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In this chilling start to a trilogy rife with revenge, two teens learn the hard way: 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.
"A fresh dark twist on paranormal, with surprises around every corner. Fury kept me up all night!"
—Nancy Holder, New York Times Bestselling Author of Wicked and Crusade
"The furies are reinvented in eerie modern form, wreaking havoc in the lives of a group of teens in a fictional Maine town in this spine-prickling debut, first in a planned trilogy.... Deliciously chilling." —Kirkus Reviews, July 15, 2011
“Pick up Portland writer Elizabeth Miles' first novel, "Fury," and you might wonder if Stephen King once drove to her house from Bangor, sprinkling handfuls of "Carrie" dust along the way.... Greater forces are at work here than raging teenage hormones. Greater achievements are at stake than basketball games or going steady. And greater consequences await than any of the young people of Ascension can envision.” –The Portland Press Herald
"This novel sets a steady pace of increasing suspense.... The modernization of the Furies names is clever, and all of the teens and their personal dramas ring true. This intriguing novel might prompt discussions about mythology, bullying, and retribution." –School Library Journal
CHAPTER ONE
Emily Winters stood in front of her bedroom mirror, a fluffy white towel wrapped around her torso, as she tried to work a tangle from her dark, dripping hair.
The room was quiet, except for the radiator next to her closet—it made its trademark ticking sound, one that had kept her awake as a child. She always imagined an old witch trying to claw her way out of the wall. But she was used to it by now. Just like the tiny mole above her right eyebrow—she’d had it since birth, and the only time she ever noticed it was when someone else commented on it.
Someone like Zach McCord, for example. Last week in earth science, the class no one ever paid attention in, he’d leaned toward her to steal a peek at her quiz. Then he’d looked up into her eyes and touched the edge of her eyebrow. “Beauty mark,” he’d said. A shiver had run through her as he turned around, and that was that.
Thump.
Out of the corner of her eye, Em saw something white flash by her window. As she whirled to look, she heard another heavy thump.
She cinched the towel tighter, her heart hammering and her mind immediately churning out visions of robbers and murderers. She waited a second, listening, but heard nothing more. Clutching her plastic comb, she approached the window to peer outside. The front porch light shone on the blanket of winter snow covering the brittle, dark yard and the driveway that sloped down to Em’s quiet street.
Of course someone hadn’t tried to break in, she told herself, lowering the comb with an embarrassed smile (and seriously, of all the weapons she could have picked—a comb?). Nobody got robbed in Ascension, and certainly not in this part of town. It must have been a clump of snow falling from the old oak tree next to the house.
No sooner had her heart stopped pounding when the bing of the chat messages began: first one, and then several more, in such rapid succession it sounded like an alarm clock.
Em sighed and went over to her laptop, which was sitting among books and papers on her bed. Em hated working at the desk in the corner of her room—she used it mostly for clothing storage. Currently, the desk chair was completely obscured by a mound of scarves, dresses, and vintage blazers.
Gabs357: Em? U there?
Gabs357: um hello?
Gabs357: K well I’m getting ready and I was wondering, hair up or hair down?
Gabs357: Emmmmmm! U promised to help! Also I’m torn between the blue sweater dress (w/short slvs) and new jeans w/pink ruffled top . . . what do u think? And where’s my black cardigan—do you have it?
Gabs357: Are you getting a ride from Chauffeur or should we come get you?
Gabs357: I think I’m going to go with the dress. Are you even alive????
“I’m wearing jeans and a black shirt, in case you’re wondering, Gabs,” Em muttered. Moving her favorite stuffed animal, a zebra named Cordy, out of the way, she slid onto the bed to type a response.
Zach McCord had won Cordy for her last summer, when Em and her best friend, Gabby, had gone to the county fair. He stopped at one of those freaky machines, the ones where you manipulate a giant claw in order to grab a plush animal from below. Zach, who was ridiculously talented at all things physical, had somehow clawed up two prizes: a pink bear and the zebra.
