Pure by Julianna Baggot

When the denotations came, only a handful was let into the dome, a safe haven. Those outside of the dome were fused with whatever they were holding when the blasts came. For young Pressia, she was holding her baby doll and now, her right hand is a doll face. Some weren't so lucky and fused with the ground, others with glass, steel and animals.

When a person turns sixteen, the OSR expects them to join or they will be forced. There, they become soldiers or if they are weak, they become live targets. Pressia is about to turn sixteen, so her grandfather fashions a cupboard for her to hide in.

Partridge lives in the dome; his father in charge. He's been taught that outside of the dome is filled with 'wretcheds', people who are no longer human and are dangerous to him and others like him. They are called 'Pures' because they have not fused with anything. When Partridge's father slips and speaks of his mother in the present tense, not the past as expected because she is dead, Partridge believes his mother is alive. He makes a plan to escape to the outside and find his mother. He does escape and soon finds himself in the clutches of groupies, mothers who are fused to their young.

Pressia, now on the run from OSR, comes to his rescue. She vows to help him find his mother but first she gets the aid of her friend Bradley, a man fused with birds who is attracted to Pressia. The three of them begin to come up with a plan, but it's soon thwarted when Pressia is taken captive by the OSR. Unbeknown to them, she agrees to their demands. Help the Pure find his mother and then take them both to the Dome. They have her grandfather and will kill him if she doesn't comply.

Pure is a new dystopian series that will entrance you and set your teeth on edge. I really liked the characters but the items that the characters fused to really creeped me out. There are some romantic entanglements alluded to and I look forward to seeing those develop in a future installment. Death, destruction, hope, love and the will to survive sets the tone for this gritty and remarkable post-apocalyptic thriller. Fans of young adult dystopian won't want to miss it. It's just that good!