Title: Fury
Author: Elizabeth Miles [website] [twitter] [facebook]
Genre:  Paranormal, Thriller
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Format: Paperback (ARC)
Source: Provided by publisher (via BEA)
Parental Advisory: criminal activity, language, sex, drugs, alcohol
Teachable Moments: murder, suicide, bullying, infidelity

“Em took two shaking steps toward the bed.  She pulled her sweater cuffs between her fingers and her palm and shoved her thumbs into holes in the loose knit.  She grabbed her hair and shoved it into a bun.  For a moment she considered backing out, but then she remembered the way Chase had rubbed her back as she’d sobbed in the gym that day.  Zach’s warm hands and stubbled face, Gabby’s wide blue eyes, blinking at her trustingly — and then, just a week later, with hate.  How quickly everything had fallen apart.”

Summary (from the publisher):
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 — they 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.

Opinion:
Told in alternating points of view, Fury follows Emily and Chase as they attempt to overcome the evil that has found it’s way into their lives as a result of their own misdeeds.  I won’t tell you what those particular indiscretions are as their revelations are part of the progression of the story, but I will say that each has done wrong by another and as a result the Furies descend on them for retribution.

I found it interesting that for a book titled Fury there was as little focus put on the actual furies as there was.  Sure, we got a glimpse of them but not until much later in the book and not at for any significant amount of time.  Having said that, I feel that Miles time spent on other characters set the story up more appropriately.  She did a great job setting the tone of the entire series.  So often an author will spend the entirety of book one getting the history, character and plot development  in place at the expense of actual movement in said plot.  It was lovely to see Miles do all of the requisite scene setting for the larger whole while still providing a thorough (and somewhat compartmentalized) story in a single book that moved forward.

As far as the characters of the story went I have to say I didn’t really connect to Emily that much.  Her choice to stab long time best friend Gabby in the back to steal her boyfriend felt too contrived.  It was the means to the end by which the furies were brought to her.  I personally felt like there may have been another way to have that occur.  Though, I will admit it wasn’t entirely unrealistic.  Teens pine after each other’s significant others all the time and many times they don’t have a problem stabbing people in the back to get what they want.  So while this part of the plot was realistic I just personally didn’t like that choice of focus.

This choice did, I think, also play a role in where Zach (said best friend’s boyfriend Em wanted) will be positioned in book two.  He is clearly not a nice guy on several different levels and I can envision his downfall occurring pretty quickly.  BUT, I can also see where Miles may have set up a variety of opportunities for Zach’s character to progress in different ways (good and evil) as further books roll out.  I am quite curious to see what path he takes in the future as his seems to be the most flexible in terms of going either way.

Chase, on the other hand, I loved.  Loved, loved, loved.  He was by far my favorite character in the story.  He was such a fantastic mix of the confident and apprehensive.  The circumstances of his upbringing and home life made him likable despite some of the questionable things he did. Which naturally made his role in the plot all the more heartbreaking.  I just felt for him at every turn.  He was a typical teenaged boy, struggling with difficulty at home, trying to keep those circumstances secret, all while trying to maintain his high status in athletics and relative popularity amongst the social strata of high school.

Secondary characters were also interesting though a bit cliched.  Gabby was the materialistic and self-absorbed best friend who eventually found the ability to think of others in the end.  Her boyfriend Zach is the jock who rules the school, fancying himself the big man on campus he’s dishonest and unafraid of the ultimate consequences of his actions.  He shows no remorse.  He is definitely the boy of the story I would have preferred to see face the furies.  Finally, there is JD — Emily’s long time neighbor and friend.  He is the nerdy outcast (think Ducky of Sixteen Candles) who still manages to have some semi-popular friends.  He’s a bit emo and wears eclectic clothes and embraces his individuality.  He is a good friend to Emily but mainly because he’s just so damn in love with her.  He’s quite endearing but ultimately doesn’t have the best of luck.

The plot was pretty simple, which, actually did work to this book’s advantage.  The focus should have been and was appropriately placed on the characters and setting the larger scene.  This doesn’t mean the story wasn’t interesting because it was.  It played just enough of the fury mythology to whet the appetite for more and built compelling circumstances up around different characters that will spark larger developments in the story later down the line.   Though there were moments of predictability they were few and far between.  Not only that, but when I did see something coming a mile away the ride to get there and then move on to other places made it worth it.  I didn’t find it bothersome at all that I was able to catch a few things here and there, which y’all know is not the norm for me.

I know I’m being quite vague in this review but I’m doing so on purpose.  I don’t want to spoil you on character and plot developments that are best experienced first hand.  Sure, Fury won’t be for everyone, but I was pleasantly surprised that the paranormal elements were downplayed and the more dramatic parts revolved around what could be considered ordinary circumstances a teen would encounter in life.  I’d say it’s a good one to put on your shelf if you are looking for a light paranormal read that isn’t all about vampires, werewolves or other creepy creatures.