Furious

May 27, 2013 Ema rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013, female-lead-with-a-backbone, female-leads-i-adore, i-liked-it, mythology

My initial reaction after seeing the blurb:

after seeing the publication date:

The starting was a little slow but it was a great read

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May 13, 2013 Mitch rated it 2 of 5 stars

So I was asked why I read Furious. Honestly? I don't know. This isn't the first young adult book starring the Furies of Greek mythology - and most likely not the last - so rather than repeating ad nauseam the same pitfalls as the last book involving the Furies (*cough*Fury*cough*). I'm just going to be direct and to the point:

-Being a Fury doesn’t give you a license to be a terrible person.
Basically, Meg is a horrible, judgy person. Let me set up the scene. Meg likes this guy, Brendon, who hangs...more So I was asked why I read Furious. Honestly? I don't know. This isn't the first young adult book starring the Furies of Greek mythology - and most likely not the last - so rather than repeating ad nauseam the same pitfalls as the last book involving the Furies (*cough*Fury*cough*). I'm just going to be direct and to the point:

-Being a Fury doesn’t give you a license to be a terrible person.
Basically, Meg is a horrible, judgy person. Let me set up the scene. Meg likes this guy, Brendon, who hangs out with a bunch of jerk friends. She's positive he's not like those other guys on the inside (lol), so she goes with him to a party at her 'friend' Ambrosia's house, where they make out on Ambrosia's bed. Predictably, Meg and Brendon are ambushed by Brendon's friends who humiliate her. She knows he was set up, but rather than talking about it, she uses her powers to force him to commit suicide by jumping out a window. Wow. And does she feel any remorse for what she's done? Nope! Instead, she decides to use those same powers to punish everyone else at her school by making them all miserable. WTF?

Yes, I know Meg’s meanness is the point of the book. I can see how Jill Wolfson wrote her as a victim who became evil by lashing back, but I don’t believe that for a second, because revenge didn’t make her evil, seems to me like she was evil to begin with. The way she’s written, she’s neither hero nor antihero nor victim, but a villain, plain and simple, and who wants to root for that?

-Justice demands more than stereotypical black and white characters.
It doesn’t help that the other characters are all quite petty and shallow. Brendan's friends really are jerks. Meg's foster mother is a 'Leech' who takes in foster kids so she can live off their allowances from the state. The other two Furies, Alix has anger management issues and Stephanie is the kind of walking cliche who gives real environmentalists a bad rep, and yet there are a pair of girls nicknamed the Double D's who are lumped in with everyone else because they dress promiscuously. Yeah...

In case that wasn’t enough clear, Furious kind of falls into the same trap as that other Fury book, except actually probably worse. A recurring theme of the Furies is that they’re ‘evil’ while their victims are ‘good’ despite how the Furies are merely avenging wrongs, but whereas it works for Orestes (he’s guilty of matricide but it was a REALLY good reason), it’s only because there are shades of gray and moral ambiguities that makes clear what’s really going on. In this young adult version though, those deeper moral issues get airbrushed away and becomes a black and white world where the morality aspect is just messed up. And if I'm being invited to judge these characters, what if I don't want to accept 'good' as really good and 'evil' as evil? Yeah, no. Besides, two eyes for an eye and there’d be only one blind person...

-Although modeling the book after the Greek tragedies is actually kinda cool...
Despite my reservations and misgivings about the characters, I did like that Jill Wolfson does something a little different with the book. She has these stasimons scatter every couple of chapters from Ambrosia’s point of view explaining some of the background, and yeah, they make a lot of the plot painfully obvious, but I thought it was a nice touch and shout out to the Greek theater inspiration (yeah, huge fan of Aeschylus’s Oresteia right here...). So there’s that.(less)

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Jan 09, 2013 Nemo (the Moonlight Library) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: stand-alone, wow, 2013-published, 2013-read, sparkles-sparkles-everywhere, teens-rule-the-world-yo, publisher-6-macmillan

See this review and more on The Moonlight Library!

Furious is a modern take on the Furies of Ancient Greece and Rome. They were female spirits or demi-gods of justice and revenge. There are a lot of different mythologies of the Furies, and in this novel, they were once goddesses. Now they are reborn into the bodies of three angry teenagers at an American high school – Meg, Alix and Stephanie. Alix is a surfer, Stephanie is a tree hugger, and Meg is a foster kid. We follow Meg’s story as she grows...more See this review and more on The Moonlight Library!

