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The Cure #1
Fury
Perfect for fans of Divergent, this series is about a civilization where negative emotions have been erased, creating a world of mindless drones where only those with fury can survive.
Eighteen-year-old Josephine Luquet wakes up naked and covered in blood on the same day every year—when the blood moon is full. Josi has not responded to the Cure—an immunization against anger mandated by the government—and believes herself to be a threat to others.
Then she meets Luke. Luke has had the Cure but seems different from the other "drones"—and he's dead set on helping Josi discover the truth about herself before the next blood moon.
But time is running out. Is Luke willing to risk his life to be near her? Does he truly understand what violence she is capable of?
Raw and full of passion, Fury is a story of love in a dystopian world, and how much we are willing to forgive in the struggle to remember our humanity.
Eighteen-year-old Josephine Luquet wakes up naked and covered in blood on the same day every year—when the blood moon is full. Josi has not responded to the Cure—an immunization against anger mandated by the government—and believes herself to be a threat to others.
Then she meets Luke. Luke has had the Cure but seems different from the other "drones"—and he's dead set on helping Josi discover the truth about herself before the next blood moon.
But time is running out. Is Luke willing to risk his life to be near her? Does he truly understand what violence she is capable of?
Raw and full of passion, Fury is a story of love in a dystopian world, and how much we are willing to forgive in the struggle to remember our humanity.
342 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 1, 2014
74 people are currently reading
1672 people want to read
About the author
Charlotte McConaghy
22 books9,257 followersCharlotte McConaghy is the author of the New York Times, USA Today, and Indie Bestseller WILD DARK SHORE, named Amazon’s Best Book of the Year So Far for 2025; as well as the New York Times Bestseller ONCE THERE WERE WOLVES, winner of the Indie Book Award for Fiction 2022; and the international bestseller MIGRATIONS, a TIME Magazine Best Book of the Year and the Amazon Best Fiction Book of the Year for 2020.
She started her writing career with a number of SF/F titles for YA readers; MIGRATIONS was her first foray into adult literature.
Her books have been translated into more than 25 languages, and are being adapted for film and television. She lives in Sydney with her partner and two children.
She started her writing career with a number of SF/F titles for YA readers; MIGRATIONS was her first foray into adult literature.
Her books have been translated into more than 25 languages, and are being adapted for film and television. She lives in Sydney with her partner and two children.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews
July 5, 2015
Also reviewed at Addicted2Heroines
It's ok.
If you are a fan of books that have abused and dysfunctional characters, then this might be more to your thing than it was mine.
Josephine had one of those horrible childhoods that included being passed from one awful foster home to another. It's never actually stated, but it's pretty obvious she was sexually abused when she was young. I mention this because it played into her love story with Luke, and there were a few times I felt uncomfortable with their relationship because of it. It's hard to explain, but I don't feel completely comfortable with the idea that falling in love can fix things like that. Yeah, yeah, love is great and all, but...
I'm not saying the author had them jump into the sack, and then all her problems disappeared. In fact, they waited a decent bit, but I just wasn't digging it. She was simply too much of a psychological mess for me to get behind the love story. Again, those of you who like tortured heroes/heroines will probably not have as much of a problem with this.
In this world, everyone is given some sort of a vaccine that prevents them from getting angry. Somehow, Josephine didn't get the cure, and one day a year she goes crazy.
Sort of like a werewolf during the full moon or something. Her body gets all hyped up on adrenaline, she blacks out, and then goes on a rampage and kills everyone in the vicinity.
M'kay.
It was interesting enough that I wanted to find out what was going to happen in the end.
But for me to get fully invested in a dystopian novel, I need to feel like that world could actually happen. The world-building needs to be complete, you know?
Not so much with this one.
There's some sketchy background about famine and riots that happened in the past, but not enough that I fully understood why they felt the need for this Cure. Riots happen all the time, don't they? Yet, I don't imagine taking away part of our personalities (to ensure they never happen again) would go over very well with the vast majority of the population.
Soooo? Why did anyone agree to this to start with?
Because in this world most people thought it was a good idea.
Maybe I could buy it if the government put something into the water supply, or even released it as an airborne virus. But for folks to just line up and get a shot?
No.
The whole thing about Josephine's Fury was...weird. I mean, I kept waiting for something to happen to explain how she could put it to good use.
Hulk Smash bad guys!
Nope. Nothing. She's just a got a bad problem.
To make matters worse, her body is seriously breaking down because of her condition.
Why she's like that is eventually explained, but there doesn't seem to be anything useful about someone who loses their mind and randomly murders people.
So, I really don't see how her FURY is going to save anyone...including herself.
And according to the blurb:
When emotions are erased from the world, creating a civilization of mindless drones, only those with fury can survive.
