{REVIEW} FUSE (PURE #2) by JULIANNA BAGGOTT

Series: Pure #2
Genre: Post Apocalyptic/Sci Fi
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Publication Date: 2/19/13
Format: eARC
Pages: 416
Source: Received from publisher, via NetGalley

 When the world ended, those who dwelled within the Dome were safe. Inside their glass world the Pures live on unscarred, while those outside—the Wretches—struggle to survive amidst the smoke and ash.

Believing his mother was living among the Wretches, Partridge escaped from the Dome to find her. Determined to regain control over his son, Willux, the leader of the Pures, unleashes a violent new attack on the Wretches. It’s up to Pressia Belze, a young woman with her own mysterious past, to decode a set of cryptic clues from the past to set the Wretches free.

An epic quest that sweeps readers into a world of beautiful brutality, Fuse continues the story of two people fighting to save their futures—and change the fate of the world.

 

Once again, I am left stunned by the Pure series. It is alternately horrific, beautiful, wistful, romantic, and brutally savage. Definitely not my typical read, but I'm so glad that I took the leap. When I read Pure, I was blown away by the author's imagination, and by the fact that the world is based on a premise I find frightening and not out of the realm of possibility. I was drawn to the words that made me see beauty within the horror.

I'm not sure why, but Fuse did not hit me as hard as Pure. Maybe it's because I was somewhat used to the imagery. The shock factor was still there, but not as strong. I think it's also due to the fact that Fuse is the middle book in the series and those often seem to fall short of the first book. Another aspect that may have played part is the heavy scientific explanations. There are several overly (in my opinion) detailed passages that had me skimming, though it's good that there are explanations and logical thinking going on.

As far as the characters go, I was continually, and often pleasantly, surprised by their actions. Pressia is still trying to find her father, find the key to bringing down Willux, and navigating a relationship with Bradford, whom I still adore. Partridge broke my heart. His sacrifices to help the greater good made me proud and sad. His relationship with Lyda was beautiful and heartbreaking. She is another great heroine in this series, seemingly meek but with a powerful presence. The characters that most surprises and make me cringe is El Capitan and Helmud. In Pure, I honestly did not think the two would play a huge part of the story, other than as the conflicted bad guy(s). The fact that he/they now play a large, valiant part in the series is pretty great.

I just don't know how to pin down my feelings about Fuse. It took me nearly half the book to become truly involved.  The writing is gorgeous and imaginative. The story is brave, and makes you think about ethical issues, religious issues, friendship, sacrifice and love.


Favorite Quote:

  "You are whole," Bradwell says. "This is who I am -- scars, birds in my back. I'm whole now. I accept that. You go around seeing beauty in all this wreckage, but when will you see it in yourself?" He reaches up and runs his finger along the curve of the crescent scar around her eye. "This self."  ~eARC, 28%

The Pure Series

 

click on cover for GoodReads page

 

My review of Pure

Purchase Fuse at:
Amazon  |  Barnes & Noble  |  Book Depository

{REVIEW} THROUGH THE EVER NIGHT (UNDER THE NEVER SKY #2) by VERONICA ROSSI

Series: Under the Never Sky #2
Genre: Young Adult Post-Apocalyptic/SciFi
Publisher: Harper Collins
Publication Date: 1/8/13
Format:  Hardcover
Pages: 352
Source: Bought

It's been months since Aria last saw Perry. Months since Perry was named Blood Lord of the Tides, and Aria was charged with an impossible mission. Now, finally, they are about to be reunited. But their reunion is far from perfect. The Tides don't take kindly to Aria, a former Dweller. And with the worsening Aether storms threatening the tribe's precarious existence, Aria begins to fear that leaving Perry behind might be the only way to save them both.

Threatened by false friends, hidden enemies, and powerful temptations, Aria and Perry wonder, Can their love survive through the ever night?

In this second book in her spellbinding Under the Never Sky trilogy, Veronica Rossi combines fantasy and dystopian elements to create a captivating love story as perilous as it is unforgettable.

**Does not contain spoilers for Through the Ever Night, but does contain spoilers for Under the Never Sky.**


Under the Never Sky was one of my favorite books of 2012. The story contains a brutal world with danger around every bend, characters that were fierce and written to heartbreaking perfection, and writing that seemed to grip my heart and my mind and refuse to let go. To say I've been anxiously awaiting Through the Ever Night is an understatement.

