Release Date: February 8, 2012Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Pages: 448
Series: Pure #1
Review Source: Netgalley
Synopsis: (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:
The concept of ‘Pure’ is so interesting, that I knew immediately that I wanted to read it. I loved how Julianna Baggott created two separate societies and brought them together in one world. The way things were outside after nuclear war were grim and very horrific in some ways, while life inside the dome was ruled by tight control and order.
Everything about this book adds up to something I should love, but somehow it just didn’t completely click. As mentioned, the world building was good, even though there are still many details for the characters to discover in the next book(s). I liked the characters and really felt for them. So why didn’t I love this one? Not sure. Perhaps it was the writing, which I think would have been a lot more personal in first person POV, but I’m not sure.
This was an intriguing read, and one that I did enjoy, but I didn’t like it quite as much as I expected to. I do have a feeling this will be a great read for a lot of people.
The Cover:
It's super gorgeous, but I don't think it really prepares you for the book.
Rating:
[3/5]Find Pure by Julianna Baggott on Goodreads, Book Depository, & Amazon.
I did like the concept and the story. I think it was the pacing that didn't satisfy me. Took a long while to get going....Excellent thoughts. I'd still recommend this one, because it had some unique elements.
ReplyDeleteThis is a really fair review Ashley. Too bad it didn't quite live up to your expectations.
ReplyDeleteYour review makes me feel better! I was on an ARC tour for this one and had to quit after maybe 75 pages. I thought it would be exactly the type of book I like, but it felt super dark & I couldn't get into it.
ReplyDeleteThe cover is really pretty, though.
I never finished Pure...there was just something (not sure what) that I couldn't get into...but I know other people did enjoy it. Like you said it's intriguing and different, so I was hoping to love it.
ReplyDeleteHm, very helpful review, and the comments add insight too. Pacing can be such a huge issue, even when all the other elements are working.
ReplyDeleteLaini Taylor (author of the AMAZING Daughter of Smoke and Bone) did give Pure a huge thumbs-up on her blog, though.
Hmm this was something that caught my eye from the moment I saw it but the excerpt that I read was so-so. The cover is amazing, though. I'm still curious as to how the author handles two drastically different societies, too :)
ReplyDeleteHmmm, I had my doubts about this book. It sounded okay and the cover is gorgeous, but there was something about it.. Now I'm more interested in it, so thanks for the review!
ReplyDeleteI really want to read this book but I have just read so many gosh darn dystopians lately that I think that I need a break. Thanks for the warning about the weird POV/ writing thing... ;)
ReplyDelete