Furious is a modern take on the Furies of Ancient Greece and Rome. They were female spirits or demi-gods of justice and revenge. There are a lot of different mythologies of the Furies, and in this novel, they were once goddesses. Now they are reborn into the bodies of three angry teenagers at an American high school – Meg, Alix and Stephanie. Alix is a surfer, Stephanie is a tree hugger, and Meg is a foster kid. We follow Meg’s story as she grows into her Fury powers and learns to take control of her life.

Wolfson’s biggest achievement in this novel is her startling clear characterisation. Each character is clearly defined and experiences some kind of growth throughout the novel. They all have different voices and different goals, and orbit around each other in their little dance of revenge.

Wolfson’s writing is clean and elegant but certainly not overly wordy and certainly not particularly poetic. It was fast to read and I found myself eagerly flipping the pages due to the writing being clear enough and the plot interesting enough to want to get to know what the characters were up to next. It’s a good formula and one that worked well with me. Wolfson also broke the novel into different sections with the use of stasimons, which are utilised in Greek plays. This shows how Furious is influenced by Aeschylus, who wrote a play featuring the Furies “Oresteia”. It was really interesting to read a novel when the author has clearly done a lot of research into the phenomenon/monster starring in it. Although there are a lot of different takes on the Furies, there’s no blatantly incorrect things written in (like an angel falling in love with a human and remaining in God’s favour COUGH HALO COUGH).

It’s actually hard for me to pin down why I liked this so much. It wasn’t perfect, but I do like mean girl stories. One of the reasons this doesn’t get 5 stars is because Meg’s always justifying her revenge because of her horrific home life – that is to be expected, as Meg is the one who openly holds a grudge.

Perhaps I would have liked it more if Meg was unabashedly gleeful in her meanness, but most of the time she seemed unaware of the wrongness of her own actions, convinced she was truly giving justice. I know that’s the whole point, and I wouldn’t want it to change, but I think that aspect of the plot bothered me just a little. The mean girl books I truly devour have the girl getting her comeuppance at the end, not a happily ever after.

Many thanks to Cuddlebuggery Book Blog for sending me this ARC.(less)

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Jun 02, 2013 Chick Lit + Wine rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: chick-lit-and-wine-must-reads

Like the deadly melody of the furies, the plot of Furious dug deep into my psyche and I couldn't put it down all weekend. Don't be fooled by the youthful cover - this book is a must read for any age.

Alix, Stephanie, and Meg are three girls who stay beneath the radar at Hunter High. Outcasts among their peers, the unlikely trio bonds when Ambrosia - the gorgeous, quintessential cool girl (think Kelly Kapowski, but mysterious) - invites them all to join her group project about the Furies in Wester...more

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May 26, 2013 Utena rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, mythological, paranormal, ya

I really liked the concept of the Furies from mythology. This was the first read for me to see them as prominent characters. I hadn't come across them before like this and I really liked the blurb. I did not, however, care too much for Meg. For such a young adult, she was far too angry at the world. I understand that she had a lot of reason to hate people like "The Leech" and the surfer crowd due to plenty of humiliation but once she finds out exactly what she is capable of she kinda begins to t...more

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Apr 23, 2013 Gwen Hubner rated it 5 of 5 stars

I found Furious to be an incredibly satisfying YA book. Wolfson meshes together my favorite genres in a creative way that I have yet to find elsewhere. Furious is primarily a high school drama, amped up by some campy fantasy in the vein of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, with a little bit of Greek mythology and Western Civ. history on the side.
I often find that YA fantasy can take itself too seriously. I also think it tends to lack character development. What is so refreshing about Furious, is that it...more

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Apr 19, 2013 Catie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Well again, This cover is just so awesome. These girls on the cover actually look like the mean business. I will admit that I have been on a mythical kick in my reading style ever since I read Runes by Ednah Walters. So when I learned that Furious is about the Fates, I had to get a copy. I am so glad that I did, I think Furious maybe one of my favorite novels of the year so far.

I loved the fast paced plot and the original storyline, also it was quite refreshing to see that the characters are so...more

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Apr 01, 2013 Kathy Martin rated it 5 of 5 stars

Amazing story! FURIOUS takes three angry girls who don't have anything to do with each other and molds them into the Furies of old. What the three do have in common is anger. Alix loves to surf but hates how the other surfers push her aside and really hate how her older, developmentally delayed brother is teased and tormented by the other kids and neglected by his irresponsible father. Stephanie hates how people are abusing nature and hates the way her real estate developing mother minimizes her...more Amazing story! FURIOUS takes three angry girls who don't have anything to do with each other and molds them into the Furies of old. What the three do have in common is anger. Alix loves to surf but hates how the other surfers push her aside and really hate how her older, developmentally delayed brother is teased and tormented by the other kids and neglected by his irresponsible father. Stephanie hates how people are abusing nature and hates the way her real estate developing mother minimizes her concerns.

