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    Fury
    Fury
    Fury
    Ebook323 pages4 hours

    Fury

    By Elizabeth Miles

    3/5

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    About this ebook

    In this chilling start to a trilogy rife with revenge, two teens learn the hard way: 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.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherSimon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
    Release dateAug 30, 2011
    ISBN9781442422261
    Author

    Elizabeth Miles

    Elizabeth Miles lives in Portland, Maine, and writes for an alternative newsweekly. Visit her online at ElizabethMilesBooks.com, at Facebook.com/ElizabethMilesWrites, and follow her on Twitter at @MilesBooks.

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    Reviews for Fury

    3/5

    131 ratings34 reviews

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    • 1/5
      It's in my Read shelve but honestly, I haven't read the whole book because it's not for me. :/ I didn't get hook unlike the other books I have read. So yeah, after 6 Chapters, I guess, I decided to not read it anymore and just start reading my other to read books.. But maybe you, dear readers, will love it.
    • 1/5
      Got sent the ARC of this. was cautiously intrigued because I usually like supernatural YA. But this had a lot more social-climbing frivolous YA than it did magic. The magic was perfunctory, and the characters, for the most part, were all varying shades of awful to each other.

      I am going to go watch Buffy to cleanse my palate.
      Also noting: If you like Gossip Girl or Pretty Little Liars, you will like this more than I did.
      Also also: It's part of a trilogy. Of course.

      this was an ARC sent by a publicist at Simon and Schuster.
    • 2/5
      It honestly took all my effort to finish this book. I almost put Fury down multiple times, but I have a hard time marking books DNF, especially if I've already made it nearly halfway. I feel it is unfair to review a book I didn't finish reading. So, I kept doggedly reading on. This wasn't a book for me for a few different reasons, and I'll share those below.

      I was really excited at first that this book was about Furies. They are fascinating mythical creatures! They punish those who commit wrongdoing, but are also fabled to be very fair (albeit slightly vicious) in their punishments. These Furies were anything but fair. I won't spoil, but the wrongs that are committed in this book are so difficult to imagine being punished for. They are normal teenage problems, normal teenage mistakes. Why on Earth would a Fury punish a girl for thinking she's in love with the wrong guy? If that's the case, I know plenty of people who would have deserved punishment when I was growing up.

      On top of this, there isn't even that much focus on the Furies themselves. Most of the spotlight is on Em, Chase and their problems. All that is really said about the Furies is that they are girls, and good looking ones at that. I did like that Miles kept their names true to the original Greek mythology, and just shortened them. However it was bothered me that so little is said about their history, or why they might be there. It is glanced over so quickly that it is extremely easy to miss.

      My biggest gripe though was that every time it seemed something wasn't going to be explained, there was an "I don't know" to cover it up. Why were the Furies there to begin with? No clue. Why did they choose to punish those specific characters when there were so many other kids who I'm sure were in the same boat? No idea. I rarely if ever rant about a book, but honestly I feel like this one just left so many things unclear and unfinished.

      In defense of Fury, I really believe it would have been a great story without the paranormal/mythological aspect. Em's story is one that a lot of girls can latch on to. Her friendship with Gabby is sweet and believable. Even her not-so-relationship with JD (who I LOVED) is wonderfully written. I think that if this had been a Contemporary novel, one that focused on Chase and Emily navigating the depths of high school while coming from two different walks of life, it would have been wonderful. Sadly it was the additional story line that kept me from really loving this book.

      Bottom line, this wasn't a book for me. I know there are plenty of people out there who loved it, and I'm sure there will be many more. I am but one opinion in a sea of readers. That's why I'm telling you straight how I feel. This book fell really short for me, and I'm disappointed. I think Elizabeth Miles has fantastic potential as an author though, so I will keep a lookout for her future works. I loved her characters. I just didn't love this story.
    • 5/5
      This book was a great read. With a betrayal leads to something that could become deadly for two people. Secrets were revealed and there were many twists and turns that were unexpected.

      I found this book well written and it was a quick read because I was hooked from the beginning.

      As this is Elizabeth Miles first book I must say she has a talent of bringing you into he world. I have just purchased book 2 in this series as I need to find out what happens next.
    • 1/5
      So looking at the absolutely gorgeous cover of this book (that hair alone is enough to make me the most jealous girl EVER!), you’d think that you were going to get something equally gorgeous on the inside. Sadly, no. It was a very long ordeal to get through and I only finished out of obligation. There’s only so much ‘lemme get in your pants’ that I can take before I’m bored and wanting out.

      Seems like the main focus of the entire first half was sex. Sex this, hookups that. Sorry, but you can’t make up for a bad story and bad acting by tossing in a bunch of sex. I know, I know, Hollywood thinks you can, but just take a look at Transformers 2. You get my point.

      I felt like Emily was a weak character. She exhibited brief flashes of true character at times, showing a smidgeon of concern over other people, but most of the time it was ‘me, me, me’. She was more concerned with how her boobs would look in her purple bra than she ever was about hooking up with her best friend’s boyfriend. Her feeble protestations that Gabby would be hurt weren’t enough to stop her. She was selfish, immature and unlikable in my opinion.

      About the writing: too much telling and not enough showing. I felt like I wasn’t allowed to have my own ideas on something because I was told how it should be. It’s not like Hogwarts, where the descriptions were detailed, but left enough to the imagination that I felt like it was my own special place. The telling made the book tedious and tough to get through. SHOW me; don’t tell me.

      Plot-wise, blah. The IDEA is fantastic. Set the Furies on people who’ve messed up pretty badly. That is what the Furies do.

      Excellent idea, poor execution.

      This book just never really gelled and I was left with a frowny face rather than a need to read the next two books in the series. I most likely won’t be reading them, unless a trusted source reads and loves.

      I really tried to find something I liked about this one, but I couldn’t. For that, I am sorry. Normally, I wouldn’t review a book that I didn’t care for like this, but I felt an obligation for receiving the ARC.

      (Although, if I saw that this book had a rewrite, I would give it another shot because I think the idea is so incredibly brilliant…HEY! That’s something I liked! The idea! The idea!!)
    • 1/5
      I was super excited to read Fury, even though I knew absolutely nothing about it. Why? The drool-worthy cover. Well, this isn't the first time a pretty cover has led me astray. At first, I thought the cover was a total liar. It suggests fantasy and there was nothing too overt for a long time. I saw it coming, but it wasn't very interesting to me.The fantasy elements really felt rather secondary.

      The first couple hundred pages of this book are like reading Gossip Girl or some other series about spoiled rich kids being spoiled and rich and obnoxious. Ugh. I hated Em from the beginning, with her stabbing her best friend in the back and her constantly getting her nerdy friend who's in love with her to drive her to parties. Why don't you help your friend JD be popular rather than mostly only hanging out with him in private? Chase is worse with his constant focus on popularity and getting into girls' pants. Worst of all by far is Zack, the cheating man ho that needs to just gtfo.

      The book did get a little bit better, but I never really cared. The plot and characters remained sub par. There just were not any people that I cared about at all. A lot of it was predictable, but there were a couple of twists that did manage to catch me by surprise. The story alternates between chapters from Em's point of view and chapters from Chase's. The ending of Fury suggests that a sequel is inevitable, but I do not much care. I wish she'd wrapped it up in one, because I definitely was not interested enough to want to read another book, even though there's mythology in it.

      The best part of the book was the cover, at least for me. However, if you love stories about spoiled teens and their drama, along with some vengeance tales to boot, you'll probably love Fury.
    • 4/5
      This is the second time I've read this book, and I pretty much love it. The only thing I didn't like about the book was Em. She did something wrong, and she knew it, but she kept trying to make excuses for it anyway. By the end I was kind of over her and her part of the story.
    • 3/5
      She never meant for it to happen. It's not like you can choose who you fall in love with, right? And this was true love, they both felt the same. It was just too bad he already had a girlfriend, a girlfriend who also happens to be her best friend. She should have known it could never have ended well, for anybody. She should have fought against her desire to be with him. She should have known there would be a price to pay.

      He learnt early on how to fit in, how to play the social game that was so crucial to being popular. He had learnt this lesson the hard way and in turn had given as bad as he got. But there is such a thing as going too far. In the heat of the moment he will make a rash decision that will bring one life to end. He might not have meant for things to go so far, but sometimes there is just no saving others, or yourself.

