Julianna Baggott presents her beautifully written, riveting, breakout novel, PURE, the first volume in her new post-apocalypse thriller trilogy.
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.
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"For anyone who loved the post-apocalyptic other-world-ness of the Justin Cronin's books and the spunky teenage heroine of The Hunger Games, this book is a must read. The sequel is about to be released, so do yourself a favor and read this one now."
— Sheryl (4 out of 5 stars)
“Baggott’s highly anticipated postapocalyptic horror novel…is a fascinating mix of stark, oppressive authoritarianism and grotesque anarchy…Baggott mixes brutality, occasional wry humor, and strong dialogue into an exemplar of the subgenre.”
— Publishers Weekly (starred review)“What lifts Pure from the glut of blood-spattered young adult fiction is not the story Baggott tells but the exquisite precision of her prose…discomfiting and unforgettable.”
— New York Times Sunday Book Review“Baggott here offers the first in a postapocalyptic trilogy being compared to Justin Cronin’s The Passage and Suzanne Collins’s The Hunger Games.”
— Library JournalWhat lifts PURE from the glut of blood-spattered young adult fiction is not the story Baggott tells but the exquisite precision of her prose...discomfiting and unforgettable.
— The New York Times Sunday Book ReviewBaggott's highly anticipated postapocalyptic horror novel...is a fascinating mix of stark, oppressive authoritarianism and grotesque anarchy...Baggott mixes brutality, occasional wry humor, and strong dialogue into an exemplar of the subgenre.
— Publisher's Weekly (STARRED review)A great gorgeous whirlwind of a novel, boundless in its imagination. You will be swept away.
— Justin Cronin, New York Times bestselling author of The PassagePURE is a dark adventure that is both startling and addictive at once. Pressia Belze is one part manga heroine and one part post-apocalyptic Alice, stranded in a surreal Wonderland where everyone and everything resonates with what has been lost. Breathtaking and frightening. I couldn't stop reading PURE.
— Danielle Trussoni, bestselling author of AngelologyFrom the first page on, there are no brakes on this book. It's nearly impossible to stop reading as Baggott delves fearlessly into a grotesque and fascinating future populated by strangely endearing victims (and perpetrators) of a wholly unique apocalypse. And trust me, PURE packs one hell of an apocalypse.
— Daniel H. Wilson, New York Times bestselling author of RobopocalypseA boiling and roiling glorious mosh-pit of a book, full of wonderful weirdness, tenderness, and wild suspense. If Katniss could jump out of her own book and pick a great friend, I think she'd find an excellent candidate in Pressia.
— Aimee Bender, author of The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake" It took me several chapters to get into the story. I like the overall plot, but feel it could have been written with more action. It has a sense of "wandering" to it. "
— Sandy, 2/11/2014" this book is crazy, boring in the beginning but the ending made up for it "
— Ummy, 1/17/2014" A very creative and though provoking novel. "
— Maureen, 12/25/2013" Not bad. I think the story got lost in gruesome imagery every now and then. But I will read the next novel to see what happens to a few characters I became invested in. "
— Rebecca, 12/20/2013" It was a interesting book and sometimes confusing. "
— Claudia, 12/16/2013" Couldn't get into it enough to finish it. "
— Joella, 12/8/2013" Super interesting book. Many of the usual dytopian devices, but lots of unusual twists and turns. "
— alexandra, 12/2/2013" Great start to a new series. This is a very strange read, but interesting and well written. "
— Joy, 11/22/2013" I was sucked in immediately with this book. I can't wait until the second one comes out! There were a couple parts where it was hard to keep my attention, but I still loved the book and waiting anxiously for February! "
— Cfinn, 7/25/2013" Not as bloody as the Hunger Games, but just as disturbing in other ways. Overall, I liked the book, but it's not one I will read again. There were parts that were boring and just too strange. "
— Chris, 5/15/2013" The cover is really misleading for this dark and super creepy dystopian. The books was fast paced with a lot of action and great plot twists. I'm starting right in on the second one! "
— Julie, 4/29/2013" This was darker, deeper, more complex than a lot of YA I've read lately. Interesting and complicated characters plus real danger brings a fresh take to the dystopian genre that has been overdone as of late. "
— Susie, 3/25/2013" Amazing! I Loved the story line, and great concept. And I am in to dark book, and this was one :) I have to admit some parts where really disturbing..... I am so excited for the next one! "
— Brenne, 12/23/2012" With this book you really have to persist with it. It didn't start getting good until further in the book but it definitely something different. "
— Jordan, 8/7/2012" A fascinating book with so much detail and well drawn characters than than the some of the other dystopian novels of today: The Hunger Games or The City of Ember. "
— Faith, 7/21/2012" This was a good book. I will read the next one. "
— Sheryl, 6/4/2012" It started out slow, I had to force myself to read it. But! Once Partridge escaped it got amazing! "
— Katie, 5/8/2012" Absolutely fantastic... "
— Roxanne, 4/30/2012" Hard to get into, but once I got about halfway through it really picked up. Will read the next one. :) "
— Anna, 3/1/2012Julianna Baggott, critically acclaimed and bestselling author, has published more than twenty books under her own name as well as pen names, including two New York Times Notable Books of the Year: Pure, an ALA Alex Award winner, and Harriet Wolf’s Seventh Book of Wonders. Over one hundred foreign editions of her books have been published overseas. Her work is currently in development with Disney+, MGM, Paramount, and Netflix. She’s written for O, The Oprah Magazine; NPR; and the Washington Post.
Khristine Hvam has won several AudioFile Earphones Awards, placed three times as a finalist for the prestigous Audie Award, and won the Audie Award for Best Narration in 2012 and 2013. She studied acting for the theater and film, and her voice can be heard in Pokémon, World of Warcraft, and in various television and radio commercials.
Joshua Swanson is an actor and voiceover talent. He’s worked in major motion pictures and television and as a voice talent has worked in all facets of the business. An award-winning audiobook narrator with over sixty titles to his name, Swanson has won five AudioFile Earphones Awards.
Kevin T. Collins, an Audie Award–winning audiobook narrator, is an actor, singer, recording artist, and director who can be seen off Broadway, on television, and in films.
Casey Holloway is an actor and voice-over artist based in Atlanta, Georgia. After earning her BFA in theater performance from Columbus State University, she signed on as a company member and tour actor with the Lexington Children’s Theater. She is now a company member with the Sketchworks comedy troupe and is working in film, television, and voice-over. Her audiobook credits include How to Rock Braces and Glasses and The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight.