bookswithlukas's review against another edition
4.0
An original and interesting dystopia.
My copy of 'Pure' has one of those crappy stickers slapped onto the front with the almost obligatory phrase 'If you loved the Hunger Games, you will love this'. I for one am kind of fed up of seeing this sticker attached to everything, and in this case, I wouldn't say it even makes sense. The only thing that connects these two books to me is the dystopian setting, apart from that I would say they couldn't be any more different.
I can honestly say that Pure was one of, if not the most original dystopian I've read in terms of world-building. I didn't find myself thinking of other dystopias while reading this, and I didn't really even see *our* world in the world the author has created. The book almost felt like science-fiction to me in a way, with all of it's grotesque mutations, and genetic coding. Speaking of mutations, this book is definitely high on the gross factor, to the point where part of me wondered whether it was even YA. In this world, a huge explosion fused people together with things they were touching, or close to, resulting in people with dolls heads attached to their hands, or mothers with newborn babies fused into a cradling position. Some of the imagery was actually quite unsettling, and the writing detailed this wonderfully.
The story is also told from multiple POV's, which I know quite a few people complain about, but I personally love, especially in a story like this where getting different view-points only furthers to strengthen the world-building and the characters. It's also nice to get little mini-story chapters that give a break from the main characters narrative, and I especially liked Lyda's chapters at the asylum. This book was also extremely low on romance, which I couldn't have been more ecstatic about.
If there was anything negative to say about this book, I will say that while I enjoyed the characters, I wouldn't say that they were the main focus, in that I didn't necessarily found myself connecting to them all that much. It seemed like this was a series that is much more based on mystery and the idea of wanting to unlock the mysteries of it's plot instead of a character based adventure. I'd describe it as kind of similar to the TV show LOST, in that the big mystery and wanting to know the end was what people were truly interested in. The characters are definitely serviceable though, and I wouldn't say this issue takes away from the novel in any real way, it just caused me to read it a little differently.
Overall, this was a really nice dystopia and one that I would recommend to people looking for a more 'adult' or gruesome read. It's not quite perfect, and may not be for everyone, but I personally really enjoyed it.
My copy of 'Pure' has one of those crappy stickers slapped onto the front with the almost obligatory phrase 'If you loved the Hunger Games, you will love this'. I for one am kind of fed up of seeing this sticker attached to everything, and in this case, I wouldn't say it even makes sense. The only thing that connects these two books to me is the dystopian setting, apart from that I would say they couldn't be any more different.
I can honestly say that Pure was one of, if not the most original dystopian I've read in terms of world-building. I didn't find myself thinking of other dystopias while reading this, and I didn't really even see *our* world in the world the author has created. The book almost felt like science-fiction to me in a way, with all of it's grotesque mutations, and genetic coding. Speaking of mutations, this book is definitely high on the gross factor, to the point where part of me wondered whether it was even YA. In this world, a huge explosion fused people together with things they were touching, or close to, resulting in people with dolls heads attached to their hands, or mothers with newborn babies fused into a cradling position. Some of the imagery was actually quite unsettling, and the writing detailed this wonderfully.
The story is also told from multiple POV's, which I know quite a few people complain about, but I personally love, especially in a story like this where getting different view-points only furthers to strengthen the world-building and the characters. It's also nice to get little mini-story chapters that give a break from the main characters narrative, and I especially liked Lyda's chapters at the asylum. This book was also extremely low on romance, which I couldn't have been more ecstatic about.
If there was anything negative to say about this book, I will say that while I enjoyed the characters, I wouldn't say that they were the main focus, in that I didn't necessarily found myself connecting to them all that much. It seemed like this was a series that is much more based on mystery and the idea of wanting to unlock the mysteries of it's plot instead of a character based adventure. I'd describe it as kind of similar to the TV show LOST, in that the big mystery and wanting to know the end was what people were truly interested in. The characters are definitely serviceable though, and I wouldn't say this issue takes away from the novel in any real way, it just caused me to read it a little differently.
Overall, this was a really nice dystopia and one that I would recommend to people looking for a more 'adult' or gruesome read. It's not quite perfect, and may not be for everyone, but I personally really enjoyed it.
marybells's review against another edition
4.0
To be completely honest I was pleasantly surprised by this storyline. When I first read the summary the idea of people molded to dolls and birds due to nuclear warfare sounded both idiotic and unfounded but I decided to give it a chance because I am a lover of dystopian and it was worth the read.
