Review: Fuse by Julianna Baggott PERFECT!

Title: Fuse (Pure #2)
Author: Julianna Baggott
Publication: February 19th 2013 by Grand Central Publishing
Genre: Dystopia, Fantasy
Source: Owned

We want our son returned. This girl is proof that we can save you all. If you ignore our plea, we will kill our hostages one at a time.

To be a Pure is to be perfect, untouched by Detonations that scarred the earth and sheltered inside the paradise that is the Dome. But Partridge escaped to the outside world, where Wretches struggle to survive amid smoke and ash. Now, at the command of Partridge’s father, the Dome is unleashing nightmare after nightmare upon the Wretches in an effort to get him back.

At Partridge’s side is a small band of those united against the Dome: Lyda, the warrior; Bradwell, the revolutionary; El Capitan, the guard; and Pressia, the young woman whose mysterious past ties her to Partridge in way she never could have imagined. Long ago a plan was hatched that could mean the earth’s ultimate doom. Now only Partridge and Pressia can set things right.

To save millions of innocent lives, Partridge must risk his own by returning to the Dome and facing his most terrifying challenge. And Pressia, armed only with a mysterious Black Box, containing a set of cryptic clues, must travel to the very ends of the earth, to a place where no map can guide her. If they succeed, the world will be saved. But should they fail, humankind will pay a terrible price...

-- My Rating --

5/5 Oscars: Loved it

-- My Thoughts --

     This is becoming one of my favorite series, ever. I didn't know I was missing out on so much when I heard about the Pure Trilogy. I received the third book as an ARC for review, so I had to read the second one to get to it.
    Pressia is separated from Partridge. Pressia is searching for the truth, the truth about the secrets hidden by the Dome and the truth about the wretches and her people's fusings. While Partridge is with Lyda, and trying to figure out whether to get back to the dome and fight his father, once and for all.
     This book is pure, unaltered perfection. I have always had this idea that nothing is perfect, but this comes so close to being perfect, it nails it. The world-building is even more advanced than the first book. World-buildings are actually quite hard in the 2nd and 3rd books because authors have already built a complicated world by then, so what's more to add? But Julianna Baggott has a lot more in store for us and she surprised me with her vivid imagination through every single page.
     The plot is swift and fast-moving and there is no dull moment to be seen. There's so much at stake and you can feel the tension and the suspense building up. There is even more complicated alliances to behold but it's never too much or too hard to understand.
     The characters are more fleshed-out in this sequel. They are separated into two groups so it is really efficient for the author to keep chapters from different points of view, so that the reader can know what's going on as a whole. Then there are the characters themselves. I cannot believe that I can love them even more than I already do. Pressia and Lyda have proven to be perfect leading ladies in this series. I truly appreciate how the author didn't make them the stereotypical image of damsels in distress. No, they are strong women who can stand on their own.
    Then there's my favorite character, El Capitan. He always brings joy to the series, and I was so so happy that he finally got to fall in love, even though it is unrequited love. The romance in this sequel stands out more and it's more reckless, with the threat of death looming around them. I loved that about it.
     The ending froze my nerves and made me BEG for the third book. And how lucky I am. Because I'm reading it while writing this review. So, put your hopes up because this book is one PERFECT masterpiece for every fan of every genre out there!