ARC Review: Fury by Elizabeth Miles

Ah, Fury. You really got me confused.

Title: Fury by Elizabeth Miles
Pages: 352
Release Date: August 30th 2011
Published by: Simon Pulse
Source: S&S Galley Grab
Buy: Amazon | Book Depository

Summary (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.

This is one of those books I desperately want to love, but just couldn't. There was so much of it that I want to like. I still have mixed feelings over it and I can't decide if it's mostly bad or if it's mostly good.

The book started by showing the lives of two different people, Em and Chase. Em is your typical popular girl. She's best friends with Gabby, rich and popular Gabby who everyone likes, whose mom is one of the most successful newscasters in their area. But Em has a secret. She's secretly in love with Zach. Too bad, because he's Gabby's boyfriend. Chase is the football team's captain. He's also the poorest kid in school, but Chase learned that if you know what to say, smile at the right time and hang out with the right people, you can still be on top of the social ladder, even if you're not as rich as the rest of them.

At first glance, you can't really figure out what it is that connects Chase and Em, other than they move in the same social circle. Their lives are as different as night and day. But that mystery part, finding what ties them to The Furies is what keeps the readers going and reading. It was the sole reason I pushed through with the novel.

Fury feels scattered most of the time. Em and Chase's POV seems to be all over the place. At some point it felt like I was reading parts that were unnecessary. I can't really feel a connection with any of the characters, as most of them comes off as shallow people to me, obsessed with themselves. And I can't feel any sympathy for Em because she deserves what she got. Betrayal of the highest kind. Blinded by her adoration for Zach, it was too late for her to realize that something better is right in front of her. Chase is an entirely different story. In his desperation to fit in, to make up for what he lacks, he played with someone's life. Compared to Em's, his "mistake" is a lot more unforgivable. But the mistakes they made, are they really supposed to pay for it with their life? Literally?

The Furies were creepy. Very creepy, but with a twisted sense of justice and a frightening knack for vengeance. I do give Elizabeth Miles kudos for presenting the Furies in a different light, giving them a bit of "humanity", which was obvious especially with Ty. But really, who are they to decide who gets punished and who doesn't? I was half-expecting something big, something pivotal to happen in the end, but it still came up short.

Fury is one of those books I sincerely hope to get better as the series progresses. It's got a lot of potential, but I think the way it was written and the way the characters behaved could have been improved to be more interesting for the readers.  It's hard to like a book if you can't even agree with the characters and feel like something's lacking in the story. But I will definitely give this book another chance and see how it goes.

My rating

Content (plot, story flow, character):

Okay: Liked, but The Goddess demands more!

Book Cover: