Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout
Genre: YA paranormal, fantasy
Published: April 3rd 2012
Publisher: Spencer Hill Press
Pages: 329
Source: Purchased Paperback
Goodreads Summary:
There is need. And then there is Fate…
Being destined to become some kind of supernatural electrical outlet isn’t exactly awesome–especially when Alexandria’s “other half” is everywhere she goes. Seth’s in her training room, outside her classes, and keeps showing up in her bedroom–so not cool. Their connection does have some benefits, like staving off her nightmares of the tragic showdown with her mother, but it has no effect on what Alex feels for the forbidden, pure-blooded Aiden. Or what he will do–and sacrifice–for her.
When daimons infiltrate the Covenants and attack students, the gods send furies–lesser gods determined to eradicate any threat to the Covenants and to the gods, and that includes the Apollyon… and Alex. And if that and hordes of aether-sucking monsters didn’t blow bad enough, a mysterious threat seems willing to do anything to neutralize Seth, even if that means forcing Alex into servitude… or killing her.
When the gods are involved, some decisions can never, ever be undone.
My Rating of this Book – 2 out of 5 stars
My Review:
Being a fan of the Lux series and having enjoyed Half-Blood, I really wanted to like this novel. But it was really hard to push through. I even had to put it down for a while because certain aspects of the novel were driving me insane.
The one aspect that is making this series a hard read for me is that the characters are not capturing me. Alex and Seth especially. Aiden wasn’t bad. Though there were points I wasn’t thrilled with his choices, I can, at least, understand him and his motivations. Seth . . . I was growing to like him—even started to see a different side to him—but what he did with Alex after she drank the Aphrodesian Brew changed my mind. He’s still the same Seth from the first novel, Half-Blood. As for Alex, though I still can’t really connect with her, my only real issue while reading Pure was that she could have been a little more aware the events and clues around her. It just seemed odd how she let things slide past her. Things I thought were obvious to begin with.
The second thing that made reading this novel difficult was all the inaccuracies. First, please understand, I know even with the best of research, not everything can be completely factual. But I live in North Carolina, and a lot of the travel time described in this novel doesn’t add up. Even Google Maps will say it’s around four hours from Bald Head Island to Virginia, not two. Also, I didn’t like how the Aphrodesian Brew was described as an “Olympian roofie” when all the symptoms Alex showed were that of an Aphrodisiac. Big difference!
Additionally, Pure in particular appears to parallel a lot of what occurs in the Harry Potter series, from my perspective. From everyone pointing fingers at Alex for the daimon attacks, to the secret society who wanted only pures to exist, to the way Laadan described how Alex looks like her mother but has her father’s eyes. Honestly, I really try not to let comparisons bug me. I know that everything ever written can probably be related to another literary work somehow. That it’s how the concept is presented that makes the difference, not the details. But I just had a harder time with this novel. Harry Potter just keep flashing into my head, and I haven’t even seen or read that series in a long time.
In conclusion, just because I didn’t like this novel as much as Jennifer’s other works doesn’t mean I won’t continue reading the series. Actually, I still find the whole concept of the Apollyon, pures, halfs, and daimon interesting. And I’m kind of curious where the whole plotline will go and who Alex will choose in the end, if anyone. Personally, I’m still voting for Aiden.
Kelsey Ketch 