Review Fury By Elizabeth Miles

Publisher: Simon ">Format: Hardcover

Released: September 1st, 2011

Grade rating: B+/A-

Amazon summary:

After Em hooks up with her best friend's boyfriend and Chase's secret harassment of a social outcast spirals out of control, three mysterious Furies-paranormal creatures that often assume the form of beautiful women-come to town to make sure that Em and Chase get what they deserve. Not everyone will survive-and those who do will discover there are worse punishments than death. But when Em befriends outcast Drea and learns more about who and what the Furies really are, she becomes resolved above all to take them down and stop their plans. Little does Em know that, by confronting the Furies, she could become inextricably bound to them for life.

Review:

Fury is a 2011 debut I've been looking forward to for a while. I really enjoyed it and, while it isn't my all-time favourite book, it certainly hit my paranormal-loving mark. I've never read anything like this and have never encountered the Furies before, so to me it was all new. Revenge and karma is something that often crops up in YA books and movies, but not usually to this extent. The Furies in Fury take the form of three beautiful girls, Ty, Meg and Ali, and though they might look sexy and harmless, they're anything but. These girls are seductive, scheming and deadly, and I loved them!

I loved the whole idea behind the Furies and everything they stand for, even if they might actually be quite evil at their core. They exact revenge on wrong-doers, which is where main characters Em, Chase and Zach come into the story. They're basically liars and cheaters, and though Chase may seem innocent for most of the book, he's harbouring a secret that changes everything. The Furies are rooted in Greek mythology which is an area I've always wanted to know more about, and an area that I think has so far been overlooked in YA. I know a few more books along these lines have been published this year, so maybe Greek mythology could be a new trend for the future. Elizabeth Miles is a great author to start with if, like me, you're interested in getting your Greek on. It's so interesting!

Fury is written in the third person, which actually surprised me. It didn't suffer for it, but I personally would have liked to get to know the characters a bit better. I'm a fan of first-person narration because I can get into a character's head and experience their thoughts and feelings for myself, rather than be on the outside looking in. It always takes me a while to adjust to third person, and it was no different here. However, now I can't imagine Fury being written any other way. Miles's writing is brilliant to read, and she's another one who I can't believe is a debut author! Her storytelling is compelling, and her slower pace reminds me of Becca Fitzpatrick's style. These two ladies take things slow at first, but everything they write is important to the story and their endings are always explosive.

Fury would make an awesome film, I have no doubt about it. It draws attention to bullying and unbdesirable behaviour, and has three supernatural beings at the centre of everything. Think Mean Girls with revenge-seeking Furies as the main stars, and you get the gist. I'm excited that this is the first book in a trilogy, though I'm more than intrigued as to where things will go next. If I've learnt anything from the Furies, it's that nobody is safe, every action has repercussions and they'll always be watching... you have been warned!