Meg is the narrator of this story. She is a foster child and has been one from birth. She has gone from family to family and seen all the bad in the foster care system. She is currently housed with an older lady she has nicknamed the Leech. Her only friend is Raymond who is a gay genius who is a misfit because of his personality which even Meg agrees is annoying. And she has an unrequited crush on Brendon who is one of the surfer crowd which has caused Meg particular torment. She sees something different in him that others don't see.

Enter Ambrosia who has been seeking revenge since the days of the ancient Greeks and who is determined to have revenge on the descendant of the ancient prince who caused her death. She brings out the girls not-so-latent anger. The girls start out small but soon their actions escalate as they try to bring about Ambrosia's idea of justice. Fighting Ambrosia is Ms. Pallas who is a teacher at Hunter High who happens to be teaching Western Civilization and who is Pallas Athena, Ambrosia's ancient enemy.

I liked the characters. I liked the writing style. I liked that the novel was formatted like an ancient play by Aeschylus complete with stasimons written by Ambrosia. I liked that Raymond remained the voice of reason. I liked that the kids--especially Meg and Raymond--decided that they wouldn't be anyone's puppet. I liked watching Meg and Brendon's relationship develop and crash. And I especially liked that forgiveness was not automatic.

FURIOUS is an excellent entry into the group of current novels that are injecting Ancient Greek mythology into contemporary paranormal fiction. I recommend it highly.(less)

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Jun 14, 2013 Anastasia Venediktov rated it 4 of 5 stars

I loved this book. (to some extent.) It was interesting, it had a nice plot, and a terrific topic- Greek Mythology.

WARNING! SPOILERS START NOW-

This book had a fascinating mix of characters- A girl with a foster mom that treats her like crap and a best friends with a gay guy, a girl whose attempts to save the earth get laughed at, a girl who is tough and likes to surf. Not a very likely group of people to be friends.

The story starts with a prologue, telling the reader a little about Ambrosia, th...more I loved this book. (to some extent.) It was interesting, it had a nice plot, and a terrific topic- Greek Mythology.

WARNING! SPOILERS START NOW-

This book had a fascinating mix of characters- A girl with a foster mom that treats her like crap and a best friends with a gay guy, a girl whose attempts to save the earth get laughed at, a girl who is tough and likes to surf. Not a very likely group of people to be friends.

The story starts with a prologue, telling the reader a little about Ambrosia, the character who forms the Furies to get revenge on a "young prince" that "stabbed" her in the back.Later in the book, you can tell that it is supposed to be set in the form of a Greek play by the famous what's-his-face, because it has small chapters in italics in the POV of Ambrosia called stasimons.

Meg starts to get her "Fury power" when she is thinking in class and suddenly screams out that she hates everyone. I thought that part was nice but I didn't really like the narrated way of telling it, that Meg hears a voice and then realizes it's hers. That is just so fake. How would you not know it when you are talking?

Then, a little after, Ambrosia tells them what they are, and they start getting revenge on people that have wronged them. Raymond gets in the way, asks to be their "manager" which pisses Ambrosia off since she didn't want him to be a part of it. The sad thing is, the only revenge is making people change their ways. I mean, why can't they show something better, like a ruined life or death?

A lot after, at Ambrosia's Halloween party, Brendon and Meg goes to her room, but then she finds out that there were people hiding in the closet with cameras. Meg uses her power on Brendon, and I think he dies. Finally!

But then, at the end, Meg doesn't like how Ambrosia and Pallas Athena are trying to use her, so their plan to destroy each other fails. Everything goes back to normal, except for the three girls' friendship. So I'm thinking,seriously? Nothing bad happens to the people who were mean to them? All that was for nothing?

Okay, so even with the disappointing ending, the topic of the story was good enough for it to receive a 3.8 rating. I hope the next book I read won't disappoint me that much.(less)

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Apr 03, 2013 Tee loves Kyle Jacobson rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013-must-read, 2013-new-book-release, around-the-world-arc-tours, march-2013

I will first start out by saying that I LOVED this book and for a stand alone book I wanted more. The characters and the scenery had me at the edge of my seat and wanting no needing more. Anger it is what fuels us sometimes. We feel it but we keep it in check. So imagine what would happen if you have three angry teenage girls and enters a fourth angry girl who wants revenge and will do anything to get that revenge? Well you have Furious and holy hades what a story.