I was very impressed with Julianna's story telling abilities and how she seemed to take her time with building the characters and the surroundings of the story which in itself is very complex. My only real complaint is that she is used to telling each chapter from one character's stand point and during the climax of the novel we are rushed into several characters all narrating at the same time which was a little confusing and a little forced. I understand that as a writer myself that to understand how each character is impacted in that scene is hard to comprehend but I just felt it could have been organized a little differently.
Overall I give it 4 stars. It was a fun and interesting read and I appreciated the fact that Julianna did not shy away from the grief that is caused by a family member's death. In other dystopian novels, the grief is almost considered a weakness and I really liked the fact that she acknowledged it and actually used it to build her characters further. Wish she would make a pre-quel to get the full idea of the dome.
I was very impressed with Julianna's story telling abilities and how she seemed to take her time with building the characters and the surroundings of the story which in itself is very complex. My only real complaint is that she is used to telling each chapter from one character's stand point and during the climax of the novel we are rushed into several characters all narrating at the same time which was a little confusing and a little forced. I understand that as a writer myself that to understand how each character is impacted in that scene is hard to comprehend but I just felt it could have been organized a little differently.
Overall I give it 4 stars. It was a fun and interesting read and I appreciated the fact that Julianna did not shy away from the grief that is caused by a family member's death. In other dystopian novels, the grief is almost considered a weakness and I really liked the fact that she acknowledged it and actually used it to build her characters further. Wish she would make a pre-quel to get the full idea of the dome.
saluki's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars
Pures live in a confined dome and Wretches try to survive outside in this dystopian world. Baggott researched initial effects of atomic bombs and the catastrophic fallout, not only to the environment but the horror she describes in the wretches fused bodies - fused with objects or other people who are close at the time of detonation. It's grim reading.
Some plot points and identity revelations seemed to be a little too convenient to me. The descriptions throughout are cinematic in scope so I can see why the movie rights have already sold. Plus there are romantic elements in place for the main characters.
I will go on to read the rest of the trilogy at some point in the hopes they will be stronger novels.
Pures live in a confined dome and Wretches try to survive outside in this dystopian world. Baggott researched initial effects of atomic bombs and the catastrophic fallout, not only to the environment but the horror she describes in the wretches fused bodies - fused with objects or other people who are close at the time of detonation. It's grim reading.
Some plot points and identity revelations seemed to be a little too convenient to me. The descriptions throughout are cinematic in scope so I can see why the movie rights have already sold. Plus there are romantic elements in place for the main characters.
I will go on to read the rest of the trilogy at some point in the hopes they will be stronger novels.
nyxaslan's review against another edition
4.0
4 stars
I enjoyed reading about this apocalyptic society that was barely hanging on. It was very detailed, so I could picture most things in my head fairly well. It was also very elaborate. Just when you thought you understood what was going on and knew where the plot was headed, they would throw something new at you. I'm also very glad my ship sailed, though it took 400 pages to get there. Overall, I liked the story of Pressia and Partridge, and I am looking forward to seeing what happens next.
AND THEN THE CINDERED WOOD STARTS TO SHIVER, AND, ONE BY ONE, BLACK BOXES PULL THEMSELVES UP FROM THE CHAR
I enjoyed reading about this apocalyptic society that was barely hanging on. It was very detailed, so I could picture most things in my head fairly well. It was also very elaborate. Just when you thought you understood what was going on and knew where the plot was headed, they would throw something new at you. I'm also very glad my ship sailed, though it took 400 pages to get there. Overall, I liked the story of Pressia and Partridge, and I am looking forward to seeing what happens next.
AND THEN THE CINDERED WOOD STARTS TO SHIVER, AND, ONE BY ONE, BLACK BOXES PULL THEMSELVES UP FROM THE CHAR
rstafford's review against another edition
5.0
I liked this so much! Initially, I wasn't sure this was a book for me -- the people fused to inanimate objects felt nightmarish, though of course, that aspect was clearly intentional. But the more I read, the more I accepted the grotesque elements, and they came to be far less disturbing . My favorite part of the book is how Baggott lets us into the mind of so many of her characters, without every overwhelming the reader or seeming diffuse. She does an amazing job with narrating a sense of loss, and nostalgia for a time that most of the characters can't even imagine.
somarostam's review against another edition
5.0
This is one of the most well-known books in the dystopian genre, as a whole. It is a national bestseller, if I am not wrong and I have been hearing constantly about it for two years. I just never had the time to read, or when i had the time, another book had the priority. Right now, I wish I had read it sooner.
