply that sometimes even joy manages to wound her. It’s who she is. She’s all heart. Warner: it's interesting to see Warner from Kenji's eyes! Also, it's good that we have our charismatic boy back—I'd been starting to think he was slipping away to become a little pathetic.
I was wrong; and I've never been happier to be wrong :)
Shit. This kid is breaking my heart.
Adam: we don't get any Adam in this, to be honest, but what I appreciate is how Mafi makes us understand him by showing us what Kenji sees in him.
I think these paragraphs are very important for readers who hate him to read:Adam hasn’t changed a bit. Still moody. No sense of humor. Generally irritated.
He comes off as an angry, explosive guy—and sometimes he really is an asshole—but it must be hard to watch your kid brother live all alone on a compound for tortured, abandoned children. It slowly kills your soul to watch a ten-year-old kid sob and scream in the middle of the night because his nightmares keep getting worse, and no matter what you do, you can’t seem to make it better.
I’m not sure Adam will ever recover from the blows he’s been dealt. It’s obvious he has PTSD. I don’t think he even sleeps anymore. I think he’s slowly losing his mind. Nazeera: an awe-inspiring character. Yes, maybe that woman is just
perfect. Her
everything amazes and bewilders me—she's perfection incarnate π (and I'm NOT fangirling here π)
“For me, it’s a symbol of resistance.”
I mean ... Just ... Wow ... (view spoiler)
[There's no one I ship more with Kenji! He's one of my favourite characters and deserves to be loved by a resilient strong woman like Nazeera. (hide spoiler)] Relationships Friendships and partners have been the focus of the series from page on (other than characters) and once again I fell in love with how beautifully Tahereh Mafi writes them π
Kenji's brewing love, and also his friendship with Juliette are such
golden points! Not to forget how completely I SHIP WARNER AND KENJI #SorryNotSorry π
Companions Book playlist: • “Gasoline” by Halsey (for all the scenes other than the ones noted below ‡)
• “Salem’s Secret” by Peter Gundry [Instrumental] (for the ending chapters)
• “Darkness Keeps Chasing Me” by Grace VanderWaal (for scenes with Nazeera)
Rating: really liked it
5 HINDING IN PLAIN SIGHT. β
's “I’m a big, raw, bleeding heart, and I spend my days pretending not to notice that I want more. That I need more.” My Kenji & Nazeeraβ€
This was me like a 100% when finding out there was gonna be a Kenji novella!!
I love Kenji! I love Kenji! I love Kenji! I love Kenji!Kenji being a fan favorite is a bit of an understatement in my opinion! Kenji is the rock of the
Shatter Me series. He's the best friend/lover everyone should want and also inspire to be. He's true to his word, loyal, brutally honest, and his sense of humor is fantastic. Kenji just has the most amazing personality. I don't know how anyone in their right mind could ever not LOVE him! His character is everything, one of my absolute favorite characters of all-time. Kenji deserves all the happiness and love in the world! I love that we got an inside look at the development of his relationship with Nazeera. I really enjoyed her character in
Restore Me and this just solidified it even more. Kenji was hilarious as usual and the scenes between him and Warner was just the cherry on top. Every scene that involves those two together is always golden. And the ones with Juliette and Kenji always warms my heart.
I was beyond excited to have Kinji's POV, it's been a long time coming. I’m normally not the biggest fan of novellas, they are never quite long enough to satisfy me but
Shadow Me was wonderful. This was a perfect look inside the thoughts of Kenji (everyone's favorite) and seeing the events of
Restore Me unfold through his eyes. This novella just about killed me. My gosh, it was heartbreaking at times that I actually shed a few tears. It gave me a rollercoaster of emotions. Overall, this was really a great read. Though I will admit I was hoping for more back story on his life. But still, I wasn't disappointed.
Mafi is an amazing writer and an absolute genius. I truly hope we get more of Kenji's POV in
Defy Me.
THAT ENDING THOUGH, OMG I NEED Defy Me LIKE RIGHT FREAKING NOW!!!! *Btw, This cover is sooo gorgeous, love the colors!! They are always perfect to me.*
Here are a couple quotes I really like: “Maybe it sounds weird to say, but I know I could love the shit out of someone. I feel it, in my heart. This capacity to love. To be romantic and passionate. Like it’s a superpower I have. A gift, even.
