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Pure (Pure #1)

by Julianna Baggott (Goodreads Author)

3.75 of 5 stars 3.75 · rating details · 8,355 ratings · 1,763 reviews

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...more

Hardcover, 431 pages

Published February 8th 2012 by Grand Central Publishing

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Nov 29, 2012 karen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: the-end, welcome-author

pure makes the 100 notable books list, even though it is a pretty perfunctory list this year. but this one's inclusion was a pleasant surprise.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/02/boo...

before the detonations, there were many survivalists living off the grid in those woods. one neighbor, an old man who'd been in a war or two, taught el capitan how to hide his guns and ammo. el capitan did everything old man zander told him to. he bought 40 pvc pipe with end caps, six inches in diameter, and some...more

101 likes · like · see review

Feb 19, 2012 Maja rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: cover-lust, arc-2012, are-you-kidding-me, dystopia, multiple-povs, netgalley, post-apocalyptic, never-saw-it-coming, wake-me-up-next-year, ya, reviewed-in-2012

Pure was deliciously dark and twisted, but to me, it just wasn’t good enough.

Three women step out – all fused – a tangle of cloth hiding their engorged middle. Parts of each face seem to be shiny and stiff as if fused with plastic. Groupies, that’s what they’re called. One of the women has sloped shoulders, a curved spine. There are many arms, some pale and freckled, the others dark.

It took me about 120 pages to really get into this book – much more than it should have, of course. I always str...more Pure was deliciously dark and twisted, but to me, it just wasn’t good enough.

Three women step out – all fused – a tangle of cloth hiding their engorged middle. Parts of each face seem to be shiny and stiff as if fused with plastic. Groupies, that’s what they’re called. One of the women has sloped shoulders, a curved spine. There are many arms, some pale and freckled, the others dark.

It took me about 120 pages to really get into this book – much more than it should have, of course. I always struggle with dystopias at first, but it’s usually for two or three chapters, not more than that. The beginning was very slow, and although I understand the need to build the atmosphere, especially in a book whose main goal seems to be to shock and repulse, I felt that it should have been done gradually, or at least differently. As much as I appreciated (though not enjoyed) the descriptions of people fused with objects or other people, I couldn’t help but wonder if that’s all I would ever get. Fortunately, things started moving just a little faster after those 120 pages, but Baggott still kept pressing the “pause” button on her action scenes in order to describe every little thing her characters came across. Everyone who knows me at least a little bit knows that I’m a big fan of descriptive writing when it serves to evoke a wide palette of emotion. My problem with Pure was that it aimed to evoke only one - disgust. After a hundred pages or so, it became extremely tiresome.

The story is told from multiple points of view. Oddly enough, the one I preferred, the one I could easily identify with, was neither Pressia nor Partridge, it was Lyda, the girl Partridge sort of liked, but mostly just used to get out of the Dome. I eventually started liking Partridge too, even though that took a while, but Pressia never really came alive for me. I still have no idea who she really is and how I’m supposed to feel about her. I would have loved to know more about the creatures she made to trade them on the market, but the one thing I wanted described in detail was just mentioned once or twice in passing.

As far as I’m concerned, the most important thing in a dystopian/post-apocalyptic novel isn’t the romance, the action, or even the writing – it’s social structure. You can be the most skilled writer on the planet, but if your society isn’t convincing enough, you will lose my interest before you can say ‘write a better book’. For me, this is where Baggott failed the most- I wanted to know more – more about the government on both sides (but more outside the Dome), about how it all came to be, and especially about the day when the world went to hell in a handbasket. I want to know how Partridge’s father became the most important person in the world, the only real decision maker. Where were the old governments? Who exactly pulled the strings ever since Partridge’s parents were young? Instead of focusing on endless descriptions of Groupies and Dusts, I would have liked to see at least some of those questions answered. Unfortunately, the little information I was offered wasn’t nearly believable enough.

That doesn’t mean that Pure was all bad. There were things I liked a lot, especially the fact that it managed to surprise me a few times. In a genre where predictability is accepted and even expected, Baggott somehow included quite a few twists and turns that I never saw coming.
I think I would have liked Pure more if it were about a hundred pages shorter. It had its moments and I believe I will read book 2 when it comes out, but unfortunately, this one left a lot to be desired.

Favorite quote:
She glances back before stepping into the alley, and she catches her grandfather looking at her the way he does sometimes – as if she’s already gone, as if he’s practicing sorrow.

For this review and more, please visit The Nocturnal Library
(less)

45 likes · like · see review

Mar 30, 2012 Emily May rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: dystopia-utopia, ya-na, arc, 2011

3 generous stars for excellent world-building and interesting ideas but no more because of the novel's density and lack of actual plot.

When I recieved this ARC, I immediately discovered some very interesting facts from the back of the book. This is taken directly from the back cover:

• Won by GCP during a heated two-day auction
• International language rights sold overnight in nine countries
• Film rights sold to Fox 2000 Pictures with Karen Rosenfelt, lead producer of the Twilight saga

You'd th...more

49 likes · like · see review

Nov 30, 2010 oliviasbooks rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult-fiction, steampunk, scifi-dystopian-apocalyptic, favorites, read-2010, to-re-read, beautiful-writing, hug-them-lick-them-favorites, in-love-with-the-cover, zombies-monsters, stays-with-me

A wonderful, cruel and excruciatingly beautiful, almost poetic piece of steampunk-dystopia.