      Fury brings its own brand of twisted justice wielded through three ancient and powerful beings hell bent on punishing those who have done wrong. Everyone knows every choice has a consequence but sometimes those consequences can be deadly. And while not every situation is a matter of life and death, some are a matter of the heart, and others just require your soul. So let this story be a warning, if karma doesn't get you, the furies will.
    • 3/5
      Fury was a very interesting and different read. With all the books I've read, there is always something that reminds me of another book. Well, I have to say that Fury was refreshing. The book is told from two point of views, Chase and Em, but their mistakes were not the same.I am going to start with Chase. First I want to say, It was super nice reading about a guy who was in the popular group and on the football team, but lived in a trailer and didn't come from a rich family. At first you start off feeling sorry for Chase. Even though he is popular, his life behind closed doors isn't so bright. He tries to be this good guy all the time, but when he finds out one of their friends named Sasha tried to commit suicide, the real story about Chase unravels. I don't want to give away to much, but what Chase has done was very serious and it has something to do with Sasha. I understood why the Fury picked him to make pay for his mistakes. Eventually down the line you can feel Chase's guilt and how sorry he was about everything, but it didn't change anything. In the end, the Fury got him good.Emma was a different story for me. I understood why she was picked, but to be completely honest I didn't really care for her. Dating your best friends boyfriend isn't something we haven't read before or heard about before. I felt compared to what Chase has done, that was nothing. I didn't find any connection to Emma and felt that she was very immature and a little naive about it all and it sort of bugged me a bit. She started a little fling with her best friend's boyfriend Zach, who was the perfect bad boy. He was a little player and didn't care who he hurt in the process. The Fury needs to make him pay. With the ending of Fury I think they just might. I also felt that the Fury didn't make Emma pay enough. But then again what she has done was nothing compared to Chase.In the end, I did enjoy Fury enough to finish it and hope for a second book. There were some shocking moments and some very sad moments. There were also some moments that made you want to just throw the book across the room. I recommend Fury and think that it needs to be on every ones TBR list. It's a nice change and fast paced story. Even though I didn't like Emma's part to much, I still say it's a Good Choice for Reading.3.5 out of 5 Stars!
    • 3/5
      The Little Bookworm
      Emily and Chase have each done something bad. Em hooked up with her best friend's boyfriend while Chase's idea of revenge got a little out of hand. When three beautiful and mysterious girls turn up in their town and begin manipulating Em and Chase, they are in real trouble. Sometimes sorry isn't enough and someone has to pay.

      Jeez, this was a creepy story. There was one part I read right before going to bed and I regretted it. It reminded me of Final Destination in a way. Because in those movies if you escape death it will come for you until it gets you. The Furies' determination to make Emily and Chase pay is relentless. And the thing is that both Emily and Chase did something that was terrible but I don't think it was quite up to what happened to them. Maybe it was and I just felt sorry for them. I don't know. This was a riveting book and I almost couldn't put it down. The writing wasn't as polished as some of the books I've read lately but the story was good and made up for some of the clunkier writing. It is apparently a trilogy so it will be interesting to see where Miles takes the rest of the story.
    • 3/5
      A modern take on the avenging creatures of Greek mythology, Fury is a quick read, but ultimately unsatisfying in execution and revisualisation of the mythology. The story seemed haphazard and the only characters I enjoyed will obviously not be in the sequels for various reasons.

      Furies. Beautiful, vengeful spirits that typically show up in threes and punish those who have committed some wrong doing (usually through a betrayal of trust). Miles' Furies fail, spectacularly, to live up to this vision - they are instead reduced to model-like beauties who terrorise a small-town high school, punishing teenagers for their transgressions. They fail to inspire any kind of terror (except in the main character, but more on her later), and mostly were an annoying aside to the simpering love story featured in the book.

      One of our protagonists is Emily: the 'normal' best friend of the intensely popular Gabby and hence a member of the popular group at school. Like many YA protagonists, Emily has a love-hate relationship with her best friend: she loves the popularity Gabby brings, but doesn't like how shallow she is (apparently failing to realise that Emily, herself, is also self-absorbed). She also likes a boy - Gabby's boyfriend, Zack- who has just started hinting that he might feel something too. Emily can only feel good about herself by tearing down others - she and Gabby have ridiculous and insulting nicknames for most of the people around them. An example is JD, her long time neighbour and close friend (although she won't admit it), whom she and Gabby condescendingly refer to as her Chauffeur since he drives her around when she needs it.

      I did not like Emily and as a consequence, preferred reading the chapters narrated by Chase, the book's other protagonist. Although he doesn't have a much deeper personality, but I liked him because I believed his story: a poor boy who has worked hard to become popular and has to maintain appearances to keep his social standing. He is interesting, and I wish there as more of him in the book. I also enjoyed reading about Zack because he adds colour as the hot antagonist and I sort of wish I had gotten to know him better.

      While I liked the plot and the pacing of the book, I found the romance included in the book perplexing. The romantic element lacked passion and emotion, instead falling flat and, at times, seeming clinical. Although, I may have felt this way because I feel quite strongly about the moral implications of Emily pursuing a relationship with her best friend's boyfriend. I just didn't feel the Em's attraction to Zack, and her later realisation that she is in love with JD seemed jarring and convenient rather than heart-felt. Emily's romantic entanglements are the same as her friendships: contrived, selfish and unenjoyable to read.

      Fury, aside from the misappropriation of Greek mythology and the inexplicable presence of the Furies in a small, backwater town, is a passable read. Although I didn't enjoy it as much as I would have hoped, I hope I like the sequel more. I believe there are better examples of retellings of mythology (Aimée Carter's The Goddess Test series for example), but fans of retellings may enjoy Fury a lot more than I did.

      You can read more of my reviews at Speculating on SpecFic.
    • 3/5
      This was one of those books that grabbed my attention right away and kept me turning the pages but left me frustrated and disappointed by the end. The main character Em is not particularly likeable. While I can understand being attracted to her best friend's boyfriend, her complete lack of empathy about how it would hurt her friend felt odd. This was a girl that she considered a sister and did everything with, but somehow Em feels that she'll see how good Em and Zack are together and would be okay with that. She really lacked the ability to put herself in anyone else's shoes or even have much depth of understanding of how her action might affect others in her life. That coupled with all the examples of Em and her friends bullying and belittling others to the point of suicide in one case, made her and her friends very unlikeable. They also seemed to drink way too often for underage teens. Parties are one thing, but going into the parents good booze when you and your friend are just babysitting and watching tv together? Seemed a little excessive and unnecessary imo. Especially with all the drinking and then driving, especially in bad weather. Not to mention driving and texting!

      The Furies seemed odd, focusing on punishment of kids for things that didn't necessarily seem all that bad or different than any other mistake an immature teen might make. Yes, Chase humiliates a girl who later kills herself, but she had previously humiliated him in a pretty nasty way when he reached out to her in friendship and the girl's best friend was clear that Chase wasn't the cause of the suicide and that the girl had a lot of other problems like severe depression. The way Chase is punished by the Furies seemed, to me, way too harsh and out of line with the person Chase is shown to be. Yes he did a really nasty thing but he also does some kind and helpful things. Chase has some insecurities and makes some mistakes, which he does later regret, but considering the difficulties and abuse he's already endured in his life it seemed like he wasn't that bad of a kid. I didn't like where his storyline went. It seemed cruel (especially for his Mom) and it made little sense to me. Ditto for JD. It just seemed like a lot of people who didn't deserve it were being hurt over some fairly minor teenage mistakes.

      Considering the horrible things people are doing in the world everyday it just seemed kind of ridiculous that the Furies would care about the kind of "sins" being committed by these kids. Plus I kept waiting for more explanation about why Chase and Em were targets when Zach was a total jerk and had done things much worse in a lot of ways or why the Furies had come at all, but nothing about them was really explained. There were hints of things and maybe more will be revealed in book 2, but it a little frustrating for the reader not to understand them better. They were odd and somewhat creepy.

      The writing was good and kept me turning the pages to see what would happen next and I think that's why I felt so disappointed at the end because I really liked the book from the start. I expected it to wrap up in a way that offered more to explain why the Furies targeted Em and Chase ....some explanation that made it all make sense to me but instead I was left feeling uncomfortable with the way the story lines played out. It just felt wrong and unfair and there was no sense of satisfaction at all for the reader. I was left not liking the Furies at all and not liking the book overall because of the end. It just left me feeling like of depressed. I don't want to say too much because of spoilers and it's hard to describe how you feel when you like a book almost all the way through and expect it to be something you recommend to others only to find it leaving a bad taste in your mouth at the end. I'm not sure I'd pick up the next book in the series.
    • 3/5
      This was one of those strange books you read sometimes that I liked and hated at the same time. The characters were unusual because they weren't very likable--but they did feel realistic, and I enjoyed that aspect of this book.

