Reviews

Fuse by Julianna Baggott

secretmagic's review

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5.0

Amazing sequel. I enjoyed this one just as much as the Pure. I get a bit confused imagining all the Dusts and Groupies, but I love how gritty this series is.

I'm also very much in love with Bradwell, and I'm only sorry he doesn't get his own POV chapters, because I think he's awesome. You can never have enough Bradwell.

Looking forward to seeing how the final book wraps everything up.

ihateprozac's review against another edition

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2.0

Here's the TL;DR version of what happens. ~*MEGA SPOILERS*~ obviously.

One of the black boxes is not like the others, and his name is Fignan. He belongs to Cygnus, the resistance who worked to undermine Ellery Willux's regime. Pressia and crew manage to unlock his secrets and learn that the key to the cure for Willux's Rapid Cellular Degeneration (RCD) exists and is hidden in a historical site in Ireland.

Partridge is blackmailed into going back into the Dome, with the Dome having sent out explosive spiders that are latching on and killing people, one by one. He gets back into the Dome and learns that all the adults are well aware that Willux is a mass murderer who caused the Detonations, but they pretend it never happened and raise their children in willful ignorance. Willux attempts to escape the effects of RCD by wiping Partridge's brain and trying to move into his body, but Partridge figures it out and poisons his father.

Pressia, El Capitan and Bradwell track down the airship that Willux used to deliver the message after the Detonations, which has been docked at Capitol Hill in DC. They take the airship to Ireland and manage to locate the second part of the formula for solving RCD. In the process, Bradwell learns that his underground worked in helping children like Fandra to escape, and Pressia bumps into one of her mother's old colleagues.

Lyda is impregnated by Partridge and while she initially chooses to stay outside the Dome with the Mothers, the Mothers lead an attack against the Dome and she uses the opportunity to get inside. Partridge has to play house with a suspended animation candidate, Iralene, in a weird Stepford wife scenario. Pressia saves El Capitan and Bradwell from being killed by prehensile plants in Ireland, and in doing so has to inject Bradwell with the unstable formula, which causes the birds in his back to mutate.

~*END MEGA SPOILERS*~

I'm not really sure what to think about this book. I absolutely devoured [b:Pure|9680114|Pure (Pure, #1)|Julianna Baggott|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1302743156s/9680114.jpg|14568028], but this one I had to take two passes at - including completely starting over - to get through it. It felt like running a marathon and I really had to power on and force myself to finish it. It didn't grab me and lacked that certain spark that Pure had.

In spite of being nearly 500 pages long (and believe me, it certainly felt a lot longer than the average young adult dystopian novel), it seemed as if nothing happened. It felt like Pressia and co. stood out in the Meltlands and shot the shit for a good 400 hundred pages, and then popped into the Dome and over to Ireland for a tick. Nothing really came of it, and I came out of it with more questions than answers. I felt like as readers, we were trying to solve a puzzle for hours, only to find out that we'd been given a jumbled set of mismatched pieces that don't fit together. It felt like a filler novel between finding out the truth behind the Dome, and actually doing something about it.

And when I wasn't bored, I was confused. If you thought Ingership and body-condom-wearing-wife Ilia were weird, you've seen nothing yet. For a good third of the novel, Partridge shuffles around a fake house in the dome with a Stepford wife wannabe whose extracurricular activities include chilling (literally) in suspended animation, waiting for her ~*dream man*~. There are weird holograms involved and it's creepy as fuck, reminiscent of a cross between the Stepford wives and a nightmare circus funhouse. I half expected Iralene to shank Partridge in his sleep.

Overall: For such a long young adult novel I have surprisingly little to say about it. It was overly long, boring, confusing, and plain fucking weird in parts. It felt like filler, and I can only hope that the third book is explosive enough to make up for it. I was absolutely enchanted by the dystopian universe presented in the first novel but this was a disappointing follow-up. Now I wonder whether the first book was just as dull, but I overlooked it as I was so taken with the weird and wonderful mythology the author presented....ah well, one way to find out I guess - to keep reading!

hdbblog's review against another edition

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5.0

Well Julianna Baggott, you've done it. You've stepped right on up to the shelf that holds my absolute favorite authors. It's not often that I find a trilogy to fall in love with. It's even less often that I find the middle book of a trilogy to be utterly perfect. Fuse took everything I was pining for at the end of Pure and wove it into something beautiful. Something I wasn't expecting. Something I couldn't stop reading.

I felt at home as I reentered Pressia's shattered world. It was just as I remembered it. Everything in shambles. Ash floating on the air. Humans and animals fused in both beautiful and grotesque ways. This is one of my favorite dystopian worlds. The "After" is built with careful hands, making it easy to get lost in the story. The best part this time around? The scope is so much broader. I was treated to sprawling deserts, abandoned relics, and even woods that housed dark, squirmy things. Plus there is so much more about the dome in this installment. If you missed learning more about it the first time around, you'll be just as happy as I was.

