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    Elizabeth Miles’ ‘Fury’ fizzles

    3
    By Jessica on November 14, 2011 YA review, young adult

    “FURY,” by Elizabeth Miles, Simon Pulse, Aug. 30, 2011, $17.99 (ages 14 and up)

    Hype can be a good or bad thing. And living up to it can be even more daunting than being recognized in the first place. That’s why I — along with a number of other reviewers — approached Elizabeth Miles‘ “Fury” with some trepidation.

    Hell hath no fury like a woman — or three — scorned.

    It’s winter break and though school is out, things in the town of Ascension, Maine, are hopping.

    Em has liked Zach for as long as she can remember, and it seems like he’s begun to notice her, too. The only problem — Zach has a girlfriend and she just happens to be Em’s best friend, too.

    Chase only cares about his social life and facade, which is made harder since he’s from the “wrong side” of town. The stress of keeping up appearances is starting to weigh on him. And there’s a secret he’s been keeping that could be his undoing.

    As Em and Chase being to navigate these choppy waters, three beautiful, mysterious girls move into town, and their actions are anything but innocent.

    Liking or not liking a book comes down to personal taste, and “Fury” was not to my personal taste for a number of reasons.

    First, I found nothing to like about any of the characters, not one. You have to be a strong writer to carry readers when all of your characters have little merit. Miles is a strong writer and she sets scenes well. She even makes her characters believable, but when they’re that believably annoying and just plain bad, it’s hard to move forward.

    Second, the premise, Furies messing with people’s lives, is interesting, but they don’t show up that much, and when they do, some of their behavior is downright blech. Yes, they’re the Furies, but it left me with a bad taste in my mouth.

    Third, “Fury” felt more like a setup for a series and less like a standalone novel. That’s not to say that it needs to feel like a standalone, but spending at least half the novel preparing for the next, fails to drive the current story forward, leaving readers flailing before they can ever get started.

    “Fury” is not a book I can recommend, and I am not alone.

    Michelle at That’s What She Read said, “Fury contained too little stand-alone plot to be an engaging or effective read.”  She continues, “What makes it worse is that none of the characters in Fury are all that likable. They are self-absorbed and superficial.”

    And while Christy at — The Reader Bee is looking forward to the next book; she says “Fury” left her 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”

    However, many other reviewers found “Fury” had plenty of merit.

    YA Book Shelf called it “One of the creepiest reads of the year!” And Bookish said “It was sexy, full of tension, fast-paced and enticing.”

    “Beautifully captivating yet eerie, chilling, and undeniably haunting,” said I Eat Words and The Crooked Shelf said “‘Fury’ is a must-read for all YA paranormal fans.”

    Whether you go on my recommendation or that of someone else, it should be noted that “Fury” is for more mature young adults and is not appropriate for readers under the age of 14.

    You can read more reviews of this book on “Fury’s” Goodreads page.

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    Jessica
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    Jessica Harrison is the main reviewer behind Cracking the Cover. Prior to creating Cracking the Cover, Jessica worked as the in-house book critic for the Deseret News, a daily newspaper in Salt Lake City. Jessica also worked as a copy editor and general features writer for the paper. Following that, Jessica spent two years with an international company as a social media specialist. She is currently a freelance writer/editor. She is passionate about reading and giving people the tools to make informed decisions in their own book choices.

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    3 Comments

    1. Amber/aLmYbNeNr on November 14, 2011 9:36 am

      I wrote a review on FURY awhile back and I was actually really prepared to like it and it greatly disappointed. I did not connect with one character and I thought their problems were too trivial for the Furies to take over. The Furies themselves fell short of anything and should have been present more. There is a SLIGHT possibility that I will read the sequel, just to see if the series can redeem itself.

      Amber
      The Musings of ALMYBNENR

      Reply
    2. Barbara on November 14, 2011 9:52 am

      I wrote a review for Fury too and I really, really didn’t like it. It was nearly a DNF for me and I wrote that I wished I had dropped it because it made me ill when I was done. I got the idea that it was supposed to be a thriller and a big ol’ morality play but the inequality of the Furies punishment was ridiculous. The farther out I got from reading it, the more I agree with your assessment – I didn’t like any of the characters that much (I did like Chase somewhat) and the Furies just seemed cartoonish with the whole, DUN DUN DUN I heard in my head every time they appeared.

      Very nice review, loved hearing your comments a lot.

      Reply
    3. Kaye M. on November 15, 2011 10:55 am

      I REALLY wanted to like this, but dropped it within two chapters in. There was nothing of the promised hype, and I really despised the characters.

      Reply

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