20 likes · like · see review

Nov 23, 2011 Reynje rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: arc-egalley, e-book-kindle, held-me-captive, read-2011, welcome-to-the-apocalypse, dual-or-multiple-pov

Burn a Pure and Breathe the Ash . . .

When I was a teenager I uncovered a photo album in my grandparent’s house, tucked into the back of a cabinet, dusty and long neglected under stacks of hoarded papers. The album was full of pictures taken in Japan, where my grandfather had been stationed after the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki at the end of WWII. It was like looking at stills from a black and white horror film – destruction on a scale I had never seen before, fragments of the devastation...more

47 likes · like · see review

Sep 20, 2011 Nomes rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, books-that-linger, faves-of-2011, post-apocalyptic-dystopia

4.5 stars

This was gripping and intense and quietly horrifying. Also, beautifully written and fully realised. If dystopia's your thing, you should prioritise checking this out, hey. Full review to come.

12 likes · like · see review

Mar 19, 2012 Trudi rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: apocalyptic-types, dystopia, science-fiction, love-the-premise, 2012-reads, kick-ass-heroines, series

This book is dark. It is disturbing. It is ruthless in places and feels dangerous in others. Despite the fact that Pure has been released by its publisher as Adult fiction, it has been quickly embraced as YA. Though I feel as such, it should maybe come with some sort of disclaimer. Fans of popularized YA dystopias choosing Pure for the same satisfying adrenaline injection packaged in a safe, sanitized story with a sweet romantic subplot are likely going to be put off (even repulsed) over what th...more This book is dark. It is disturbing. It is ruthless in places and feels dangerous in others. Despite the fact that Pure has been released by its publisher as Adult fiction, it has been quickly embraced as YA. Though I feel as such, it should maybe come with some sort of disclaimer. Fans of popularized YA dystopias choosing Pure for the same satisfying adrenaline injection packaged in a safe, sanitized story with a sweet romantic subplot are likely going to be put off (even repulsed) over what they encounter here. Furthermore, the conscientious detail in the world-building will seem heavy-handed to readers seeking a fast-moving thrill ride. Pure does not give up its secrets easily or all at once. Not all loose ends are tied up, not all questions are answered. There’s enough juiciness and potential left over for the sequel. At least this is my hope – because I’m hooked now and want to know everything.

There is such heartrending beauty in Baggott’s vivid descriptions of Earth’s utter destruction and the devastating deformities of the survivors. I will never think of the word “fusion” the same way again. At the height of the Cold War, an entire generation of people lived with the mind-numbing fear of nuclear annihilation. It’s a fear that’s largely left us now, though I’m hard pressed to think why; the weapons still exist and there are still enough crazy mofos out there, in charge or gone rogue, to make use of them if they so choose. Even the most cursory research into the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki will chill the blood and horrify the mind. This is what we are capable of doing to one another. To think that it can’t or won’t ever happen again is wishful thinking I figure of the most deluded kind. But I am grateful we've stopped crouching under desks and building bomb shelters in our spare time. That shit just ain't healthy, you know?

Pressia is a survivor of the Detonations – a global nuclear holocaust that has left her and every other survivor with a diversity of glaring malformations and “fusions”. When the blasts came, they were so strong, the light so bright, humans fused with whatever material closest to them at the time of the explosion, whether it be inanimate, human or animal. Pressia, a child at the time, held her favorite doll and now carries the mark of that day in her doll’s head hand. Such external deformities are a physical manifestation of the pain and loss carried by all survivors, whose souls have surely been burned and scarred just as severely as their bodies.

There are other survivors of the Detonations however – Pures – who have been safely harbored in the Dome. These are the select privileged, protected, their skin perfect. But the Dome has its secrets too, and while the wretches outside the Dome have been busy surviving, those inside the Dome have been watching, and waiting, with a plan of their own.

This was a convincing world to me that left me wanting to know more about everything. The characters are strong and there without coming across as overly sentimental. It takes a while to get to know them, and it takes even longer to warm up to them and start to care. I really enjoyed that slow build. In no way could Pure be labeled a shocking or controversial novel; however, there were several scenes that jolted me, and if you can surprise me in that way where I flinch or my mouth gapes open, I figure you are doing something right. This book has been called "cinematic" and it is a very visual novel (I'm also not surprised to find out that Hollywood has already come a-courting). Parts of the Dustlands and Meltlands even reminded me of Stephen King's Dark Tower landscape (and that is high praise indeed).

What more can I say? If you are looking for a meatier dystopian read with teeth then this is the book for you.(less)

15 likes · like · see review

Feb 06, 2013 Sarah (saz101) rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-releases, young-adult, dystopia

Ten years ago, atomic bombs destroyed the world, leaving two groups of survivors: those maimed, burned, and horrifically deformed by the fire and radiation; and ‘Pures’—a lucky and select group who escaped the explosions unharmed, safely tucked away in a massive glass bubble called The Dome.

