Destroy Me by Tahereh Mafi

Destroy Me by Tahereh Mafi
Release Date – October 2, 2012
Publisher Website –  Harper Collins
Publisher Social Media - Twitter/Facebook/SavvyReader
Pages - 111 pages
My Rating- 4.5/5
**purchased**

Here is the Goodreads synopsis

Perfect for the fans of Shatter Me who are desperately awaiting the release of Unravel Me, this novella-length digital original will bridge the gap between these two novels from the perspective of the villain we all love to hate, Warner, the ruthless leader of Sector 45. 

In Tahereh Mafi’s Shatter Me, Juliette escaped from The Reestablishment by seducing Warner—and then putting a bullet in his shoulder. But as she’ll learn in Destroy Me, Warner is not that easy to get rid of. . . 

Back at the base and recovering from his near-fatal wound, Warner must do everything in his power to keep his soldiers in check and suppress any mention of a rebellion in the sector. Still as obsessed with Juliette as ever, his first priority is to find her, bring her back, and dispose of Adam and Kenji, the two traitors who helped her escape. But when Warner’s father, The Supreme Commander of The Reestablishment, arrives to correct his son’s mistakes, it’s clear that he has much different plans for Juliette. Plans Warner simply cannot allow. 

Set after Shatter Me and before its forthcoming sequel, Unravel Me, Destroy Me is a novella told from the perspective of Warner, the ruthless leader of Sector 45.

Those who read Shatter Me know that Warner is anything but a typical villain. A complex character that left you certain his back story would be explosive.  Destroy Me lets us into his head. He is just as calculating, and self serving as expected. There is, however, cracks in his facade that are strangely softening. The lighter moments we glimpse into this wounded, yet chilling, character are enough to make you re-consider exactly how you feel about him.
Warner’s unraveling sanity comes as a result of his obsession with Juliette. It is entirely evident that she has shaken him, and he unsure what to handle this. His detachment is something he enjoys and Juliette has broken through that. He can no longer pretend to not care, especially when it comes to her.

Warner’s father is a man who demands obedience and takes pleasure in  punishment. Warner’s upbringing was not nurturing and his father’s presence gives a lot of insight into how Warner was molded. It also brings light to some of Warner's behaviour.

The more steamier parts of Tahereh Mafi’s writing always intrigued me, and Warner’s growing interest in Juliette provides some blush worthy moments that left me breathless.

“I want her clothes off, and the lights on and I want to study her. I want to unzip her out of this dress and take my time with every inch of her. I can’t help my need to just stare; to know her and her features: the slope of her nose, the curve of her lips, the line of her jaw. I want to run my fingertips across the soft skin of her neck and trace it all the way down. I want to feel the weight of her pressed against me, wrapped around me.”

His preoccupation with Juliette allows insight into her character as well. Tahereh’s ability to deepen a character I found quite complex already is awe inspiring. An author who can use a character to tell you something about another character, and do so masterfully, is one with a clear gift.

The writing in Destroy Me is solid, emotionally impacting and filled with angst. Warner's brilliant descent into possible madness left me breathless and anxious to read Unravel Me.