fter nearly a year’s wait, prepare to return to the Shatter Me universe this upcoming April as Taherih Mafi’s newest book Release Me finally hits the shelves. The first book, Watch Me, in this new series The New Republic, was a major hit, having tugged at readers’ heartstrings at seeing James Anderson all grown up. But there was also some confusion, as it had been such a long time since the release of the original series. So, here is everything you need to remember about each character to be all caught up for the release of Release Me (major spoilers for both the original Shatter Me series, and Watch Me).
Ella Sommers (Juliette Ferrars) – Ella Sommers was one of the first “unnaturals”—as the Reestablishment liked to call people with powers. Her lethal touch made her both feared and weaponized. Both her and her sister, Emmaline, were handed over for experimentation, during which Ella’s memory was wiped repeatedly. Over time, Ella emerged as the leader of the rebellion against Reestablishment, ultimately helping dismantle the regime. She then marries Aaron and now resides at the Sanctuary, where she works toward rebuilding a better world. She is also expecting a child.
Aaron Warner Anderson – Former Commander and Regent of sector 45, Aaron worked for his father, Paris Anderson, the Supreme Commander of North America. Like Ella, Aaron endured repeated memory wipes — orchestrated by his father in an attempt to prevent him from falling in love with Juliette. Aaron ultimately helped Ella to take down the Reestablishment and kill his father. Now, he lives at the Sanctuary with Ella, acting as a protective husband, future father and mentor figure — especially to his younger half-brother, James. His once-isolated existence has transformed into one grounded in family and loyalty. And he even gets along with Kenji, Ella’s best friend.
Kenji Kishimoto – Originally a soldier and friend of Adam, Kenji worked undercover for the Resistance against the Reestablishment, playing a significant role in achieving freedom. He has grown close to many characters like Ella and James. His ability — invisibility — often gave him strategic advantages in battle. Which is something that drew him and Nazeera, his ex-girlfriend, closer throughout the original series. Nazeera and Kenji broke up sometime during the ten years between the last novella of Shatter Me, and Watch Me.
Nazeera Ibrahim – Nazeera is the daughter of the Supreme Commander of Asia and sister to Haider Ibrahim. She very strongly believes in freedom of speech, religion and expression, so she was a pivotal ally to Ella when taking down the Reestablishment. Her powers include flight and invisibility, which created a natural connection with Kenji. Before Watch Me, Nazeera returns to Asia to connect with her roots, culture and people, which was the cause of her and Kenji’s breakup. By the end of Watch Me, we learn that she is back at The Sanctuary for temporary business.
Adam Kent – Adam is the son of Paris Anderson and half-brother to Aaron and older brother to James. His ability is to neutralize the powers of others. He was Ella’s early love interest before their relationship dissolved. He raised James to a certain point, before Aaron took over after the original series. He is now married to a woman named Alia with whom he has two children, a daughter named Gigi and a son named Roman.
James Anderson/Kent – Once the 12-year-old younger brother in Shatter Me, James is now 21 in Watch Me. With rapid healing abilities and a deep desire to prove himself, he becomes the central figure of The New Republic series. As someone who severely wants to live up to Aaron and Kenji, James decides to invade the only place still under surveillance from the Reestablishment, Ark Island. There, he meets a girl named Rosabelle who is sent to kill him, but he evades his death. They escape Ark Island together, and James returns to the sanctuary with her, where they appear to have some romantic tension. He becomes Rosabelle’s sponsor when she is accused of killing another patient at The Sanctuary’s mental healing institution.
Rosabelle Wolff – Rosabelle is a trained assassin who lived on Ark Island at the beginning of Watch me, where she never hesitates when given the order to kill. There, the remaining members of the Reestablishment are all connected to a neurological system called the Nexus which links the thoughts and emotions of each person. This is run by a god-like artificial intelligence called Klaus. Lieutenant Soledad and Sebastian Rivers, higher ups on Ark Island, tried to connect Rosabelle to the Nexus multiple times, but Rosabelle has the rare ability to lower her vital signs to undetectable levels, making her appear dead inside, and rendering her unable to connect to Nexus. Rosabelle has a younger sister, Clara, who is sick, and who was taken recently by the Reestablishment on Ark Island, and she plans to return to Ark Island to save Clara, but she has an 8-week deadline set by Klaus.
These are the characters that you will need to remember the most about, especially James and Rosabelle, as they are the main characters of the new series. But if this still leaves you with questions, there may still be time for a re-read of Watch Me before Release Me comes out!
Contributed Photo/Emma Schippanoski