      What I didn't like was that "furies", who are never truly identified as such, seemed to be punishing the relatively typical mistakes of teenage-hood with extreme harshness.
    • 3/5
      When Sasha Bowlder jumps off a bridge in Ascension, Maine, it's the catalyst for several other horrible things. Em decides to get together with her best friend's boyfriend while her friend is out of town. Chase is dealing with the repercussions of his own actions. And both are about to realize that sometimes sorry isn't enough: for the Furies are watching both Chase and Em, and are about to dish out their own brand of punishment.

      So, this book. First off, I have a massive love affair with anything that uses Greek Mythology and sets it in the modern world, so I figured that this book would be right up my alley. And for the most part, I did enjoy it (hence the three stars). But there were some things that really bothered me, which I'm going to attempt to talk about in as nonspoilery a way as possible.

      Fury flips between Em and Chase's points of view. And I have to say that, for much of this book, Em drove me absolutely crazy. See, she decides to hook up with Zach, who is her best friend's boyfriend, and then proceeds to make excuses as to why this is okay. She justifies it to herself by saying things like Gabby (the best friend) is shallow and Zach deserves someone more grounded (like herself, of course). And she uses the "there's something serious between us!" thing, too, which there totally isn't. For much of the book, she sort of ignores the fact that she's being a really horrible friend. Em also has a best friend named JD who is clearly in love with her. But when he says things Em doesn't like (mostly about Zach), she throws tantrums and treats him like crap. Truthfully JD is a bit of a doormat, because he just takes it and ends up being the one to apologize for upsetting her. Em just isn't a very good person, and as such, it was hard to sympathize with her or relate to her in any way.

      And then there's Chase, who has clearly done SOMETHING because it is absolutely tearing him apart. Chase - for me - was the more sympathetic of the two, because he's basically just trying to fit in. He comes from a poor family, living with his mother in a trailer park outside town, but doesn't want the others to know his financial situation. He's the star quarterback of his football team, and has "friends". But he's also a pretty awful person himself, because he hooks up with random girls and generally treats them horribly. That being said, the fact that whatever he's done - and we don't find out what it is until almost the end of the book - is totally tearing him apart and making his life spiral out of control (and frankly he has to withstand the far more serious punishment) makes me feel bad for him. His story arc just made me really sad.

      Also, this book starts fairly slowly, and it takes a long time for the plot to come together. I'm not sure if it's supposed to be a surprise for the reader to realize who the Furies are; if so, I'm sorry to say it's dead obvious from the start. There are also a lot of really terrible things going on in this book, from characters throwing around terms like "slut" and "faggot" (I HATE this word), from characters trying to hook up with slightly-drunk girls whose inhibitions have been lowered (they actually say this in the book), from drunk driving/texting while driving, etc. I'm not sure if this is really how teens act nowadays or not, but it definitely seemed over the top.

      Still, I'm interested enough to see what's going to happen next that I'm definitely going to read the second book. In particular, I want to see what Em's going to do next, and I'd like to see if the story line about Zach is going to materialize into something worthwhile (because while Em is punished for hooking up with Zach, absolutely NOTHING happens to Zach himself, even though he's been cheating on Gabby from the start with a variety of girls). If not, I will be extremely disappointed, because he is by far the character who is the crappiest human being, at least in my opinion.

      Anyway, this book could have been loads better, but the plot itself is interesting enough to keep me reading. I just wish I knew why on earth the Furies would choose to punish people in this small town in Maine. Surely there are others more deserving of their wrath.
    • 3/5
      I've always liked the idea of the Furies: three women who punish those who had done wrong. You can bet I was excited when I heard that Elizabeth Miles had wrote about those three women. Sadly, when I picked up the book, I had to struggle to get myself to like it and I wish I could have liked it more. Fury had so much potential and the ideas Elizabeth Miles played with were unique that I had hoped this novel would be a brilliant success.

      Fury starts off with a death scene and immediately after reading that, I was hooked. But sad to say, I wasn't hooked on tightly. As the story progressed into the first few chapters, Fury's hook on me began to loosen until I could have fallen off. Pretty much three fourths of the book seemed like a contemporary novel told in both Chase and Em's point of view. Nothing interesting was happening, aside from the appearance of these stunning and mysterious girls. Em was all over her best friend's boyfriend, Zach, and Chase was obsessing over a girl he couldn't stay away from.

      I could not relate to any of these characters. Em just irritated me most of the time as she fawned over Zach. She was so blindsided by her love for Zach that she forgot about the consequences. Sure she worried over what Gabby, her best friend, would think, but she hooked up with Zach anyway. I could not sympathize with her whatsoever until later on in the book. Em and Zach were shallow, thinking only about themselves most of the time. I was even more irritated with Em as she continuously blew off J.D, who was the only character I liked in this book. Probably the only time I came to sympathize with Em was when Gabby was hating on her. But really, Em deserved what she got.

      Compared to her, I don't feel as strongly about Chase as I do with Em. He's a jerk and an ass, yes, but I had to feel sorry for him. He may be popular, but he's the poorest kid out of them all. I honestly don't really know what made me tolerate Chase. Maybe it was because he had it rough and his end of the torture scale was far worse than Em's was. But when it came to Ty, I couldn't help but feel disgusted with is infatuation with her. He was like a puppy hanging on to everything she did and every word she said.

      Though annoyed with Chase's obsession with Ty, she and the two other Furies were what kept me reading. They were downright mysterious and a little frightening. Elizabeth Miles did a good job of creeping me out with these three girls. Some parts were so twisted and scary that I nearly jumped out of my skin and shrieked. I think Elizabeth Miles should have worked with that more since she was so excellent at all those creepy scenes.

      I was at odds with the plot. I felt like I was reading unnecessary parts that didn't contribute to the story. Actually, I'd even find myself wondering where was the story going and what really was the point of what I just read. I kept on waiting for something interesting and engaging to happen, something that would make me double take and reread the paragraph. That wasn't what went down. I wanted to know when the actual story would start. Apparently, that only happened at the end.

      The events that happened towards the end got my full attention and inevitably, Em began to be a character I rooted for. Because really, the Furies don't have the right to decide who gets punished and who doesn't. It's unfair and even infuriating. Also, I was a fan of J.D and Em's budding relationship. I really wanted them to get together. I wanted the Furies to pay for they did and what they will do.

      I will read the next two books in the trilogy, Envy and Eternity because I would love to see what Elizabeth Miles plans to do with Em and the Furies. The ending was interesting enough and I have to say, I enjoyed it very much. As for recommendation, it seems very unlikely. But will I stop others from reading Fury? Heck no.
    • 5/5
      The setting of this book sets the over all tone or mood. It is freezing cold, and snowy. That is exactly how this story leaves you feeling, cold and empty inside. You have Emily who is best friends with Gabby. But what kind of friend flirts with your boyfriend? Emily does. She is sure that she and Zach are made for each other. First reason to hate a character in this book. Emily is selfish and so full of herself. Then we have Chase who is not financially in the same league as the rest of his friends. He tries to make up for his past by becoming something he really isn’t. He tramples on people to get where he wants to be. To make Emily and Chase pay for what they have done to others the three furies Ty, Meg and Ali pay a visit. Ty is so hot that she has Chase fawning all over her. Can you say revenge. The job of the furies is to seek revenge for those who they feel need it against those they deserve it. This whole book has a creepy movie feel to it. I could actually see it come out on the big screen. Although the characters so so many wrong things and justify it to make you hate them they are so wonderfully developed you can’t help love them. This is the first book in this series and it will definitely not be the last one I read. The ending definitely leaves you hanging for more. Definitely one to recommend to all of your friends who like creepy, paranormal, mythical type things.
    • 3/5
      DESCRIPTION
      This book is sectioned off into three acts, which give the reader a little backstory on all the ins and outs at Ascension High. They include Emily Winters, a popular, yet studious girl who is best friends with Gabby, the most popular girl in school. The only problem? She falls for Gabby’s boyfriend Zach.

      Then there’s Chase Swinger, captain of the football team who happens to live in a poorer section of town who wants nothing but to keep his status as the leader of the pack.

      But these two characters are holding secrets of their own, and three girls with mysterious powers are creating a little bit of chaos to make sure they get their just deserves.

