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jadeeby's review against another edition
4.0
Originally posted on my blog Chasing Empty Pavements
So this book was a bit of a mystery for me... when I first saw it, the blurb was actually different than the one that is now listed on Goodreads and Amazon...but even the blurb for it before made it seem insanely interesting. But then... life happened and for some odd reason, this book got buried under a ton of other books and when I finally pulled it out to read it...I really had no idea what it was about other than the vague memory that it was an dystopian/post-apocalyptic and many people enjoyed it.
Holy. Shit.
I'm still trying to gather my thoughts about this novel as I type this and yet the interesting thing is that I didn't love ALL of it. I loved a large chunk of it but even though there were a couple places I really didn't like it...the overall effect of this book is just... whoa.
Like any good dystopian/post-apocalyptic novel...the world has gone to hell in a hand basket and who do you think is behind it? The Government-ish people, of course! This novel follows the "rules" and yet...it's completely different. The first half of the novel where we're introduced to the world, the characters and the structure is so unbelievably addicting, my eyes were glued to every single page. I'm telling you though, some of the descriptions were so hauntingly beautiful, I almost cried. I'm not lying, there were literally a few sentences that were so incredibly beautiful that I had to speak them aloud and let them roll off my tongue to savor the sweetness. I happened to adore most of the characters in this novel....especially the main characters like Pressia, Partridge and Bradwell. To me...Pressia is a more disfigured, less self-assured version of Katniss. She is a survivor against all odds. But in some senses..I feel like she is more real than Katniss because she doesn't have that "badass-ness" throughout the entire novel...really she feels like someone I could know or be friends with. A survivor...and yet no invincible while Katniss feels more like someone I could only hope to know or be friends with. (I love me some Katniss btw). I loved Partridge's I'm-going-to-defy-you-in-spite-of-you-telling-me-not-too and his ruthlessness to achieve his goals even while throwing a friend under the bus. I love the world-building and the whole science-y aspect to this novel. It's incredibly difficult to explain to someone what this book is about in terms of the technology or fusing aspects but when you're reading it...it's like...omg... could this really happen. And I think that's what I loved most about this novel. It scared the utter shit out of me. It felt... so real in a way. I've said it many times before, and I'll say it again, I truly believe the government or any single powerful entity is completely capable and willing to destroy, harm, execute their citizens to gain control of whoever is left whether it's the people they intended to keep or not. Just like Hitler with the Nazi's....he knew what kind of people he wanted to keep and he was not above mass genocide to make it happen. That's why this book scares me. The holocaust was a complete tragedy but with today's societies...could you imagine the damage Hitler and the Nazi's could have done? Can you imagine what the government could do to us if they had the right technology, the desire and the means to do something like this? We'd never know what hit us...I digress. THAT is one of the reasons I love this book so much...it makes you think. It scares you. It brings you to your knees and makes you weep with appreciation to the writing gods that someone could craft such a perfect sentence. That, my friends, is why this book deserves to be read.
This novel is one of those oddities that actually does have some rather weak spots...things that I would attack viciously had I disliked the rest of the book. But in comparison to what I loved, I fear that I may be going easy on the weaknesses I discovered. Nevertheless, I'll discuss them. Firstly, it felt like the first half and the second half of the book were written by two different people in a way. The first half was descriptive, clear, brilliant...but the second half kind of fell apart. Once the main characters start their journey together it all get's a little confusing and the plot holes start to gape a little wider. I think my biggest complaint is that the entire first half, something (don't want to spoil it) is built up to extreme lengths. The characters are risking their lives for this, everything they've talked, thought, dreamed about culminates to finding this one thing.... but when they finally do...it falls short. There are a few twists afterwards, but it just feels like such a let down after setting our sights so high. The romance was another aspect that I thought was underdeveloped and not fully explored. Don't get me wrong, I actually enjoyed the romance between the two characters, but it sort of felt like an afterthought rather than a subplot. And in books like this....honestly the romance isn't even necessary since so much other big stuff is going on. The other big thing to note is that the "how," and "why," of entire novel is not explained. I understand this is a series and I understand maybe it will be described later, but Baggott still had a responsibility to let us in on a little bit. She tries very hard to do this with Partridge's mother and father as well as Bradwell's parents, but she doesn't execute it properly and she ran dangerously close to me not believing what she had to say...and that is the KISS OF DEATH for novels like this. Authors need readers to hang on every word and believe in this world otherwise it's not going to be genuine and they're going to lose interest.