Pressia survived the explosions outside. Life is hard, food is scarce, and Pressia is nearing her sixteenth birthday—the time when she will be drafted for military service with OSR. She’ll be forced to kill,...more

12 likes · like · see review

Dec 09, 2011 TheDuchess rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: dnf

Some books try too much. Pure is that book. It tries to be chilling and gritty and blah blah. It's just plain weird. On the ARC there is some publisher heavy weight telling you this is going to be the next Hunger Games. Yeah. Choke me.
(Read the comment session for more ....)

This book wont really appeal to teens, for several reasons I cant be bothered to list. The science in it, is called fantasy.

The good part? The main character isnt too bad. The girl. The boys are sort of meh. And the writing...more

42 likes · like · see review

Jan 29, 2012 Stacey (prettybooks) rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: dystopian-or-post-apocalyptic, read-after-university, read-in-my-twenties, adult-fiction

4.5/5

Pure would win an award for one of the most imaginative post-apocalyptic worlds I’ve come across. At first, the characters are seemingly in a usual end-of-the-world situation: a cataclysmic event has caused everything to be destroyed; people are left with nothing – no food, no comfortable shelter, just injured bodies and loved ones who have died. But there’s a twist. A horrifying, brilliant twist. I really wish I could mention it in this review – and I was originally going to – but I think...more 4.5/5

Pure would win an award for one of the most imaginative post-apocalyptic worlds I’ve come across. At first, the characters are seemingly in a usual end-of-the-world situation: a cataclysmic event has caused everything to be destroyed; people are left with nothing – no food, no comfortable shelter, just injured bodies and loved ones who have died. But there’s a twist. A horrifying, brilliant twist. I really wish I could mention it in this review – and I was originally going to – but I think it’d ruin the experience of discovering what is strange about this seemingly typical, desolate world.

Pressia barely remembers the Detonations or life Before. Now, before her sixteenth birthday, she has to get away. In her totalitarian society, people have to hand themselves in to the militia at the age of sixteen, where they’re then trained to be soldiers or used as live targets if they’re too injured to perform. Unexpectedly, she meets a Pure called Partridge. Pures are healthy people who live inside the protected Dome, among those who rule society. Somehow Partridge has escaped the safety of the Dome and is searching for someone outside…

Pure is brilliantly written. The story is interesting enough that the slow pace of the novel doesn’t let it down but actually enhances the experience, giving the reader time to comprehend the significance of every truth revealed. It also has host of fascinating characters, including our two protagonists Pressia and Partridge. I loved coming across every new character and trying to work out whether they were good or bad. But Pure‘s characters, like real people, do not neatly fit into one neat category. As demonstrated by the post-Detonations ‘I Remember’ game that those outside of the Dome play, each has their own story to tell. Pressia and Partridge go on a roller coaster of a journey finding out where they both belong in a world where the past is ignored, forgotten, denied.

I only had one issue with the book which is that it’s part of a trilogy. I was disappointed when I began to realise that I wasn’t going to be given the full story. Pure had the potential to be a brilliant standalone novel, but the upside is that we’ll all get to read more of Julianna Baggot’s fantastic story.

Pure is an imaginative, stand out, and complex novel set in a believable post-apocalyptic world. I was thrilled to discover that the movie rights have already been acquired because it’s wonderfully cinematic. It’s definitely a highlight among the myriad of dystopia/post-apocalyptic novels out there right now.

Dystopian or Not Dystopian? Slightly dystopian, more post-apocalyptic

Thank you Headline for providing me this book for review!(less)

7 likes · like · see review

Feb 07, 2012 Giselle rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, own, favorites, dystopia-or-post-apocalyptic

A doll-face for a hand! Babies protruding from necks! Do I have your attention yet? Ok, this book is harsh! The world is ~~one of~~ THE most disturbing dystopian world I've ever read. It's cruel, it's very bizarre, and it's strangely fascinating. Some things are definitely hard to swallow, but a merciless world such as this - that is built with excellence, might I add- makes for a spine-chilling read that you will not soon forget!

Pressia lives in the aftermath of an atomic bomb that almost destroyed...more

25 likes · like · see review

Nov 16, 2011 Aly (Fantasy4eva) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Recommended to Aly (Fantasy4eva) by: Nomes

Shelves: received-for-review, my-kinda-protagonist, dark-and-gritty, boys-that-make-me-swoon, action-packed, arc

Rating: 3.5

This is a bit of a tricky book for me. Originally, I struggled with it, and I contemplated setting this one aside. I'm glad I went ahead with it anyway. It may have not really kicked in for me until the second half but I do think it was worth it.

The premise is truly frightening and the book can be disturbing at parts. You know, it's hardly gory or anything of the sort, but some of the things they have to go through and the way these innocent people have suffered is pretty traumatising...more Rating: 3.5

This is a bit of a tricky book for me. Originally, I struggled with it, and I contemplated setting this one aside. I'm glad I went ahead with it anyway. It may have not really kicked in for me until the second half but I do think it was worth it.

