Fury Review

Fury by Elizabeth Miles reads like a typical high school teen movie script and whilst the back of the ARC said that it was the perfect YA crossover novel, initially I disagreed. I just didn’t think that it had the depth required to appeal to the crossover market although having thought about it for a while, I may have been wrong. Because, whilst you might think some of it is superficial, as we all know it’s what’s lying beneath the surface that counts. Here’s the synopsis.

Sometimes sorry isn't enough....

“It’s winter break in Ascension, Maine. The snow is falling and everything looks pristine and peaceful. But not all is as it seems...

Between cozy traditions and parties with her friends, Emily loves the holidays. And this year’s even better--the guy she’s been into for months is finally noticing her. But Em knows if she starts things with him, there’s no turning back. Because his girlfriend is Em’s best friend.

On the other side of town, Chase is having problems of his own. The stress of his home life is starting to take its toll, and his social life is unraveling. But that’s nothing compared to what’s really haunting him. Chase has done something cruel...something the perfect guy he pretends to be would never do. And it’s only a matter of time before he’s exposed.

In Ascension, mistakes can be deadly. And three girls—three beautiful, mysterious girls—are here to choose who will pay.

Em and Chase have been chosen.”

Fury is based around the Greek and Roman mythology of the Furies, a group of three sisters who dish out punishment to anyone breaking the rules of society. But what right do they have to do this? And should it really be an eye for an eye? What if the person affected has forgiven the wrong doer, does that person still get punished? These are the sorts of questions I was asking myself when I read the book. I’m not sure that I got a lot of answers to be honest and I should say at this point that the ending of a book normally answers the sort of questions that have been building in your mind but I found myself just asking more questions which undoubtedly means that there is at least one more book on the cards.

In Fury, to be quite honest a lot of the characters are not particularly likeable but then you’d have a hard time understanding why the furies came after them if they were all sweet and innocent. Now I certainly do not condone cheating but I can understand how things just happen, things that you didn’t necessarily want or ask for so I’m willing to cut Em some slack for lusting after her best friend’s boyfriend. But there’s a whole world of difference in liking someone and doing something about it. That’s all I’m going to say.

Chase was actually my favourite character. I liked the idea that he came from the poorest part of town but was still accepted into the popular crowd, mostly because he was good at football I imagine. I thought he was a little misguided in some of his actions but I harboured no ill will towards him.

The furies were stereotypically portrayed as beautiful, mean girls but we didn’t really find out a lot about the history behind them and so I’m hoping we get to know more in future books.

I should also make a note about the structure of the book at this point, I particularly liked the idea that the story was broken down into three acts, which reminded me of a play or Greek tragedy if you will. As you know, there’s a lot of books around at the moment about Gods and mythology so why should you read Fury? Fury blends mythology with the contemporary and brings it bang up to date making it accessible to all. It was an enjoyable read and ultimately thought provoking for me. Fury is a book to make you think about the consequences of your actions, take responsibility for your choices and ultimately remind you that karma is not just a bitch, but THREE evil bitches and they’re comin’ for ya.

Fury is released on 1st September, 2011. Thank you to Simon & Schuster for providing me with an ARC. You can find out more about Elizabeth Miles and Fury here. I'd also recommend you take a look at the newly launched UK Fury site here where you have a chance to win some Fury goodies!