Overall, this book exceeded all of my expectations and more and I'm actually really glad I re-discovered it and read it now since FUSE, the next book in the series is out next week! You guys, I'm serious, this is a book you just have to read. It won't take you hardly any time because it's that's addicting and that good. I promise it will be worth your time and if it isn't....umm...then...you can yell at me. Publicly. Go forth, my dear readers and read Pure today!
**I received this book free from the publisher through www.netgalley.com. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
So this book was a bit of a mystery for me... when I first saw it, the blurb was actually different than the one that is now listed on Goodreads and Amazon...but even the blurb for it before made it seem insanely interesting. But then... life happened and for some odd reason, this book got buried under a ton of other books and when I finally pulled it out to read it...I really had no idea what it was about other than the vague memory that it was an dystopian/post-apocalyptic and many people enjoyed it.
Holy. Shit.
I'm still trying to gather my thoughts about this novel as I type this and yet the interesting thing is that I didn't love ALL of it. I loved a large chunk of it but even though there were a couple places I really didn't like it...the overall effect of this book is just... whoa.
Like any good dystopian/post-apocalyptic novel...the world has gone to hell in a hand basket and who do you think is behind it? The Government-ish people, of course! This novel follows the "rules" and yet...it's completely different. The first half of the novel where we're introduced to the world, the characters and the structure is so unbelievably addicting, my eyes were glued to every single page. I'm telling you though, some of the descriptions were so hauntingly beautiful, I almost cried. I'm not lying, there were literally a few sentences that were so incredibly beautiful that I had to speak them aloud and let them roll off my tongue to savor the sweetness. I happened to adore most of the characters in this novel....especially the main characters like Pressia, Partridge and Bradwell. To me...Pressia is a more disfigured, less self-assured version of Katniss. She is a survivor against all odds. But in some senses..I feel like she is more real than Katniss because she doesn't have that "badass-ness" throughout the entire novel...really she feels like someone I could know or be friends with. A survivor...and yet no invincible while Katniss feels more like someone I could only hope to know or be friends with. (I love me some Katniss btw). I loved Partridge's I'm-going-to-defy-you-in-spite-of-you-telling-me-not-too and his ruthlessness to achieve his goals even while throwing a friend under the bus. I love the world-building and the whole science-y aspect to this novel. It's incredibly difficult to explain to someone what this book is about in terms of the technology or fusing aspects but when you're reading it...it's like...omg... could this really happen. And I think that's what I loved most about this novel. It scared the utter shit out of me. It felt... so real in a way. I've said it many times before, and I'll say it again, I truly believe the government or any single powerful entity is completely capable and willing to destroy, harm, execute their citizens to gain control of whoever is left whether it's the people they intended to keep or not. Just like Hitler with the Nazi's....he knew what kind of people he wanted to keep and he was not above mass genocide to make it happen. That's why this book scares me. The holocaust was a complete tragedy but with today's societies...could you imagine the damage Hitler and the Nazi's could have done? Can you imagine what the government could do to us if they had the right technology, the desire and the means to do something like this? We'd never know what hit us...I digress. THAT is one of the reasons I love this book so much...it makes you think. It scares you. It brings you to your knees and makes you weep with appreciation to the writing gods that someone could craft such a perfect sentence. That, my friends, is why this book deserves to be read.
This novel is one of those oddities that actually does have some rather weak spots...things that I would attack viciously had I disliked the rest of the book. But in comparison to what I loved, I fear that I may be going easy on the weaknesses I discovered. Nevertheless, I'll discuss them. Firstly, it felt like the first half and the second half of the book were written by two different people in a way. The first half was descriptive, clear, brilliant...but the second half kind of fell apart. Once the main characters start their journey together it all get's a little confusing and the plot holes start to gape a little wider. I think my biggest complaint is that the entire first half, something (don't want to spoil it) is built up to extreme lengths. The characters are risking their lives for this, everything they've talked, thought, dreamed about culminates to finding this one thing.... but when they finally do...it falls short. There are a few twists afterwards, but it just feels like such a let down after setting our sights so high. The romance was another aspect that I thought was underdeveloped and not fully explored. Don't get me wrong, I actually enjoyed the romance between the two characters, but it sort of felt like an afterthought rather than a subplot. And in books like this....honestly the romance isn't even necessary since so much other big stuff is going on. The other big thing to note is that the "how," and "why," of entire novel is not explained. I understand this is a series and I understand maybe it will be described later, but Baggott still had a responsibility to let us in on a little bit. She tries very hard to do this with Partridge's mother and father as well as Bradwell's parents, but she doesn't execute it properly and she ran dangerously close to me not believing what she had to say...and that is the KISS OF DEATH for novels like this. Authors need readers to hang on every word and believe in this world otherwise it's not going to be genuine and they're going to lose interest.