You have three girls who have n...more

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May 25, 2013 Marilyn rated it 5 of 5 stars

Jill Wolfson’s Furious is a fantastic book not to be missed. It’s an exhilarating tale of what happens when three angry high school girls, Meg, Alix, and Stephanie, fall under the spell of Ambrosia, their beautiful and mysterious classmate hell-bent on seeking revenge for a lifetime of injustices. With her supernatural ability, Ambrosia empowers the girls to cast their own spell on everyone who’s wronged them, and the powerless. The four stir up quite a storm at Hunter High, their school in a sm...more

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Mar 16, 2013 Karen rated it 3 of 5 stars

Furious is an interesting take on the Furies of Greek legend. I've always been a fan of Greek mythology so when I heard about this book, I knew I wanted to read it. While it didn't completely rock my socks, I did enjoy it and would rank it a solid 3 of 5 stars. Read on for a summary and my finishing thoughts.

Furious introduces us to Meg, a foster child who has been bounced around and who is currently residing with a horrible woman, The Leech, who treats Meg like a piece of unwanted garbage. Meg...more

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Apr 23, 2013 Suz rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-read-in-2013

Furious is a super intelligent, wonderfully challenging, and entertaining young adult novel. Jill Wolfson's take on the Furies, is incredibly clever and definitely makes for a compelling novel. Steeped in Greek mythology, it is intriguing and a bit scary, to see the Furies portrayed as three teenagers that are dealing with a lot of pain and heartache in their lives. I have to admit, Wolfson, is pretty clever in choosing to go this route with her re-telling. To date, it's probably one of my favo...more Furious is a super intelligent, wonderfully challenging, and entertaining young adult novel. Jill Wolfson's take on the Furies, is incredibly clever and definitely makes for a compelling novel. Steeped in Greek mythology, it is intriguing and a bit scary, to see the Furies portrayed as three teenagers that are dealing with a lot of pain and heartache in their lives. I have to admit, Wolfson, is pretty clever in choosing to go this route with her re-telling. To date, it's probably one of my favorite of the re-telling's involving the Furies.

Wolfson, employs some interesting witty narrative, for the reader to enjoy. The twists and turns in the plot, are highly captivating, and are frightening on a whole other level of degree. The character development and growth of the three main characters, only add a new layer of depth to the novel. It's terrifying to see how these girls come into their power and then begin to abuse them, as they work through their own pain and tragedies. The complicated twists and entanglements in their arcs are fantastically creative and clever.

The world building is probably one of the most interesting facets about this novel. The blending together of an external world and an inner world, is such a complicated and fascinating element of this story. It came together in such a way that was seamless and was integrated into the plot line in such an interesting way that it piques the readers interest more. The exploration of both worlds were inherently important when it came to this story and the three main characters Wolfson invested in. Getting to see both worlds from each of their point of views, is incredibly emotionally charged and highly intense.

If you're looking for a way to escape and read an enjoyable story that features Greek mythology, then this is probably that book you are looking for. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who is looking for a highly intense, interesting, and creative take on the mythology, if not for the double world building alone, and the intriguing characters. (less)

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Jun 12, 2013 De'Zsa rated it 1 of 5 stars

Rating: 1.5 stars

Contains mild spoilers

Checklist for an ideal read:
-Badass Greek goddesses
-A taste for vengeance
-Vivid details
-Awesome plot
-A mysterious leader

So we have the vivid details, and we have the Greek goddesses, but where is the bad in badass? And the taste for vengenace? So explain to me why "Furious" by Jill Wolfson only met ~~two~~ 1.5 of the five instead of all? Oh wait, allow me to do the honors.

I had high hopes for this, even though the average rating is extremely low. Still, I expe...more

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Apr 22, 2013 Shelly Hammond rated it 5 of 5 stars

Rather than putting if off until the end I’m just going to go ahead and get it over with right from the start. This book was so much fun to read! High school, jerky bullies, three angry girls, and a mysterious friend named Ambrosia pretty much sets the stage for a great young adult reading experience.

Being a fan of Greek mythology, it’s always enjoyable to read how an author spins a tale from the old stories. The greatest thing about mythology is the “myth” part that allows the writer freedom an...more Rather than putting if off until the end I’m just going to go ahead and get it over with right from the start. This book was so much fun to read! High school, jerky bullies, three angry girls, and a mysterious friend named Ambrosia pretty much sets the stage for a great young adult reading experience.

Being a fan of Greek mythology, it’s always enjoyable to read how an author spins a tale from the old stories. The greatest thing about mythology is the “myth” part that allows the writer freedom and gives the readers many, many amazing stories. This is one of those stories. It takes a good mythological story, uses the old aspects of it, then breaths fresh life into it to spin a little modern fun into it. I really don’t like giving the story away in my reviews, so I won’t do it! I will however let you know it’s one you don’t want to miss.