This book was intense. Perry is now the Blood Lord of the Tides, and carries an enormous burden. Though he has always put others before himself, that selflessness is taken to a whole new level. Things are getting worse on the Outside. The Aether is less predictable, scorching land and taking down anything in its path. Food and resources are becoming scarce, and other tribes are moving in. At only nineteen, Perry must find a way to keep the Tides safe, despite a lack of good options and dissension among the group. He also needs to rescue his nephew Talon, come to terms with his new status and how he achieved it, as well as his feelings for Aria and how that can throw everything else into turmoil.

Once again, Aria is a heroine I love to love. This girl is practical, honorable, brave and loving. She's now an orphan, an outcast to the Outsiders and Dwellers. She loves Perry, but doesn't want to hurt his fragile position. She wants to rescue Talon. She desperately needs to find the Still Blue. She wants a Home. Her home is Perry.

Now, this review would be a sham if I didn't discuss Roar. I'm just going to say that Roar is one of my favorite characters ever. Staggeringly handsome, devilishly charming, devoted with all his heart to a girl he can no longer have, this poor boy stole me heart. His loyalty to Perry is what true friendship is about. His affection towards Aria is amusing. Roar has some of the best one-liners out there. I love his quips, but oh my, did my heart ever break for him.

One thing I want to mention, and I do not remember if it was explained in UtNS, was the Aether. I won't go into detail because it is fascinating to read in the story, and lengthy to explain, but there is a very logical scientific explanation given for the Aether, and how it led to the Unity. I LOVE when post-apocalyptic worlds make sense.

Through the Ever Night was a brilliant follow-up to Under the Never Sky. Rossi is an enormously gifted author whose words held me bound to the story. I simply could not put it down. I am thoroughly impressed/elated/heartbroken and it goes without saying that I want to cry when I think about how long we must wait for Into the Still Blue.


Favorite Quote:

  "This..."He was going to tell her that this was how they should've come together, days ago in the woods. This was what he'd thought about all winter--what he'd missed. But he couldn't get past the way she felt, or the way the she was looking at him.
  "Yes," she said. "This"
  Perry bent and kissed her lips. She curved against him, her sigh a warm drift against his cheek, and then nothing existed beyond her mouth and her skin and the feel of her body against his.  ~ pg 49 


  Nothing would change the way he felt. Not ignoring his thoughts of her, or being with Kirra. The moment Aria had taken his hand on the roof at Marron's, she'd changed everything. No matter what happened, she'd always be the one.  ~pg 280

 

Under the Never Sky Series

 

My review of Under the Never Sky

You can purchase Through the Ever Night at:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository

TEASER TUESDAY ~ THROUGH THE EVER NIGHT

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along, just do as following:

·Grab your current read
·Open to a random page
·Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page
·Be careful not to include any spoilers so as not to ruin the book for others.

Make sure to share the title and the author so other TT participants can add the book to their TBR piles.



Series: Under the Never Sky #2
Genre: Young Adult Post-Apocalyptic/SciFi
Publisher: Harper Collins
Publication Date: 1/8/13
Format:  Hardcover
Pages: 352
Source: Bought

It's been months since Aria last saw Perry. Months since Perry was named Blood Lord of the Tides, and Aria was charged with an impossible mission. Now, finally, they are about to be reunited. But their reunion is far from perfect. The Tides don't take kindly to Aria, a former Dweller. And with the worsening Aether storms threatening the tribe's precarious existence, Aria begins to fear that leaving Perry behind might be the only way to save them both.

Threatened by false friends, hidden enemies, and powerful temptations, Aria and Perry wonder, Can their love survive through the ever night?

In this second book in her spellbinding Under the Never Sky trilogy, Veronica Rossi combines fantasy and dystopian elements to create a captivating love story as perilous as it is unforgettable.

My Teaser:

 

  When she saw him, her eyes widened in surprise, but her stride didn't slow and neither did his. He shed his things, dropping them where they fell, and sprinted. Next thing he knew, she slammed into his chest, solid and fragrant in his arms.
  Perry held her against him. "I missed you," he whispered in her ear. He couldn't hold her close enough. "I should never have let you go. I missed you so much."  ~pg. 4-5

I love this book! My review will be up tomorrow.

 

You can purchase at:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository

{REVIEW} PURE (PURE #1) by JULIANNA BAGGOTT

Series: Pure #1
Genre: Science Fiction/Dystopian
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Publication Date: 2/8/12
Format: Paperback
Pages: 432
Source: Received from publisher for review.