Overall, this book exceeded all of my expectations and more and I'm actually really glad I re-discovered it and read it now since FUSE, the next book in the series is out next week! You guys, I'm serious, this is a book you just have to read. It won't take you hardly any time because it's that's addicting and that good. I promise it will be worth your time and if it isn't....umm...then...you can yell at me. Publicly. Go forth, my dear readers and read Pure today!
**I received this book free from the publisher through www.netgalley.com. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
missbookiverse's review against another edition
4.0
Lang und breit
Es gibt sie noch! Die Dystopie-Trilogie-Auftaktbände, die mehr können als hohle Figuren durch eine halb erdachte Welt der Zukunft zu schicken, damit sie sich am Ende aus unerklärlichen Gründen verlieben. Julianna Baggott, ihrerseits keine Debütautorin mehr, hat all das richtig gemacht, was die ganzen anderen Neuerscheinungen momentan kaum noch auf die Reihe kriegen.
Es geht mit der Welt los. Die Geschichte spielt in der Zukunft, in einer so genannten Dom-Gesellschaft. Die, die es gut erwischt haben, leben sicher unter einer riesigen Kuppel. Die weniger Glücklichen müssen draußen um ihr Überleben kämpfen. Für diese Menschen hat die Autorin sich etwas ganz Besonderes ausgedacht. Durch Explosionen und die Freisetzung molekular-verändernder Substanzen (oder so ähnlich) sind viele Menschen mit ihrer Umwelt oder was/wer gerade in der Nähe war verschmolzen. Mehrere Menschen sind zu einem verwachsen, andere besitzen eine mit Glasscherben versetzte Haut. Zu viele Beispiele möchte ich hier nicht vorwegnehmen, diese Mutationen selbst zu entdecken, macht nämlich einen hohen Schauerreiz dieses Romans aus.
Die Welt selbst ist äußerst komplex. Julianna Baggott hat sich nicht nur über ihr Aussehen sondern auch über politische Strukturen und Hintergründe Gedanken gemacht. Zuweilen hat mich das ein wenig erschlagen und überfordert, aber es ist auch nicht so, dass man nicht mehr mitkommt, wenn man mal zwei Seiten lang ein wenig abschaltet.
Der Schreibstil könnte für manche Leser ein Hindernis darstellen. Die Präsensform hat mich immer wieder ein bisschen aus dem Lesefluss geworfen und die Perspektiven werden des Öfteren gewechselt, was mich jedoch nicht gestört hat. Die Charaktere kamen mir dadurch nicht unpersönlich vor. Dennoch hat Julianna Baggott keine Strandlektüre geschrieben. Das Buch liest sich nicht an einem Nachmittag und ich musste es ab und zu mal zur Seite legen.
Die Figuren tragen ungewöhnliche Namen, die sich aber doch irgendwie als einprägsam erweisen. Vor allem der Name Ingership schwirrt mir immer noch manchmal im Kopf herum.
Die drei wichtigsten Charaktere – Pressia, Bradwell und Partridge – ergeben eine fantastische Mischung. Sie haben alle ihr eigenen Stärken und Schwächen. In einer Welt wie Pure sie bietet, hätte ich jeden von ihnen gern zur Verstärkung an meiner Seite.
Kurz und knapp
Julianna Baggott liefert endlich mal wieder einen Dystopieauftakt wie ich ihn mir vorstelle. Die Welt ist schaurig, die Charaktere dreidimensional und die Handlung alles andere als voraussehbar. Nur mit dem Schreibstil muss man sich erst mal anfreunden.