And I’ve got no one to share it with.”“I’m lonely but I’m not alone. My body works, my brain works, I’m alive. It’s a good life. I have to make a conscious effort to remember that. To choose to be happy every day. If I didn’t, I think my own pain would’ve killed me a long time ago.”
Rating: really liked it
I whisper a quick thank you to the unknown, to the air, to the lonely ghosts eavesdropping on my private conversations with no one.
I have a roof over my head and clothes on my back and food waiting for me every morning.
I have friends.
A makeshift family.
I’m lonely, but I’m not alone.
My body works, my brain works, I’m alive.
It’s a good life.
I have to make a conscious effort to remember that.
To choose to be happy every day.
If I didn’t, I think my own pain would’ve killed me a long time ago. Guys, I remember why I love Kenji so much.
He's the most perfect best friend and human being anyone can imagine.
What I really liked about this book, is, that it's not completely useless.
It brings the story forward, at least a little bit.
CAN'T WAIT FOR BOOK 5!
____________________________________________________
I’M SO EXCITED! ππ€ͺ
Rating: really liked it
This review and other non-spoilery reviews can be found @The Book Prescription
“I’m lonely but I’m not alone. My body works, my brain works, I’m alive. It’s a good life. I have to make a conscious effort to remember that. To choose to be happy every day. If I didn’t, I think my own pain would’ve killed me a long time ago.” π This did not add up much to the story but I think it was a tiny bit better than Restore me, It could have substituted it!
π This is Kenji’s first Novella and I thought it takes place before Restore me while in fact it takes place during the same time but from Kenji’s POV. I found it easy to read and it was short so it was not hard to go through it.
π This is a short review because there is not much to say, I think the author is trying to please her fans which is not the best choice. I am being nice and giving it 3 stars but it was kind of MEH. I hope Defy Me can salvage what remains of this story!!
Rating: really liked it
*starts to hyperventilate*
IT’S KENJI’S POV & I’M ALREADY TRASH π
Rating: really liked it
I love Kenji. He’s personality is just fantastic.
And this feel more as if I was reading the end of Restore Me again with a different point of view. One that gave me much more information about what happened. Can’t wait for Defy Me and see where this story is going.
——
The first chapter of this saved me and killed me at the same time.
Bromance that I know is going to rise.
And pain, that I know will be there.
————
KENJI, MY LOVE, COME TO MAMA
Rating: really liked it
"I'm lonely but I'm not alone."
Rating: really liked it
English - Español
Kenji Kishimoto is my favorite character, after Warner of course.
“Maybe it sounds weird to say, but I know I could love the shit out of someone. I feel it, in my heart. This capacity to love. To be romantic and passionate. Like it’s a superpower I have. A gift, even. And I’ve got no one to share it with.”
In this novel from Kenji's point of view is that you learn that not everything is what it seems. That because he is always joking doesn’t mean that Kenji is a carefree person. On the contrary, he feels responsible for being the pillar of his friends, never failing, always smiling and creating a good environment for others. He carries a heavy burden on his shoulders, plus the burden of being the best friend and the first hand of the Supreme Commander, aka Juliette.
“I’m a big, raw, bleeding heart, and I spend my days pretending not to notice that I want more. That I need more.”
We see first-hand how difficult the separation between Juliette and Warner is from the revelations of Juliette's lost sister. And also how Kenji and Nazeera relate, which I need more of, please.
“I’m lonely but I’m not alone. My body works, my brain works, I’m alive. It’s a good life. I have to make a conscious effort to remember that. To choose to be happy every day. If I didn’t, I think my own pain would’ve killed me a long time ago.”
But the most important thing is that this novella is absolutely necessary to read it before the Fifth Book of the series, because the end changes everything.
---
Kenji Kishimoto es mi personaje favorito, después de Warner por supuesto.
En esta novela desde el punto de vista de Kenji es que te enteras que no todo es lo que parece. Que porque ande siempre bromeando no significa que Kenji es una persona despreocupada. Todo lo contrario, el se siente responsable de ser el pilar de sus amigos, de nunca desfallecer, de siempre sonreir y crear un buen ambiente para los demás. Lleva una fuerte carga sobre sus hombros, mas la carga que significa ser el mejor amigo y la primera mano de la Comandante Suprema, aka Juliette.
Vemos de primera mano lo difícil que están llevando la separación Juliette y Warner por las revelaciones de la hermana perdida de Juliette. Y también como se relacionan Kenji y Nazeera, de lo cual necesito mas, por favor.
