The Fury

May 13, 2013
Smith follows his Escape From Furnace series with this epic struggle of good versus evil—a massive tome reminiscent of Stephen King’s sprawling classics—in which a group of teens are hunted and hated by the world they must save. British teenagers Cal, Brick, Daisy, and Rilke are horrified when, out of nowhere, everyone who sees them begins to fly into feral rages, intent on killing them. Forced to band together for their own safety while they figure out what’s happening to them, they fight for their lives, deal with internal strife, and engage in an all-out battle against a force of nature set on devouring all of creation. Smith paints a graphic, visceral picture of alienation, confusion, and destruction with this emotionally layered adventure. The slow-burning narrative, lengthy buildup, lack of concrete explanations, and weirdly metaphysical moments may throw off some readers, but Smith is an expert at balancing tension and hope, keeping the audience on the edge of their seats. While this might have worked better split into several volumes, it’s still an intense, fascinating read. Ages 12–up. Agent: Sophie Hicks, Ed Victor.