The premise is truly frightening and the book can be disturbing at parts. You know, it's hardly gory or anything of the sort, but some of the things they have to go through and the way these innocent people have suffered is pretty traumatising.

When I think of Aribelle and Sedge and her granddad, I mean my heart just goes out to them. Of course everyone is a victim here but I think it was these three who touched me most. It's funny, how they seemed to reduce me nearly to tears although I hardly know them.

Each character holds their own in this novel. Sometimes, we are a little frustrated at lack of characterisation and then let it slide reminding ourselves that it's the first book in the series, surely we will get to know them more during the future instalments? This book shows that there should be no such excuse. There may be characters that you'd like to know a little more but that connection is there, there is enough depth to them to make you truly care.

If I had to pick two favourite characters, it would have to be El Capitan and Bradwell. Although El Captian is originally on a very different side, he shows real compassion towards a girl he hardly knows when he doesn't have to, when it goes against everything that he is a part of. How can you not admire that about a man? Also, I found it interesting how he dealt with his younger brother who is forever fused to him. Bradwell is a real swoon magnet. The funny thing is, he's not made out to be gorgeous or anything, but there's definitely something very attractive about him. A girl can admire a strong, brave man, right? It's so lovely how you watch as him and Pressia start to become more aware of each other. I absolutely love how the author really takes her time with these two. How Bradwell simply touching her hair, or embracing her could fill me with such warmth and happiness. Sometimes the subtle gestures can mean so much more. Lyda and Partridge kind of fell into the background whenever the other two were around. Unfortunately, for me, personally, they just didn't stand out as much.

Of course, let's not forget the cool moments. Once a few things were revealed I was pretty psyched! Ermm, can I just give Glassings a shout-out! He is so freaking awesome.

A part of me just can't help but wish that it was a standalone. It would have been so much more satisfying if they could have just fit it all in one book. Series tend me make me weary. Although I ended up liking the book and being glad that I continued reading it, it wasn't the most easy reading experience out there, and for that reason I can't guarantee that this will be for everyone. I'm not sure how I feel about reading the future books. I think that will have to be decided when it is time.(less)

14 likes · like · see review

Feb 08, 2012 Stephanie (The Night Bookmobile) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, reviewed

Originally posted @ The Night Bookmobile

Pure is one of the most original post-apocalyptic stories I’ve come across. Patridge’s world inside the dome reflects a more familiar setting, the sort of dystopia story we are used to, with residents of the dome living under a strict new set of rules put in place by the new leaders, to supposedly protect them from repeating their tragic history. The citizens of the dome listen to only sanctioned songs, dine on soytex pills for their meals, and only those...more Originally posted @ The Night Bookmobile

Pure is one of the most original post-apocalyptic stories I’ve come across. Patridge’s world inside the dome reflects a more familiar setting, the sort of dystopia story we are used to, with residents of the dome living under a strict new set of rules put in place by the new leaders, to supposedly protect them from repeating their tragic history. The citizens of the dome listen to only sanctioned songs, dine on soytex pills for their meals, and only those selected as genetically superior are allowed to breed. Life outside the dome, however, is much different. Both sides of the Dome are filled with characters who long for the littlest bits of the past, and both lives are horrifying, in their own way.

Outside the Dome, the word “good” doesn’t mean what you think it means… Pressia’s world is suffering the after effects of an unusual cocktail of atomic bombs. It hurts the heart to think that my very own country has used atomic bombs against people. These are not things that we can afford to forget. Pressia’s story is not entirely unrealistic, and I think that’s why this story hits so close to home, and felt more terrifying to me than other dystopian plots.

Pressia was definitely my favorite character in the novel. Her personality was endearing. In another environment, Pressia would probably be a quieter character. You see a lot of that in her inner voice. Pressia’s world forces her to be more pragmatic, a survivor, much more than the normal sixteen year old girl that she so desperately wants to be. Pressia was seven when the detonations hit. She does not know what handshakes are and she doesn’t remember eggs or lemonade. Pressia’s journey isn’t one of rebellion. Like all of the kids in this novel, she is just trying to survive in a world gone horribly wrong.

I found the parts of the plot that focused on who got into the Dome to be very interesting. Without giving too much away, those who got into the Dome were very rich, very religious, and very powerful. Before the end, church attendance was a matter of public record, and a group called the “feminine feminists” gave off a very Handmaid’s Tale vibe. The leaders in the Dome choose to describe the people left behind as sick in the head and criminally insane. This is frightening given the state of politics in our world.

Many comparisons are drawn in the novel between Pressia and Partridge’s worlds. What is the definition of beauty? Can it exist inside the Dome walls when most of life inside is fabricated? Can it exist outside where the atomic bombs have caused such destruction and created such deformities? Lyda, a resident of the Dome, spends time looking out a window that has been created to represent the scenery outside, but is not actually real. The window makes Lyda feel manipulated. Outside, Pressia makes beauty out of recycled parts and turns them into birds and other little creatures, despite being ashamed of her own mutation. I think the conclusion is, life outside the Dome will always be more beautiful, because despite everything else it’s real. The survivor’s scars and mutations are beautiful because it means they have survived.