      THE REVIEW
      Quite shocking to read about some of the inner workings of a high school pecking order because I really couldn’t believe how mean these popular kids are to the “freaks” and the loners, whom they deem classmates. Sure it’s nice to read about their POV but i couldnt find anything nice about any of the other characters. Quite simply put: they’re mean and selfish. They know the consequences of their actions, yet they do it anyway! It made me shake my head a couple of times. Yikes!

      It did touch upon a lot of key points, friendship, suicide, depression, paranormal, homophobia and loads of drama. If YA paranormal novels are your thing, give it a try. It did entertain me quite a bit, so the author did her job well.

      RATING 3/5
    • 4/5
      One of the things I loved best about Fury was the way in which the paranormal elements of the story were introduced. As a reader, I knew what was going on but the characters I was reading about didn't. I could scream at them all I wanted to 'not open that door' or to not 'run up those stairs' but in true horror movie fashion, they never listened. They were in the dark and even though their sleepy little Maine town was neck deep in some pretty freaky paranormal trouble, they never saw it coming.

      The characters in Fury were interesting. Em is a pretty average high school girl - complete with flaws that most people, regardless of age, possess. We don't see much of Gabby, Em's best friend, even though she plays a huge part in what happens to Em. And the parts I did see of her, I didn't like much. It was hard to envision her and Em being as close as they say they are. But I could understand why they were friends. How they played off of each other and when it came down to it, they were there for each other. Zach is an ass and it got to me how neither Em or Gabby can see this about him. I also had some issues with what exactly happens (and doesn't happen) to him...but you'll have to read Fury for yourself to know what I'm talking about :)

      There are a lot of other characters involved in the complex story behind the strangeness going on. I loved how every character has a purpose. Everyone was important and people were connected in ways that you didn't always see coming.

      The entire concept of Fury was new and intriguing to me and once I really got into the story, I found it a hard book to put down. There were a bunch of unanswered questions for me and I'm really interested to find out what happens next.
    • 3/5
      I was originally attracted to the gorgeous cover of Fury and as a bonus also interested in learning more about The Furies. The idea of these sisters who seek vengeance for those that break their moral code seemed like a great idea for a book. It would be nice to see the mean kids in high school pay for a change, right? While I didn’t learn as much about the motives of the fury sisters as I’d like, my curiosity is piqued. Fury reads like a high school horror novel where teen’s bad choices have deadly consequences and the furies are happy to dole out a punishment befitting the crime. Fury is a fresh take on karma and vengeance mixed with mythology and it’s full of mystery and suspense.

      The characters of Fury are generally unlikable and selfish and did not generate a lot of sympathy. I felt disconnected with the main characters and thought they shouldn’t get away with their actions, but does their punishment fit the crime? Em and Chase are the two marked characters that alternate narration of the story. Both of them have made some poor decisions and hurt some innocent people in the process. Three mysterious girls are then waiting in the wings with their orchid ready to mark and pass judgment on these misguided characters. I wondered how they arrived at their targets when there are so many teens of questionable morals to choose from.

      In many ways Fury reads like a horror novel with the way that the Furies stalk their victims. They are pretty harsh with their punishment, and I wondered what there motives were and how they came to be in Ascension. It is a nice change of pace to see the selfish and mean teens get a dose of karma, though I felt so detached from the characters that the punishment lost some meaning. It would be interesting to get inside the head of the Furies to see their thought process and their moral compass chart. The Furies came off as fairly villainous in their appearances, and I wonder whose side I’m supposed to be on.

      The action at the end of the book did get exciting with a twist game changer finale that sets up some intriguing stories for the sequel. I plan to check out the follow up, Envy, to see how things play out and I’m interested to see more from one of the more likable characters, Em’s friend JD. Fury has a suspenseful story that is reminiscent of the series Pretty Little Liars. It should appeal to fans of YA horror type books with its drama and high creep factor.
    • 4/5
      This book completely threw me for a loop! For the first hundred or so pages, I didn't really care about the characters who had royally ticked off the mythological Furies. But page after page I grew my curious, and more shocked, at what was to become of our unfortunate teens.

      In small town Ascension, one boy tries his hardest to keep up his facade of being the perfect All American Boy, while another is lusting after her best friend's boyfriend, and he is flirting back! Both Emily Winters and Chase Singer have an eventful Winter Break when three gorgeous women decide to turn their lives upside down.

      While I was extremely excited to read something that dealt with Greek mythology in the modern world, I was disappointed that this novel started off so slowly. We learn that Chase is hiding something that is too terrible to remember and we see Emily and Zach, her bestie's boyfriend, flirting it up and eventually getting to second base. The book felt at a stand-still, we knew Chase had done something bad, but we didn't know much, and it was hard to feel anything for Emily after 60 or so pages of her making out with an off-limits guy. It isn't until the latter half of Part II where things get interesting. This is when the characters start to become more desperate and show their true colors.

      While I did not hate Emily for being a backstabbing best friend, I didn't like her either. That isn't to say that she was a flat character, I just didn't feel anything for her either way. It was Chase Singer who I grew annoyed with. He wasn't a flat character either but I hated how important social status meant to him. He grew up in a trailer home with only his mother and the memories of an abusive father but I feel like his character wasn't fleshed out enough. So much more could have been done with him besides making him obsessed with the appearance of "perfection." My indifference or annoyance with the characters could be related to the writing style.

      Miles has a very interesting writing style. I want to label it as passive, but I don't know if that's the correct term. Instead of actively writing about a phone call, she writes from a near future perspective. The phone call happened somewhere off the pages so she describes what the conversation consisted of. I would rather just read the conversation as it happened, not in the past-tense style. It made me feel more disconnected from the world.

      Moving on, the plot was enjoyable. There were parts that genuinely were creepy and I loved it. The ending more than anything made up for the slow start. It was shocking, different, and definitely paved the way for a much anticipated sequel. Seeing how both the writing style and character development seemed to improve throughout the novel, I'm sure that the sequel will be a knock out!

      I recommend this for readers who love over the top high school drama and Greek mythology.
    • 3/5
      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. (Synopsis provided by goodreads)

      For me, this book was just okay. When I finished I still had a lot of "Why" questions. Like why Em and not Zach? Why Chase and not the rest of the team? At the start I didn't find Em to be very likable, but her likability increased a bit towards the end of the book.

      I would have liked to have seen more of Gabby in the story. The dialogue was good some of the interactions with the characters didn't seem completely real, but it also didn't take away from the story.

      The ending was great, it had a cliff hanger, which makes me excited to read the next book when it comes out. (I believe next year).

      I really liked the premise of the story and the atmosphere, Miles did a wonderful job with the setting and describing the snow and the town. It makes me want to see Maine even more then before.
      Over all, I will read the next book, but I didn't enjoy this as much as I was hoping to, but it was still an okay read.

      * Hardcover: 384 pages
      * Publisher: Simon Pulse (August 30, 2011)
      * Author: Elizabeth Miles
      * Cover art: I really like the dress and the hair!
      * Overall rating: *** out of 5 stars
      * Obtained: My personal bookshelf.
    • 4/5
      Fury is a fascinating, compulsively readable novel, but it doesn’t quite live up to its premise. Rather than focusing on the Furies and the vengeance they seek, Fury instead dedicates most of the book to developing Em and Chase as characters. While this is certainly not a bad thing—getting to know the characters of a book is an important thing—it left me with a slight sense of dissatisfaction. I anticipated Fury to be action-packed and rife with mythology, but instead ended up reading about two doomed romances. Still, if you go into Fury with this in mind, it may end up being a more satisfying experience.

      Em isn’t a likable character at first, and neither is Chase. It’s always interesting when “bad” characters are protagonists. Fury gives us the opportunity to get into the heads of wrongdoers. Em is ultimately a more compelling character than Chase; she ends up being somewhat likable in the end. Chase, on the other hand, seems distant for nearly the whole novel, and he’s difficult to connect to. Still, both characters are well developed; by the end of the book, you feel as if you really know them.

      Elizabeth Miles’s interpretation of the Furies is actually quite fascinating. She pairs their striking beauty with thoroughly horrifying motives, making them both enchanting and disgusting at the same time. Every time one of the Furies makes an appearance, Miles succeeds in creeping the reader out. They seem to hover in the reader’s mind, giving the novel a foreboding atmosphere. The Furies also provide an excellent opportunity for the reader to think—is the “eye for an eye” way of thinking really right? I found myself questioning whether or not the things Em and Chase did were really deserving of the punishments the Furies doled out.