Es gibt sie noch! Die Dystopie-Trilogie-Auftaktbände, die mehr können als hohle Figuren durch eine halb erdachte Welt der Zukunft zu schicken, damit sie sich am Ende aus unerklärlichen Gründen verlieben. Julianna Baggott, ihrerseits keine Debütautorin mehr, hat all das richtig gemacht, was die ganzen anderen Neuerscheinungen momentan kaum noch auf die Reihe kriegen.
Es geht mit der Welt los. Die Geschichte spielt in der Zukunft, in einer so genannten Dom-Gesellschaft. Die, die es gut erwischt haben, leben sicher unter einer riesigen Kuppel. Die weniger Glücklichen müssen draußen um ihr Überleben kämpfen. Für diese Menschen hat die Autorin sich etwas ganz Besonderes ausgedacht. Durch Explosionen und die Freisetzung molekular-verändernder Substanzen (oder so ähnlich) sind viele Menschen mit ihrer Umwelt oder was/wer gerade in der Nähe war verschmolzen. Mehrere Menschen sind zu einem verwachsen, andere besitzen eine mit Glasscherben versetzte Haut. Zu viele Beispiele möchte ich hier nicht vorwegnehmen, diese Mutationen selbst zu entdecken, macht nämlich einen hohen Schauerreiz dieses Romans aus.
Die Welt selbst ist äußerst komplex. Julianna Baggott hat sich nicht nur über ihr Aussehen sondern auch über politische Strukturen und Hintergründe Gedanken gemacht. Zuweilen hat mich das ein wenig erschlagen und überfordert, aber es ist auch nicht so, dass man nicht mehr mitkommt, wenn man mal zwei Seiten lang ein wenig abschaltet.
Der Schreibstil könnte für manche Leser ein Hindernis darstellen. Die Präsensform hat mich immer wieder ein bisschen aus dem Lesefluss geworfen und die Perspektiven werden des Öfteren gewechselt, was mich jedoch nicht gestört hat. Die Charaktere kamen mir dadurch nicht unpersönlich vor. Dennoch hat Julianna Baggott keine Strandlektüre geschrieben. Das Buch liest sich nicht an einem Nachmittag und ich musste es ab und zu mal zur Seite legen.
Die Figuren tragen ungewöhnliche Namen, die sich aber doch irgendwie als einprägsam erweisen. Vor allem der Name Ingership schwirrt mir immer noch manchmal im Kopf herum.
Die drei wichtigsten Charaktere – Pressia, Bradwell und Partridge – ergeben eine fantastische Mischung. Sie haben alle ihr eigenen Stärken und Schwächen. In einer Welt wie Pure sie bietet, hätte ich jeden von ihnen gern zur Verstärkung an meiner Seite.
Kurz und knapp
Julianna Baggott liefert endlich mal wieder einen Dystopieauftakt wie ich ihn mir vorstelle. Die Welt ist schaurig, die Charaktere dreidimensional und die Handlung alles andere als voraussehbar. Nur mit dem Schreibstil muss man sich erst mal anfreunden.
michalice's review against another edition
4.0
I have had my eye on Pure for a while and was happy to receive a copy for review.
When I started reading Pure I thought it was a lot darker than what I expected it to be, but I still really liked it. I liked how people were affected from the Detonations, either being fused with things; dolls head, metal, cars, glass, birds. or being fused together; groupies, or ended up being creatures that hid in the dirt and dust.
From the moment I began reading it was easy to fall into the world of the Pures and the Wretches and see how each group of people lives their lives. Some living in the comfort of the Dome, and others taking one day at a time and trying to survive at all costs.
I felt sorry for the people affected by the Detonations and for what they had become and found myself cheering them on when they came under attack wanting them to get the upper hand. They are true survivors and I really looked up to them.
Bradwell, a Wretch like Pressia, was an enigma. I really didn't know how to take him, whether he was good, bad or just not that interested on being on either side but throughout Pure I managed to see a different side to him and really liked what he came to be and I am really really looking forward to seeing what happens next with him. When El Capitan was first introduced I didn't like him, and even up to the end of Pure, even though he does show a good side to him I still don't trust him.
Pressia is a Wretch, she looks after her grandfather and makes sure they survive each day, and even after everything she has been through and everything she finds out about herself she doesn't waver from what she set out to do. She is strong, tough and a real survivor.
