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locan's review against another edition
4.0
Before reading
After reading
Forewarning: I am going to be ranting about the end. No spoilers though.
Okay, fine. I'll admit it. I am one of those readers that likes a neat ending. Something that cleans up all loose ends and doesn't leave me having to wonder what the heck is supposed to happen next, or flipping the last page over and over again just in case there was a freaking chapter that I missed somewhere. And this was one of those smack-bang-hi-its-the-end kind of endings that I hate. *coughcough*Requiem*coughcough* And there was A LOT of stuff that was unresolved, like
Now, before all you realists out there explode, yes, I know that it's one of those kinds of stories that is basically impossible to end happily, and the most the author can do is give the readers a little hope, and that real life doesn't always end things neatly, it's usually messy and complicated right up to the end, but still . I read so that I can escape the annoying, complicated, un-happy-ending-ness of the real world. But it's really just my opinion that made me dislike the ending, so if you have nothing against realistically complicated endings, go for it.
But other than the ending, I really enjoyed this book (for the most part). Sure, there were many decisions made that had me cringing and texting people in a LOT of capitals, but the important thing is that I can see why those stupid choices were made, even if when we were looking from someone else's perspective I was about to stab the decision-maker. Seriously.
So, let's talk about the characters (Just the main ones)
Partridge:
My thoughts and feelings about Partridge were all over the place during this book. I went from "Partridge, you are a bloody idiot", to "Wow poor Partridge", to "OMG STOP BEING SO STUPID PARTRIDGE", to "I am so glad I am not in your position, Partridge", to "WHAT THE HECK IS WRONG WITH YOU". At this point in time I am still undecided whether I like him or I want to kill him. While I do understand that he was under a lot of pressure, he was very lost and unprepared and all that,sometimes all of his choices just made me want to reach in and slap him. Seriously, right up until the very last page.
El Capitan (and Helmund):
I lovehim them! I think they were my favourite characters, because a) I loved seeing how El Capitan was dealing with his feelings for Pressia b) watching Helmund come into his own more in this book was fantastic c) I liked their brotherly love that was developed much more in this book and d) they were in most of the cool action scenes, so their chapters were always exciting and something I looked forward to :P By the end, they were really feeling like brothers to me and they were probably the only characters in the whole book that didn't make annoying decisions.
Bradwell:
Oh, Bradwell. ASDFGHJKL;'. Enough said.
Pressia:
I had mixed feelings about Pressia. While I didn't always agree with her decisions/views, I could see where she was coming from and I didn't hold any of the things that came out of it against her. Maybe I'm just biased because she's awesome, and I've known and liked her from the beginning. Either way, I still like her.
Lyda:
Lyda was probably the character I worried for the most, even though I know she is tough (even with a baby) and she was sheltered inside the Dome. At some points I was seriously concerned for her mental health. But, like Pressia, I could see where she was coming from, and that's really all that matters, as a reader, isn't it? I probably empathised with her most because even though her challenges weren't exactly of the life threatening sort, it was still horrible to see her struggle so much and yearn so hard for the outside world where she wasn't treated like glass.
So, to sum it up, Burn was one hell of a ride. I was sneaking up to my room all day just so I could read a chapter or two, but it always turned out more like 4 or 5 chapters, because it was unputdownable. I definitely recommend it to YA fiction lovers, especially those who don't mind a bit of violence and struggle to go in their books. Just... please, Juliana. Just one more book. A novella. Anything! I would just like to see some of the questions answered.
Anyway, bye Pressia, Bradwell, Cap, Helmund, Partridge, Lyda, and everyone. Bye messed up, post-apocalyptic, beautiful, barbaric world.
After reading
Forewarning: I am going to be ranting about the end. No spoilers though.
Okay, fine. I'll admit it. I am one of those readers that likes a neat ending. Something that cleans up all loose ends and doesn't leave me having to wonder what the heck is supposed to happen next, or flipping the last page over and over again just in case there was a freaking chapter that I missed somewhere. And this was one of those smack-bang-hi-its-the-end kind of endings that I hate. *coughcough*Requiem*coughcough* And there was A LOT of stuff that was unresolved, like
Spoiler
Partridge's love triangle, whether the Pures ever got in and killed Partridge and whats-her-face, if Pressia ever found her father, if Partridge ever went and found Lyda, if the Wretches and the Pures managed to get along or maybe they just all killed each other, if Arvin ever made that cure or if he just died in that locked laboratory, the list goes on.Now, before all you realists out there explode, yes, I know that it's one of those kinds of stories that is basically impossible to end happily, and the most the author can do is give the readers a little hope, and that real life doesn't always end things neatly, it's usually messy and complicated right up to the end, but still . I read so that I can escape the annoying, complicated, un-happy-ending-ness of the real world. But it's really just my opinion that made me dislike the ending, so if you have nothing against realistically complicated endings, go for it.
But other than the ending, I really enjoyed this book (for the most part). Sure, there were many decisions made that had me cringing and texting people in a LOT of capitals, but the important thing is that I can see why those stupid choices were made, even if when we were looking from someone else's perspective I was about to stab the decision-maker. Seriously.
So, let's talk about the characters (Just the main ones)
Partridge:
My thoughts and feelings about Partridge were all over the place during this book. I went from "Partridge, you are a bloody idiot", to "Wow poor Partridge", to "OMG STOP BEING SO STUPID PARTRIDGE", to "I am so glad I am not in your position, Partridge", to "WHAT THE HECK IS WRONG WITH YOU". At this point in time I am still undecided whether I like him or I want to kill him. While I do understand that he was under a lot of pressure, he was very lost and unprepared and all that,
El Capitan (and Helmund):
I love
Bradwell:
Oh, Bradwell. ASDFGHJKL;'.