Zach had casually tossed Em the zebra. “It’s cute,” he’d said. “Different and cute. Like you.” For the rest of the day, his words had filled her with a warm glow, and ever since then, Em kept Cordy on her bed. Sometimes, she found the stuffed zebra offered a better set of ears than any of the humans around her.
Zach had given the pink bear to Gabby, of course, who had squealed and planted an enormous kiss on Zach’s cheek.
Which was as it should be. Because Zach was Gabby’s boyfriend.
Sorry, was in the shower, she typed to Gabby. Yeah, JD will give me a ride. I think you left the cardigan in your gym locker, right? Gabby was known for storing about a thousand spare outfits in there, “for emergencies.”
Em smirked and shook her head as she sent off another quick message: I think the dress is a good choice. And why not hair down. It’s a party, after all! In the time it took to turn away and grab underwear and a bra, Em heard a new volley of bings.
Oh phew, hi!!!!! Okay, so hair down, totally. It looks good today anyway.
I was thinking of wearing this new long necklace my mom got me—too much?
With a laugh that sounded a bit like a groan, Em typed, Gabs, I have to get ready too! Necklace sounds great. See you soon! Sometimes you had to pick your battles.
Pulling a black tank top from her bureau and skinny jeans from her closet, Em looked back to the mirror, which was lined with postcards, photos, and notes. Most of the photos were of Em and Gabby.
Short and spunky, with perfectly curled blond hair (thanks to her obsessive morning engagements with the curling iron), Gabby ruled the school with a giggle and a wink. Like her weather-reporter mom, there was something polished, pristine, and optimistic about her at all times. Her football-star brothers had paved the way to popularity with their sports trophies and prom-king crowns—and Em had benefited too. As freshmen, Gabby and Em were quickly and seamlessly woven into Ascension High School’s social tapestry, invited to senior parties and allowed to flirt with upperclassmen.
That year Gabby had been voted onto homecoming court, an honor ostensibly open to the whole school but (until two years ago) tacitly reserved for juniors and seniors. And last year, Em had managed to put the yearbook committee back on the map of acceptably cool after-school activities by collecting artifacts—notes, ticket stubs, receipts, candid photos, snippets of class essays—and turning the yearbook into an Ascension scrapbook. Gabby did the layout and Em wrote all the witty captions and pasted in quotes.
Now they were floating through their junior year as they’d always planned to: going to parties without feeling like they needed personal invitations, studying for the SATs, working hard and playing hard (with Em sometimes reminding Gabby about the work, and Gabby sometimes reminding Em to play). They sat at the Gazebo—the good end of the cafeteria, and they parked their cars in the highly coveted front lot.
In this year’s yearbook, it was almost certain that Gabby would be voted Cutest in the Junior Class, while Em was a good bet for Most Likely to Succeed. (Succeed at what, Em sometimes wondered.) There were other girls in their circle, like Fiona Marcus and Lauren Hobart, whom they’d known forever, and Jenna Berg, who’d moved to Ascension in eighth grade and somehow fit in perfectly. But everyone knew that the Gab-Em bond was the glue that held everything together. They were kind of like fireworks. They soared as one: Gabby erupting with a loud, colorful BANG! and Em creating a different kind of light, the ethereal, sparkling, postexplosion chandelier.
But lately, Em had been feeling more like a sidekick or a personal style assistant than a kindred spirit. Over the past few weeks, Gabby’s preferred topics of conversation had not veered from the subjects of her wardrobe, Zach, or the Valentine’s Day dance (which was still well over a month away). Just this morning, Gabby had asked Em if she could “please consult with Zach about what he should get me for Christmas” and proceeded to list five acceptable gifts that spanned the spectrum of realism: (1) the delicate blue scarf she’d seen on the website for Maintenance, her absolute favorite store in Boston; (2) an engraved iPod Nano for when she went running; (3) tickets to see Cirque du Soleil when it came to Portland this spring; (4) a puppy; (5) a romantic secret overnight at his stepdad’s cabin down the coast.
Gabby didn’t always seem to understand that not everyone’s life was as perfect as hers.