After reading that, can you blame me for thinking that maybe she just didn't have a good grasp on her powers yet? Like maybe she was the key to saving everyone...or something?
The writing wasn't bad, and the story was intriguing enough for me to finish it, but I really doubt I'll read any more of these books.
Digital review copy provided by NetGalley and the publisher.
It's ok.
If you are a fan of books that have abused and dysfunctional characters, then this might be more to your thing than it was mine.
Josephine had one of those horrible childhoods that included being passed from one awful foster home to another. It's never actually stated, but it's pretty obvious she was sexually abused when she was young. I mention this because it played into her love story with Luke, and there were a few times I felt uncomfortable with their relationship because of it. It's hard to explain, but I don't feel completely comfortable with the idea that falling in love can fix things like that. Yeah, yeah, love is great and all, but...
I'm not saying the author had them jump into the sack, and then all her problems disappeared. In fact, they waited a decent bit, but I just wasn't digging it. She was simply too much of a psychological mess for me to get behind the love story. Again, those of you who like tortured heroes/heroines will probably not have as much of a problem with this.
In this world, everyone is given some sort of a vaccine that prevents them from getting angry. Somehow, Josephine didn't get the cure, and one day a year she goes crazy.
Sort of like a werewolf during the full moon or something. Her body gets all hyped up on adrenaline, she blacks out, and then goes on a rampage and kills everyone in the vicinity.
M'kay.
It was interesting enough that I wanted to find out what was going to happen in the end.
But for me to get fully invested in a dystopian novel, I need to feel like that world could actually happen. The world-building needs to be complete, you know?
Not so much with this one.
There's some sketchy background about famine and riots that happened in the past, but not enough that I fully understood why they felt the need for this Cure. Riots happen all the time, don't they? Yet, I don't imagine taking away part of our personalities (to ensure they never happen again) would go over very well with the vast majority of the population.
Soooo? Why did anyone agree to this to start with?
Because in this world most people thought it was a good idea.
Maybe I could buy it if the government put something into the water supply, or even released it as an airborne virus. But for folks to just line up and get a shot?
No.
The whole thing about Josephine's Fury was...weird. I mean, I kept waiting for something to happen to explain how she could put it to good use.
Hulk Smash bad guys!
Nope. Nothing. She's just a got a bad problem.
To make matters worse, her body is seriously breaking down because of her condition.
Why she's like that is eventually explained, but there doesn't seem to be anything useful about someone who loses their mind and randomly murders people.
So, I really don't see how her FURY is going to save anyone...including herself.
And according to the blurb:
When emotions are erased from the world, creating a civilization of mindless drones, only those with fury can survive.
After reading that, can you blame me for thinking that maybe she just didn't have a good grasp on her powers yet? Like maybe she was the key to saving everyone...or something?
The writing wasn't bad, and the story was intriguing enough for me to finish it, but I really doubt I'll read any more of these books.
Digital review copy provided by NetGalley and the publisher.
May 9, 2014
This novel was so much better than I expected it to be. It must have been fate that I read this since the premise is not something I would normally read at all. (Girl goes on murdering spree once a year but never has any recollection of it the next morning, where she is incidentally naked and bruised). Usually anything to do with murder or mystery turns me off. However this book is not a mystery book or a murder book, rather it is an amazing and thoughtful adventure that includes aspects of not only mystery and yes murder, but also intrigue and romance.
I enjoyed this book so much because in my opinion,this is a book that anyone can enjoy, no matter your favourite genre. 80% of the time I loved the heroine, which is a pretty decent percentage considering much of the crap that comes out of the YA pool. I also liked the romance, although it became increasingly frustrating near the end of the book. However I still feel that the love story was realistic if not simply for its flaws.
This book did vaguely remind me of other books that I had read, but considering how many YA Dystopian books that I have read I don't consider this a fault of the novel.
Overall loved this book and I think this series has a ton of potential. Even without the romance aspect, it's still intriguing enough to draw you in.
Note: I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.
April 4, 2014
This book was hard to review because it was equal parts good and bad.
The good:
The characters are compelling, well rounded and flawed.
The story lines pace is perfect, it pulls you along and keeps your attention.
It doesn't shy from gore or taboo topics.
It made me want to listen to cello music.
The bad:
The synopsis says emotions are removed. The novel tells me only ANGER is removed (and potentially sadness will be next) Yet in the book she flicks between the "drones" having no emotion, no capacity to love to being able to be cruel and feel glee at others suffering. So what is it? If they only have anger removed like you say they would still feel fear, love and all that good stuff between! This was a HUGE issue for me, it felt like a massive plot hole that I feel REALLY needs to be worked on. Every time a discrepancy came up with it I felt fury myself because it made me pull away from the story to mull over it!