      Fury is an excellent novel for those looking for some stellar drama. Elizabeth Miles puts her characters into quite a few nail-biting situations. While some readers may not find the two protagonists likable, they do provide an interesting perspective. Miles’s take on the Furies will delight fans of Greek mythology, though their lack of face time may disappoint.
    • 4/5
      The Good Stuff

      Unusual and intriguing storyline -- lovin this Mythology genre
      Deals with Karma and having consequences for your actions
      Cover is awesome
      Unpredictable plot you really don't see where things are coming from and it keeps you enthralled, a wicked paranormal YA mystery
      Realistic portrayal of teen emotions and actions
      Some nice dry humour (see below)
      Opening prologue sucks you in and you're hooked
      Unpredictable in a good way
      Lots of commentary on the horror of high school and struggling to fit in
      Good ending for leading to the next book in the series

      The Not so Good Stuff

      Emily really didn't do anything that should attract the furies wrath in my opinion
      Parents are useless and uninvolved (I know, I know get over it Jen you old Mom)
      Could have used more of the dry humour but hey that's just a personal preference n

      Favorite Quotes/Passages

      "My mom's involved in another classic bread-making experiment. And you know how much I love those yeasty, crustless creations."
      "About as much as you love eating gravel?"
      "Exactly. About as much as I would love to eat that nasty mush I can only assume was once cereal." he said, picking up Em's bowl and dumping it down the sink. "Next time, just tell me when you're have a nine-one-one breakfast situation. I would have gotten two Egg McMuffins if I'd known things had gotten so dire over here."


      "Em blushed. Sorry that I'm not some junior-wizard-Hermione-on-crack."


      "Pay more attention to where different cliques hang out for next time you're being homicidally stalked by someone-something-that wants to punish you for your mistakes."

      What I Learned

      Karma's a bitch
      Some mythological info & Furies just aren't nice girls

      Who should/shouldn't read

      Those with an interest in mythological thrillers will enjoy
      Great for YA and adult readers
      Not for those who like a lighter type of read -- this be intense. I would also suggest 14 + due to violence and mild sexuality

      4 Dewey's


      I received this from Simon and Schuster in exchange for an honest review
    • 3/5
      I was really into Fury during the first two parts of the story. I almost was going to stay up past my bedtime and continue reading, it was a page turner for me. That wasn’t such a great idea though because it is creepy and I did have trouble falling asleep…I should have listened to my sister. Once we got to the end of Part 2 and into Part 3 something happened to the story for me. I can’t put my finger on it, but it no longer held my interest and I caught myself just skimming paragraphs. I wish I could tell you exactly what made the ending fall apart for me, but I can’t. This book is part of a trilogy, but I think this book could have been a standalone. I wish the last couple of pages wouldn’t have turned it into a trilogy.

      P.S. I really like the name Emerly…very cute!

      P.S.S. Chase always had to have his shirts steamed while he showered…funny quirk.

      P.S.S.S. I loved the setting! Winter in Maine made this book work!
    • 2/5
      Review courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy

      FURY is the story of two loosely connected—at least initially—characters whose amoral actions cause them to become the targets of Furies, mythological creatures whose sole purpose is punish. The chapters alternate between Em, the rich girl in love with her best friend’s boyfriend, and Chase, the poor football star who values popularity above all else.

      The biggest problem I had with FURY are the characters. They just aren’t very likeable. Given the premise, I expected there to be reasons why the Furies would target these two characters, but I didn’t expect to struggle with wanting them to defeat the Furies as much as I did. They both crossed serious lines, Chase specifically, that made it challenging to get upset when the tables were turned on them. And Em, well, she was more stupid than mean, but I couldn’t muster much sympathy for her either.

      Another problem I had was how little we actually learn about the Furies themselves. They sort of flit in and out of a few scenes here or there, but never for long and never leaving the kind of impact I expected from a book titled FURY. Even when we learn that these three girls are Furies, information about where they came from, why they are so ‘furious’ at wrong doings, and how they choose who to punish is noticeably scant. I understand that as the first in a series the author may not have wanted to reveal all, but a little information would have gone a long way.

      Overall, I’m left feeling much the same as I did when I finished Lauren Oliver’s BEFORE I FALL. I just don’t know if I really liked this book or not. I know the writing was vivid and expressive. I know the Greek Mythology premise of Furies was a refreshing addition to the Paranormal YA genre. I know that the story felt uncomfortably realistic in several places. But the characters are just not the sort you want to root for, even as they fumbled through various redemptive acts, and the plot was never really engaging or exciting enough overcome that. Since apathy is the the dominating emotion I feel having finished FURY, I’ll probably pass on the next two books in this trilogy, ENVY and then ETERNITY, which will be published presumably in 2012.

      Sexual Content:
      Kissing. Scenes of sensuality
    • 4/5
      What can I say about Fury? To start off, the book cover is truly gorgeous and really grabs you on the factor of eye candy. But as for the book and its story, I have mixed feelings about it.

      I enjoyed the fact that I haven't read a story like this for which sets it apart from all the other reads, and the climax is very detailed that you can vividly picture it as you read along. As for the characters even the protagonist, Emily "Em", I didn't quite like. It was hard to build any emotions towards the characters, however, I did feel pity for Chase and was starting to like him a bit. There is one character I did like, JD Fount (Em's guy best friend/neighbor), he is very kind and more appealing than the rest but the story didn't go indepth about him. Em was too naive and stubborn. The other characters were just generally mean, selfish, and unrelatable. Although I teeter on my views because I keep telling myself as I continue reading that you need those kind of characters and scenarios to make a good story. So, like I said in the beginning I have mix feelings about Fury.
      I hated the fact that at some parts of the story I felt like I was getting the impression of "getting payback/revenge" is the right thing. I wouldn't want my child to get the perception that it's okay to take revenge on someone or even the idea that it's justice. But again, I'm torn because it's a tale about the Furies, and as its myth goes The Furies are the anger of the dead and the deities of vengeance.
      I would say this is a young adult novel for 16+ for its mature content and language. From my opinion, Fury by Elizabeth Miles would make a GREAT TV series right along with Pretty Little Liars because it has a lot of drama, conflict and tribulation. Better to watch than to read.
      I will read on to book #2 and maybe my opinions/thoughts will be changed.
    • 5/5
      Wow. Fury was a suspenseful and haunting story about three girls- three furies- taking revenge on two teens, a boy named Chase and a girl named Emily, who have both done something very bad. This is a story about love, loss and revenge. It is a tale that will not soon be forgotten. The three furies- Ty, Ali and Meg- were portrayed very well and I could easily picture them. Chase and Emily were also very well-developed characters. And although I didn't agree with what they did, I could understand it. Gabby, Emily's best friend, was a very strong side character and was very likeable. She was someone you could easily imagine being your best friend. Zach, one of the "bad" guys, was very easy to hate; I could definitely imagine blocking him on Facebook. ;)
      Although the story and plot was very good, I found myself wishing that things had turned out differently. Which I'm guessing was the author's point, so I applaud Elizabeth for that. I am hoping that there will be a sequel, because I feel like this story could need some expanding on- I want certain issues to be resolved between Emily and JD and between Emily and the Furies!!! (The way Elizabeth ended the book was also VERY intriguing and I wouldn't mind reading about that either!)
      One other thing I must applaud Elizabeth Miles on is the originality of the this whole book. I've never read anything quite like this and it was a refreshing change. Overall I definitely recommend this to all teens. But please note- there were a few parts that even had me wanting to hide under the covers. lol :))

      An ARC was provided by Simon & Schuster for review.
    • 4/5
      “Sometimes sorry isn’t enough.”

      “Fury” tells the story of Em and Chase, two students from Ascension High who end up making mistakes that end up changing everything. Three mysterious girls will see to it that Em and Chase pay for their mistakes – even though they are sorry, even though they feel remorse, it isn’t good enough, someone has to pay.

      The cover? It’s gorgeous.

      The prologue? It’ll pull you in instantly.

      The characters in “Fury” are flawed, they are realistic (although cliché at times, mainly Drea). Their mistakes, although they learn from them, have already been made and now they have to pay to right their wrongs. The three mysterious girls seem innocent enough, although creepy, when they are first brought into the story, but as you keep reading you begin to sense something is wrong, really, really wrong. The buildup to the truth about the Furies is well done. When Chase finally learns the truth, it’s too late, but Em…she’s going to do something about it.