Of course, there were amazing things about Gabby too. She was the only person Em wanted to be around when she was in a crappy mood. She was the best accomplice to have at every party, every prank, every midnight adventure. And she was a great friend. Like the time in sixth grade when Em had told Adam Dunn that she liked him on the playground and he’d told her to get a life. Gabby had baked frosted brownies with Skittles on top that spelled out D-DAY. They’d laughed and eaten the entire pan of brownies and successfully turned Dunn Day into a holiday. Gabby was just like that. She was like a sunny day, strawberry shortcake, and a snowball fight all rolled into one.
But sometimes it was exhausting, too.
Em stared at her knobby knees and long, almost-black, wavy hair and felt more like Morticia than America’s Next Top Model. Some days she was able to appreciate her dancer’s build, but tonight she just wished she owned a padded bra.
Bing. . . bing. . . bing. What now?
Emmmm. I made you something—going to share the file now.
Em watched the blue bar stretch as the file loaded, then saw Em’s Getting Ready Music pop up in her media player.
In case you need some motivation, I put together some songs, Gabby wrote. But you have to promise to leave as soon as the playlist is over.
Em scanned the song titles. Perfect. Some old-school Britney and Beyoncé, plus some punkish covers of show tunes that Gabby knew Em loved.
As she buttoned her jeans and surveyed her shoe options, singing “Cabaret” quietly under her breath, Em’s parents’ voices drifted upstairs. That was another feature of the old-school radiators: somehow, they seemed to pipe voices through the house more successfully than they did heat. She couldn’t really understand what they were saying, but she could pick out a few words.
Her parents started dating when they were sixteen—a fact that made Em cringe. She was the same age now as her parents were when they met. Em couldn’t imagine conversing with the same person for twenty years, but her mom and dad never seemed to get sick of each other. They’d met on a ski trip that brought together young people from area schools. That day, Em’s mom had been wearing a purple knit hat with two blue pom-poms on top. (Em loved to tease her mom about her apparently awesome teenage fashion sense.) Over the course of the afternoon, one of the pom-poms had gone missing. And though half the guys on the mountain had been searching for the missing fuzzball, only one had found it—stuck to the inside of his hood. Em’s dad had taken off his coat inside the lodge and her mom had spied the blue ball.
The sparks flew instantly, they always said, with a wink. You know what we mean.
But of course, Em didn’t. She had never felt electric passion or the sense of fate unfolding for her. All she had experienced was awkward kissing with boys who didn’t know what to do with their hands. She’d certainly never looked into a boy’s eyes and “just known.”
At least, not with any boy it was actually possible to be with. In fact, that was the reason behind the poem she’d won the regional Blue Pen Award for: “Impossible.”
Bang! Em’s heart practically stopped for a second before she realized the sound was caused by a snowball hitting her bedroom window. Another one hit and jolted Em back into party-prep mode. That was her ride—lately snowballs were his not-so-charming way of announcing he was waiting outside.
She slammed shut her laptop, wrestled her shirt over her head, and hopped to the window again as she tried to jam her right foot into one tall lace-up boot.
“Five minutes,” she mouthed, holding up five fingers to JD Fount, who stood in the yard below her window sporting a goofy grin and moving a tree branch out of his face. JD had always been supertall—so much so that in fourth grade, Mrs. Milliken, the school nurse, had sharply poked his back and barked, “Posture Police!” because he’d been slouching to try to make the other kids feel less short.
Now he stood normally, at six-foot-three, and didn’t worry about what anyone thought.
As if to prove exactly that, JD pulled open his peacoat to reveal his latest outfit choice: slacks, a vest, and a purple shirt underneath. Em involuntarily smiled and shook her head, wondering at JD’s bold fashion choices, which were a combination of iconoclasm and artistry. He’d been known to get on his soapbox to point out how unfair it was that girls could have fun with fashion while boys were left with jeans and T-shirts. Over the last year, Gabby had taken to referring to him as “Chauffeur”—behind his back, of course—because he was the perfect designated driver. He didn’t get invited to most of the parties, but he was always willing to drive Em to them. Em could tell he secretly liked having an excuse to go out on the weekends, and even though he was a huge dork she’d known since they were both in diapers, she had to admit that she didn’t mind spending time with him.
When he saw Em’s hand signal, JD responded with a wave and a thumbs-up. He was used to waiting. The Fount family had lived next door forever and it was a running joke that the Winters would keep the Founts waiting at their own funeral. Before Em got her license, JD used to take her to school; after they missed first period four days in a row, he’d threatened to make her walk.
JD danced toward his car, knowing Em was watching. Then he hopped into his beat-up Volvo. Still, Em stood at the window, mesmerized by snowflakes that were just starting to fall. Despite the fact that Em had always lived in Maine, she never got tired of the winter. She loved the way her neighborhood looked during a snowstorm, all the houses capped under white drifts, like meringue crowning a pie. She watched for a moment as one flake faded into another, until faint sirens in the distance jolted her back to reality.
With her boots laced up, Em dabbed on some lip gloss, tucked her hair behind her ears (she rarely did anything more than let it air dry), and grabbed her bag from where she’d last thrown it. She gave herself a final once-over in the mirror, knowing full well she was primping for one person only.
As Em made her way downstairs, her parents’ voices grew more distinct. They were debating work stuff again: whether or not caffeine leads to coronaries. For two people who wouldn’t know if their own daughter was heartbroken, they sure did care a lot about what happened to other people’s hearts.
“I’m going to a party,” Em said, popping her head around the kitchen door. The two of them were hunched over the marble kitchen island with glasses of red wine in their hands and a plate of cheese between them, looked vaguely startled to see her there. “It’s at Ian Minster’s. JD is driving.”
“Okay, hon,” her mom responded.
“Be careful, sweetie,” her dad echoed. He was standing at the stove with his back to her, his ID from the hospital tossed on the island in the kitchen. Em’s mom was leaning next to him, wineglass in hand. Their hips were just touching.
“And then you have to wonder about the viability of all of the red wine research . . . ,” Em’s mom said abruptly. Just like that, they were back to their conversation.
Rolling her eyes, Em slipped into her winter coat and walked out the door and toward JD’s Volvo. She wondered if her parents had actually heard what she’d said. She wondered if anyone would ever look at her and really see her.
© 2011 Paper Lantern Lit
It really was all about the cover for this one. But, I'm fan of mythology and the description and the cover lead me to believe it might be about the Furies. Thankfully I was right, but I wasn't overly into this story.
I always have a hard time when the story starts out slow. I kept waiting for the story to actually start. It seems like we spend a lot of the story building the basis for the furies to come in, and I really just wasn't that interested. While they really are a part of the story from the beginning, it felt like the didn't really try to manipulate people until about half way through. While we had to wait for Emily's situation to fully play itself off, Chase's "crime" had already been done. I expected them to be messing with him more.
I also didn't really like either of the characters. But, I think that's the point. They both have to grow up and learn from their mistakes. Chase was easier for me to read. I don't think he meant to take his prank as far as he did. And he was truly sorry for it before the Furies every came in to make him pay for it. I was sorry he was the one who had to suffer the way he did. Emily seems to be more the focus of the story. I hated that she liked her best friend's boyfriend. And she was so good at justifying it in her mind. I really couldn't believe that she thought that her friends would forgive her. I actually though that the boyfriend "Zack" was worse than these two.
I don't feel like we got a good glimpse of the Furies. They seemed to be punishing trivial crimes when they are much worse things happening in the world. It seemed almost petty. But, then what did I expect from a teen novel. I'm not really sure if I will read the next one
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted April 8, 2012
This book is GREAT!!! FANTASTIC!!! AWESOME!!!.... I hate it. I can't believe things friggin' ended the way they did. Bummy book had me crying for like the last hundred pages. Overall the plot was great, about a boy and girl, Chase and Em, who do wrong and find, out only when it's too late, that "Sometimes sorry isn't enough". I love the characters and everything and I DEFINETLY recommend this book.
(Obviously you can tell I don't hate the book but it did depress the heck outta me).
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.The setting of this book sets the over all tone or mood. It is freezing cold, and snowy. That is exactly how this story leaves you feeling, cold and empty inside. You have Emily who is best friends with Gabby. But what kind of friend flirts with your boyfriend? Emily does. She is sure that she and Zach are made for each other. First reason to hate a character in this book. Emily is selfish and so full of herself. Then we have Chase who is not financially in the same league as the rest of his friends. He tries to make up for his past by becoming something he really isn¿t. He tramples on people to get where he wants to be. To make Emily and Chase pay for what they have done to others the three furies Ty, Meg and Ali pay a visit. Ty is so hot that she has Chase fawning all over her. Can you say revenge. The job of the furies is to seek revenge for those who they feel need it against those they deserve it. This whole book has a creepy movie feel to it. I could actually see it come out on the big screen. Although the characters so so many wrong things and justify it to make you hate them they are so wonderfully developed you can¿t help love them. This is the first book in this series and it will definitely not be the last one I read. The ending definitely leaves you hanging for more. Definitely one to recommend to all of your friends who like creepy, paranormal, mythical type things.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted November 21, 2011
I must admit the story is good but not what I expected. Good read for teens and its a clean read too. Addresses teen issues they can relate to. Overall a good story/book.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted October 24, 2011
I wasn't all that impressed. Story moved slowly. Like the book cover, however.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted August 22, 2011
I highly recommend it. :)
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.SmalltownSR
Posted May 24, 2013
The book started out slow, and ended fast and clipped. Although, you needed the background story of Chase and Emily, it was still pretty slow. Then, the ended happened so fast could have put in much more information about Drea. Overall, a good book, not great.
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Posted April 8, 2013
Thiss book is tottaly worth tje money and time you put into reading it . There is some lack of character bonding but the loss is made up for by the amazing suspense in the book. I was also EXTREMELY suprised by the ending. The thing about thes books that is kinda odd is the author never really " introduces" the Furies. She kimda like expect for u to know who they are. Anyways Overall an amazing book !
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted February 8, 2013
I am was super and pleasantly surprised and how great this book was. My students picked from a pile to read for book club. It is full of suspense and leaves you wanting more.
Amazing first book by Elizabeth Miles. Book 2 was amazing as well. Can't wait for the 3rd book of the trilogy to come out!
Fury is the first installment to a paranormal trilogy about getting
even. Three 'girls', or paranormal beings, call themselves The Furies.
Their twisted logic is that anyone who has been bad during their life
like stealing their best friend's boyfriend, or messing up someone's
life, they end up in their radar. The story opens up with the Furies
having decided on their next targets, Em and Chase. Now for the plot of
the story, it took a while to get into it because we suddenly get sucked
into a world of lies, deceit, and mistake after mistake, you don't
really empathize or connect to the characters, which makes it hard to
feel sorry for them. As for the Furies, we get to see them stealthy
doing their work through the clueless eyes of Em and Chase. The
unraveling of the mystery and plot was totally creepy. I enjoyed the
writing but there was a bit too much descriptions to my liking but the
mystery and the need to know more kept me reading. However I felt the
plot was a bit too draggy but the ending was very shocking and while I
was not 100% satisfied, I can't wait to pick up Envy, the second book in
this trilogy to find out what more do The Furies have in store!
Fury took me by surprise. I wasn’t expecting much from this book, and the only thing I really knew about it was that it was about the Furies from Greek mythology. Great idea, but when I first opened the book, I wasn’t sure how Elizabeth Miles was going to work it out.
But Fury is such a haunting debut–one that constantly finds ways to surprise you when you’re off guard.
I was really enchanted with the idea this book was set on: three girls–the Furies–haunt a town where they inflict revenge on people who make deadly mistakes. For instance, take Em and Chase. Em cheated with her best friend’s boyfriend; and Chase publicly humiliated his childhood friend, leading to her suicide. So when a girl starts stalking Em and embarrassing photos of Chase are shown around school, you know that the Furies are out to get them. Because someone has to pay.