As a side note, I am even more afraid of motherhood after reading this novel. If you’ve read, you will see why! Also, I may never wear gaudy jewelry again.

Recommendation: I do think that Pure will appeal to only a certain reader. Others will find it too dark or too grotesque. The people in Pure tend to have mutations that will make you rather uncomfortable. There also isn’t a whole lot of rebellion here, for those of you who prefer the more action packed “fist pump” dystopias. There is action here, but it’s of a different kind, and much time is spent unraveling how this world came to be and the character’s roles in that. To sum it up: you should read this if you are looking for something different from the genre, you can appreciate a slower story, and you aren’t easily unnerved. It’s worth it.(less)

7 likes · like · see review

Feb 13, 2012 Infinite Playlist rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: form-ebook, creatures-other, connected, genre-ya, survival, mood-scary-creepy, genre-dystopia-utopia, mine

Lang und breit
Es gibt sie noch! Die Dystopie-Trilogie-Auftaktbände, die mehr können als hohle Figuren durch eine halb erdachte Welt der Zukunft zu schicken, damit sie sich am Ende aus unerklärlichen Gründen verlieben. Julianna Baggott, ihrerseits keine Debütautorin mehr, hat all das richtig gemacht, was die ganzen anderen Neuerscheinungen momentan kaum noch auf die Reihe kriegen.

Es geht mit der Welt los. Die Geschichte spielt in der Zukunft, in einer so genannten Dom-Gesellschaft. Die, die es gu...more Lang und breit
Es gibt sie noch! Die Dystopie-Trilogie-Auftaktbände, die mehr können als hohle Figuren durch eine halb erdachte Welt der Zukunft zu schicken, damit sie sich am Ende aus unerklärlichen Gründen verlieben. Julianna Baggott, ihrerseits keine Debütautorin mehr, hat all das richtig gemacht, was die ganzen anderen Neuerscheinungen momentan kaum noch auf die Reihe kriegen.

Es geht mit der Welt los. Die Geschichte spielt in der Zukunft, in einer so genannten Dom-Gesellschaft. Die, die es gut erwischt haben, leben sicher unter einer riesigen Kuppel. Die weniger Glücklichen müssen draußen um ihr Überleben kämpfen. Für diese Menschen hat die Autorin sich etwas ganz Besonderes ausgedacht. Durch Explosionen und die Freisetzung molekular-verändernder Substanzen (oder so ähnlich) sind viele Menschen mit ihrer Umwelt oder was/wer gerade in der Nähe war verschmolzen. Mehrere Menschen sind zu einem verwachsen, andere besitzen eine mit Glasscherben versetzte Haut. Zu viele Beispiele möchte ich hier nicht vorwegnehmen, diese Mutationen selbst zu entdecken, macht nämlich einen hohen Schauerreiz dieses Romans aus.

Die Welt selbst ist äußerst komplex. Julianna Baggott hat sich nicht nur über ihr Aussehen sondern auch über politische Strukturen und Hintergründe Gedanken gemacht. Zuweilen hat mich das ein wenig erschlagen und überfordert, aber es ist auch nicht so, dass man nicht mehr mitkommt, wenn man mal zwei Seiten lang ein wenig abschaltet.

Der Schreibstil könnte für manche Leser ein Hindernis darstellen. Die Präsensform hat mich immer wieder ein bisschen aus dem Lesefluss geworfen und die Perspektiven werden des Öfteren gewechselt, was mich jedoch nicht gestört hat. Die Charaktere kamen mir dadurch nicht unpersönlich vor. Dennoch hat Julianna Baggott keine Strandlektüre geschrieben. Das Buch liest sich nicht an einem Nachmittag und ich musste es ab und zu mal zur Seite legen.

Die Figuren tragen ungewöhnliche Namen, die sich aber doch irgendwie als einprägsam erweisen. Vor allem der Name Ingership schwirrt mir immer noch manchmal im Kopf herum.
Die drei wichtigsten Charaktere – Pressia, Bradwell und Partridge – ergeben eine fantastische Mischung. Sie haben alle ihr eigenen Stärken und Schwächen. In einer Welt wie Pure sie bietet, hätte ich jeden von ihnen gern zur Verstärkung an meiner Seite.

Kurz und knapp
Julianna Baggott liefert endlich mal wieder einen Dystopieauftakt wie ich ihn mir vorstelle. Die Welt ist schaurig, die Charaktere dreidimensional und die Handlung alles andere als voraussehbar. Nur mit dem Schreibstil muss man sich erst mal anfreunden.(less)

6 likes · like · see review

Aug 13, 2012 Ben Babcock rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: from-library, 2012-read, post-apocalyptic, science-fiction, steampunk, utopia-dystopia, young-adult

So what if someone set us up the bomb, or several bombs, and instead of nuclear winter and all the survivors dying of cancer, they got fused to each other and bits of glass and animals and broken doll heads? Pure is a horror story about atomic detonations gone wrong. Yeah—if that isn’t a terrifying thought, I don’t know what is. Julianna Baggott postulates a post-apocalyptic world that is the fevered vision of a madman in a dome. And that’s where it all starts falling apart.