Pressia Belze is a Wretch. She lives in the land outside the Dome with her grandfather. She doesn't remember much of her childhood, but she knows the big explosion left her with a doll-head instead of a hand and her mother dead. Partridge is a Pure. He lives inside the Dome and there's physically nothing wrong with him and he's supposed to take his father's place in the future. But Partridge knows the secrets inside the Dome are sinister and that he has to venture outside to find out the truth, once and for all.
World-building is one of the strongest suits of this book. Julianna Baggott has a vivid imagination that she perfectly phrases into words. She has created a truly new world within her head and on paper, a world that you cannot escape from. Her imagery is so vivid that you feel like you are there, with the characters, at all times.
This plot was just epic. I don't really know how the author came up with the idea of Wretches and Pures, but it was amazing! All these little details that added up, and the huge explosion that ended the world as we knew it. All the characters with their impurities. A doll-head as a fist? A fan stuck in the throat for breathing? Birds fixed to the back of a guy? Words burned into a person's face? This plot was full of these deliciously creepy moments that I adored.
I cannot begin to describe how the characters are. I fell in love with all, every single one of them. We have different chapters from different POVs. There's Pressia, our main character, which I truly absolutely LOVED. This girl is so tough, so real, it was beautiful to watch her grow through the course of this book. Then there's Partridge, our sweet innocent boy who gets thrown into a cruel world, he was annoying sometimes, but I still loved him, his loyalty. Bradwell and Lyda take appearances too. But my most favorite character is definitely El Capitan. He acts like he is much older than he actually is, and he acts cruel. but he has a heart of gold and I fell in love with everything he said, every single word.
The romance is not the center on the stage in this book, but it does make an appearance. There's Partridge and Lyda and they make a cute couple, but you don't see much of them in this book. Then, there's Pressia and Bradwell, they have a lot of difficulties and nothing major has happened yet. And I am waiting for El Capitan to fall in love, too. With whom, I do not yet know.
If you haven't already started this series, what the hell are you waiting for? This is one of the greatest masterpieces in YA literature, and the whole dystopian genre. I know that everyone will love it, you just have to.
Pressia Belze is a Wretch. She lives in the land outside the Dome with her grandfather. She doesn't remember much of her childhood, but she knows the big explosion left her with a doll-head instead of a hand and her mother dead. Partridge is a Pure. He lives inside the Dome and there's physically nothing wrong with him and he's supposed to take his father's place in the future. But Partridge knows the secrets inside the Dome are sinister and that he has to venture outside to find out the truth, once and for all.
World-building is one of the strongest suits of this book. Julianna Baggott has a vivid imagination that she perfectly phrases into words. She has created a truly new world within her head and on paper, a world that you cannot escape from. Her imagery is so vivid that you feel like you are there, with the characters, at all times.
This plot was just epic. I don't really know how the author came up with the idea of Wretches and Pures, but it was amazing! All these little details that added up, and the huge explosion that ended the world as we knew it. All the characters with their impurities. A doll-head as a fist? A fan stuck in the throat for breathing? Birds fixed to the back of a guy? Words burned into a person's face? This plot was full of these deliciously creepy moments that I adored.
I cannot begin to describe how the characters are. I fell in love with all, every single one of them. We have different chapters from different POVs. There's Pressia, our main character, which I truly absolutely LOVED. This girl is so tough, so real, it was beautiful to watch her grow through the course of this book. Then there's Partridge, our sweet innocent boy who gets thrown into a cruel world, he was annoying sometimes, but I still loved him, his loyalty. Bradwell and Lyda take appearances too. But my most favorite character is definitely El Capitan. He acts like he is much older than he actually is, and he acts cruel. but he has a heart of gold and I fell in love with everything he said, every single word.
The romance is not the center on the stage in this book, but it does make an appearance. There's Partridge and Lyda and they make a cute couple, but you don't see much of them in this book. Then, there's Pressia and Bradwell, they have a lot of difficulties and nothing major has happened yet. And I am waiting for El Capitan to fall in love, too. With whom, I do not yet know.