The characters are also just as vivid as they were before. Each one unique, created with real emotions and flaws. I've never been able to choose a favorite character. Pressia, Bradwell, Partridge and El Capitan all have things about them that I both love and rage at. Trust me, if you're a character driven reader you'll easily fall into step with Pressia and her friends.

What sealed the deal for me was the plot. There have always been themes of morality and mortality in this series. In Fuse, however, lines start to blur. There is no longer a solid choice between good and evil. I loved that. I couldn't get enough of it. We all know the world isn't perfectly black and white. We all know that there are always hidden agendas and secrets behind every door. Baggott shows that in Fuse. She shows that no matter how the world changes, people will always be fundamentally human. Survival knows no bounds.

I could gush on and on. I honestly could. This trilogy has shattered my heart twice now with the cliffhanger endings, and yet I just keep coming back for more. Beautiful world building, wonderfully designed characters, and a quick moving plot. What more could you ask for? If you haven't already started the Pure series, I highly suggest you get on that. It's worth it.

aqua_lilium's review against another edition

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4.0

So what to say here? It was good obviously although at some point I got bored but in general it was good. Well, it was more tuned down compared to the first book but still keeps you in. Oh and my precious El Capitan and Helmud, bless them, my favourite characters in this series.

yaakovakiva's review against another edition

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4.0

I actually liked this book better than the first and it really changes scope/range of the trilogy. REALLY wish the third book was already released. With several storylines I had moments of dread and then really loved where the story went or appears to be going. Several big twists and surprises. :)

yodamom's review against another edition

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5.0

4.8
Fuse was so intense so heartbreakingly dreary, hopeless, and yet beautiful I was left at the end of the book with one word on my tongue. *F* *yeah that word* I loved all the off beat characters their crazy horrible fusing, the hideous world and the powers that control it. I even loved it after she ended it with one cruel cliffhanger. It was that good for me. I was on an emotional twirl a whirl along with Cap, Helmud, Partridge, Lyda, Pressia, Bradwell and a little black box. Even the box had me gripping the edge of my seat wishing him through the dangers. This is not a happy rainbow dreams read, but the few sparkles of hope shined so bright I happily grabbed them and held them till they bleed and drained of color.

This book picks up where book 1 left off. The Dome wants it's son back and it's going to kill till he is returned. Partridge returns, he has no choice many are being killed, horribly. Pressia, Cap, Helmud and Bradwell try to solve the mystery, to find a salvation. They travel far and deal with non-ending dangers. Faced with a horrible truth one of them must make a life altering choice for another against their will. Lyda, left alone finds herself in a very binding condition. Everyone was left dangling just like this world they all live in.
If you enjoy a dark dystopian emotional read, this series might be right for you.

alicebme's review against another edition

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3.0

Still intriguing. Unique. Can't imagine how the trilogy will continue after how this one ends. Pressia makes an unforgivable decision in my opinion.

books4susie's review against another edition

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5.0

Now I must wait for book 3! Partridge, Lyda, Pressia, El Capitan and Bradwell, what is in store for you.

nicolemhewitt's review against another edition

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4.0

Find my full review on my blog - Feed Your Fiction Addiction.

Fuse, like its predecessor Pure, is a gritty, post-apocolyptic YA novel that doesn't hold back. Baggott has created a detailed, intriguing world where no one is safe and where anything can happen. It makes for exciting reading because you're never sure what is going to be lurking around the next corner.

missbookiverse's review against another edition

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5.0

Fazit
Fuse hat sie nicht, die typische zweiter-Teil-Krankheit, bei der man das Gefühl hat der Verlag wollte mit Hängen und Würgen aus einer Story für zwei Bücher eine für drei rausholen. Fuse braucht jede seiner fast 500 Seiten, denn diese sind gefüllt mit schaurigen Erkenntnissen, Charakter- und Beziehungsentwicklungen, Abenteuern, Spannung und fortschreitender Handlung.
Damals habe ich Pure „nur“ mit 4 Sternen bewertet. Im Rückblick würde ich dem Buch wie seinem Nachfolger volle 5 verpassen.


