Fury

June 20, 2011
Is vengeance deserved when one girl kisses another's boyfriend? When one student humiliates another? And what level of vengeance is appropriateâmore humiliation? Isolation? Death? Miles's debut novel explores the notion that "people really do get what they deserve," with mixed results. The attempted suicide of Sasha Bowlder, the humiliated student, is the starting point for two voyages of self-discovery: Emily Winters, who wrestles with her attraction to her best friend's boyfriend, and Chase Singer, burdened by his trailer-park origins and a dark secret about Sasha. They are first haunted, then openly approached by three beautiful, frightening women who hand out red flowers and cryptic dooms that neither can escape. Combined with the hothouse pressure of junior year, the tension causes both Em and Chase to crack. Much of the story resembles a teen horror flick, and in the end, the book veers from its "eye for an eye" trajectory, and the Furies become a foe to be vanquished instead of an unstoppable force. Readers won't understand why Em and Chase have been targeted any more than they doâthat question is left to future books. Ages 14âup.

July 15, 2011

The furies are reinvented in eerie modern form, wreaking havoc in the lives of a group of teens in a fictional Maine town in this spine-prickling debut, first in a planned trilogy.

Talented poet Emily has been increasingly attracted to her best friend's boyfriend, Zach, and is swept into an illicit winter vacation hook-up with him. Soon after, she begins to encounter a perfect, tiny blond girl with a terrifying smile everywhere she goes. Meanwhile, image-conscious football star Chase encounters an ethereally beautiful girl who says she and her two cousins are newly back in town after moving away years before. He's instantly, uncharacteristically smitten and pursues her as an addict would a drug, putting himself in vulnerable positions he'd never have previously allowed. Plentiful foreshadowing will tip off most in the audience about the otherworldly nature of the trio of newcomers, creating an ongoing sense of dread for the characters that will spur readers on, but it may frustrate them as they wait for the other shoe to drop. Scares are plentiful throughout, including such tried and true tropes as a near corpse springing to life with a grin.

(COPYRIGHT (2011) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)

February 1, 2012

Gr 7 Up-The legendary Furies are goddesses who exact vengeance and punish those who commit crimes. In Ascension, Maine, tales of three mysterious girls have always been around, but few of the local high school students know much about them. Em Winters is looking forward to going to a party with her friend Gabby and Zach, Gabby's boyfriend. The 16-year-old is feeling disloyal because she is attracted to Zach, and he seems to reciprocate. Chase, a popular football star from the wrong side of the tracks, is also there. News spreads quickly about the suicide attempt of a classmate who used to be part of the in crowd, which quickly breaks up the party. When she is driving home, Em sees three stunningly beautiful girls, and those same girls are waiting at Chase's car. Thus begins the downward spiral of their lives. This novel sets a steady pace of increasing suspense. Though there is no question about who these mysterious girls are, what is mysterious is why they have chosen these two teens for their revenge. Near the end, readers find out why Chase has been targeted, but Em is not so obvious, leaving open the possibility for a sequel. The modernization of the Furies names is clever, and all of the teens and their personal dramas ring true. This intriguing novel might prompt discussions about mythology, bullying, and retribution.-Suanne Roush, Osceola High School, Seminole, FL

Copyright 2012 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.