Monday, May 7, 2012

"Pure" by Julianna Baggott

Pure
by Julianna Baggott
358 pages (nook book)

Short Version: Pressia finds a Pure and together they come to realize they may not be so different after all.

Why I Read It: I saw a few reviews for this book and after reading the synopsis decided I needed to check it out.

The Book: (From Goodreads)
We know you are here, our brothers and sisters . . .
Pressia barely remembers the Detonations or much about life during the Before. In her sleeping cabinet behind the rubble of an old barbershop where she lives with her grandfather, she thinks about what is lost-how the world went from amusement parks, movie theaters, birthday parties, fathers and mothers . . . to ash and dust, scars, permanent burns, and fused, damaged bodies. And now, at an age when everyone is required to turn themselves over to the militia to either be trained as a soldier or, if they are too damaged and weak, to be used as live targets, Pressia can no longer pretend to be small. Pressia is on the run.
Burn a Pure and Breathe the Ash . . .
There are those who escaped the apocalypse unmarked. Pures. They are tucked safely inside the Dome that protects their healthy, superior bodies. Yet Partridge, whose father is one of the most influential men in the Dome, feels isolated and lonely. Different. He thinks about loss-maybe just because his family is broken; his father is emotionally distant; his brother killed himself; and his mother never made it inside their shelter. Or maybe it's his claustrophobia: his feeling that this Dome has become a swaddling of intensely rigid order. So when a slipped phrase suggests his mother might still be alive, Partridge risks his life to leave the Dome to find her.
When Pressia meets Partridge, their worlds shatter all over again.


My Thoughts: ***Spoiler Alert! This review may contain spoilers***
I think this is only the second dystopian book I have read after The Hunger Games series and I really liked it. The images of life after the Detonations were kind of creepy but also fascinating to me. I think sometimes if I were to read too many dystopian, or any genre, I will eventually be able to guess what is going to happen all the time and not enjoy it as much. Pure was mostly unpredictable for me which was great. I kept wanting to know what would happen next. The songs and riddles were great because I kept trying to figure them out as well. I was very surprised to find out Pressia and Partridge were brother and sister. I kept expecting some kind of love triange to form between Pressia, Partridge, and Bradwell but I was kind of happy that didn't happen. I really liked that Pressia and Bradwell's relationship was developed all the way to the end of the book. I don't like when characters meet and are in love right away with no chemistry formed. It is not realistic. However, I feel like Lyda was left behind a bit when it came to developing her. Her character was great while she was in the Dome. Then they let her out and it was like nothing of the outside bothered her. She was seeing the destruction for the first time and humans fused with object, yet it was like she had no reaction to this which is just not very believable for me. Partridge could not stop looking at things and wondering about them when he was first out. He also took care to cover up that he was Pure, but Lyda never did. I just think she was sort of left behind when it came to her coming out of the Dome. I also have to mention El Capitan and Helmud. I loved them. El Capitan had a good heart and I was so happy he was on their side, especially since at first he just wanted to kill a Pure before he died. And Helmud, well I think he is smarter than everyone thinks he is.

5/5 Stars

#8 in 2012 Ebook Challenge
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#5 in 2012 Ebook Challenge
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