» El Capitan & Helmud.
Wie einem dieses Chaotenteam ans Herz wachsen kann, ist beeindruckend. Ich bin mir gar nicht sicher wie alt El Capitan eigentlich sein soll, er wirkt immer etwas älter als Pressia und co. Die Kapitel, in denen er mit einer tickenden Zeitbombe im Bein herumläuft haben mich fertig gemacht. Ich hatte solche Angst, dass er und Helmud daran sterben würden, aber ZUM GLÜCK hat Helmud sie gerettet. Wunderbar gruselig fand ich wieder wie Helmud Satzstücke von El Capitan wiederholt und ihnen durch das Weglassen bestimmter Wörter eine völlig neue Bedeutung gibt. Überhaupt ist es schön zu sehen wie sich die Beziehung zwischen den beiden Brüdern entwickelt, wie El Capitan seinem Bruder mehr vertraut und wie Helmud auch mal die Rolle des Stärkeren übernehmen darf (z.B. nach dem Raumschiffabsturz als er El Capitan füttert).
Dass El Capitan Gefühle für Pressia hegt, war clever eingeflochten. Schon nach den ersten Kapiteln aus seiner Sicht hat sich dieser Eindruck bei mir eingeschlichen, ich war aber nicht sicher, ob ich da zu viel hineininterpretiere. Tat ich nicht! Pressia reagiert darauf eher zurückhaltend und Cap muss sich erst mal mit Bradwell auseinandersetzen. Hier fand ich es total cool, dass kein dramatisches Liebesdreieck entsteht. Durch Pressias eindeutige Vorliebe Bradwell gegenüber, beschließt El Capitan es mit Klasse zu nehmen und sich lieber mit Bradwell zu verbrüdern als Gefühle für eine Frau zwischen sie kommen zu lassen. Applaus.

» Bradwell & Pressia.
Gott sei Dank verliert Pressia innerhalb des Buches ihre „ich kann Bradwell nicht an mich heranlassen, das ist sicherer für uns beide“ Meinung. Das wäre sonst die reine Qual geworden. Es gibt so viele intensive Szenen zwischen den beiden, allen voran die Überquerung des Flusses, das eiskalte Wasser und das gegenseitige Wärmen danach, das sie beinahe umbringt.
Das Highlight der beiden findet sich am Schluss. Ich war ganz dicht davor zu glauben, dass Bradwell stirbt und wir ihn in Band 3 nicht wiedersehen. Gott sei Dank hat Pressia alle Bitten seinerseits in den Wind geworfen und ihn gerettet. Das Resultat ist schaurig, interessant und verwirrend… anscheinend hat er nun 6 gewaltige Flügel… aber die Vögel auf seinem Rücken waren ja vorher schon da… sind sie das immer noch oder sind da nur Flügel? Oder sind die Vögel einfach gewachsen? Ich bin verwirrt. Ich will mehr wissen! Ich bin froh, dass das Verständnis der beiden zueinander auf einer positiven Note endet. Allerdings kann ich mir vorstellen, dass da noch ordentlich Drama kommt, weil Bradwell Pressia nicht verzeihen kann, was sie ihm angetan hat.

» Partridge & Lyda.
Ich könnte mich kaum entscheiden, welches Paar in diesem Buch mir mehr am Herzen liegt. Die Szenen zwischen Partridge und Lyda sind so intensiv und gefühlsgeladen… wahrscheinlich wegen der düsteren Kulisse, in der sie stattfinden. Wie die beiden miteinander schlafen in dieser kaputten Hütte, eins meiner Lieblingskapitel. Und dann die Konsequenzen, OH LYDA! Sie tat mir so leid, weil ihr im Dome ja absolut nichts über Sex und seine natürlichen Folgen erklärt worden ist. Trotzdem bleibt sie stark, obwohl sie Partridge für sich abgeschrieben hat, unheimlich bewundernswert.

» Partridge.
Seine Erlebnisse im Dome waren erschreckend. Dass alle Erwachsenen bereits Bescheid wissen, hat mir Gänsehaut bereitet. Zum Glück gibt es noch die Gegenbewegung.
Der Part, in dem er seine Erinnerungen verliert, hat mich ein wenig enttäuscht. Das war ein harter Schritt für ihn, aber es dauert gar nicht lange bis er die Lösung und damit sein Gedächtnis findet. Da hätte die Autorin uns Leser noch mehr mit quälen können – verrückt, dass ich mir das freiwillig wünsche.

» Iralene.
Partridges zugeteilte Partnerin im Dome hatte viel mehr zu bieten als ich auf den ersten Blick erwartet hätte. Bis zum Ende bleibt sie ein bisschen undurchschaubar. Ich hätte gar nicht gedacht, dass dieses naiv wirkende Mädchen gleichzeitig auf so vielen Partys tanzt. Ich bin gespannt, ob es im letzten Teil noch eine Art Happy End für sie geben wird.

» Die Formel.
Pressia, Bradwell und El Capitan suchen außerhalb des Domes nach der Formel. Die kleine, schwarze Geheimnisbox Fignan steht ihnen dabei zur Seite. Unglaublich wie ein Gegenstand so vermenschlicht werden kann. Ich hatte bei Fignan immer eher das Gefühl er wäre ein tierischer Gefährte und keine allwissende Box. Auf jeden Fall finden sie irgendwann heraus, dass sie nach Irland müssen, am besten mit einem Raumschiff. Ehrlich gesagt fand ich das ein bisschen blöd. Dieser Ortswechsel war mir zu weit weg und dann auch noch mit einem Raumschiff (zugegeben die einfachste Lösung, alles andere hätte sicher Monate gedauert)… das war mir irgendwie zu doof. Funktioniert hat’s dann aber doch, sowohl für die Figuren als auch im Kontext der Geschichte.