Julianna's writing captivated me from page one, I fell hook, line and sinker into the world within the pages of Pure and found it hard to rag myself back out. There was never a dull moment with something always going on and I will defiantly be putting a copy of Pure on my shelves and plan to read the next book in the series as soon as it is released.
When I started reading Pure I thought it was a lot darker than what I expected it to be, but I still really liked it. I liked how people were affected from the Detonations, either being fused with things; dolls head, metal, cars, glass, birds. or being fused together; groupies, or ended up being creatures that hid in the dirt and dust.
From the moment I began reading it was easy to fall into the world of the Pures and the Wretches and see how each group of people lives their lives. Some living in the comfort of the Dome, and others taking one day at a time and trying to survive at all costs.
I felt sorry for the people affected by the Detonations and for what they had become and found myself cheering them on when they came under attack wanting them to get the upper hand. They are true survivors and I really looked up to them.
Bradwell, a Wretch like Pressia, was an enigma. I really didn't know how to take him, whether he was good, bad or just not that interested on being on either side but throughout Pure I managed to see a different side to him and really liked what he came to be and I am really really looking forward to seeing what happens next with him. When El Capitan was first introduced I didn't like him, and even up to the end of Pure, even though he does show a good side to him I still don't trust him.
Pressia is a Wretch, she looks after her grandfather and makes sure they survive each day, and even after everything she has been through and everything she finds out about herself she doesn't waver from what she set out to do. She is strong, tough and a real survivor.
Julianna's writing captivated me from page one, I fell hook, line and sinker into the world within the pages of Pure and found it hard to rag myself back out. There was never a dull moment with something always going on and I will defiantly be putting a copy of Pure on my shelves and plan to read the next book in the series as soon as it is released.
patchworkbunny's review against another edition
4.0
Pressia was only a young child the day of the Detonations. The day that changed the world forever. Those inside the dome were protected but the masses left outside were irrevocably changed; the combination of radiation and nanotechnology leaving them fused with their surroundings. When Pressia turns sixteen, she is expected to join the OSR, a militia intent on taking over the dome and the Pures inside but like everyone else her age, she will do whatever she can to avoid them.
Julianna Baggott has created a dark and oppressive world in Pure. Pressia’s hand has been fused with the doll she was holding when the detonations happened. Bradwell shares his back with a flock of birds. El Captian and his brother now share the same body. It’s a book in which physical perfection has little bearing. Where Patridge is a Pure from the dome, his appearance is more shocking to the so-called wretches who only have the memories of what their bodies were like in the Before.
Whilst told in third person narrative, the story does jump between perspectives and it took me a while to get into the story. There is quite a lot to take in, especially in a world so changed from ours. I also over-though the detonations; at first I assumed they were nuclear bombs and the fusings and resulting DNA mutations didn’t quite make sense. However, a brief pseudo-science explanation is given, that there was nanotechnology combined in the bombs, partly designed to regenerate tissue and to do something a bit vague with DNA. If you don’t think about it too much you’ll be fine!
Once I got into the story, I didn’t want to put it down. The post-apocalyptic world is more than just a setting for a coming of age story. In fact, I think Pressia has already grown up very much before this story starts. It’s not reliant on romance to drive the plot. It is about relationships under extreme conditions; loyalties and sacrifices. When to be selfish and when to fight for something bigger. I did think Partridge was a bit stupid at times, but he has had a sheltered existence and it probably suits his character.
It's one of those books that treads the line between YA and adult fiction. I would certainly recommend to those who wouldn't normally pick up a YA book. I'm excited to read the next instalment, Fuse, but not because Pure has a non-ending. In fact, it's been the first time in ages that I haven't been annoyed by the ending of book one in a trilogy!
Julianna Baggott has created a dark and oppressive world in Pure. Pressia’s hand has been fused with the doll she was holding when the detonations happened. Bradwell shares his back with a flock of birds. El Captian and his brother now share the same body. It’s a book in which physical perfection has little bearing. Where Patridge is a Pure from the dome, his appearance is more shocking to the so-called wretches who only have the memories of what their bodies were like in the Before.