I’m so over dystopian...more

12 likes · like · see review

Mar 27, 2012 Crowinator rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: dystopia-and-post-apocalypse, ya, science-fiction, 2012-reads, memorably-scary-or-disturbing, everything-is-turning-out-so-dark, favorites-read-in-2012, adult

First Line: “There was a low droning overhead a week after the Detonations; time was hard to track.”

Cover Story: Paperweight.

I’d put this paperweight on my desk. It would look snazzy. As a book cover, though, I don’t know; the butterfly and dome both figure into the story, but the image isn’t as evocative as it should be for a purely symbolic cover. I don’t think it accurately conveys the tone of the book. (Maybe that is the point but I often pick up a book based on the cover, and I think this o...more

9 likes · like · see review

Nov 20, 2011 Sam rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc-or-galley, dystopia-or-post-apocalyptic, dystopia-or-pa-favourites, dystopian

'Burn a Pure and breathe the ash.
Take his guts and make a sash.
Twist his hair and make a rope.
Use his bones to make Pure soap.'

Pure is one of the most anticipated novels of 2012, especially for fans of the young-adult dystopian genre. I, myself, was dying to read this, so you can imagine my excitement when I finally got a copy.

It does not disappoint. This book was everything I was hoping for. It had the mesmerizing post-apocalyptic world that I love to read about in dystopian novels. It had ama...more

16 likes · like · see review

Nov 15, 2011 Savinien rated it 1 of 5 stars

According to the Third Law of Thermodynamics, everything tends toward greater and greater disorder. Pure, by Julianna Baggott, proves this axiom perfectly.

After an exciting beginning, the plot slowly loses traction and devolves into a series of scenes connected only by their order on the pages. The antagonists are not clearly or logically drawn, plot twists take the characters down improbable paths, and we finish with a fizzle as we learn--oops!--this is only Part 1 of 3. This is not so much a...more

12 likes · like · see review

Feb 11, 2012 Heidi rated it 3 of 5 stars

Three and a half stars: This book takes you to a dark ravaged existence after a nuclear apocalypse.

Pressia adjusts the ratty sock that covers the doll head fused to her hand, as she hurries down the dark alley, anxious to get home to her ailing grandfather. She glances up at the darkened sky. Everywhere there is swirling ash and dust. It is a landscape devoid of color, everything is black, grey and dirty. The world is one of decay, ash, scars and death. Pressia, is among the many survivors, who...more

5 likes · like · see review

Feb 04, 2012 Amanda rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya, arc

Holy house cats, that is some DARK SHIZ. In skimming some of the other reviews, I've noticed a lot of the non-raves are a bit "it's too weird" or "there's too much back story" or whatever, which leads me to believe that this is being IMPROPERLY marketed as YA. It's VERY dark and the writing is VERY sophisticated. This book is more appropriate for people who read THE HANDMAID'S TALE (seriously, it's like if Offred was 10 years younger) and 1984, not people who want another HUNGER GAMES because TH...more

14 likes · like · see review

Jan 12, 2012 Cathy Day added it

Shelves: 2011-books, for-my-students

This book "crosses over" between literary and genre in a way that Hunger Games does not (although I certainly liked Hunger Games). What qualities push a book from genre towards "literary?" In this case, it's 1.) the cultural commentary, the idea, the speculative nature of the premise and subject matter; Pure is more overtly political than Hunger Games, and this appeals to me as an adult reader and what dissatisfied me about H.G. And, 2.) Pure is better on the on the sentence level, more psycholo...more

9 likes · like · see review

Nov 24, 2011 Wendy Darling rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, dystopian-post-apocalyptic-utopian, poc, steampunk, read-2011, ebook-egalley, too-many-povs, 2012-publication, 2011-publication

Hmm. I have to think about this one.

3 likes · like · see review

Oct 18, 2012 Eunice rated it 3 of 5 stars

2.5
Pure was intriguing, dark and twisted (as ‘juvie' books go). However, it took me about two-thirds of the book to be absorbed, despite it being for Young Adults. Although I appreciate world-building, background and atmosphere needed to be established, it was done tediously.
Told from multiple points of view – this worked, because readers can see the plot-lines entwining and coming together. It sheds light on the plausible future of nuclear bombs and the self-destruction of the human race in a d...more 2.5
Pure was intriguing, dark and twisted (as ‘juvie' books go). However, it took me about two-thirds of the book to be absorbed, despite it being for Young Adults. Although I appreciate world-building, background and atmosphere needed to be established, it was done tediously.
Told from multiple points of view – this worked, because readers can see the plot-lines entwining and coming together. It sheds light on the plausible future of nuclear bombs and the self-destruction of the human race in a digestible manner for younger readers. Violence and consequences aren’t mellowed down for target audience.
The motivation for one of the main characters that spurs the plot of the novel is irrational – boy in safe haven of the Dome decides to venture out into radiation and post-apocalyptic wilderness because he ‘suddenly’ believes, without concrete evidence, his mother – presumed dead for years – is ‘alive’!
I have to hand it to Baggott – despite two male characters and one female, she resisted the urge to create the eponymous love-triangle so preferred by YA novelists.
BEST BIT:
• Humans being fused to animals/objects as a result of the blasts; characters actually die.
WORST BIT:
• The use of third-person present tense makes the novel sound childish when read.
READ IT WITH:
• Dinosaur chicken nuggets and an appreciation of dark foreshadowing.
REVIEWER PROFILE:
• Has a penchant for dystopian novels because it makes her life seem better in comparison.

