Review and Giveaway: Fury by Elizabeth Miles

Book: Fury by Elizabeth Miles, Simon Pulse, August 30, 2011

Genre: Young Adult Paranormal

Format/pages: Hardcover 352 pages

Format read/Source: ARC provided for review, read August 10 2011

Series: Book #1 in The Fury Trilogy

Rating: 3 / 5 Stars

Preorder the Book: Amazon | IndieBound | Barnes & Noble

More Info: The Furies Series |  Goodreads

From Goodreads:

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.

I was originally attracted to the gorgeous cover of Fury and as a bonus also interested in learning more about The Furies. The idea of these sisters who seek vengeance for those that break their moral code seemed like a great idea for a book. It would be nice to see the mean kids in high school pay for a change, right? While I didn’t learn as much about the motives of the fury sisters as I’d like, my curiosity is piqued. Fury reads like a high school horror novel where teen’s bad choices have deadly consequences and the furies are happy to dole out a punishment befitting the crime. Fury is a fresh take on karma and vengeance mixed with mythology and it’s full of mystery and suspense.

The characters of Fury are generally unlikable and selfish and did not generate a lot of sympathy. I felt disconnected with the main characters and thought they shouldn’t get away with their actions, but does their punishment fit the crime? Em and Chase are the two marked characters that alternate narration of the story. Both of them have made some poor decisions and hurt some innocent people in the process. Three mysterious girls are then waiting in the wings with their orchid ready to mark and pass judgment on these misguided characters. I wondered how they arrived at their targets when there are so many teens of questionable morals to choose from.

In many ways Fury reads like a horror novel with the way that the Furies stalk their victims. They are pretty harsh with their punishment, and I wondered what there motives were and how they came to be in Ascension. It is a nice change of pace to see the selfish and mean teens get a dose of karma, though I felt so detached from the characters that the punishment lost some meaning. It would be interesting to get inside the head of the Furies to see their thought process and their moral compass chart. The Furies came off as fairly villainous in their appearances, and I wonder whose side I’m supposed to be on.

The action at the end of the book did get exciting with a twist game changer finale that sets up some intriguing stories for the sequel.  I plan to check out the follow up, Envy, to see how things play out and I’m interested to see more from one of the more likable characters, Em’s friend JD. Fury has a suspenseful story that is reminiscent of the series Pretty Little Liars. It should appeal to fans of YA horror type books with its drama and high creep factor. Look for Fury to hit shelves August 30.

GIVEAWAY:

Thanks to all the giveaway entrants! The winner has been notified in the Fury giveaway.

Read more reviews of Fury:

Birth of a New Witch

Book Labyrinth

Books, Sweets and Other Treats

Good Books & Good Wine

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