Apparently, Burn is the final installment in the Pure Trilogy. Unfortunately, it has also left me with more than a few questions left unanswered with THAT ENDING! Once again Baggott centers her story around Pressia, El Capitan (w/Helmut), Bradwell, Partridge, and Lyda while giving readers a better look into the machinations of Ellery Willux and his diabolical plans for both wretches and Pure's.
This is a world in which a series of nuclear detonations were intentionally set off and left survivors separated in two groups. One of the groups was taken inside a protective dome before the blasts and thus called Pures because they experienced no long term affects. Those left outside in the ash-choked air where people were fused to things they were holding at the time of the detonation are called Wretches.
Each main character in Burn gets their own particulars, and each characters fate is left in Baggott's scheming hands on how they will end up, and whether or not there will be a HEA when all is said and done. If you are a fan of this series, I wouldn't necessarily cling to the concept of a HEA when these characters are living in a devastated world where hope is a fleeting thing and there is mistrust and anger involved in the survivors on the outside towards those in the Dome. I would take into consideration the fact that things have accumulated over 3 books and certain situations, and aspects of life in this world haven't exactly been closed off yet and anything can, and will happen right up until the very last page.
On the outside, Pressia, Bradwell, El Capitan & Helmut continue searching for clues and answers in Scotland where they discover one of Pressia's mothers friends who may hold the key to bringing down the Dome. One of the main hopes I had while reading Burn was that we would finally discover the identity of the mysterious Hideki Imanaka (Pressia's father) and whether or not he actually lived and if anyone else survived as well. You really can't expect me to truly believe that the only survivors live in one place.
Pressia, who has a dolls head for a hand and is Partridge's half sister, holds medicine created by her mother that might lead to purifying the survivors of the Detonations if she can find a way inside the Dome where scientists can expedite the recovery process. El Capitan, who was fused to his brother Helmut, has gone from being a psychopathic rebel leader, to a more personable and determined character who definitely has a different view of things to come. Bradwell, who was left with wings thanks to Pressia, is moody, understandably angry at Pressia, and determined to bring the entire Dome society to its knees no matter the consequences.
On the inside, Partridge is transitioning to the leadership role of the Dome and finding that there are more secrets, more challenges, and more machinations by pretty much anyone who worked for his father including his "friend" Arvin Weed. After being pushed, and pulled, and exposed for his actions against his father, Partridge's choices had me shaking my head in irritation right until the very end.
Lyda tries to decide her own happiness now that she's pregnant and very much despises being in the Dome where everyone judges her and watches her like she might break like a leaf. She would love to return to the Mothers on the outside where she was cared for and treated fairly and with respect. I think I actually felt more empathy for Lyda than any other character in Burn. Lyda's challenges are breathtakingly real and painful to read about.
I won't go into anymore aspects of this story for fear of spoiling what happens. I am left numb by the ending of Burn. So much happens to everyone involved. Choices are made which may or may not surprise you when it all wraps up. I am not sure why Baggott decided to end Burn like she did. She purposely left unanswered questions for some secondary characters, and we are not sure what will happen in the future to either the pures or the wretches. Will they end up working together for a betterment of life? Will there still be animosities and anger towards the Pure's because of who they are? Will any of the scientists like Weed survive to come up with a cure? WHAT REALLY HAPPENED TO PRESSIA'S FATHER?!?!? I would definitely LOVE to see a novella at some point in the future to wrap things up a bit better than they were.
Author - Julianna Baggott
Title - Burn (Pure # 3)
Published by Grand Central Publishing
Released: February 4, 2014
Genre - Dystopian
Received via NetGalley/Publisher
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