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3.6 AVERAGE
3.6 AVERAGE
Normally, I love Alexander Gordon Smith's books. ESCAPE FROM FURNACE was among one of the best YA horror series I've ever read, and DEVIL'S ENGINE promises to be a kick ass series. I was really looking forward to THE FURY, a standalone novel by AGS. I'm sad to say I was a little disappointed with it. The classic pulse-pounding action and imagery are all there, along with the sheer brutality, but I just couldn't get behind the story. I understand that AGS was trying to surprise us with his reveals, but they seemed a little too campy for my taste. Not to mention the length the story drew out. I had hoped for a little more development regarding characters Cal and Daisy. I don't know, I just didn't fall in love with it like I wanted to. Still, the concept is great and it's definitely an epic read if you can get into it.
Good Lord do I wish they'd stop giving me these. And in writing this I notice there's an effing number after the title. So not just one pointless book but a series. Good Lord.
For a cover that rattles me so bad, it was a story I struggled to get into. The world and the ideas just never seemed to grab me. And I think it's because there were just so many different people.
There were some POV that were all through out the book - Daisy, Rilke, Cal, Brick.
Then there were at least 15 others that weren't. They were quick perspectives to show you a time and place. It was jarring and confusing and I kept losing track of who was cold, who was out cold and where all the different people were when they were traveling.
It all kept me an arms length from being fully immersed into the world.
and the ideas were just a little too.....out there for me. I just couldn't picture it in my mind....it was just a little too weird for me.
There were some POV that were all through out the book - Daisy, Rilke, Cal, Brick.
Then there were at least 15 others that weren't. They were quick perspectives to show you a time and place. It was jarring and confusing and I kept losing track of who was cold, who was out cold and where all the different people were when they were traveling.
It all kept me an arms length from being fully immersed into the world.
and the ideas were just a little too.....out there for me. I just couldn't picture it in my mind....it was just a little too weird for me.
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I was expecting this book to be a zombie book so when it was something very different later on i was very thrown. It took me a while to change my perception of the book and I almost stopped reading it. I pushed through though and I am very glad that I did. I adored the beginning of the book. It was one of the most gripping beginnings that I have read in a very long time. And, after I got used to the sudden genre switch in the middle, I really liked the rest of the book as well. The characters where great, the plot was interesting and I was desperate to find out how it was going to end. Overall it was a good book.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
SHITTing bricks rn
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, War
Well, that book was something.
The Fury was creepy, dark, menacing and long. I mean, look at that cover! I loved the beginning, how we are instantly thrown into the story line with no warning. And what an opening chapter that was. A boy on his birthday is beaten to death by his sister and mom. I was instantly like, what is happening??
Over the next few chapters we meet our main group: Daisy, Cal and Brick. The only thing they have in common is that everyone is trying to kill them. They band together with a small group of other kids/teens who are also like them and over the course of the book they try to figure out why the world wants to kill them. Meanwhile in London, the city is being sucked into a black whole.
I will not deny that Smith can write. He has a style that sucks you in and makes you want more, even while you are cringing at the scenes displayed before you. All of the characters were very distinct and strong in their own ways. Daisy and Cal were my two favorites by far and I looked forward to all the scenes with them. Their relationship together was by far the highlight.
The few issues I had with the book was first the length. There seemed to be scenes that were dragged out and stories that could have been told in half the time. The second was the ending. I don’t want to give anything away but it was just kind of like, really? That’s how they defeat evil.
This was my first Gordon Smith book, but I am definitely intrigued to read others from him.
The Fury was creepy, dark, menacing and long. I mean, look at that cover! I loved the beginning, how we are instantly thrown into the story line with no warning. And what an opening chapter that was. A boy on his birthday is beaten to death by his sister and mom. I was instantly like, what is happening??
Over the next few chapters we meet our main group: Daisy, Cal and Brick. The only thing they have in common is that everyone is trying to kill them. They band together with a small group of other kids/teens who are also like them and over the course of the book they try to figure out why the world wants to kill them. Meanwhile in London, the city is being sucked into a black whole.
I will not deny that Smith can write. He has a style that sucks you in and makes you want more, even while you are cringing at the scenes displayed before you. All of the characters were very distinct and strong in their own ways. Daisy and Cal were my two favorites by far and I looked forward to all the scenes with them. Their relationship together was by far the highlight.
The few issues I had with the book was first the length. There seemed to be scenes that were dragged out and stories that could have been told in half the time. The second was the ending. I don’t want to give anything away but it was just kind of like, really? That’s how they defeat evil.
This was my first Gordon Smith book, but I am definitely intrigued to read others from him.
A multiple-POV book about a virus? an infestation? something that infects people, causing them to brutally attack others (not everyone, only a select few). The people we follow are the attacked, trying to find safety among the ruins of an amusement park.
For me, there were too many people to follow, too little exposition, and the pacing was off. It took forever for the group to gather and for anything to really happen: fewer characters might have led to a better read.
Copy provided by publisher.
For me, there were too many people to follow, too little exposition, and the pacing was off. It took forever for the group to gather and for anything to really happen: fewer characters might have led to a better read.
Copy provided by publisher.
This book is not what I expected it to be.
I thought, when I picked it up, that it would be a book form of every zombie trope I'd ever known. That, sure, it was a little different, what with the anger and the headaches and the fire, but ultimately it would be just as I'd known it, and by the final pages people would be dead but the survivors would be Badass Normal in the way to zombie killing.