If you haven't already started this series, what the hell are you waiting for? This is one of the greatest masterpieces in YA literature, and the whole dystopian genre. I know that everyone will love it, you just have to.
emilyusuallyreading's review against another edition
3.0
The premise of Pure is fascinating. In the wake of nuclear war, survivors are either hidden in safety within a giant dome or else they are struggling as "wretches" in the outside world and fused to their surroundings. Babies have melted into the arms of their mothers. Pressia has a doll head for a fist and Bradwell has birds in his back.
The world-building of Pure is exceptional. Julianna Baggott did not take the easy way out to create the stereotypical Big Bad Government and Strong Heroine who overcomes it. Her world is fully fleshed out to the point where I was startled and haunted by the descriptions. I had prickly chills as I saw through the eyes of these characters, in a good way. I even like the third person present tense. It's unusual, but it works.
Another thing that I appreciate about Pure is the way that it handles romance. Certain YA dystopias are so romance-focused that the Big Bad World seems like only an unfortunate annoyance. The romances in this book develop naturally and slowly and do not take center stage above the action and twists.
Even though the world-building and writing style of Pure are impressive compared to much of YA dystopian fiction, I was overwhelmed. This novel is long. It consists of more subplots than actual plot, more world-building than characterization, and more perspective-changes in narration than necessary. I'm a quick reader and often will finish a book in a day or two. This one dragged on for a couple of weeks. There were too many subplots and descriptions to keep me interested for long. I found myself putting the book down again and again.
Certain plot points are predictable and even a little contrived. Over and over again, the teens survive solely by coincidence (meeting someone they know among a post-apocalyptic wasteland, finding an obscure clue, being connected in some weird way, defeating bad guys, being rescued, etc, etc). I know there's a writing quote somewhere that goes something like: writers may allow bad things to happen by coincidence, but they should never save the day by coincidence. As the story wrapped up, every discovery and achievement seemed a bit too easy.
The world-building of Pure is exceptional. Julianna Baggott did not take the easy way out to create the stereotypical Big Bad Government and Strong Heroine who overcomes it. Her world is fully fleshed out to the point where I was startled and haunted by the descriptions. I had prickly chills as I saw through the eyes of these characters, in a good way. I even like the third person present tense. It's unusual, but it works.
Another thing that I appreciate about Pure is the way that it handles romance. Certain YA dystopias are so romance-focused that the Big Bad World seems like only an unfortunate annoyance. The romances in this book develop naturally and slowly and do not take center stage above the action and twists.
Even though the world-building and writing style of Pure are impressive compared to much of YA dystopian fiction, I was overwhelmed. This novel is long. It consists of more subplots than actual plot, more world-building than characterization, and more perspective-changes in narration than necessary. I'm a quick reader and often will finish a book in a day or two. This one dragged on for a couple of weeks. There were too many subplots and descriptions to keep me interested for long. I found myself putting the book down again and again.
Certain plot points are predictable and even a little contrived.
Spoiler
Partridge and Pressia conveniently being half siblings? Really?bak8382's review against another edition
4.0
Pressia has lived outside the dome for as long as she can remember. The detonations from when she was a child have caused serious ramifications for those who survived. Pressia's hand is forever fused with her childhood doll, and everyone around her as some sort of scar or fusion. At the age of sixteen she goes on the run . . . Partridge is from the dome where his father is a powerful leader, yet he continues to yearn for something more. When he escapes the dome and joins Pressia they discover that neither world is what it seems.
This is another fascinating dystopian that looks at the ramifications of a nuclear type bomb. The story switches between the perspectives of several characters, and the action never stops. Although some of the plot twists can be seen coming, and information learned late in the story is a bit too convenient, all in all it's a worthy addition to the dystopian canon.
This is another fascinating dystopian that looks at the ramifications of a nuclear type bomb. The story switches between the perspectives of several characters, and the action never stops. Although some of the plot twists can be seen coming, and information learned late in the story is a bit too convenient, all in all it's a worthy addition to the dystopian canon.
leavingsealevel's review against another edition
2.0
The first 2/3 was ok...a bit gruesome, but ok. Then everything went weird in the last 1/3. I seriously need to make a shelf for this problem.
johannabananaz's review against another edition
4.0
I know, I know, another YA dystopian novel? Teenagers up against tyrannical forces in a post-apocolyptic landscape? But this is definitely better than many of the others and far less formulaic. And (I think?) it's paced well enough for book 2 to not just be an afterthought, serving as a less than well plotted connector of books 1 and 3 (which seems to be a major problem of like trilogies). I recommend it!