This review was written in conjunction with the lovely Christina and can be found at our blog, the Book Hookup! 
 Initial Thoughts and Rating 
 Christina: Actual rating of 4.5 stars! My initial reaction was to give this 4 stars, but looking at other titles I've placed on this shelf, that rating just doesn't set well with me. However, because I feel the need to be completely honest, the only biggest reason Ignite Me is getting 5 stars is simply because I believe that Warner's character development was executed perfectly. (Yes, I'd be saying this even if he wasn't my #1 book boyfriend.) As for the rest of the installment, there were a few things that I would have loved to have gone differently, but it was almost as rounded out as I ever could have asked it to be. I understand that no one author is going to give me the exact story that I want in the end, so I can't fault Tahereh for that alone. 
 Ana: Seeing a series you love come to an end is bittersweet. Even if you get what you want, the knowledge that you'll never play in this world with these characters again is sad. I loved this ending and I think that Tahereh did exactly what she hinted at doing throughout the entire series. For some that didn't sit well...for me, it was right. And, as I'd hoped, my heart beat faster with each page I turned. A fitting end to a great series! 
 Main Characters 
 -- Juliette -- 
 Christina: It was great to witness Juliette finally finding herself in this novel. I appreciated her growth and how she realized her inner strength was more infallible than her physical capabilities. It was also nice to see her own her feelings and that she was who she was, potentially deadly, but also beautiful and worthy of love and friendship. 
 Ana: Juliette is finally the kick-ass character I knew she could be. She's come into herself and all she needed was a little nudge from the right person. I found myself shouting "you go, girl" several times in this book (disclaimer...I do most of my shouting inside my head so no one around me was in any danger of hearing damage). 
 -- Warner -- 
 Christina: I'm going to try to put more in this section than a bunch of girly siiiiiiiighs, swoons, and flailing, but that's how I basically was throughout every Warner scene in this book. He only managed to make me fall more and more in love with him with every interaction and conversation. To me, he's the best character (aside from Kenji) that Mafi created. He has a wholesomeness to him, with layer upon complex layer to be uncovered. Quite frankly, I don't see how you can't be a Warner girl after you finish this book... even if you are still Team Adam. (I was a Warner girl before it was cool. I've loved him ever since Shatter Me when everyone said he was a manipulative, scheming psycho. See my "apparently I lust the crazy dudes" shelf.) He's everything that I find sexy: a determined, dirty talking, swoony-sweet-line delivering, vulnerable, intensely passionate, undeniably attractive guy who likes a girl that can kick ass without regret. He's the guy my dreams are made of, so feel free to judge. I have zero effs to give. 
 Ana: Really...is there anything left to say after that?!?! Christina captures everything I wanted to say and then some. Unbeknownst to me, Warner lassoed my heart way back in book one...then he simply, slowly, methodically tightened that rope until he'd completely captured my heart. For the record, I believe this is the first time I've ever changed teams!! 
 -- Adam -- 
 Christina: {WARNING: POSSIBLE SPOILERS IN THIS SECTION!} From the few reviews that I've glanced at, those people have been very upset with how Adam's character was treated and think that he regressed in his character development. While I can see their points, I can't help but appreciate that Mafi allowed his character to get pissed off, to say hateful things and lash out at Juliette. He didn't keep his feelings to himself, he didn't not fight for her affection, nor did he let her just walk away without letting her know what he thought on the matter. (Edward Cullen, I'm looking at you.) To me, that makes his character more believable. I identified with that. It's a defense mechanism of sorts, to want to make people hurt more than they hurt me. Immature? Yes, probably, but we're (Adam and I) are only human. Where I place fault with Mafi is in the fact that I don't ever feel like Adam got to redeem himself for his outbursts. It wouldn't have taken but a couple of passages to express this, even if he never said an actual apology. Because, at the end of the day, if his love for Juliette was as strong as he thought it was, then he would have seen that she was happier and he would've been happy for her... or, you know, at least not wished that she were dead. {END POSSIBLE SPOILERS.} 
 Ana: Finally Adam was allowed to show emotion...allowed to be angry...allowed to act out. For so long he's been Juliette's rock. He's kept it together, allowed her to feel and rage while he stood by. And, now, he's had his moment. He's hurt, dejected, tired...and he's come to the breaking point. My heart tore into a million pieces for him. But, ultimately, I can understand where he's coming from and why this was necessary. I do have to agree with Christina about the chance to redeem himself but, at the same time, sometimes the heart overrules the mind and even the best of us can't see past the anger. 