I love the Furies. Even though they’re so EVIL and so CRUEL, I love them. Because they’re interesting characters whose complete lack of compassion makes them the perfect villains. The normal kids, however, aren’t exactly so interesting. I was often fed up with Em–she always acted like a “nice” kind of person, yet she kissed her best friend’s boyfriend (I mean, hello?)–and while I felt like Chase was more of a round character, he was always so caught up in being perfect and being part of the in-crowd. Really, I don’t think high school drama is THAT big of a deal.
I hated Zach. The end. Gabby was a very flat character too, serving only as Em’s best friend and popular girl. But I loved JD. I’m sorry, I always fall for the guy-who’s-the-girl’s-childhood-friend type. Because it’s always so hilarious that the girl never realized, and the guy is always so sweet and understanding. Makes me want to squeal.
What I was really surprised about this book was the sort of horror aspect to it. Mind you, it’s not incredibly scary, really, but I’ve always had a certain paranoia with stalkers. Sometimes I feel like someone’s staring at me, and I turn around to see no one there … Yes, freaky. But yeah, since Em had to deal a lot with one of the Furies stalking her, it freaked me out. Probably it’s just me, though, haha.
And, lastly, the book was a tad bit predictable at times. I could figure out what was going to happen at several times, but other times the book really did throw me completely off guard. Strange, eh?
Fury was a fantastic take on Greek mythology–one that took more of a haunting quality to it. Though the characters felt underdeveloped, the idea and plotline were remarkable. I would be glad to get my hands on the sequel.
Source: ARC won from giveaway
The horror of it all. Yes, this book has enough horror in it to really creep me out. Teens Emily and Chase make mistakes and are subsequently menaced by three young women; students of Greek mythology will recognize the women as the Furies. High school drama abounds with hookups, sports, and gay-bashing. Emily’s long-time crush on her best friend’s boyfriend causes her misery but her other friend, J.D., is always there to life her spirits. He’s handy as a shoulder to lean on or as Emily’s driver when she needs to get away. J.D. was my favorite character but I just wanted him to have a backbone and stop being taken advantage of. I didn’t like the other characters much but with a story like this, that might’ve been the author’s point. I never got a sense of why Emily and Chase had the misfortune to be singled out by the Furies, because surely other people in town could’ve been terrorized for making far worse choices. Overall, this was an ok read but not one I’d consider rereading. Thanks to Puget Sound Council for this review copy.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted May 17, 2012
After reading this book, I have found it very hard to find another book as good as this to read. Fury is exceptional!
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Owlmanafanatic16
Posted March 26, 2012
I enjoyed this book alot. I;m not that much into greek mythology, but i liked the idea of furies in modern day.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Winters in Ascension, Maine are supposed to be peaceful--surrounded by pristine snow banks and pretty Maine landscapes.
This winter break is different as soon as news spreads about Sasha Bowlder trying to kill herself.
No one else seems to notice, but Emily Winters and Chase Singer can feel it in the air.
Too bad Em was so busy obsessing over her best friend Gabby's boyfriend and that whole week they'd have together when Gabby was away. Too bad Chase was too busy making sure the perfect, preppy mask he wears around his friends stayed in place.
If either of them had been paying attention, they might have noticed the three strange girls sooner. They might have wondered about the timing of their arrival. If Em or Chase had been paying attention, maybe they would have seen the signs before it was too late for anything but apologies.
Too bad they didn't because someone needs to pay and, sometimes, sorry isn't anywhere near enough in Fury (2011) by Elizabeth Miles.
Fury is Miles' first novel. It is also the first book in a trilogy.
Fury is an interesting blend of suspense, fantasy, and almost a bit of a morality play in that much of the story is necessarily spent looking at what right and wrong. Miles also tackles the grey areas between the moral right and wrong in a clever and realistic way.
Although a bit slow to start as Miles introduces a wide cast of characters, the story picks up after the first quarter as the tension and suspense build. The story alternates between chapters following Em and Chase on their misadventures during winter break (and the latter consequences).
In a book about right and wrong and doling out justice, Miles takes a risk with not one but two characters who are not always sympathetic. Chase is a bit of a jerk and maybe even worse. Em is painfully misguided about a lot of things to the point of being clueless.
