Monday, June 23, 2014

Burn by Julianna Baggott | Book Review


This trilogy ends in the same way it began:  in a nuclear explosion.  (Not literally; I don't do big spoilers like that.)  Figuratively, that is.  There's build up build up build up and then BAM everything you thought you knew, everything you thought you'd find out, is blown to bits and you're left wanting to go find Julianna Baggott and demand an explanation.  (Don't worry; I didn't actually go stalk an author.)

So there's a lot of stuff going on all at once in Burn and you find out about it from quite a few points of view, so be prepared to pay attention.  This is not a beach read.  You're going to want to pay attention to everything in this book because it's fantastic the way all the pieces come together at the end.

Partridge is inside the Dome, living with Iralene.  He's the new ruler of the Dome, now that his father is dead.  He's supposed to be getting married to Iralene, but he's really in love with Lyda, the soon-to-be-mother of his child.  I do love this about Partridge though:  he's not completely hardhearted like his father and he hates the idea of hurting Iralene.  This causes him some grief at one point, but I won't give anything away.  So things are pretty hard for Partridge right now because his heart is with the resistance movement, with Pressia and Bradwell and El Capitan and Helmud, but he has to play a part for the time being.

Pressia and Bradwell and El Capitan and Helmud are outside.  They've got the serum that is supposed to cure all the fused people and they're back from Ireland.  But there's major disagreement between the four of them that threatens to ruin any and all plans they have for taking down the Dome and it's current regime.

Lyda is inside the Dome and is not coping with that too well.  I cannot say anything more than that for fear of spoilers.  But you'll agree, right, that we all want her and Partridge to end up together?

Speaking of characters we'd love to see end up together:  how about Pressia and ... ?  You could just as easily put either Bradwell or El Capitan in that blank.  Decisions are made in this book!  I just can't promise you'll like them.

The ending:  WOWSA.  Not the ending I expected at all.  Just WOW.  When I read the entire Divergent trilogy and got to that ending, I was half angry and half ok.  With this one I'm just shell-shocked.  Like this trilogy took me on a journey and left me stranded with PTSD.  I really want to re-read the trilogy straight through and see if I feel any different.  I just want... need... more.  There's so much character development and world building!  Such a well-written trilogy.

One last thing:  I've read rumors of a movie series.  I'm not sure how I feel about that.  Anyone out there have an opinion?  I think the books are FREAKING AWESOME but the movies might make it almost too real, if that makes sense.  Like, it might be too much for me to actually see Pressia, with her hand and her face, or Bradwell with his birds, in real life on the silver screen.

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