ARC Tour Review: Fury by Elizabeth Miles

Title:  Fury
Author:  Elizabeth Miles
Series:  Fury
Publisher:  Simon Pulse
Publication Date:  August 30, 2011
Links: Amazon | Goodreads
Rating: 

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.

Review:

*ARC provided courtesy of Good Choice Reading.*

I have always loved the idea of the Furies, the Fates, the Erinyes…whatever you want to call them. I just never expected them to be so hell-bent on death as punishment, at least not in this day and age. I thought it was more of ‘eye for an eye’ and all that. Not so in this novel.

I had a hard time sympathizing with any of the characters in this book. None of them seemed to have any redeeming qualities. But at the same time, they were very genuine. They were the kids in school that you didn’t know or befriend but that everyone “knew”. They all committed unscrupulous and tawdry acts and rarely gave them a second thought. That is, until the Furies forced them to do so.

When I read the synopsis for this book, I erroneously assumed that the story would focus on Emily (Em) and Chase as a couple, but it was so much more complicated than that. I think some people might be put off by the behavior of the characters in this novel, but I found that it was really relatable, at least when I think back to my own time spent in high school. It didn’t seem at all far-fetched--aside from the fact that the Furies seemed to be calling the shots on a higher level. It just appeared to be teenagers getting caught up in circumstances that they should morally be above.

I didn’t feel connected to this novel in the way that I normally do, but that’s not to say that I didn’t get where the writing was coming from. Sure, there were too many pop-culture references, something I’ve really started to notice in YA novels since attempting to start the House of Night series, but it wasn’t so awful in this book that I couldn’t get past it.

The story was honest, gritty, and not at all what I expected. It definitely set the stage for more action/judgement from the Furies, and I can’t wait to see how it all pans out.

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