Spoiler
when he died, I actually thought he was cleverly faking it and he would come back to life to see Pressia again, because of how he told El Capitan to check his heartbeat. But, sadly, noPressia:
I had mixed feelings about Pressia. While I didn't always agree with her decisions/views, I could see where she was coming from and I didn't hold any of the things that came out of it against her. Maybe I'm just biased because she's awesome, and I've known and liked her from the beginning. Either way, I still like her.
Lyda:
Lyda was probably the character I worried for the most, even though I know she is tough (even with a baby) and she was sheltered inside the Dome. At some points I was seriously concerned for her mental health
Spoiler
for example in the bit where Pressia came to see herSo, to sum it up, Burn was one hell of a ride. I was sneaking up to my room all day just so I could read a chapter or two, but it always turned out more like 4 or 5 chapters, because it was unputdownable. I definitely recommend it to YA fiction lovers, especially those who don't mind a bit of violence and struggle to go in their books. Just... please, Juliana. Just one more book. A novella. Anything! I would just like to see some of the questions answered.
Anyway, bye Pressia, Bradwell, Cap, Helmund, Partridge, Lyda, and everyone. Bye messed up, post-apocalyptic, beautiful, barbaric world.
lazygal's review against another edition
3.0
This it, I think, the end of the "Pure" series, and it sort-of works as a stand-alone. There is enough exposition in the beginning to help people new to the series work out what happened before, and what's going on now; at times I wondered if I'd read the previous books because of the skillful way that part is done.
Having said that, this version of a dystopia isn't quite my cup of Earl Grey. It's certainly plausible, that there would be an event that would leave people fused to whatever they're holding a the time, and it's equally plausible that some mastermind (evil, of course) would engineer that to help purify the world. We've seen genocides before, right? It's just that, well, for some reason, I didn't care as much as I probably should have cared. That's probably due to the plethora of dystopian books I've been reading the past few years more than anything else, but it's also in part because the characters hadn't grown in ways that made me care more this book than previously.
ARC provided by publisher.
Having said that, this version of a dystopia isn't quite my cup of Earl Grey. It's certainly plausible, that there would be an event that would leave people fused to whatever they're holding a the time, and it's equally plausible that some mastermind (evil, of course) would engineer that to help purify the world. We've seen genocides before, right? It's just that, well, for some reason, I didn't care as much as I probably should have cared. That's probably due to the plethora of dystopian books I've been reading the past few years more than anything else, but it's also in part because the characters hadn't grown in ways that made me care more this book than previously.
ARC provided by publisher.
zinokato's review against another edition
3.0
It started off strong but, that ending. I wasn't feeling it in the end unfortunately.
readingthroughtheages's review against another edition
3.0
This is a hard one to rate. I think it was really closer to 2 stars, but I'll be generous. I was hoping for more in this conclusion. This trilogy has been long, sometimes drawn out, other times it has moved along quickly. The pull-you-in moments were few and far in between in this third book. I was very disappointed with the conclusion. It was rushed and I thought left a lot of unanswered questions. I was disappointed with how she wrapped up "Partridge's" character. I do think she left it open if she wanted to continue the story, or even go back and write a prequel.
kbfrantom's review against another edition
4.0
Just finished and I am in shock at the ending. Not how I hoped or expected. I loved Pressia through the whole series and just wanted her to have some happiness. This book also flipped on how I felt about Cap and Partridge. I had high hopes tor Partridge and he was such a push over taking him time.
ssloeffler's review against another edition
4.0
Heartbreaking but appropriate conclusion of a series.
juliekatebrooks's review against another edition
1.0
Wow. I have never been so disappointed in a series' ending. After two books, I had become so invested in these characters and their world, that this third book is completely dishonest to the author's original creation. The characters never seem to know what they're doing or why, perhaps to reflect the author's own uncertainty with HER book! I was mostly disappointed with Partridge's character. I feel like the author really didn't know what to do with him to finish his story. One minute he recognizes the twisted love he has for his father, and the next minute he despises the man. From _Pure_, I got a characterization of Partridge that was WAY different from this person. Maybe the author did that to show how the Dome warped people. I don't know. How could he leave Lyda and the baby? The Partridge from _Pure_ cared about reality: THAT'S WHY HE LEFT THE DOME. To find his mother, his reality. And to stay for Iralene? Who is so delusional it is a bit hard to read. I am just so unsatisfied with this ending. Up until the last 50 pages or so, I was tolerating what was happening, but the ending just ruined everything. Plus, we don't find out what happens to the world. Do the Pures all kill themselves? What happens to the Lyda's baby? What does he/she look like since it was conceived outside of the Dome? Did Our Good Mother get to kill Foresteed? What happened to Arvin and the "cure"? Where does Pressia go? What about her father? What about the other domes? Does Partridge put up a fight? Where's Cygnus? What about those weird Willux babies? Going with the crappy character developments, these questions would not have been hard to answer with just 50 more pages! Overall, If you liked Pure and Fuse, just write your own ending to the triology. This one is not worth the read.
gwenythlove's review against another edition
2.0
A very disappointing ending. Nothing really seems resolved. Characters changed for he worst, and the whole series just felt like a waste of time.