Review: Fury by Elizabeth Miles

Title: Fury [Amazon|GoodReads]
Author: Elizabeth Miles [Website|Twitter|Facebook]
Standing: Book 1 in The Fury Trilogy
Genre: Young Adult, Greek Mythology, Urban Fantasy
Published: August 30th, 2011 by Simon Pulse
Format: Hardcover; 370 pages.  
Source: Borrowed from my local library.

We all make mistakes, but some of them are bigger than others.  If we're lucky, people forgive us.  But the Furies don't...

It's winter break in Ascension, Maine, and the in-crowd at the high school is excited to kick it off right with a party.  Too bad not everyone's enjoying it.  The tragic news is spreading - Sasha has just jumped off the overpass attempting suicide.  Chase is hit hard, he and Sasha had been close once, before her mother remarried rich and Sasha left the trailer park.  They'd both managed to crawl up the social ladder, but Sasha had fallen back down.  Hard.  Chase has carefully constructed every portion of his image to keep his standing as the popular football quarterback, destined for a scholarship and getting out.  Sasha's attempt seems to have everyone concerned, but no one is more upset than Chase.  He's annoyed, why do they all care?  She wasn't their friend, she was a loser.  Chase remembers how things really were.

Em has been fighting conflicting emotions for months now, and it's just getting worse.  She has a crush on Zach, but is it more than that?  Does he feel the same way?  She's pretty sure he does and that they're meant for something great.  After the party, her best friend Gabby is headed out of town for the holidays and Em's free to explore her feelings with Zach.  Too bad Zach is Gabby's boyfriend, and there is no going back.  Unfortunately, Em will loon soon enough...sometimes sorry isn't enough.

Enter Ty, Meg, and Ali.  Or shall we call them Tisiphone, Megaera, and Alecto?  They seem to appear out of nowhere, and they're only interested in two people: Em and Chase.  What I love about this book is that for the bulk of it, you have no idea who or what these girls are let alone what they want.  Furies aren't mentioned.  Yes, of course you know that's what they are.  You're smart.  You've read the title of the book and know a bit of Greek mythology, but Chase and Em certainly have no idea, and would anyone believe them if they talked about these gorgeous girls that seem to be stalking them?

Fury builds quietly for the first portion of the book.  Miles lets you slip into the comfortable lull of contemporary young adulthood and then terrifies you in brief flashes to remind you that there's more to the picture (there is a reason I don't look out the window when lightening flashes people).  My only complaint about this book was our introductions to both Em and Chase.  The two characters alternate perspectives from chapter to chapter, and each entrance seems a bit too much like an info-dump.  We don't initially get to learn about these characters in an easy, fluid way, but rather the bulk of their social history and relationships is presented up on a platter.  Luckily, this passes fairly quickly and is by no means a deterrence to the overall enjoyment of the story.  Em is likable; you'll likely cringe at her naivety and want to punch something at her inability to see what is right in front of her, but that is your advantage as the omnipotent reader.  Chase is a very honest character, and being in the head of a boy who works so hard to be popular was a new experience for me.  His life clearly isn't a cake walk, and you really do want to like him, even after you find out just what he's done to catch the Furies' attention.  Most importantly, you can identify with both of these individuals.  They each make some crappy decisions and big mistakes, but I bet you have too.  That's what makes this book so accessible--we've all done something we regret.

Once all of the pieces start cascading into place, this novel quickly becomes an avalanche of tension that is impossible to put down.  An eye for an eye, Fury is downright Old Testament.  The Furies never stop, never forgive, and never ever show mercy.  The question becomes: what mistakes count?

Likelihood that I'll be back for more: 100%.  Envy is one of my top 10 most anticipated reads of 2012, and Fury itself was one of my favorite year-end reads.

Recommended for: Those who think revenge is a dish best served cold, Greek mythologeeks, and people whose muscles can withstand being tensed for long durations.

Real life repercussions of reading this book: Fair warning: buy yourself some hot cocoa mix before you start this book.  Elizabeth Miles is a fan, and the consistent mentions of this beverage will have you craving it for days to come.