I will also let you know that the author has a very good writing style as well. Her characters are so well developed that they really seem, well, real! The mythological research done by the characters within the book shows that the author really put so much into writing a good book and it also shows that the characters were developed in a way that they had to learn a thing or two as the story went along (which is good because it’s always a bit annoying when they just “know” things all of a sudden without ever having to actually research a thing!). There are so many hilarious moments in the book, I found myself fighting back tears of laughter at times.

If you like YA books just grab this and read it right now without question because it’s really wonderful. If you are on the fence about YA books, then I would say if you like mythology books or books you can’t put down, or books that will have you laughing like a very silly person, or books that you start reading and get so into you don’t realize that you are still reading hours later then I would say that you just might need to read this book right now (or relatively soon anyway)!
(less)

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May 30, 2013 Anne Ylvisaker rated it 5 of 5 stars

I just finished reading FURIOUS and am blown away by the fantastic writing. A gripping and fun story - I loved the book and my teen self would have eaten it up. The way Jill Wolfson approaches so many real life situations, family, peers, drugs, sex, alcohol, in such a matter of fact way - no preaching, no melodrama - is exquisite. I admire the way she is able to let her characters do the wrong thing and face the consequences. The portrayal of the agony, joy, and constantly changing nature of fri...more

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Jan 25, 2013 Demi (Breaking Bookshelves) rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: digital-arc, reviewed, shelf-of-disappoint

More like 2.5-ish.

Is it bad that I just can't take this book seriously? The name Ambrosia makes me laugh for some reason. Any time she pops up in the book I snort. I honestly don't know how to feel about this one. I like the idea, the concept behind it, just like I adored the idea for "The 13th Sign." I was disappointed by both. Though maybe a little less with this novel. Not sure if it's my mood recently, I don't know, but there hasn't been a book yet this year that has blown me away. I wish th...more

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May 16, 2013 Cori Moore rated it 4 of 5 stars

What a fun read! This was a fantastic book. I absolutely loved the Greek mythology references, adored Meg's arc of character development, and feasted well on the character interactions in this book. Talk about teen angst in a whole new light. While this wasn't one of those stories that I couldn't put down, I was still drawn into it, still needed to know what happened, and I wasn't disappointed.

I think the only reason I didn't give this a 5-star is because I was hoping for a happier ending. The e...more

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Apr 30, 2013 Coranne (The Best Books Ever) rated it 4 of 5 stars

he Furies are not chicks you want to mess with. That is partially the moral of this story. The story centers around 4 girls and one male friend. Ambrosia is the ring leader of sorts- she is a lost soul, wandering through time, reawakening the Furies time and again to cause destruction (and hurt a very specific line of descendents). This time, Ambrosia has awoken Alix, Stephanie, and Meg- three girls who have been hurt and who secretly wish for revenge for the wrongs of their lives.

This book is n...more

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Apr 23, 2013 Peggy rated it 5 of 5 stars

If you're the parent of a teen-age girl, I'd advise you to rush out and buy a copy of this book -- for both of you to read. Wolfson has bred new life into the Greek tale of the Furies with tension, humor and intelligence. Wolfson's characters are deftly drawn, as is the world of high school where Queen Bees, cruelty and gossip thrive. The storyline is powerful and riveting, and I found myself talking with friends about the role of revenge and anger in modern society, along with the power of forg...more

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Mar 18, 2013 Jessica rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2013

A modern take on girl-power-gone-wrong, Furious, Jill Wolfson’s latest novel, as a dark, exciting read.

The story follows Meg, a foster child who takes a lot of bs from a lot of people and seems to lack the ability to stand up for herself. She muddles through life with one friend and a mediocre existence. Until one day she decides she’s not going to take it, sort of. An outburst in the middle of history class leaves her confused and in a new circle of friends: Stephanie, Alix, and Ambrosia. Steph...more

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Apr 28, 2013 Andrea rated it 3 of 5 stars

I've always loved Greek mythology and even took a couple of classes in college on the topic. So this story intersted me right away. Unfortunately, the writing did it in.

The writing was almost--crude. I'm not sure if that's the word but there were things that could have been left out of the story. And there seemed to a pretty big focus on the chest area (for example "the Double D twins". Really?)