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.

Pure is a post-apocalyptic tale of survival and hope amid destruction and horror.

Believe it or not, I like it when I am wrong about a book. To have a book that I have written off as something that I would never enjoy, thank you very much, sneak up on me and become a book that I can't put down and forget, even after the last page.When I read the first wave of reviews, before, during and shortly after Pure's release, I was so sure that this story was simply "not for me". I barely like post-apocalyptic stories, let alone those that feature characters so shocking and horrifying as the victims in this bleak book.

But a few months ago, I received an email from a publicist, interested in sending me the new paperback version of the book, and I took a chance. When Pure finally reached the top of my reading pile, I picked it up, gave a weary sigh, and began reading, slightly optimistic, but fairly certain that I would give it up by page one hundred.

I was wrong.

By page one hundred, I was hooked. I was gripped by this cruel future and its brave inhabitants. I was rooting for the brave Pure boy, Partridge, beautiful and unmarred, but lost and damaged in his own way. I was stunned by the courageous Pressia, a girl with a doll's head for a hand. She is a girl with little to hope for from this world, but her simple hope for a connection to her past made my heart ache. I fell in love with Bradwell, a boy who is physically imperfect in comparison to most heroes, but who was beautiful beyond compare. A boy with wings who has a place in his heart for love.

The reality that author Julianna Baggott built in Pure is too much for me to break down in this review. The themes touched included government corruption, science gone mad, nuclear warfare and radiation, and religion...and so much more. The aspect that fascinated me most was the inclusion of the Japanese victims of the atomic bomb, and how the victims of Pure were tied to that.

Honestly, I have really struggled with this review. I think I'm in a bit of shock. Pure made me angry, made me cry, gasp, pull my hair, shout at other readers, cover my mouth when I thought I would scream, cringe, and left me with hope. It is not a love story, yet it is a story about love. This is a book that made me feel all the feelings, and I could not put it down. Pure is a book that will not be forgotten.


Favorite Quote:

  "But it's not that he's stuck. No. He remembers the story perfectly. The reason he stops is that he can almost feel his mother. The story released in the air also releases some part of her. He stops so that he can take it in and then it's gone. In these brief moments, he can remember what it was like to be a little boy."   (pg. 296)


  "Bradwell sits up and toucheds the scar with his fingertip. He looks at her as if his eyes are taking in her entire face, her eyes, her cheeks, her lips. Normally, she's look away, but she can't. 'The scar is beautiful,' he says.
  Her heart skitters. She pulls the doll head to her chest. 'Beautiful? It's a scar.'
  'It's a sign of survival.'"    (pg. 319)


  "And his eyes, the gold flecks. Where had they come from? It was if they'd suddenly appeared. Beauty, you can find it here if you look hard enough. Every once in a while, in a quick shot, she'll remember how he looked at her, taking in her entire face. The thought of it makes her nervous, the same feeling as having a secret you hope no one ever finds out about."   (pg. 352-3)



You can Pure purchase at:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository

WAITING ON WEDNESDAY

Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's WoW selection is...

Kira Walker has found the cure for RM, but the battle for the survival of humans and Partials is only just beginning. Kira has left East Meadow in a desperate search for clues as to who she is. That the Partials themselves hold the cure for RM in their blood cannot be a coincidence—it must be part of a larger plan, a plan that Kira knows she is a part of, a plan that could save both races. Her allies are Afa Demoux, an unhinged drifter and former employee of ParaGen, and Samm and Heron, the Partials who betrayed her and saved her life, the only ones who know her secret. But can she trust them?

Meanwhile, back on Long Island, what’s left of humanity is gearing up for war with the Partials, and Marcus knows his only hope is to delay them until Kira returns. But Kira’s journey will take her deep into the overgrown wasteland of postapocalyptic America, and they will both discover that their greatest enemy may be one they didn’t even know existed.~From GoodReads

Why I'm Waiting ~ I absolutely loved everything about Partials.  I loved the premise, the characters, the writing. I can't wait to find out what happens next!


Expected publication: February 26th 2013 by Balzer + Bray

WAITING ON WEDNESDAY

Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's WoW selection is...

Why I'm Waiting ~ PERRY!!! There's no blurb yet, but LOOK! IT'S PERRY!! That shirt. Those pants. Duuuuude...This book can't get here soon enough.

Expected publication: January 8th 2013 by HarperCollins