Pure Review

Saturday, August 13, 2011

Title: Pure
Author: Julianna Baggott
Publisher: Grand Central
Publish Date: February 8, 2012
Genre: YA, Dystopian
Pages: 448
Source: Publisher

We know you are here, our brothers and sisters . . . Pressia barely remembers the Detonations or much about life during the Before. 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. 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.
Pressia's life has always been measured in days. A day alive was a day of success. A day in which she makes it through unscathed is another day she's beaten the odds. Pressia is marked and not pure. On the other hand, Partridge is a Pure. He should feel blessed. His life is superior. His days aren't numbered, and he lives in the safety of the Dome, but something's missing. He's on a quest to find that missing piece, and when he voluntarily relinquishes his life in the Dome, he realizes just how dire the world of the those outside and meeting Pressia might just change everything.

This book doesn't release until February, and I had every intention of waiting to review it, but a rave review from my brother-in-law's sister convinced me to bump it up in my queue. Pure is dystopian in every sense of the word. Picture a world that's as picturesque as possible, without war, or greed, or hatred. Now picture the exact opposite. Julianna Baggott has created an eerily real world that is terrifying, horrifying and entirely magnetic and tangible. Vivid and accessible, the world within Pure is written with a haunting prose and tone that latches onto the reader and refuses to let go.

Pure truly embodies bleakness. Gritty and action-packed, the book perfectly balances character and plot, letting the two feed off one another and fuel the fire of the story. Pressia's life was painful to read, and I'll admit that I had my doubts about the doll head being fused to her body. Partridge, likewise, could easily have come off as an arrogant, self-entitled jerk who wanted more than he had for no greater reason than to want, but his genuine desire to find his mother, hold onto hope and discover a truth within himself was endearing and engaging. The world of Pure, however, was breathtaking in the most cringe-worthy way. The wake of the nuclear holocaust was so descriptive and detailed that it was mesmerizing, painful and raw. The best par of Pure though was that it makes the reader uneasy and feel unsettled long after the final page. It makes one think "what if?" What if we go too far one day, and we can't turn back? Pure presents this war between the haves and have-nots is horrifying in the best possible way.

I'm so glad to see a dystopian book step outside of the ordinary, boring little "teen romance with a touch of dystopia" mold. Pure is a powerful first book in a planned trilogy with cross-genre appeal that is certain to make the reader feel. I give it a 5 out of 5, and I highly recommend it to both YA and adults, especially those who enjoy dystopian fiction.

I received this ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This, in no way, affected my opinion or review of this book.

23 comments:

  1. Yes! You just got me so excited for this! I love the contrast between the Pure and the marked worlds. So neat. And so excited that this one sounds like it can stand out in the sea of dystopians these days.

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  2. Wow. I've never heard of this book, but from what you said about it, it's DEFINITELY going on my to-read list. 5 out of 5? I'm excited!

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  3. I think this is the first review I've seen of Pure! I'm a little wary of the whole doll-head-fused-to-hand thing, but I like the unsettling sound of the world in this one. And if it got a 5 from you it must be awesome! :D

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  4. I thought this one sounded intriguing, and yours is the first review I've seen for it - you've definitely given me another reason to pick it up!

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  5. Freaky, yes I approve. I think I want some dystopia right now and nothing seems to do the trick. There are just so many out there to choose from

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  6. Oh my! Sounds insanely good. Thanks for the review.

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  7. I'm a huge lover of dystopian novels, so can't wait to read this. I haven't seen a lot of reviews for Pure actually, so it's good to hear that you really enjoyed it - I'm even more excited about reading it now.

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  8. Ooooooh! Very intrigued. This one sounds great -- can't wait!

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  9. Wow, five stars! I'm definitely looking forward to Pure; I love when a book makes you really think about possible futures. I'm also kind of relieved there isn't a huge focus on romance! There seems to be too much of that in the YA genre, and I'm glad Pure steps out of that mold. Great review! :)

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  10. The world building sounds amazing in this one. Pure is absolutely going on my TBR list now :)

    Fabulous review, Melissa!

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  11. Sounds intriguing...the world building sounds great!

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  12. I read Pure some time ago, when my roommate first brought it back from the BEA. I was amazed with the story telling and the world crafting and impressed with how well the author made such incredible things seem believable. Your review captures some of the other aspects of the book that bring everything together so that the entire book just flows beautifully. Thanks for sharing your review with us.

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  13. I love hearing how this isn't a romance with a touch of dystopia because I'm so so tired of that. I'll definitely keep this on my radar! Thanks for the early review. I'll scour my reader for any other mention of this one.

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  14. I swore off Dystopia yesterday and here I am adding this book to my tbr today. Thanks for the review, it's amazingly vivid.

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  15. Oh wow! Sounds like this is the dystopian to look forward to next year! What a fantastic review, I can't wait to read it!

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  16. I have been waiting for this one for months, and although I'll continue to wait for it your review has me tenfold for wanting to read this book. I'm really glad you enjoyed it and that it is a not just a dystopia in description only.

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  17. Wow...I have this one on my list. Glad to hear it lives up to it's gorgeous cover! It's great to know that the world and characters are well-developed. Sometimes dystopians really miss the mark on world-building, but it sounds like Pure has everything and more!

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  18. Brilliant review Melissa. You have definitely got me very excited for this. I am happy to hear it is not your normal dystopia but rather something much more powerful.

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  19. Haven't heard about this. Sounds intense. Love things that push the genre forward. I don't like dystopia but this might be one of those books that I read anyway. Is it also a fantasy? Or is it set in the regular human world?

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  20. Like you, I've also been tired of reading the same old dystopian with a large dash of romance. Many of them can't seem to go beyond another remake of "Brave New World" it seems. I love how this one makes you think and feel emotionally long after you finished it. It definitely sounds intense. I'll definitely be on the look out for it. Thanks for a great review, Melissa!

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  21. This look like a strong dystopian I need to get my hands on. Thanks for the review!

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  22. wow. thank you so much for this review. i truly appreciate your take. the place-holder site with animated cover is now up: www.pure-book.com
    my sign off is going to Bridget Asher -- but it's actually Baggott here.

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  23. Im son eager to read this one. I love dystopian books. Now Im just dying to read it!!
    Great Review :)

    Mariana @ Smart Girls Read

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