Pure by Julianna Baggott
In the years following the apocalypse, Pressia lives with her grandfather in a former barbershop. Pressia dreams of life before, because her current reality is filled with horrors. During the Detonations, everyone outside of the Dome was either killed or left horribly scarred and mutated, fused with whatever was nearby. Pressia has reached the age where she is required to join the military, but she decides to face the unknown and flee instead. Meanwhile, inside the Dome, people are whole and trained to be the best they can be. Yet Partridge is not happy. He constantly thinks of his mother who was left outside the Dome during the Detonations. And when Partridge receives a clue that his mother may still be alive, he’ll risk the shelter of the Dome for the dangers of the Outside.
Pressia is a sympathetic girl who, despite her creepy disfigurement of a doll fused to her hand, quickly becomes captivating. Partridge is naïve, but it’s easy to get caught up in his story as well. The massive worldbuilding of this dystopian scene is both disturbing and imaginative. The setting is dark and intense. Full of adventure, suspense, mystery, and a bit of romance – Pure is a much darker young adult, dystopia than others. With an incredibly climactic and dramatic escalation of startling events, this original and gritty story has a satisfying ending that will leave readers wanting more.