Review: Pure (Pure #1) by Julianna Baggott

Title: Pure
Author: Julianna Baggott
Series: Pure #1
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Publication Date: February 8, 2012

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GOODREADS SUMMARY: Pressia barely remembers the Detonations or much about life during the Before. In her sleeping cabinet, 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.

My Review

First off, I just have to say Pure is dark, twisted, and creepy, but it still managed to make my heart ache, and astound me. Pressia is a Wretch, who were on the outside when the Detonations hit. This resulted in her become disfigured, fused with her baby doll’s head in place of her hand. Pressia is not the only story we learn about, Pure is also story of Partridge, a Pure, who was on the inside of the Dome when the Detonations hit. The viewpoints switch mainly between Partridge and Pressia as their stories become intertwined, but do feature a few of the other characters.

The story that Julianna Baggott weaves is a tangled, complicated web, with many different threads coming together to form the story of Pure. I feel for Pressia, who dreams that one day the world will go back to the way it was, with amusement parks, movie theaters, and birthday parties. Partridge knows that there is more to the world than just the Dome, and when he learns that his mother may still be alive, he needs to find out for himself. Even if it means, he will have to leave the safety of the Dome.

I had to sit with my thoughts on this book for a while. While this book is nothing like what I thought it was going to be, it is much darker, but I think it made me like it even more. There are many disturbing, descriptive images in Pure, so it is not a book for the faint hearted. There were times when I had to pause, because of the intense feelings the descriptions of the fusions bought out of me. While it is creepy and disturbing at times, I still loved Pure.

I have never read anything like Pure, and I think it may be the reason I loved the book so much. I experienced a range of emotions I usually do not experience all in one book. I would recommend this book to older teens/adult dystopia fans. I do have to say; I probably would have loved the book more without, as many disturbing or graphic descriptions, but then this book would probably feel a little false for a nuclear wasteland novel. Pure is the first book in a series, with Fuse to be released in the future.

**Unabridged Bookshelf received this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review**