Whilst told in third person narrative, the story does jump between perspectives and it took me a while to get into the story. There is quite a lot to take in, especially in a world so changed from ours. I also over-though the detonations; at first I assumed they were nuclear bombs and the fusings and resulting DNA mutations didn’t quite make sense. However, a brief pseudo-science explanation is given, that there was nanotechnology combined in the bombs, partly designed to regenerate tissue and to do something a bit vague with DNA. If you don’t think about it too much you’ll be fine!
Once I got into the story, I didn’t want to put it down. The post-apocalyptic world is more than just a setting for a coming of age story. In fact, I think Pressia has already grown up very much before this story starts. It’s not reliant on romance to drive the plot. It is about relationships under extreme conditions; loyalties and sacrifices. When to be selfish and when to fight for something bigger. I did think Partridge was a bit stupid at times, but he has had a sheltered existence and it probably suits his character.
It's one of those books that treads the line between YA and adult fiction. I would certainly recommend to those who wouldn't normally pick up a YA book. I'm excited to read the next instalment, Fuse, but not because Pure has a non-ending. In fact, it's been the first time in ages that I haven't been annoyed by the ending of book one in a trilogy!
natidelgadov's review against another edition
4.0
Me gustó mucho éste libro, no logró llegar a las 5 estrellas dado a que el principio me pareció un poco lento, pero a medida que avanzaba la historia se hacía cada vez más interesante y terminó con un final que te hace querer leer el siguiente libro.
pewterwolf's review against another edition
4.0
Review Taken from The Pewter Wolf
When Ben from Headline (hi Ben!) asked if I had heard of Pure and its sequel, [b:Fuse|15788618|Fuse (Pure, #2)|Julianna Baggott|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1355275903s/15788618.jpg|14642009], by Julianna Baggott, I was honest: no, I hadn't. When he asked if I wanted to read both of them, I said yes with no real idea of what the books were about (probably a wise decision) but when I agreed, I did very little information hunting and discovered the following:
1. This book has received a lot of praise
2. This book was described as dystopian/post-apocalyptic read
3. It had the line "If you liked The Hunger Games, you'll love Pure" (A statement I dislike - but we'll talk about why on a later date, shall we?)
4. When I got the ARCs of both books, my other half called it "The Naked Book" as there was NOTHING on the cover. It was a blank white cover.
After the dropping of the Detonations, the world is split into two groups of people: the Pures and the Wretches. The Pures, who live inside the Dome, safe from the effects of the Detonations. And the Wretches, who felt the effects of the Dentonations and were fused into whatever was closest to them; wherever that was a doll, birds, a handheld fans, the pavement, other people (friends, strangers, your children), the list goes on...
Pressia lives outside the Dome, a Wretch with a doll head instead of a hand, trying to survive. Partridge, a Pure inside the Dome, knows he's not as perfect as the other Pures. And when Partridge's father says something about his mother, Partridge and Pressia's lives are thrown together in a way that no one, not even they, could imagine.
I am going to state this now and will say it again at the end of the review: Pure is the most frightening post-apocalyptic read I have read in a very long time, if not EVER!
I feel I should explain this statement. In most, if not all the dystopian novels I read, I want there to be a grain of truth. A feeling that what the book is suggesting COULD happen if we're not careful. This is why, I think, The Hunger Games trilogy, the Matched trilogy, Divergent, Chaos Walking, Under the Never Sky trilogy and the Delirium trilogy have hit a nerve with us readers. It could happen if we're not careful. But Pure is the most frightening as we're almost there. It's not years in the future, but it's frighteningly close to us. The idea that the atom bomb having side effects (and yet, how many countries have their own nuclear weapons?) is terrifying so the ideas the author put forward aren't as implausible as you first think...
This book is very dark, very morbid and violent (though Julianna never glamorised the violence. She merely states it). This is not a book for the faint-hearted. You can't go into this, thinking it's a light read. If you do, I give you a matter of two or three pages before you realise your mistake.
The writing caught me up and, while there were times I wondered why I was reading this as it was so dark, I kept me turning pages, desperate for more.
There are faults (don't I always?). I might be alone with this but it took a while to connect to the characters. I did by the end of the book (hence me going "WHERE DID I PUT THE SEQUEL?!") but for a while, I didn't connect with the leads. But I think the author did this on purpose. This isn't a book you can jump straight into. You have to invest in this book.
