Review: Fury (Fury #1) by Elizabeth Miles

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Published: August 30, 2011

Pages: 352

Source: For Review from Simon and Schuster Canada (Thank you!)

Rating: 4 Stars - I Loved It!

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.

In short: Fury by Elizabeth Miles is an engaging and thrilling debut with realistic characters and a chilling storyline.

Karma is a bitch, and it comes in the form of three gorgeous deities from Greek mythology called the Furies. Fury follows Em and Chase, in alternating chapters, and the typical high school drama surrounding their lives. But both Em and Chase have done something reprehensible. Chosen by the Furies for their wrongdoings, they have to learn the hard way that what goes around, comes around.

From the start of Fury, Em and Chase were not likeable characters; I don't believe they were supposed to be. After all, they had to be guilty of a transgression for the Furies to want to take revenge. They were both obsessed with popularity. Em contemplates cheating with her best friend's boyfriend and Chase nonchalantly treats girls as though they're worth nothing to him.

Rather than be turned off by their faults, I found I could at least appreciate the fact that they weren't saints. They were definitely no Mary Sue and Gary Stu. They were authentic teens with authentic teen feelings and immaturity. It was strangely a breath of fresh air from main characters that are instantly likeable, if that makes any sense. As they realize and feel genuinely sorry for what they did and how they'll have to pay for it, you can't help but sympathize with Em and Chase and forgive them for their stupid mistakes.

A large portion of Fury was taken up by high school drama with only some paranormal occurrences happening in the background. It read like a contemporary novel at times and I would have preferred had it focused a bit less on the regular drama and more on the paranormal aspect. But once more and more creepy incidents start to affect Em and Chase's lives about halfway through the novel, it took me by surprise how involved with the story I became. I went from not liking the characters and high school drama in the beginning to being sympathetic towards the characters and totally caught up in the chilling and freaky storyline as it unfolded.

Overall, though I did not expect this when I first started reading Fury, I really ended up becoming engaged in the characters and storyline as it became creepier and more horrifying. The ending especially was so intense and filled with so many shocking twists that I hadn't been expecting. I eagerly look forward to how the story will unfold in this planned trilogy. Fury will be released August 30, 2011.

Other Review:
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*Read as part of the 2011 Debut Author Challenge

Pottermore

It's just past 5:00am for me but I needed to see Jo make her announcement live. And what an announcement it was. A free online reading experience like no other. eBooks finally. Some additional information that Jo has been hoarding from us (more than 18,000 words). Interactivity: we'll get to have a wand choose us in Diagon Alley (one of 33,000 possible combinations) and be sorted into a Hogwarts House. Freaky cool figures coming out of books. Forgive me if I'm not thinking straight as I'm very tired. She also confirmed that she will never write another Harry Potter book (Aw! But understandable). According to Pottermore.com, a lucky few will be selected to enter the experience early starting on July 31 (Jo's and Harry's birthday). Everyone else has to wait until October 2011. The Chamber of Secrets storyline will debut 2012. I must follow the owl.

(Click to enlarge pictures)

Review: The Girl who Played with Fire (Millennium #2) by Stieg Larsson

Publisher: Penguin

Published: 2006

Pages: 724

Source: Borrowed (Thanks Auntie!)

Rating: 3.5 Stars

Mikael Blomkvist, crusading journalist and publisher of the magazine Millennium, has decided to run a story that will expose an extensive sex trafficking operation between Eastern Europe and Sweden, implicating well-known and highly placed members of Swedish society, business, and government. 
But he has no idea just how explosive the story will be until, on the eve of publication, the two investigating reporters are murdered. And even more shocking for Blomkvist: the fingerprints found on the murder weapon belong to Lisbeth Salander—the troubled, wise-beyond-her-years genius hacker who came to his aid in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, and who now becomes the focus and fierce heart of The Girl Who Played with Fire. 
As Blomkvist, alone in his belief in Salander’s innocence, plunges into an investigation of the slayings, Salander herself is drawn into a murderous hunt in which she is the prey, and which compels her to revisit her dark past in an effort to settle with it once and for all.

In short: The Girl who Played with Fire by Stieg Larsson maintains the same general layout as its predecessor but as a bonus, Salander's backstory is detailed extensively.

Uh, can I just say ditto? I have pretty much the exact same comments to make on this second installment that I had in my The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo review. Again, this book was an intelligent murder mystery cloaked in a bevy of unimportant details that were completely unnecessary to the plot. Why is it necessary that the reader knows about every single item that Salander buys from IKEA to furnish her new apartment? I just don't understand why things like this weren't edited out. It takes the entire first half of the book to set up the plot and action in the second half.