____________________________________________________
It started off pretty slow (for a YA novel), but I guess it was because the world and plot needed to be established. I like how there isn't mellowed violence or mellowed consequences as a result of the intended target audience, and the issues raised (post-apocalypse, self-destruction of the human race, atomic and neuclear bombs) are very really and plausible outcomes resulting from humankind's ever increasing knowledge and power.
ALSO THERE ISN'T A LOVE-TRIANGLE. I hope that does not count as a spoiler but I was so damn happy when there wasn't going to be a love-triangle!!!!(less)

2 likes · like · see review

Jan 31, 2012 Soycazadoradesombrasylibros rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: finish

Nunca una novela juvenil me había dado tanto que pensar, es bastante atípico que en los últimos libros que están llegando a mi estantería (y no digo que no los haya), toda la historia tenga un mensaje críptico que el lector tiene que ir descubriendo poco a poco.

Los escritores están acostumbrados a escribir sobre diversos temas, algunos con mas acierto que otros, pero Puro, rompe todos los moldes establecidos en estas novelas.

Desde la primera pagina hasta la ultima y a un ritmo trepidante sin ape...more Nunca una novela juvenil me había dado tanto que pensar, es bastante atípico que en los últimos libros que están llegando a mi estantería (y no digo que no los haya), toda la historia tenga un mensaje críptico que el lector tiene que ir descubriendo poco a poco.

Los escritores están acostumbrados a escribir sobre diversos temas, algunos con mas acierto que otros, pero Puro, rompe todos los moldes establecidos en estas novelas.

Desde la primera pagina hasta la ultima y a un ritmo trepidante sin apenas dejarnos respirar, la autora, nos deleitara con una trama única, que gira en torno a una sociedad que tras unas explosiones se ha dividido en dos, o mejor dicho "la dividieron ellos en dos" y en cada lugar ya sea en la "cúpula" o fuera de esta, las reglas para sobrevivir son las que imperan, sino ya puedes olvidarte de existir.

Las descripciones del mundo que hay fuera de la cúpula y al ir adentrandome en estas, las cuales son tan concisas que piensas que vives dentro del libro y formas parte de el y en parte es así, he vivido este libro como si estuviese con Pressia pegada a su mano.

Por fin y tras mucho tiempo esperando deciros esto, he encontrado unos personajes que rompen moldes y se salen de los estereotipos de "niña tonta" o "niño peligroso" se enamoran en un abrir y cerrar los ojos....El amor es secundario, lo principal es ponerse a salvo y conocer una verdad que ha estado en cada una de las 428 paginas pero que poco a poco se nos va descubriendo como si un velo o una mascara se nos fuese cayendo poco a poco, para enseñarnos lo que en realidad tenemos.

He reflexionado mucho tras haber terminado de leer "Puro" pero no encontraba ningún adjetivo que la pueda calificar, para eso tendría que pensar en muchos mas que uno solo.

Cuando un libro contiene tantas emociones que te llegan hasta lo mas hondo, es difícil hablar de el, porque no me salen las palabras para explicar lo que he sentido.

Dura,tierna,escalofriante,reflexiva,triste,alegre.....me quedo sin palabras.(less)

5 likes · like · see review

Feb 20, 2012 Mimi Valentine rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: finished-copy-for-review, reviewed

Wow. This book is a STUNNER. It's dark and disturbing and creepy-cool, but it's also so darn fascinating! I don't think I've ever read a book like it before, and I don't think I ever will again!

Set after the Detonations (which caused mutations that merged inanimate objects to some people's bodies), Pure takes place in a post-apocalyptic world that twists the definition of "dystopian" and molds it into something darker, something terrifying, something that makes me so thankful I don't live there...more

5 likes · like · see review

Jan 20, 2012 Kara rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, bloody-as-hell, depressing, dystopian, for-review, net-galley, post-apocalyptic, young-adult

Blurb:

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 themselve...more

4 likes · like · see review

Mar 07, 2012 Jessi (Reading in the Corner) rated it 4 of 5 stars

The startling world that Julianna Baggott presents in her gripping post-apocalyptic novel pulled me in and refused to let go. It's the kind of world that truly makes you think about what today's world is capable of because the stark and startling reality is that we are capable of bringing about this type of alternate reality with the push of a button.