      The ending was perfect. It seems like it’ll set up the second book perfectly, but it’s also a nice ending to the first book – if heartache was Em’s repayment, what will be his? It leaves you wondering just enough.

      “Fury” is creepy at times, sweet at others, and thought provoking as a whole. It’s also the start of a trilogy and I’m dying to get my hands on the next book, “Envy”.
    • 2/5
      I got an advanced reading copy of this book at Book Expo America. I fell in love with the beautiful cover (I know shame on me). The story is interesting, but not something I enjoyed much. It spends too much time following around teenagers with no morals and pushing the blame of their actions off on the small amount of supernatural explanation in this book.

      This story is told from the viewpoint of two teens. The first is Emily; she is struggling with her attraction to her best friend's, Gabby's, boyfriend Zach. When Gabby takes off for winter break Emily and Zach are left to their own naughty devices. The second teen is Chase. Chase is trailer trash struggling to fit in with the rich kids in his school, he is also the star quarterback. When he runs into a beautiful girl named Ty his life starts spiraling out of control. Little do Emily and Chase know that somehow bad choices they have made have sucked in supernatural forces not known to most people, and these forces are going to make sure that Emily and Chase pay for any previous mistakes they have made or will make.

      The majority of this book focuses on all the naughty things that Emily and Chase end up doing over their winter break. As such this is probably a book for older teens and is full of characters I would not recommend as role models for anyone. There are little hints of supernatural forces throughout; the faces Emily sees at her window at night and the beautiful girls that seem to haunt Emily and Chase throughout their winter break. They are only hints of magic...that is until the end of the book. To be honest all of the stalking, window peeking, suicides, etc make this book seem more like a thriller/horror novel than a paranormal one.

      Neither Emily or Chase are very good characters. Emily cheats on her best friend's boyfriend for goodness sake and thinks all will be forgiven if she buys Gabby an expensive Christmas present. Chase is more of a mystery; you can't figure out why someone is out to get Chase until the end of the book. Delicate readers beware though. Not only are social economics made fun of in this book (Chase is constantly ragged on for being poor and for being trailer trash), Chase is humiliated by having naked pictures of himself plastered around school, and cavorts nakedly with Ty during a room painting session...additionally there are suicides, ugly language, and scenes of sexual behavior between teens throughout. Honestly the morality and looseness of this book reminded me a lot of Swoon by Nina Malkin (definitely one of my least favorite books of last year).

      The only decent character in this book is the sweet JD, Emily's neighbor friend who obviously adores her. JD is much more than Emily deserves and the only character in this book that I acutally cared about and found interesting, he had a great personality and some style to boot.

      The book is easy to read and generally well-written. The only thing that makes this story engaging is the car-wreck quality to it all. As a reader I was confused by what all of this wanton teenage behavior was leading to and only kept reading out of sheer morbid curiousity.

      In the end the mythology of the Furies is tied into the story, but it is really only at the very end of the book. The way all of the mythology and theory behind the goings on throughout the story was shoved into the end of the story felt rushed and contrived.

      SPOLIER ALERT-----------------------------
      I have to admit the part where Emily binds the Furies to her is intriguing. I wish this had happened at the beginning of the book.
      SPOILER END-------------------------------

      Overall I didn't enjoy the story all that much. It spends a lot of time dwelling on Emily's and Chase's naughty behavior at the beginning, this made the story slow and made me wonder what the whole point was. It isn't until much later in the story that the supernatural elements come in to play. This story is more of a thriller than paranormal, so those who don't like scary reads should look elsewhere. The characters are unlikable and the things they do un-excusable. I so wanted to love this book, the idea of tying the mythology of the Furies into a story could be really cool. I won't be reading any more books in this series, to be honest the best thing about this book is the beautiful cover.
    • 5/5
      Talk about getting karma coming around to get you! I mean this book really makes you thinks twice about doing something to someone and really thinking about the consequences of it. Imagine, if that really happen? If Furies went around making people pay for what they did to others? I mean holy cow, this book is goood. So good, that I want to read it over and over again!

      The story line is amazingly good. I really enjoyed watching both characters go through hard times and watching them pay for their mistakes. There is so much going on in the story that you are blown away by the meanness of the Furies. I liked how they stepped into people lives unexpectedly, seduce into thinking that they are friends and then BAM! You get me I get you back! I have to admit that I am on the Furies side. I am old school person, eye for an eye.

      The characters were also great. I like the growth that the characters went through. You saw them make mistakes, and learn from them. Some learn at the last minute while others learned right away. What I also enjoyed is how easily the point of view switches were smooth and transitional. Ms. Miles did a great job describing both point of views with the right amount information. Nothing was lost, so the reader wasn't confused during the switch. I am really picky with pov swtiches cause sometimes the writes loses me, confuses me, or just jumps to something completely and entirely different and then I get angry. Ms. Miles makes it easy for the reader to see everything without lost or confusion.

      Have you ever done anything mean to someone without thinking about it? Read this book and I can guarantee it will make you think twice about being mean to someone. Fury is the Boom Diggity! It will entice you. Grab you into the story feeling the hurt and anger that the Furies feel. The Furies in this book will generate fear and pierce it into your very soul, chilling you from the inside out.

      Cause you know what? Sometimes sorry is enough...

    Book preview

    Fury - Elizabeth Miles

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    This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real locales are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

    SIMON PULSE

    An imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division

    1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020

    www.SimonandSchuster.com

    First Simon Pulse hardcover edition August 2011

    Copyright © 2011 by Paper Lantern Lit

    All rights reserved, including the right of reproduction

    in whole or in part in any form.

    SIMON PULSE and colophon are registered trademarks

    of Simon & Schuster, Inc.

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    to your live event. For more information or to book an event contact

    the Simon & Schuster Speakers Bureau at 1-866-248-3049

    or visit our website at www.simonspeakers.com.

    Designed by Mike Rosamilia

    The text of this book was set in Bembo.

    Manufactured in the United States of America

    2 4 6 8 10 9 7 5 3 1

    Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

    Miles, Elizabeth, 1982–

    Fury / by Elizabeth Miles. — 1st Simon Pulse hardcover ed.

    p. cm.

    Summary: After high school junior Emily hooks up with her best friend’s boyfriend, and football quarterback Chase’s life spirals out of control, three mysterious Furies—paranormal creatures that often assume the form of beautiful women—come to town to make sure that Emily and Chase get what they deserve.

    ISBN 978-1-4424-2224-7 (hardcover)

    1. Erinyes (Greek mythology)—Juvenile fiction. [1. Erinyes (Greek mythology)—Fiction.

    2. Supernatural—Fiction. 3. Revenge—Fiction. 4. High schools—Fiction. 5. Schools—Fiction.]

    I. Title.

    PZ7.M59432Fu 2011

    [Fic]—dc22

    2010053367

    ISBN 978-1-4424-2226-1 (eBook)

    To my parents

    Contents

    Prologue

    Act One

    Chapter One

    Chapter Two

    Chapter Three

    Chapter Four

    Act Two

    Chapter Five

    Chapter Six

    Chapter Seven

    Chapter Eight

    Chapter Nine

    Chapter Ten

    Chapter Eleven

    Chapter Twelve

    Chapter Thirteen

    Chapter Fourteen

    Chapter Fifteen

    Chapter Sixteen

    Chapter Seventeen

    Chapter Eighteen

    Act Three

    Chapter Nineteen

    Chapter Twenty

    Chapter Twenty-One

    Chapter Twenty-Two

    Chapter Twenty-Three

    Chapter Twenty-Four

    Chapter Twenty-Five

    Chapter Twenty-Six

    Acknowledgments

    About the Author

    PROLOGUE

    High above a freeway, a girl gripped the overpass railing. She almost slipped as she maneuvered onto the tiny ledge, and for one second she felt a sheer moment of panic, clutching and grasping for balance.

    The wind was strong. The traffic was a whir below her, a river of cars and headlights streaming together. Her hands were freezing; her fingers numb, cramping. The gold snake pendant at her collarbone glinted even in the dark.

    Everything felt hazy—the blackness before her eyes and the blackness of her thoughts. She was breaths away from jumping. She could feel the darkness moving through her.

    And then she leaped. She was flying. Falling.

    In a flash, she realized she couldn’t take it back.

    Her lungs were being squeezed to pinpricks. She couldn’t breathe. Icy air swirled around her, terror radiating through her body.

    She clawed at the nothingness.

    She screamed.