Pero lo mas importante es que esta novela es absolutamente necesario leerla antes que el Quinto libro de la serie, porque el final lo cambia todo.
Rating: really liked it
Read the 1st chapter! πππ
https://thefandom.net/first-chapter-s...
I can't wait to read book 5!!!
Rating: really liked it
SO FYI, IF THAT WASN’T CLEAR ENOUGH IN MY RESTORE ME REVIEW, I HARDCORE SHIP KENJI AND WARNER TOGETHER. AND MORE THAN EVER AFTER THIS NOVELLA.
ALSO CAN WE HAVE EVERYTHING FROM KENJI’S POINT OF VIEW FROM NOW ON? Thanks. “Are you out of your mind?”
And when he says, without a hint of irony—
“No more than usual”
—it’s crystal clear to me that this dude is not okay.
This was actually good??! I’m v surprised, especially after reading Restore Me, which I wasn't a real fan of. I still stand by my opinion, but
this novella actually made me excited for the first time to have Defy Me in my hands. It gave me aaaaall the feels and I couldn't be happier about it.
That ending, wow. It messed with my head! It kinda fixed something I didn't like about Restore Me and that's freaking great.
Kenji is such a puppy. I wish I could hug him. His point of view was the best and this is why this novella is probably my favorite of the novellas in this series. You can see how sensitive and empathetic he is, and you realize that his way of defusing every bad situation with a joke is actually a defense mechanism. It was clear from other books too but this novella really showed how much he keeps inside without telling anyone.
SPOILERS START NOW!Kenji and Warner, oh my gosh. I love them so much. Here are some of my favorite interactions. Enjoy. Warner peers past me, into my room, and for a moment, says nothing. Then, quietly: “Kishimoto, if I considered other people’s mediocre standards a sufficient metric by which to measure my own accomplishments, I’d never have amounted to anything.” He looks up, meets my eyes. “You should demand more of yourself. You’re entirely capable.”
“Are you—?” I blink, stunned. “I’m sorry, was that your idea of a compliment?”
He stares at me, his face impassive. “Get dressed.”
I raise my eyebrows. “You taking me out to breakfast?”
I hated that I cried. Hated that I couldn’t help it. Everyone thinks I’m not supposed to give a shit—that I shouldn’t—but I do. I always do.
And I give a shit about this asshole, too.
“Have you seen her yet?” I ask.
And then, so quietly I almost miss it—
“No.”
Shit. This kid is breaking my heart.
Another thing I really enjoyed was seeing
Juliette turning on Warner from Kenji's point of view. His commentary on it is the funniest thing ever.
She spins around, turns to face him. “What other languages do you speak?” she says, her eyes flashing, and Warner goes so suddenly still my heart hurts for him.
This moment is too real.
Warner and Juliette are both so full of shit today. They’re pretending to be so hard, so cool and collected, and then—this. Juliette says one thing to him and Warner turns into an idiot.
(BTW, still haven't come to terms with the fact that Juliette cut her hair like that. At this point I don't think I ever will *sigh*).
Now, I had some problems with this novella too. First of all,
I don’t like how the author reduced Kenji to someone who just wants a girlfriend. He's much more than that and I don't like where this is going with Nazeera.
Why does the author have to pair up everyone? Even Castle is being paired up with someone now. Jeez, it's ridiculous.
And Kenji going around without a shirt on so that him and Nazeera could have that weird moment? Hmm. Nazeera kind of changed her mind about Kenji far too quickly if I compare how she reacted to him in Restore Me.
I actually really like her! Don't get me wrong. I've seen some people complaining about how it seems it's okay for everyone to see two white characters be together in this series, but it's not for two POC characters, especially for an own voices one. But this is not it. In fact,
I just would love to read about some single characters, particularly Kenji. Is that too much to ask? What about having him realize that not having a girlfriend/boyfriend is okay too?
Last thing, which is a carry-on problem from Restore Me:
the final symposium is glossed over too quickly. One moment you're reading about the preparation for it, and the next you get a really really really vague description of what happens during it. That doesn't help as there is an important action scene just after that. It confuses me
every time.
Glad to know that Juliette didn't have the full picture of that ending tho, as everyone's alive!
Rating: really liked it
WHAT EVEN WAS THAT?!
Rating: really liked it
Reread:
After reading believe me I had the urge to reread the novels from kenji’s pov and ugh they were just as perfect as I remember.