The actual storyline was okay. I think I could have gotten more into it if the writing didn't put me...more

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May 20, 2013 Cassandra Shanahan marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Shelves: kindle-reads, finish-later

I'm a bit unsure ATM it has potential to get better :-)

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Apr 28, 2013 Lettee rated it 2 of 5 stars

I really don't like to write negative reviews, but it's important to be honest when writing them and I appreciate all the "honest" reviews out there that I read so here goes:

I had been anticipating this book for a long time! I had even pre-ordered it for $9 before waiting for some reviews to come out on it. (What a WRONG thing for me to do!) I wanted to literally poke my eyes out in boredom reading this book. Nothing, and I mean NOTHING interesting happens up until about the end of the 6th chapt...more I really don't like to write negative reviews, but it's important to be honest when writing them and I appreciate all the "honest" reviews out there that I read so here goes:

I had been anticipating this book for a long time! I had even pre-ordered it for $9 before waiting for some reviews to come out on it. (What a WRONG thing for me to do!) I wanted to literally poke my eyes out in boredom reading this book. Nothing, and I mean NOTHING interesting happens up until about the end of the 6th chapter! And even then it's nothing to hoot about. It gets a little more interesting at the most!! Then, it stays kinda hum drum until about chapter 16. It picks up a little bit and then....then....I can't make myself read anymore. So, I skip around and find some things interesting on and off all the way up to chapter Chapter 23. This is where it gets interesting enough to not "have to" skip too much.

The story is mainly about 3 girls in High School that are angry and "Hate Everyone". They end up be befriended by a popular girl. There is a transformation type scenario and Wham! You have the Furies. One of the main Characters has a best friend that still hangs around even after she goes all Fury. But even that relationship goes on and off. There are a few things that happen that are intriguing and of course you read about how the Furies dish out punishments to those that "deserve it." Even though the last couple of chapters was interesting enough to keep reading it until the end. It still is NO WHERE NEAR the worth of the $9 price tag for this book! MAYBE worth $2.99, and that is REALLY pushing it!! What's upsetting the most is not that it is too much money for a book that takes a LOOOONG time to get into and has a LOT of narrative thoughts, but that it could have been a really good book! I wish there had been a little bit more thinking put into this book to have made it one of more action and interaction rather than all that "thinking" from the character.

Obviously, you can probably guess, I do not recommend this read. If you truly have absolutely nothing else to do, and don't mind spending too much money on something, then this is the book for you. Otherwise, I would wait for the price to come down or get it from the library. (less)

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Apr 16, 2013 Jennifer rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: review, earc, paranormal-fantasy-2013, read-in-2013

Like many others, I'm in love with mythology and anything that has to do with it. I try to read as many books with mythological roots as possible. So when I was glancing through the upcoming releases for spring and spotted this one, I knew it would have to be read. I'm glad I read it because it's a pretty great read.

Meg is the protagonist. She has a pretty bad life. She a foster kid who's been in the system her whole life. Her mom just abandoned her as a baby. The foster care she is in currently...more Like many others, I'm in love with mythology and anything that has to do with it. I try to read as many books with mythological roots as possible. So when I was glancing through the upcoming releases for spring and spotted this one, I knew it would have to be read. I'm glad I read it because it's a pretty great read.

Meg is the protagonist. She has a pretty bad life. She a foster kid who's been in the system her whole life. Her mom just abandoned her as a baby. The foster care she is in currently is terrible, the lady treats her like dirt. The cat is treated much better than her. I felt so bad for her and found it really easy to connect with her because for years I was that quiet foster kid, I had next to no friends and just tried to blend in. My mom however didn't give me up, she was just having a rough time so we were shipped away while she got help. So in that way I can't connect. Having a daughter myself now though, I can't even imagine not wanting her. So I feel bad that Meg's mom didn't want her. So she harbours a lot of anger toward her mom for that. She hates her foster parent and the mean kids at school.

Fast-forward a bit and Meg meets Ambrosia, a beautiful girl in her class who takes a strange interest in her and the other two outcasts, Alix and Stephanie. Suddenly they become the Furies, with amazing powers to bring justice to those who deserve it. But with power there is responsibility and teen-aged girls might not be the best choice for this kind of responsibility. Hormonal and irrational when it comes to certain things, the girls quickly become power hungry as they're nudged to do more by Ambrosia. Can they keep control of their burning desire for revenge and justice. Sometimes and eye for an eye isn't the best route.

I haven't read too much on the Furies, so I learned quite a bit of their story from Furious. All of the information, the important highlights anyways, are in there. So you don't really need to know a whole lot about them to be able to follow along easily. You probably don't even need to know anything.

I really enjoyed Jill Wolfson's writing style. It was fairly fast paced and informative at the same time. I was never really bored. There were moments when my jaw almost hit the ground (halloween party) and others where I just wanted to yell at the girls not to trust Ambrosia. So I got completely caught up in the story you could say. Definitely one you should check out, especially if you like mythology!