    ACT ONE

    Ascension, or The Party

    CHAPTER ONE

    Emily Winters stood in front of her bedroom mirror, a fluffy white towel wrapped around her torso, as she tried to work a tangle from her dark, dripping hair.

    The room was quiet, except for the radiator next to her closet—it made its trademark ticking sound, one that had kept her awake as a child. She always imagined an old witch trying to claw her way out of the wall. But she was used to it by now. Just like the tiny mole above her right eyebrow—she’d had it since birth, and the only time she ever noticed it was when someone else commented on it.

    Someone like Zach McCord, for example. Last week in earth science, the class no one ever paid attention in, he’d leaned toward her to steal a peek at her quiz. Then he’d looked up into her eyes and touched the edge of her eyebrow. Beauty mark, he’d said. A shiver had run through her as he turned around, and that was that.

    Thump.

    Out of the corner of her eye, Em saw something white flash by her window. As she whirled to look, she heard another heavy thump.

    She cinched the towel tighter, her heart hammering and her mind immediately churning out visions of robbers and murderers. She waited a second, listening, but heard nothing more. Clutching her plastic comb, she approached the window to peer outside. The front porch light shone on the blanket of winter snow covering the brittle, dark yard and the driveway that sloped down to Em’s quiet street.

    Of course someone hadn’t tried to break in, she told herself, lowering the comb with an embarrassed smile (and seriously, of all the weapons she could have picked—a comb?). Nobody got robbed in Ascension, and certainly not in this part of town. It must have been a clump of snow falling from the old oak tree next to the house.

    No sooner had her heart stopped pounding when the bing of the chat messages began: first one, and then several more, in such rapid succession it sounded like an alarm clock.

    Em sighed and went over to her laptop, which was sitting among books and papers on her bed. Em hated working at the desk in the corner of her room—she used it mostly for clothing storage. Currently, the desk chair was completely obscured by a mound of scarves, dresses, and vintage blazers.

    Gabs357: Em? U there?

    Gabs357: um hello?

    Gabs357: K well I’m getting ready and I was wondering, hair up or hair down?

    Gabs357: Emmmmmm! U promised to help! Also I’m torn between the blue sweater dress (w/short slvs) and new jeans w/pink ruffled top . . . what do u think? And where’s my black cardigan—do you have it?

    Gabs357: Are you getting a ride from Chauffeur or should we come get you?

    Gabs357: I think I’m going to go with the dress. Are you even alive????

    I’m wearing jeans and a black shirt, in case you’re wondering, Gabs, Em muttered. Moving her favorite stuffed animal, a zebra named Cordy, out of the way, she slid onto the bed to type a response.

    Zach McCord had won Cordy for her last summer, when Em and her best friend, Gabby, had gone to the county fair. He stopped at one of those freaky machines, the ones where you manipulate a giant claw in order to grab a plush animal from below. Zach, who was ridiculously talented at all things physical, had somehow clawed up two prizes: a pink bear and the zebra.

    Zach had casually tossed Em the zebra. It’s cute, he’d said. Different and cute. Like you. For the rest of the day, his words had filled her with a warm glow, and ever since then, Em kept Cordy on her bed. Sometimes, she found the stuffed zebra offered a better set of ears than any of the humans around her.

    Zach had given the pink bear to Gabby, of course, who had squealed and planted an enormous kiss on Zach’s cheek.

    Which was as it should be. Because Zach was Gabby’s boyfriend.

    Sorry, was in the shower, she typed to Gabby. Yeah, JD will give me a ride. I think you left the cardigan in your gym locker, right? Gabby was known for storing about a thousand spare outfits in there, for emergencies.

    Em smirked and shook her head as she sent off another quick message: I think the dress is a good choice. And why not hair down. It’s a party, after all! In the time it took to turn away and grab underwear and a bra, Em heard a new volley of bings.

    Oh phew, hi!!!!! Okay, so hair down, totally. It looks good today anyway.

    I was thinking of wearing this new long necklace my mom got me—too much?

    With a laugh that sounded a bit like a groan, Em typed, Gabs, I have to get ready too! Necklace sounds great. See you soon! Sometimes you had to pick your battles.

    Pulling a black tank top from her bureau and skinny jeans from her closet, Em looked back to the mirror, which was lined with postcards, photos, and notes. Most of the photos were of Em and Gabby.

    Short and spunky, with perfectly curled blond hair (thanks to her obsessive morning engagements with the curling iron), Gabby ruled the school with a giggle and a wink. Like her weather-reporter mom, there was something polished, pristine, and optimistic about her at all times. Her football-star brothers had paved the way to popularity with their sports trophies and prom-king crowns—and Em had benefited too. As freshmen, Gabby and Em were quickly and seamlessly woven into Ascension High School’s social tapestry, invited to senior parties and allowed to flirt with upperclassmen.

    That year Gabby had been voted onto homecoming court, an honor ostensibly open to the whole school but (until two years ago) tacitly reserved for juniors and seniors. And last year, Em had managed to put the yearbook committee back on the map of acceptably cool after-school activities by collecting artifacts—notes, ticket stubs, receipts, candid photos, snippets of class essays—and turning the yearbook into an Ascension scrapbook. Gabby did the layout and Em wrote all the witty captions and pasted in quotes.

    Now they were floating through their junior year as they’d always planned to: going to parties without feeling like they needed personal invitations, studying for the SATs, working hard and playing hard (with Em sometimes reminding Gabby about the work, and Gabby sometimes reminding Em to play). They sat at the Gazebo—the good end of the cafeteria, and they parked their cars in the highly coveted front lot.

    In this year’s yearbook, it was almost certain that Gabby would be voted Cutest in the Junior Class, while Em was a good bet for Most Likely to Succeed. (Succeed at what, Em sometimes wondered.) There were other girls in their circle, like Fiona Marcus and Lauren Hobart, whom they’d known forever, and Jenna Berg, who’d moved to Ascension in eighth grade and somehow fit in perfectly. But everyone knew that the Gab-Em bond was the glue that held everything together. They were kind of like fireworks. They soared as one: Gabby erupting with a loud, colorful BANG! and Em creating a different kind of light, the ethereal, sparkling, postexplosion chandelier.

    But lately, Em had been feeling more like a sidekick or a personal style assistant than a kindred spirit. Over the past few weeks, Gabby’s preferred topics of conversation had not veered from the subjects of her wardrobe, Zach, or the Valentine’s Day dance (which was still well over a month away). Just this morning, Gabby had asked Em if she could please consult with Zach about what he should get me for Christmas and proceeded to list five acceptable gifts that spanned the spectrum of realism: (1) the delicate blue scarf she’d seen on the website for Maintenance, her absolute favorite store in Boston; (2) an engraved iPod Nano for when she went running; (3) tickets to see Cirque du Soleil when it came to Portland this spring; (4) a puppy; (5) a romantic secret overnight at his stepdad’s cabin down the coast.

    Gabby didn’t always seem to understand that not everyone’s life was as perfect as hers.

    Of course, there were amazing things about Gabby too. She was the only person Em wanted to be around when she was in a crappy mood. She was the best accomplice to have at every party, every prank, every midnight adventure. And she was a great friend. Like the time in sixth grade when Em had told Adam Dunn that she liked him on the playground and he’d told her to get a life. Gabby had baked frosted brownies with Skittles on top that spelled out D-DAY. They’d laughed and eaten the entire pan of brownies and successfully turned Dunn Day into a holiday. Gabby was just like that. She was like a sunny day, strawberry shortcake, and a snowball fight all rolled into one.

    But sometimes it was exhausting, too.

    Em stared at her knobby knees and long, almost-black, wavy hair and felt more like Morticia than America’s Next Top Model. Some days she was able to appreciate her dancer’s build, but tonight she just wished she owned a padded bra.

    Bing. . . bing. . . bing. What now?

    Emmmm. I made you something—going to share the file now.

    Em watched the blue bar stretch as the file loaded, then saw Em’s Getting Ready Music pop up in her media player.

    In case you need some motivation, I put together some songs, Gabby wrote. But you have to promise to leave as soon as the playlist is over.

    Em scanned the song titles. Perfect. Some old-school Britney and Beyoncé, plus some punkish covers of show tunes that Gabby knew Em loved.

    As she buttoned her jeans and surveyed her shoe options, singing Cabaret quietly under her breath, Em’s parents’ voices drifted upstairs. That was another feature of the old-school radiators: somehow, they seemed to pipe voices through the house more successfully than they did heat. She couldn’t really understand what they were saying, but she could pick out a few words.

