Hardcover, 370 pages
Published August 30th 2011 by Simon Pulse
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.
"Sometimes sorry isn't enough" would have been a better tagline if the actions and events in this novel were actually worth more than a heartfelt apology. That being said, however, the Furies of legend didn't always need a good reason to dish out death.
Anyway, I am not a big fan of the switching narrators trend, but when it is done well I can appreciate it. When done well, both narrators weave together the same story from each perspective, further deepening it. Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater executed this flawlessly. Fury did not and, instead, created two mostly separate stories. They did occur at the same time and were somewhat affected by each other, but they didn't rely on each other.
However, it was interesting to read a book where the main characters are intentionally unlikable. Em is selfish, mean, and a bit of a brat. She does have some redeeming qualities, which plays tug-of-war with the reader; "Oh I feel bad for her" and then "Wow. That was uncalled for." Chase, on the other hand, is simply a womanizing jerk, as with the rest of the male characters.
On to the writing! Part of my problem with this story was that it didn't seem to be able to decide whether it was a horror or a romance novel. With horror there should be this sense or urgency or eeriness lingering in the space between words, but there wasn't. With romance it shouldn't have elements of horror strewn throughout, but there was. There is a way to do romance in horror literature, and this isn't it. It honestly would have been a much better book in my opinion if it was simply focused on being a scary story.
Also, the author mainly told the story instead of "showing" it with imagery. Showing vs. telling makes the story come alive, which is where Fury fell flat. Even (or especially) at the climax(es), there was a lot of "This happened. Then this happened. And this is now going on." But then the next paragraph would be well written and I would be sitting there scratching my head.
*sigh*
Final Thought: 2 out of 5 toadstools
Review also available on GoodReads
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