Fury by Charlotte McConaghyMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
This book was not was I thought it would be. It's hard to know what to expect from a relatively new author. In this case, the story quickly went from ambiguous to riveting. I couldn't put it down. It was, in fact, amazing.
This is the story of Josephine, whom we meet when she is speaking with a therapist in a mental health facility. She has tried to kill herself several times and her therapist is nearly at his wits end trying to figure out how to fix her. And apparently this is a facility for the criminally insane, since Josephine insists that she has killed several people.
The story then continues in flashbacks from three points of view: Josephine, her friend/lover Luke, and Anthony, the therapist. It also jumps the timeline, with each chapter dated. It sounds as if this would be difficult to track, but it's not. The tone and context of each chapter make sense with the jumps. It's never hard to figure out what's happening and when; it's not a complicated plot. It simply reveals itself bit by bit, grabbing you and leaving you hanging on for the next detail. It plays out like a very good action movie, complete with horrific murders and fighting scenes and shootouts. The whole package is very, very good.
Josephine and Luke, the main characters, are sympathetic and strong. Their relationship develops slowly and is a bit of a departure from the standard YA couple. This is what makes it somewhat believable; it was very easy to visualise these two as if watching them in a blockbuster movie. There is a marked age difference between them, but this plays well into the story as it develops. The scenes between them are wonderful as their relationship slowly grows and each one's strengths and weaknesses emerge.
The world building here is relatively sparse. Since the story ends on an uncertain note (not a true cliffhanger), it is assumed that will be explored in more detail in the next installment. There was enough to frame out the plot and give the characters context. And honestly, about 20% in I thought 'this is going to be just another werewolf book. You've gotta be kidding me.' I was never so glad to be never more wrong.
I will be anxiously awaiting the next book in this series. I hope this books gets the promotion and press it deserves, because it could well be the next in a long line of dystopian book-to-movie adaptations. 4.5 stars from me, and I highly recommend it.
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