Being so flawed it does take a while to connect with the characters enough to care about their stories and the consequences of their actions. However, as the story gains momentum it really is easy to become invested in the characters and the strange events plaguing the town of Ascension.
Miles' writing is haunting and eerie, making Fury an ideal book for fans of horror and suspense.
Possible Pairings: White Cat by Holly Black, Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins, Lost Voices by Sarah Porter, The Unwritten Rule by Elizabeth Scott, The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff
Anonymous
Posted December 15, 2011
Really liked this book. I hesitated to read it because the reviews were a little mixed but I'm glad I decided to go ahead and try it out. I liked the characters, maybe with the exception of Zach. I can't wait to see where the next book in this trilogy takes me!
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.I found Fury to be a really interesting read. It definitely wasn¿t what I expected.
The story is told from the point of view of the two main characters, Em and Chase. I had a really hard time connecting with these characters. I found them to be extremely selfish. Chase bothered me the most of all, he was a really disturbed young man. To be honest, the only character I really actually liked was Em¿s neighbor, J.D. I thought he was kind and sweet, and would have loved for him to have a bigger part of the story. The Furies were downright disturbing. Some of the things they did to the characters were really creepy. But I also found them to be interesting and mysterious at the same time.
I found the plot to be really engrossing. However, a lot of things confused me. For instance, one thing I really didn¿t understand about was the punishment that Em received from the Furies. Yes, I can see how Chase would have deserved it, but I don¿t feel that what Em did was bad enough to be punished as severely as she was. I felt that Zach is the one that deserved the punishment, he was quite a creep.
Overall, this book left me with mixed emotions. I thought it was an intense read, and I was completely hooked on the story, but it also left me feeling very confused. I am looking forward to the next book to see where the author is going to go with the story.
One of the things I liked the most about Fury was the cover. I was happy the author decided to alternate narrators between chapters. That was definitely one of the things that made the book more interesting for me; unfortunately I didn't like Em until the end of the book. She was selfish and what she did isn't something a true friend would do. I know everyone makes mistakes but Em's was just too big for me to overlook. But I think that's what the author wants the reader to feel.
The concept of the book itself is really interesting. I wish the author would've written more about Ty and her cousins but I think there will be a sequel. There are lots of good things about the book like some characters and the suspense also. I was scared for half the book because so many things were happening when I weren't expecting them to.
Fury was not what I expected at all. It was a bit dark but is worth reading it.
Review by Bookittyblog
7160375
Posted September 29, 2011
Fury is an easy to read enjoyable book....karma truely does hunt you down if it needs to.....you get what you deserve. I liked it!
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.SPOILERS. Fury is set in Maine, where best friends Em and Gabby are starting to grow apart, especially because Em is lusting after Gabby's boyfriend, Zach, and does more than just look from afar. She feels guilty, but she isn't truly scared until she starts to realize that she may be being judged not just by her conscience, but by other forces. Chase has already come in contact with Ty, a beautiful, ethereal girl who he wants to get to know better. She cracks some of his cynicism about girls but scares him as well.
I don't want to give too much away, but I will say that I don't tend to read paranormal books because I have trouble getting into the story, but I liked the way this book was set in a very specific place, in a small town where almost everyone knew each other and had history together. It deals with bullying and online friendships and popularity and other teen drama, but Miles weaves in the paranormal elements in a way that are spooky and disturbing but kept me reading to find out exactly what would happen. I sortof wish we'd learned more about the paranormal elements here and found out a bit more about why they worked the way they did, but aside from that I found Fury to be a page-turner that was, yes, dark, as some reviewers have noted, designed to scare you like a ghost story, but it has a heart as well. The characters aren't perfect, and perhaps the message of the book is that when we make a mistake, what is the best form of punishment? There are varying answers to that question here. This is not a "beach read" in the sense of a lighthearted romp, but if you're in the mood for something that will freak you out a bit and keep you guessing, I recommend Fury.
Overview
In this chilling start to a trilogy rife with revenge, two teens learn the hard way: 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 ...