The second thing is that this book is SO morbid. It is very morbid and dark. This will turn some of you guys off, I know this hence why I am telling you. At times, I was wondering why I was reading this dark, when the tiny moments of happiness and joy last mere pages. But again, I think the author did this on purpose. In a world that she is writing, a world that is so harsh and cruel, when you discover a tiny moment of beauty, you cling to it with everything you have because you don't know if you're going to have another moment like this...
As I have said earlier, this book is the most frightening post-apocalyptic novel I think I have ever read (and the fact that the film rights to Pure have been bought and will produced by one of the lead producers of the Twilight Saga just boggles my brain as to HOW they are going to bring it to the big screen). I do have EVERY intention to read the sequel, Fuse, but am scared to at the same time... Wish me luck!
When Ben from Headline (hi Ben!) asked if I had heard of Pure and its sequel, [b:Fuse|15788618|Fuse (Pure, #2)|Julianna Baggott|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1355275903s/15788618.jpg|14642009], by Julianna Baggott, I was honest: no, I hadn't. When he asked if I wanted to read both of them, I said yes with no real idea of what the books were about (probably a wise decision) but when I agreed, I did very little information hunting and discovered the following:
1. This book has received a lot of praise
2. This book was described as dystopian/post-apocalyptic read
3. It had the line "If you liked The Hunger Games, you'll love Pure" (A statement I dislike - but we'll talk about why on a later date, shall we?)
4. When I got the ARCs of both books, my other half called it "The Naked Book" as there was NOTHING on the cover. It was a blank white cover.
After the dropping of the Detonations, the world is split into two groups of people: the Pures and the Wretches. The Pures, who live inside the Dome, safe from the effects of the Detonations. And the Wretches, who felt the effects of the Dentonations and were fused into whatever was closest to them; wherever that was a doll, birds, a handheld fans, the pavement, other people (friends, strangers, your children), the list goes on...
Pressia lives outside the Dome, a Wretch with a doll head instead of a hand, trying to survive. Partridge, a Pure inside the Dome, knows he's not as perfect as the other Pures. And when Partridge's father says something about his mother, Partridge and Pressia's lives are thrown together in a way that no one, not even they, could imagine.
I am going to state this now and will say it again at the end of the review: Pure is the most frightening post-apocalyptic read I have read in a very long time, if not EVER!
I feel I should explain this statement. In most, if not all the dystopian novels I read, I want there to be a grain of truth. A feeling that what the book is suggesting COULD happen if we're not careful. This is why, I think, The Hunger Games trilogy, the Matched trilogy, Divergent, Chaos Walking, Under the Never Sky trilogy and the Delirium trilogy have hit a nerve with us readers. It could happen if we're not careful. But Pure is the most frightening as we're almost there. It's not years in the future, but it's frighteningly close to us. The idea that the atom bomb having side effects (and yet, how many countries have their own nuclear weapons?) is terrifying so the ideas the author put forward aren't as implausible as you first think...
This book is very dark, very morbid and violent (though Julianna never glamorised the violence. She merely states it). This is not a book for the faint-hearted. You can't go into this, thinking it's a light read. If you do, I give you a matter of two or three pages before you realise your mistake.
The writing caught me up and, while there were times I wondered why I was reading this as it was so dark, I kept me turning pages, desperate for more.
There are faults (don't I always?). I might be alone with this but it took a while to connect to the characters. I did by the end of the book (hence me going "WHERE DID I PUT THE SEQUEL?!") but for a while, I didn't connect with the leads. But I think the author did this on purpose. This isn't a book you can jump straight into. You have to invest in this book.
The second thing is that this book is SO morbid. It is very morbid and dark. This will turn some of you guys off, I know this hence why I am telling you. At times, I was wondering why I was reading this dark, when the tiny moments of happiness and joy last mere pages. But again, I think the author did this on purpose. In a world that she is writing, a world that is so harsh and cruel, when you discover a tiny moment of beauty, you cling to it with everything you have because you don't know if you're going to have another moment like this...
As I have said earlier, this book is the most frightening post-apocalyptic novel I think I have ever read (and the fact that the film rights to Pure have been bought and will produced by one of the lead producers of the Twilight Saga just boggles my brain as to HOW they are going to bring it to the big screen). I do have EVERY intention to read the sequel, Fuse, but am scared to at the same time... Wish me luck!
jenlaughs's review against another edition
4.0
By far the most disturbing book I've read since The Handmaid's Tale 20 years ago.
b00kluver's review against another edition
5.0
I first read this in June 2012.