This potential for fiction to become reality is really what makes Ms. Baggott's world so mesmerizing--like a wreck that you can't look away from. F...more The startling world that Julianna Baggott presents in her gripping post-apocalyptic novel pulled me in and refused to let go. It's the kind of world that truly makes you think about what today's world is capable of because the stark and startling reality is that we are capable of bringing about this type of alternate reality with the push of a button.

This potential for fiction to become reality is really what makes Ms. Baggott's world so mesmerizing--like a wreck that you can't look away from. For me, the best post-apocalyptic novels bring to light the potential for disaster that already exists in our world and this novel did just that. The potential for us to virtually destroy ourselves is an ever-present reality that we may forget on a daily basis. Pure reminds us that it could happen and this world could be the disastrous result. Ms. Baggott's world-building is truly excellent. It will pull you in and allow you to walk around in this fantasy world of Pures and wretches--to see the destruction of nuclear explosions and the world created in their wake.

Baggott's dual narrative threw me for a loop at first. I had trouble finding a rhythm with the switching POVs, but eventually I was so pulled into their stories that I couldn't put the book down. Watching their stories intersect and overlap made the initial disjoint completely worth it because I knew the characters as individuals before their lives intersected. I had a better understanding of the very different lives that each one led and that definitely contributed to my overall sympathy with the characters.

Now you may be wondering, who are these characters? First off we have Pressia--a "wretch" with a doll's head fused to one of her hands who lives outside the Dome with her grandfather. The best way to describe her is this: SURVIVOR. This girl is tough as nails. The connection that I felt with her character was instantaneous. I'm not sure why, but she truly pulled me into the story. Something in her character was simply irresistible. I found myself inside her head and fighting her battles. Partridge was a different story and it took me awhile to truly connect with him--to really figure out what his part was in the bigger scheme of things. His role became quickly apparent and as he developed I found him to be much more sympathetic that at first glance. He definitely revealed himself as a multi-faceted character later on in the novel.

I'm not sure what else to say about Pure at this point. It is a fabulously written adult crossover novel that will appeal to a wide audience. Those accustomed to reading YA post-apocalyptic and dystopian novels should easily fall into Ms. Baggott's world and characters, although the actual story pacing doesn't move as quickly as many YA novels. This book left me breathless and waiting on pins and needles to follow my characters on their continuing journey. I know I will be first in line to buy this book and its sequel when they are released on the world. (less)

2 likes · like · see review

Feb 19, 2013 Samantha rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: goodreads-first-reads, didn-t-finish, least-favorites

I won Pure as a giveaway from Goodreads First Reads. Pure is a dystopian novel about the world after an atomic bomb has been dropped. A select group of people were saved from the disastrous effects and live in a highly protected dome. The survivors outside the dome are gruesomely deformed; fused to whatever they were touching when the bomb hit. The main character Pressia has a doll head fused to her hand; others have it worse and are fused to birds, siblings, or even the ground.

I couldn't finis...more

2 likes · like · see review

Jan 09, 2012 Edith rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-novels

This book really excels in its world building. The visually disturbing characters, one horrific character after another, haunt its pages and keep you reading. It reminds me of when I read Hiroshima in high school & I was so disturbed by what the atomic bomb did to Japan, and I wouldn't be surprised if the author was influenced by that book. But of course Pure is fantasy, taking bomb effects to a whole new place where the earth's objects can bond to individuals, living and breathing as part o...more

3 likes · like · see review

Sep 10, 2012 Elizabeth Jellison added it

This is what I wanted The Hunger Games to be. Someone else obviously thought so too, because Pure makes The Hunger Games look like paradise.

This is post apocalyptic America, set somewhere around Baltimore. We are introduced to the true and utter desperation of the lives of people outside the dome, and the relative safety, though somewhat despotic world of those living inside the dome, known as "pure" because they are untouched by nuclear fallout.

The true tragedy of this world decimated by a nu...more

1 like · like · see review

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Discuss This Book

topics	posts	views	last activity
Please no spoilers! Just started and WOW!	9	31	Apr 12, 2013 12:48am
Surreal Images (spoilers allowed)	3	37	Dec 21, 2012 08:05pm
South African Boo...: Pure (Spoilers)	4	36	Oct 08, 2012 07:39am
South African Boo...: Pure (No Spoilers)	5	53	Oct 03, 2012 06:54am
YA e dintorni: Pure, IV settimana (22 - 28 luglio): capitoli 46 - epilogo	4	10	Jul 27, 2012 01:23am
YA e dintorni: Gruppo di lettura di luglio: Pure	35	27	Jul 26, 2012 10:02am

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About Julianna Baggott

Connect with Julianna Baggott on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/JuliannaBaggott

Check out the new novel -- PURE
http://www.pure-book.com

Also writes under the pen names N.E. Bode and Bridget Asher.

Critically acclaimed, bestselling author Julianna Baggott is the author of eighteen books, most notably her recent novel PURE, the first in a dystopian trilogy, a New York Times Book Review's Editor's Cho...more

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Trivia About Pure

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Quotes from Pure

“Beauty, you can find it here if you look hard enough.” — 44 people liked it

“Memories are like water.” — 32 people liked it

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