    Her parents started dating when they were sixteen—a fact that made Em cringe. She was the same age now as her parents were when they met. Em couldn’t imagine conversing with the same person for twenty years, but her mom and dad never seemed to get sick of each other. They’d met on a ski trip that brought together young people from area schools. That day, Em’s mom had been wearing a purple knit hat with two blue pom-poms on top. (Em loved to tease her mom about her apparently awesome teenage fashion sense.) Over the course of the afternoon, one of the pom-poms had gone missing. And though half the guys on the mountain had been searching for the missing fuzzball, only one had found it—stuck to the inside of his hood. Em’s dad had taken off his coat inside the lodge and her mom had spied the blue ball.

    The sparks flew instantly, they always said, with a wink. You know what we mean.

    But of course, Em didn’t. She had never felt electric passion or the sense of fate unfolding for her. All she had experienced was awkward kissing with boys who didn’t know what to do with their hands. She’d certainly never looked into a boy’s eyes and just known.

    At least, not with any boy it was actually possible to be with. In fact, that was the reason behind the poem she’d won the regional Blue Pen Award for: Impossible.

    Bang! Em’s heart practically stopped for a second before she realized the sound was caused by a snowball hitting her bedroom window. Another one hit and jolted Em back into party-prep mode. That was her ride—lately snowballs were his not-so-charming way of announcing he was waiting outside.

    She slammed shut her laptop, wrestled her shirt over her head, and hopped to the window again as she tried to jam her right foot into one tall lace-up boot.

    Five minutes, she mouthed, holding up five fingers to JD Fount, who stood in the yard below her window sporting a goofy grin and moving a tree branch out of his face. JD had always been supertall—so much so that in fourth grade, Mrs. Milliken, the school nurse, had sharply poked his back and barked, Posture Police! because he’d been slouching to try to make the other kids feel less short.

    Now he stood normally, at six-foot-three, and didn’t worry about what anyone thought.

    As if to prove exactly that, JD pulled open his peacoat to reveal his latest outfit choice: slacks, a vest, and a purple shirt underneath. Em involuntarily smiled and shook her head, wondering at JD’s bold fashion choices, which were a combination of iconoclasm and artistry. He’d been known to get on his soapbox to point out how unfair it was that girls could have fun with fashion while boys were left with jeans and T-shirts. Over the last year, Gabby had taken to referring to him as Chauffeur—behind his back, of course—because he was the perfect designated driver. He didn’t get invited to most of the parties, but he was always willing to drive Em to them. Em could tell he secretly liked having an excuse to go out on the weekends, and even though he was a huge dork she’d known since they were both in diapers, she had to admit that she didn’t mind spending time with him.

    When he saw Em’s hand signal, JD responded with a wave and a thumbs-up. He was used to waiting. The Fount family had lived next door forever and it was a running joke that the Winters would keep the Founts waiting at their own funeral. Before Em got her license, JD used to take her to school; after they missed first period four days in a row, he’d threatened to make her walk.

    JD danced toward his car, knowing Em was watching. Then he hopped into his beat-up Volvo. Still, Em stood at the window, mesmerized by snowflakes that were just starting to fall. Despite the fact that Em had always lived in Maine, she never got tired of the winter. She loved the way her neighborhood looked during a snowstorm, all the houses capped under white drifts, like meringue crowning a pie. She watched for a moment as one flake faded into another, until faint sirens in the distance jolted her back to reality.

    With her boots laced up, Em dabbed on some lip gloss, tucked her hair behind her ears (she rarely did anything more than let it air dry), and grabbed her bag from where she’d last thrown it. She gave herself a final once-over in the mirror, knowing full well she was primping for one person only.

    As Em made her way downstairs, her parents’ voices grew more distinct. They were debating work stuff again: whether or not caffeine leads to coronaries. For two people who wouldn’t know if their own daughter was heartbroken, they sure did care a lot about what happened to other people’s hearts.

    I’m going to a party, Em said, popping her head around the kitchen door. The two of them were hunched over the marble kitchen island with glasses of red wine in their hands and a plate of cheese between them, looked vaguely startled to see her there. It’s at Ian Minster’s. JD is driving.

    Okay, hon, her mom responded.

    Be careful, sweetie, her dad echoed. He was standing at the stove with his back to her, his ID from the hospital tossed on the island in the kitchen. Em’s mom was leaning next to him, wineglass in hand. Their hips were just touching.

    And then you have to wonder about the viability of all of the red wine research . . . , Em’s mom said abruptly. Just like that, they were back to their conversation.

    Rolling her eyes, Em slipped into her winter coat and walked out the door and toward JD’s Volvo. She wondered if her parents had actually heard what she’d said. She wondered if anyone would ever look at her and really see her.

    CHAPTER TWO

    Leaving in 15 mins. C u there.

    Chase Singer fired off the text to Zach and slipped his new Nokia cell phone, an early Christmas gift from his mom (one they couldn’t really afford), carefully into a back pocket of his jeans.

    Every year, right before winter break, an Ascension High School senior stepped up to host the party to end all parties. Part holiday gala, part celebration of being halfway done with the school year, the party was the stuff that legends were made of—legends that often took another six months to live down. This year, with Ian Minster’s parents away on their second honeymoon, his house was ground zero for reputations to be ruined and reinforced.

    Chase’s phone buzzed and he fished it out of his pocket. New text from Lindsay Peters: Can I crash the Ascension party tonight? Chase didn’t respond. He’d been hooking up with Lindsay, a junior from nearby Trinity High, for a few weeks. They’d met at a football party, and she’d been cool at first. She was willing to drive to see him and not too needy. But now he was bored. She had a nice body—although not as nice when she wasn’t wearing a push-up bra—a low voice, and a big smile. But she wore a little too much makeup and laughed too loudly, even when his jokes weren’t that funny. Even when he wasn’t trying to be funny. A couple of weeks ago he’d started telling her about this cool documentary he’d seen about insects, and she’d thought he was telling her the plot of a sci-fi movie. Plus she chewed with her mouth open. No, he definitely did not want her to come tonight.

    As Chase snapped the phone shut, he saw the time. He had to hurry.

    The tiny bathroom at the end of the narrow hall was clouded with steam. Chase grabbed a now wrinkle-free bright red polo shirt from the shower rod. The pipes shuddered and groaned as he turned off the hot water. He wiped the condensation from the mirror and held the shirt up against his dark jeans, evaluating the outfit. Did it look like he was trying too hard? He applied a dab of gel to his short brown hair and pulled at the cowlick that stuck up like an alfalfa sprout on the left side of his head. Dressed in the polo shirt, jeans, and impeccable new sneakers, Chase looked like your average preppy boy—not like someone who lived in a tiny trailer on the outskirts of town with his mom.

    Which was, of course, the whole point.

    Chase checked his phone; there was another text from Lindsay—I haven’t seen u in a week!—which he deleted quickly. He was on a schedule: by the time he arrived at Minster’s house, the sophomore and junior girls would have drunk just enough to lower their inhibitions, but not so much that they were too wasted to flirt. (At Tina Hathaway’s Halloween party that year, he’d no sooner convinced a hot sophomore to ditch the crowd for a private make-out session in the woods than she’d pulled down her pants and started peeing on a tree and giggling. He’d had to half-carry her back to the party, where he off-loaded her onto her friends.)

    So tonight was going to be a success. He needed it to be. The Ascension Football Feast was in a little more than a week, on January 2nd. The Feast was an annual postseason celebration of the Ascension Warriors, the town’s pride and joy (at least when they were winning), not to mention a major charity event. Most players brought a whole entourage, including parents, siblings, and girlfriends. Last year, he’d arrived alone and felt humiliated when the guys made fun of the fact that he hadn’t managed to bag a date.

    This year, his best friend Zach was organizing the whole event, hoping to raise five thousand dollars for a local homeless shelter. There would be a ton of people there, not to mention news cameras. And Chase was the star.

    Chase was a damn good quarterback, probably one of the best in the state. College recruiters had already contacted Coach Baldwin to inquire about Chase’s post–high school plans. And while it would be cool to get a free ride to a quality school—he’d be the first Singer to attend college, and there was no way his family could afford it otherwise—he wasn’t playing for scholarships. On the field was where he felt free, open, smart. He knew what to do, and he had the space to do it. He made the right choices. Sometimes, in the middle of a game, he was surprised to find that he was grinning.

    And yet, in the back of his mind, Chase knew that at any moment, everything could come undone. One bad play and it could all close in on you—no holes to run through, blockers and tacklers

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