ARC Review of 'RELEASE ME' by Tahereh Mafi

Release Me by Tahereh Mafi continues the story after Watch Me, set in the New Republic era. Rosabelle Wolff, the girl raised as a weapon by the Reestablishment, now finds herself inside the New Republic which is the same place built by the heroes of the original series. She is being held there while hiding important information about a dangerous plan connected to her past. At the same time, James Anderson (Aaron Warner’s youngest brother) becomes more and more involved with her, trying to understand her and get her to trust him, even though they are clearly not on the same page.

There are parts of this book that work very well. Mafi is still good at writing emotional moments and a few scenes do stand out. One of the most interesting aspects is how Rosabelle sees the New Republic. To her, a world without constant control and surveillance feels strange and even wrong. People are loud, free, and unmonitored, and instead of feeling safe, she sees it as disorder. This contrast is one of the strongest ideas in the book and could have been explored even more.

Some of the old character dynamics are still enjoyable too. Warner, in particular, stands out. He feels calm, logical and in control at least compared to everyone else. There are also small moments with the original cast that remind you why this world was so enjoyable in the first place.

However, the biggest issue with Release Me is that it feels slow and stuck. Most of the story takes place in the New Republic capital, which already feels like a safe place to readers. Because of that, the tension is low from the start. On top of that, the main conflict isn’t driven by action but by miscommunication.

The story is filled with characters not telling each other things. Conversations go in circles. People argue, stop and then repeat the same arguments again. This makes the book feel repetitive, like it’s not moving forward. The tension keeps restarting.

Another problem is that the book doesn’t follow up well on what Watch Me set up. The reveal about Hugo being Rosabelle’s father and his past as a commander seemed important, but here it is barely explored. Most of what we learn is mentioned briefly instead of being shown properly. It feels like the story avoids going deeper into things that actually matter.

The pacing also feels uneven. For a long time, very little happens. Then near the end, major plot points suddenly appear all at once. Important information about the larger threat is revealed quickly, which makes it feel rushed after so much slow buildup.

The characters also feel a bit different from before. Some of the humor doesn’t land as well, and even familiar characters don’t feel as sharp as they used to. Rosabelle, who could have been a very strong and complex character, often feels limited because she keeps holding back information instead of actively driving the story.

In the end, Release Me has a strong idea and an interesting setup. It, however, feels more like a bridge between books than a complete story on its own. There are still moments that remind you why this series works, but overall, it spends too much time going in circles.

Many thanks to HarperCollins for an advance copy!

ISBN: 9780063480339

Pub Date: April 7, 2026