Fury

Fury
by Elizabeth Miles

It’s winter break in Ascension, Maine. The snow is falling and everything looks pristine and peaceful. But all is not as it seems...

Em is thrilled that the guy she’s been into for months is finally noticing her. But if she starts things with him, there’s no turning back. Because his girlfriend is Em’s best friend. And on the other side of town, Chase’s social life is unraveling and the stress of his home life is starting to take its toll. But that’s nothing compared to what’s really haunting him. Chase has done something cruel....And it’s only a matter of time before he’s exposed.

In Ascension, mistakes can be deadly. There are three girls—three beautiful, mysterious girls—to choose who will pay. Em and Chase have been chosen. (description from Amazon.com)

This book was interesting. I liked the contemporary stories dealing with Em's relationship dilemma and Chase's horrific betrayal. I liked the concept of the Furies punishing those who broke life's moral rules.

But, something felt like it was missing... I felt a disconnect - like the two parts of the story did not match up. Maybe part of it was that Miles wrote this knowing it was part of a trilogy, so not everything about the Furies needed to be revealed. I longed through this book for...more. More about where the Furies came from, more about how they choose their victims, more about where they go when their "job" is done.

I'm really hoping that in the next book in the series, much more will be revealed. I would love to see more of the mythology behind the Furies!

2011 Debut Author Challenge title

Abandon

Abandon
by Meg Cabot

Though she tries returning to the life she knew before the accident, Pierce can't help but feel at once a part of this world, and apart from it. Yet she's never alone . . . because someone is always watching her. Escape from the realm of the dead is impossible when someone there wants you back.

But now she's moved to a new town. Maybe at her new school, she can start fresh. Maybe she can stop feeling so afraid.

Only she can't. Because even here, he finds her. That's how desperately he wants her back. She knows he's no guardian angel, and his dark world isn't exactly heaven, yet she can't stay away . . . especially since he always appears when she least expects it, but exactly when she needs him most.

But if she lets herself fall any further, she may just find herself back in the one place she most fears: the Underworld. (description from Amazon.com)

Check out the great trailer for this book, here.

I really liked this new twist on the Persephone myth. It was modern and fresh, though steeped in ancient mythologies. It was almost like watching an episode of Supernatural based on the Hades and Persephone story. LOVE.

I found it amazing that this book took place over the span of just a few days, but managed to feel like it was covering eons. Meg Cabot used flashbacks to cover incidents that had happened years before, keeping the book constantly moving. I do have to admit that until I got used to that, I was confused at a few points in the early chapters, but once I got the rhythm it was a really great way to add layers to the events that were happening and to foreshadow important clues about the people around Pierce.

As for Pierce, I really liked her. She was tough and vulnerable. Poor Pierce gets pulled into a darker world than most people ever have to deal with... the biggest problem? She's not always unhappy to be there...

John was...John was the sexy bad boy that I think we all secretly think about. He was broody and moody and just...smouldering in some spots. I loved learning more about his background and how he came to be a Death Diety. Very intriguing. Cabot managed to paint a very vivid picture of both the eternally young man and his Underworld that made me almost want to stay forever...

I will definitely be looking forward to the next book in the series, Underworld. There are a lot of questions left unanswered at the end of Abandon and I'm dying to see how Meg Cabot plans to get Pierce out of her sticky situation.