 Side Characters 
 Christina: KENJI! Lord above, do I love this boy! He provides all the comic relief in an otherwise tense situation and has some of the best one-liners that have ever been written ever. But more importantly, I loved that we got to see a little deeper inside him in this novel, that he has moments of weakness and vulnerability. It was refreshing and only endeared me to him further. If Tahereh really wanted to make my life, she'd give him his on novella, one in which we'd finally see him get a little well-deserved loving. Might I suggest five or so years down the road during a certain couple's wedding? *cough* 
 Oh, and I can't forget James, who's the cutest little badass I know. He talks without fear nor filter. I love him, too. 
 Ana: I want a Kenji story, too! I love Kenji, I love Kenji, I love Kenji. So, ya...I love him! Moving on, I'm glad we got to know more about him and that his friendship with Juliette just continues to grow. He's the kind of person we all want in our lives and I'm glad she's had him throughout this story. As Christina mentioned, James is such a lovely character. He has the uninhibited attitude that only the young posses and his passion and hope adds a wonderful dimension to the story. I was also glad to see that we had an opportunity to get to know a few other characters along the way. 
 Plot/Pacing/Writing 
 Christina: Though everyone isn't a fan of her prose, Mafi still manages to be the coolest word ninja in existence. She's a master wordsmith, flipping words and spinning phrases that fit together perfectly to capture the essence of an image/scene/emotion/relationship. It's stunningly lyrical. 
 "And we are quotation marks, inverted and upside down, clinging to one another at the end of this life sentence. Trapped by lives we did not choose." 
 Overall, the pacing and plot of this novel were slow and enticing at the beginning and then the end flew into hyper-speed and blew right passed me. This is where my rating fell (aside from my minor issue with Adam's character). We spend a good majority of this novel watching this team prepare to go to war and watching the evolution of characters and relationships, and then when it's finally time for battle, it's over in a one-two pop and barely a few pages. For the build-up, I was a little disappointed at the lack of fight. I wanted pages of Anderson being tortured. I wanted Warner to have his revenge. I wanted Adam to have his revenge. I wanted... more. Maybe I'm just a violent person though. 
 Ana: Because I believe that this series was ultimately a character study, I found the slower pace to be perfect. I could be completely wrong but, as I see it, this had nothing to do with the war...it was about providing these characters with the opportunity to come into themselves. To have them understand who they are, to allow them to be vulnerable...to be strong...to love...to hate...to mourn...and to live. And for that, I applaud Tahereh's restraint. I get that the lack of fighting was an issue for some (and, in reality, I think a few more pages would have been nice) but because I've always felt the war was a secondary plot, I wasn't too disappointed. I was much happier to spend the time with certain characters and getting to know what makes them tick! 
 Other Noteworthy UnMentionables 
 Christina: The boardroom table, office walls, tattoos in hidden places, Chapter 55, and "I think," he says, "my heart is going to explode." 
 Ana: I sent a tweet to Tahereh that went something like this.... "Oh @TaherehMafi you sassy minx...you've done it again!!! #igniteme #chaptr55'' So...ya...chapter 55 is a must read! And..."Everything looks so different to me know," he says. "It feels different. It tastes different. You brought me back to life." 
 Rec Ignite Me? 
 Christina: Yes, I would! Even though I would have liked more resolution in a few key places, this story had me flailing and feeling all the feels, which makes it a book worthy of reading. As the last installment of a series, I think it served its purpose for the most part. 
 Ana: Definitely! A great ending to a wonderful series! 
 Rec the entire Shatter Me series? 
 Christina: Yes! I've read every book in this series except for Fracture Me (Shatter Me #2.5), Adam's novella, and I've thoroughly enjoyed each one. They all continue to build on the characters and plot from the previous book, and it was one hell of an entertaining ride. There are characters and quotes that I will carry with me forever and ever. The Shatter Me series is one that I plan to binge-read at some point, and so if you haven't read these, they're an absolute must-read rec from me. 
 Ana: Every book in this series is more that worth reading. There's really no other choice...it you haven't read it, get started today!!