*A copy was provided by the publisher for review*
This review was originally posted on Owl Read It (less)

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Apr 27, 2013 Mary (BookHounds) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013, from-publisher-author, young-adult

MY THOUGHTS
ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT

How many times have you wanted to just get revenge and take out your fury at the injustices you have suffered quietly? Well, these three young teens go for it even though they find there are consequences to your actions. Meg, quietly stoic, is a foster child. living with daily abuse from her guardian, who refuses to feed or clothe her properly even though the state pays her. Stephanie, an outspoken activist, who weeps for the earth and all of the damage that is bein...more

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Apr 19, 2013 Juhina rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013, ebook, raincoast, review-books

Actual rating: 3.5/5 stars

I have read my fair share of greek mythology centered around The Furies. I love Elizabeth Mile's The Fury trilogy but what is different about Furious is that it is told from the POV of one of the Furious, not the victims. That alone had me really curious to read it. For the most part Furious was a very entertaining and interesting read, the only downside is that the main character had a ton of flaws and the lack of a revenge plot.

As with most of the greek mythologies I...more Actual rating: 3.5/5 stars

I have read my fair share of greek mythology centered around The Furies. I love Elizabeth Mile's The Fury trilogy but what is different about Furious is that it is told from the POV of one of the Furious, not the victims. That alone had me really curious to read it. For the most part Furious was a very entertaining and interesting read, the only downside is that the main character had a ton of flaws and the lack of a revenge plot.

As with most of the greek mythologies I read, the protagonist doesn't initially know that her world is a greek mythology retelling, and this book is no exception. Don't get me wrong, I have no problem with that. However my main problem was with the main protagonist's logic and actions as well as how the whole revenge plot was handled. Meg is a foster kid, her foster mom is the reason GIFs like this are made:

description

Her foster mother treated Meg like a slave, she treated her cat 100x better. I could totally understand Meg's anger towards her as well as all the previous pent up anger and hatred for life in general because of what she went through in the foster care system. However, I just wished we delved a bit more in her past, I did get the overall picture, but I just wanted to know more, to really sympathize and invest in Meg's wellbeing. Since this is based on The Furies, another two girls were introduced to complete the trio. The other two, Alix and Stephanie, we know very little about and also find out very little about in the end. There is also an additional character in this novel and it is Ambrosia. Ambrosia is like the manager of a sports team. She was actually the one that brought the three girls together and introduced them to each other. I was able to forget about the lack of character depth because I believed that was when things get good, which is through their revenge.

Unfortunately, I have to say that their revenge was very bland and the same type of revenge was used for every single person they chose as their victim. This revenge scheme consisted of chanting a few songs while holding hands and making the target, i.e.: victim, start repenting and begging for forgiveness from the person/people he/she tormented/bullied/pried on. This happened every single time. The best part in the retelling of The Furies is the revenge. I was so disappointed.. I still expected something different every time they targeted someone else.. but that didn't happen.

I have to point out that even with all these weaknesses I still enjoyed the novel. It was a very fun and fast read. I quite enjoyed how the trio's power and need for revenge turned them into such ugly souls, worse than the people they initially wanted to take revenge on. This book isn't perfect at all but it is a decent greek mythology, especially since a ton of research done by the girls is actually mentioned so you do learn a ton. The ending had a big showdown and while I don't believe everyone who deserved punishment got what they deserved, it was a fairly good ending. I would definitely recommend it to greek mythology fans who want a quick read and the retelling told from The Furies POV. (less)

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May 01, 2013 Chelsey rated it 3 of 5 stars

I have never read or studied much regarding Greek Mythology, but this book and the premise behind it has gotten me more intrigued. Jill Wolfson gives readers an intriguing story about three angry high school girls, who are joined together by the force of spirits known The Furies of Ancient Greek Mythology. Meg is the voice that readers will hear the most often, and her story starts off as any other: a lost, misunderstood teenage girl. Then Meg joins forces with Alix and Stephanie, along with the...more I have never read or studied much regarding Greek Mythology, but this book and the premise behind it has gotten me more intrigued. Jill Wolfson gives readers an intriguing story about three angry high school girls, who are joined together by the force of spirits known The Furies of Ancient Greek Mythology. Meg is the voice that readers will hear the most often, and her story starts off as any other: a lost, misunderstood teenage girl. Then Meg joins forces with Alix and Stephanie, along with the help of the mysterious Ambrosia. Once they mastered their newly acquired powers they realize where they are needed. They realize they can make a difference in the world. But they also realize just how angry, brutal, and furious they can be.