I really enjoyed this book. I've read a few dystopian-themed books lately but I found this one to be quite original.
There is nothing pretty about this story - the way that survivors (or wretches) are fused to one another and/or objects is disturbing and imaginative.
I also liked that there were multiple layers of good guys/bad guys. At first, Pressia is hiding from the Dome and the rebel forces, the OSR. In many such books, there appear to only be two sides - the good and the bad. In this case, it's more like the worse and the worst. Until the true rebels are revealed.
I really enjoyed this book. I've read a few dystopian-themed books lately but I found this one to be quite original.
There is nothing pretty about this story - the way that survivors (or wretches) are fused to one another and/or objects is disturbing and imaginative.
I also liked that there were multiple layers of good guys/bad guys. At first, Pressia is hiding from the Dome and the rebel forces, the OSR. In many such books, there appear to only be two sides - the good and the bad. In this case, it's more like the worse and the worst. Until the true rebels are revealed.
cathiedalziel's review against another edition
4.0
Not sure how I feel about this book. Baggott does a very good job in building a world that is totally depraved. A world that has no value or sentiment for human life.
Did I like this book. No. But a review shouldn't be based on what I like. A book review's purpose is to let other's know if the book is well written, if the story is original, if the plot makes you feel emotions. This book is all that; hence my 4 stars.
My recommendation is to take a lot of gravol while reading this one. My stomach was quesy and I had bile in my throat more than once. This book is graphic and it succeeds in evoking strong emotions (at least it did in me). It is definitely one of the creepiest and darkest YA dystopias I've read so far.
I hope we never get to this level of human commodity exchange for the ultimate purpose.
I'm not sure how I feel about Pressia, the main character. She is more stoic and brave than I ever will be or ever want to be.
The ending surprised me (the epilogue)in that it was sweet and emotional and dared to believe in hope for the future; real hope of goodness not just a wish. It fit with the story but was not like the story that was told to that point. Think of Terminator 2 with the gritty tale of life now and then the ending of emotion that made your heart feel when it was not use to feeling, and you'll get the point.
I may just read the next book in the series [b:Fuse|9752754|Fuse (Pure #2)|Julianna Baggott|http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1362017479s/9752754.jpg|14642009][bc:Fuse|9752754|Fuse (Pure #2)|Julianna Baggott|http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1362017479s/9752754.jpg|14642009] to see whether their hopes ever come true. Before I do I will have to line my stomach with steel and get blotto (100% Moonshine), so it may be awhile before you see that review.
If you're a gore fan, you will probably relish this read. It's brutal and it takes you into a world not for the squemish.
Did I like this book. No. But a review shouldn't be based on what I like. A book review's purpose is to let other's know if the book is well written, if the story is original, if the plot makes you feel emotions. This book is all that; hence my 4 stars.
My recommendation is to take a lot of gravol while reading this one. My stomach was quesy and I had bile in my throat more than once. This book is graphic and it succeeds in evoking strong emotions (at least it did in me). It is definitely one of the creepiest and darkest YA dystopias I've read so far.
I hope we never get to this level of human commodity exchange for the ultimate purpose.
I'm not sure how I feel about Pressia, the main character. She is more stoic and brave than I ever will be or ever want to be.
The ending surprised me (the epilogue)in that it was sweet and emotional and dared to believe in hope for the future; real hope of goodness not just a wish. It fit with the story but was not like the story that was told to that point. Think of Terminator 2 with the gritty tale of life now and then the ending of emotion that made your heart feel when it was not use to feeling, and you'll get the point.
I may just read the next book in the series [b:Fuse|9752754|Fuse (Pure #2)|Julianna Baggott|http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1362017479s/9752754.jpg|14642009][bc:Fuse|9752754|Fuse (Pure #2)|Julianna Baggott|http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1362017479s/9752754.jpg|14642009] to see whether their hopes ever come true. Before I do I will have to line my stomach with steel and get blotto (100% Moonshine), so it may be awhile before you see that review.
If you're a gore fan, you will probably relish this read. It's brutal and it takes you into a world not for the squemish.
feistyiris's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0