At least I wasn't as horrified by the plot this time around, now that I know what to expect and have become a bit more accustomed to the terrible and graphic abuse and violence that takes place. The Girl who Played with Fire still had the same disgusting, women-abusing type of bad guy as The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, but I found that I could be - if still a bit horrified - very satisfied to see those sadistic pigs, perverts, and rapists get their comeuppance.

I am also extremely satisfied with the answers we got regarding the backstory of the one-of-a-kind Lisbeth Salander. I stated in my The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo review that she was the only character I developed any investment in and she was the main reason I wanted to continue with the trilogy. In fact, now that I've gotten a good understanding of her (well, as much as anyone can really understand Salander [in other words, not really]), I almost don't feel the need to continue on with The Girl who Kicked the Hornet's Nest.

Still, The Girl who Played with Fire ended with a bit of a cliffhanger that most definitely makes me want to read on to find out whether all the characters made it through that intense final sequence. But it can wait for a while. I'm suffering from some serious YA withdrawal and I need to get me my fix.

*Read as part of the Into the Old World Reading Challenge
*Read as part of the Book Series Completion Challenge

Muggle Monday (12): Harry Potter: The Exhibition

It's time for Muggle Monday, in which I post a quote, a video, or a significant piece of news from the Harry Potter franchise. This is somewhat inspired by the Mundane Monday posts by The Mundie Moms.

But let's be real as to why I made up this meme: I just want the opportunity to post something about Harry Potter.

This week, I thought I would continue extolling my appreciation of the movies (after all, the last one EVER is coming out in under a month!) by posting an overview of Harry Potter: The Exhibition:

Harry Potter: The Exhibition is currently in New York so you know I made time to visit it when I was there in April. In this incredible exhibition, you get an up close view of many of the props, costumes, and sets used in the movies. I talked about gaining an appreciation towards the immense attention to detail that goes into these movies in my Harry Potter: Film Wizardry review last week, and this exhibition supplies an equally profound appreciation for them as well. No pictures were allowed but my memory is plenty.

The tour begins as you and a group of people are ushered into a room with the Sorting Hat. Three youngsters got the opportunity to be sorted and proudly told the Hat that they were all Gryffindors and the Hat abided their wishes, of course. It's a shame that so few people ever want to be placed in the other three, well deserving, Houses.



There were several sets featured, including (among others) the Gryffindor Boys' Dormitory (where you can see Ron's homemade quilt!), the Herbology Classroom (where you can actually remove a screaming mandrake from a pot!), and Hagrid's Hut (where you can sit in his enormous chair with only your feet hanging off the edge!).

You can also get a close look at more obscure movie props, like Lockhart's ridiculous photos of himself, Ron's Martin Miggs, the Mad Muggle comicbook, and Luna's Spectrespecs (again, among others). Even though some of these props were only on screen for a second, the crew on the movies still went to the effort of making them and in doing so, gave a little nod to the books, which is awesome.

I loved the interactivity of certain parts of The Exhibition. They set up Quidditch hoops for people to attempt to throw quaffles through and I scored lots of goals! You should definitely try this out and challenge yourself to make as many goals as possible. But it only counts if you throw the quaffle with one hand only! Because I figure you'd be holding onto your broom with your other hand.

And it all ends with a gift shop, naturally. I almost bought a wand, a broom, a time-turner, and a Marauder's Map but was somehow able to show incredible restraint that is way beyond my regular maturity level. Good on me.

If you have the chance, and you are a big Harry Potter fan, and you are trying to pass the time until some sort of secret new project is revealed, then I highly recommend you make your way to Harry Potter: The Exhibition. It is only in New York until September 5, 2011 and it is the last North American tour stop! Presumably our friends across the Atlantic will soon get the opportunity to witness the awesomeness themselves :)

In My Mailbox (9)

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi of The Story Siren (and inspired by Alea of Pop Culture Junkie) to showcase any books that I have received for review, bought, borrowed, or won to read.

For Review from Simon and Schuster Canada

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer ARC by Michelle Hodkin

Fury ARC by Elizabeth Miles

Witchlanders ARC by Lena Coakley

Dust & Decay ARC by Jonathan Maberry

I am so very spoiled by Simon and Schuster Canada. And so very appreciative, trust me. The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer is the mystery that seemingly everyone is talking about and I can't wait to delve into it! Fury is presumably about a girl with very, very long hair (it continues right onto the back cover!) and Witchlanders is presumably about witches. I'm also looking forward to reading them. Dust & Decay is the sequel to Rot & Ruin, a zombie thriller, which I have yet to read. I've heard very good things about this series and I hope I can find time to read the first book before the second one comes out. All in all, a very good two weeks, if I do say so myself! I would love to know what's in your mailbox if you would like to leave me a link in the comments!