I have to say that the idea behind this story and the idea of having three angry girls, suddenly full of power, going around messing with the people who deserve it is fabulous. I was very involved in the mythical aspect infused in this story as I read, but I did have one small problem with it. To me it seemed that the girls just all of sudden came into these powers. It just happened too fast, and I hope this makes sense for readers to understand. There was a small initiation, but I felt that it should have been more stressed and should have been one of the most significant, climatic parts of the story. It was like BAM! Now we have three girls walking around with the power to destroy anything that crosses their paths.

On a better note, I enjoyed Alix, Stephanie, Meg, and Raymond. I loved the bond they formed and how angry they all could be together. Wolfson spent a decent amount of time laying each character out for readers. I developed and appreciated the greater understanding that I was given for each character and why they were so angry. I also the fact that as the book progressed so did the relationship between the girls. They fed off of each other and their anger and hatred for everyone in their high school brought them closer together. Now don’t get me wrong, these girls were not just plain cruel, but rather brought justice to those who deserved it!

***A copy of this book was provided to me by the publishers in exchange for an honest review***
(less)

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May 18, 2013 Chapter by Chapter rated it 3 of 5 stars

The Furies…How many of you are fascinated as I am with these three powerful woman who seek out vengeance upon those who have wronged individuals who were unable to fend for themselves? There was always something about the Furies that have piqued my interest. How they go on the hunt and instill their own justice upon the world.

When I came across Furious by Jill Wolfson, I was ready to dive head first into a tale that promised to be full of power and judgment. Throw in the fact that it’s three hig...more The Furies…How many of you are fascinated as I am with these three powerful woman who seek out vengeance upon those who have wronged individuals who were unable to fend for themselves? There was always something about the Furies that have piqued my interest. How they go on the hunt and instill their own justice upon the world.

When I came across Furious by Jill Wolfson, I was ready to dive head first into a tale that promised to be full of power and judgment. Throw in the fact that it’s three high school girls who are basically social outcasts who become the “chosen ones” who will personify the Furies of mythological proportions.

With that in mind, I was hoping that the vengeance that these girls craved would be full of pain and suffering towards their fellow classmates and adults who have wronged them. But instead, I find three girls who have a huge chip on their shoulders, and the way in which they started to make these people pay for their wrong doings starts off with a song. Something about that just didn’t sit well with me.

Throw in the one who puts them all together, who goes by the name Ambrosia, who apparently is supposed to be a fellow high school student, but instead acts and speaks in a way that is not at all teen. I found myself having a difficult time believing that the kids at Hunter High would scramble to gain her affection and her notice. But what I did enjoy about Ambrosia, was her voice. Her voice was full of vengeance and wrath. You knew what her agenda was, and that she would stop at nothing to get what she wants. Her voice during the Stasimons in the book did exactly what it was supposed to do. It built up the story, and summarized what the true intent of the chapters that we read were about.

The girls chosen to be the Furies, Meg, Stephanie, and Alix were not exactly what I thought would be “Fury material”. Sure, they have many that have wronged them and were treated unjust, but I felt like there was not enough anger in them to bring forth the wrath of the Furies.

I went through most of the book hoping that I would see the power of the Furies, only to witness a mild comparison to the way other Furies from other books would show their power. It appears that the way in which the Furies portrayed in Furious is by messing with people’s minds. By burrowing deep into their inner psyche and showing their victims the way in which they treated others. It wasn’t until near the end of the book where the mind melt that they do (by their siren song) actually does some semblance of vengeance. Sadly, I wish that it was like this through most of the book.

Perhaps the girls had to wean themselves into their new found power? I wanted the hate and fury that Ambrosia personified to be in the very girls that ensure that justice was brought.

For those who have yet to read a book dealing with the Furies, Furious by Jill Wolfson may be the beginner book to ease you into their power. Although the power that is portrayed in the book is not as vicious as I had hoped it would be, it was still interesting to see the twist in the book where there are goddesses on earth and battling for power.(less)

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Apr 14, 2013 Krista (NawandaFiles) marked it as review-by-becca

Shelves: macmillan, arc, did-not-meet-expectations

Reviewed by Becca at Nawanda Files

2 Stars

Oh, where do I even start? Krista tried to read this. Twice. She reached forty pages and she passed it over to me. I am proud to say that I finished it. Front to back. Cover to cover. Sadly, I can't say anything better than that. Clearly this was a tough book to get through -- and I thought Krista was being dramatic about the "slowness" but she wasn't. Here are the conclusions that I drew after reading and why it just didn't work.

1. What strange writing!...more

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