Holy shit, I have never been so happy to be wrong.
While it does play (a lot) with the same zombie movie tropes that everyone and their brother are in love with these days, Smith takes this novel and its mythos above and beyond. Pulling from the Bible, the magical girl genre, and psychological thrillers, this book is unlike anything I've ever read. Honestly, when you're reading it you can't help but imagine it as a TV show, just because is exudes that kind of suspense and thrill you usually only get with week-long cliffhangers.
To sum up? I'd call it the Walking Dead meets 24, with some Puella Magi Madoka Magica strewn heavily throughout for flavour.
But let's talk about the characters for a second!
Our main trio- Brick, Cal, and Daisy -absolutely stole my heart. Daisy is our Pure Saviour (a la Madoka, from PMMM), but not in an annoying way. She, too, has fears and doubts. And while her point of view can be cheesy at times, it's also where most of the exposition is, so you almost don't know it. Cal is obviously our male lead, the one most likely to step it up and be a hero. While usually his type is super annoying, it actually creates a perfect balance within the trio, with his level head grounding Daisy and soothing Brick. (The relationships Cal creates with the both of them slay me, by the way. The way he and Brick make each other smile even when they're at each other's throats... Ugh. UGH.) This is tempered even further by the fact that Cal isn't actually the Bestest Greatest of All Time, and instead is almost a support system by way of his heroism. It's such an interesting take on the character archetype that I'd almost call him my favourite.
Almost.
Because obviously my favourite is my beautiful boy Brick. <3 Very seldom do I see a character with the same kind of twist to their brain that is so... well-written? Smith somehow managed to convey the anger that comes with Brick's special brand of personality disorder perfectly, while also making him one of the least "dangerous" members of the group. Most writers would have made Brick the villain, building off his mood swings and lack of self-esteem. But Smith instead went in a different direction, a direction that didn't sugarcoat Brick's lack of control but was also perfect for showcasing the vulnerabilities Brick couldn't hide anymore, as well as how clever he is. Not to mention the pitch perfect tone of Brick's cowardice, and how you can't help to put yourself first when no one else ever has.
Oh my god, I haven't even started talking about the villains, or the rest of the group, or my poor side characters, laid to rest-- I can't even think about it, or this review will be longer than the book as I write essays about the twins, or how much Graham deserved to be happy with David, forever and ever amen.
Let me just finish this with: Literally the only reason this book does not get a full five stars is because I personally believe that the rotating points of view was done in a way that threw off the pacing of the story. Other than that, I genuinely believe this to be one of the best horror novels ever written; I urge other horror fans to give this a read, even if the size is daunting at first.
I thought, when I picked it up, that it would be a book form of every zombie trope I'd ever known. That, sure, it was a little different, what with the anger and the headaches and the fire, but ultimately it would be just as I'd known it, and by the final pages people would be dead but the survivors would be Badass Normal in the way to zombie killing.
Holy shit, I have never been so happy to be wrong.
While it does play (a lot) with the same zombie movie tropes that everyone and their brother are in love with these days, Smith takes this novel and its mythos above and beyond. Pulling from the Bible, the magical girl genre, and psychological thrillers, this book is unlike anything I've ever read. Honestly, when you're reading it you can't help but imagine it as a TV show, just because is exudes that kind of suspense and thrill you usually only get with week-long cliffhangers.
To sum up? I'd call it the Walking Dead meets 24, with some Puella Magi Madoka Magica strewn heavily throughout for flavour.
But let's talk about the characters for a second!
Our main trio- Brick, Cal, and Daisy -absolutely stole my heart. Daisy is our Pure Saviour (a la Madoka, from PMMM), but not in an annoying way. She, too, has fears and doubts. And while her point of view can be cheesy at times, it's also where most of the exposition is, so you almost don't know it. Cal is obviously our male lead, the one most likely to step it up and be a hero. While usually his type is super annoying, it actually creates a perfect balance within the trio, with his level head grounding Daisy and soothing Brick. (The relationships Cal creates with the both of them slay me, by the way. The way he and Brick make each other smile even when they're at each other's throats... Ugh. UGH.) This is tempered even further by the fact that Cal isn't actually the Bestest Greatest of All Time, and instead is almost a support system by way of his heroism. It's such an interesting take on the character archetype that I'd almost call him my favourite.
Almost.
Because obviously my favourite is my beautiful boy Brick. <3 Very seldom do I see a character with the same kind of twist to their brain that is so... well-written? Smith somehow managed to convey the anger that comes with Brick's special brand of personality disorder perfectly, while also making him one of the least "dangerous" members of the group. Most writers would have made Brick the villain, building off his mood swings and lack of self-esteem. But Smith instead went in a different direction, a direction that didn't sugarcoat Brick's lack of control but was also perfect for showcasing the vulnerabilities Brick couldn't hide anymore, as well as how clever he is. Not to mention the pitch perfect tone of Brick's cowardice, and how you can't help to put yourself first when no one else ever has.
Oh my god, I haven't even started talking about the villains, or the rest of the group, or my poor side characters, laid to rest-- I can't even think about it, or this review will be longer than the book as I write essays about the twins, or how much Graham deserved to be happy with David, forever and ever amen.
Let me just finish this with: Literally the only reason this book does not get a full five stars is because I personally believe that the rotating points of view was done in a way that threw off the pacing of the story. Other than that, I genuinely believe this to be one of the best horror novels ever written; I urge other horror fans to give this a read, even if the size is daunting at first.