I'll likely try the next in the series if it falls in my lap, this novel had a lot of potential and the writer is skilled even if her plot was confused. 3 stars.
April 19, 2014
““I’d burn the whole world down if I could,” he whispers, his eyes flashing with a bright, exhilarating fever. “I’d make it so that there was no cure, no censorship, no propaganda, nothing but you and I.”
And this is when I understand the truth, the one truth that means anything.
They cannot take my fury from me, but I can let it go, because there are more important things in life.”
Aldous Huxley’s BRAVE NEW WORLD and Veronica Roth’s DIVERGENT produced a literary love child and her name is Josephine Luquet, and she is full of passion, power, and fury. And while Fury is of the same flesh and blood as the Dystopian societies created by Mr. Huxley and Ms. Roth, this is Josephine’s story, and she stands strong.
Having now read all three Episodes of Fury: Book One Of The Cure, by Charlotte McConaghy, I can now say with absolute certainty, Fury, is among those precious few novels that reside in my heart now and forevermore long after turning the last page.
In this last episode, the reader delves deeper into the world created, learning more regarding the history of Josi, how she was manipulated into what she becomes every year during the blood moon, and those responsible for her creation. Those parts are chilling and haunting. Josi, Anthony, Luke, and Dr. Ben Collingsworth shine throughout this episode.
Josi: the heroine trying desperately to seclude herself from others for fear of killing and having to live yet again, with the stains of murder on her soul. Josi is uncured and able to feel emotions. Being surrounded in a world filled with cured humans also known as drones, intensifies Josi’s desperation to align herself with individuals she believes deep in her heart exist, to join a cause where others like her can join together and fight against the heavy hand the cure has dealt upon the world. Amongst this, Josi finds love and reading her dreams of the future, one filled with love, with children, with emotions…was tender and emotional. I can see her, near black hair swirling around her face, her eyes focused ahead, looking into the future, a dream where she and Luke have children and they can experience the pains and joys of loving, raising a family, growing old together, and I wanted it for her, I wanted Josi to be able to grab hold of that carrot dangling in front of her face, but in Fury, that dream is always mere inches away, so close and yet so far away.
Luke: the hero running from his past for fear it could damage his future. Luke is an Agent, a Blood, working for the very individuals that oversee the administration of the cure and the demise of any who oppose it. Luke’s character is heart wrenching to read. In meeting his family and learning his own history, I only felt that much more connected to him. His plight breaks my heart. Luke finds himself in a situation where he must decide to take a stand against the evil he’s worked for his entire life, or risk everything for love. The type of Agent he is has spared Luke the fate of being injected with the cure. Luke is able to feel love, loss, pain, joy…and Josi evokes those feelings in him, she gives him courage to go against the Bloods and join in a hope that there is a different future awaiting them, one worth fighting for, because a life without love is a life not worth living.
Anthony: the psychiatrist who is cured and yet through the fog and haze the cure instills, is able to fight his way through his minds prison and understand that his emotions should have never been stolen from him. Anthony is a winner and serves to remind us that sometimes salvation and kindness can come from the most unexpected places. I will never look at birds the same…they will always remind me of that little girl and her mother, that family the cure stole from a man who deserved so much more.
Dr. Ben Collingsworth: the Scientist who designed the cure with good intentions. In many ways, I empathized most with Dr. Collingsworth. I felt for his character. I could easily visualize a young man on the verge of a medical breakthrough so profound the possibility of it seemed to hold all the answers. I truly believed his intentions had a pure basis and over time had produce a world he never intended. And to live with regret over his creation and the horrific results it produced…
Amazon and Goodreads allow me, as a reviewer, to give 5 stars, indicating that I loved this novel. And while I do, I feel that it limits me, forces me to categorize this novel when Fury is in a league all its own. Trying to measure the greatest of a book in a number of stars is difficult when I would give Fury the galaxy, a universe designed only for those rare books deserving of such accolades.
Ms. McConaghy writes a novel strong enough to remind us that pleasure is meaningless without pain, that sorrow is balanced with happiness, and that pain can be overcome with love. It’s the array of emotions that come together in a kaleidoscope of color to overpower an otherwise gray world. Fury is a gripping novel that explores the human emotion at its finest. To read the world created by Ms. McConaghy was exhilarating, powerful and thought provoking…a true literary masterpiece.
The above was my review for the third episode of Fury. My thoughts and feelings remain the same. I am now and will always be a fan of Ms. McConaghy. Her writing is beautiful, meaningful and forces us to examine the humanity or lack of that we exhibit. Fury is such a treasure, a gripping tale never to be forgotten. I eagerly anticipate more!
And this is when I understand the truth, the one truth that means anything.
They cannot take my fury from me, but I can let it go, because there are more important things in life.”
Aldous Huxley’s BRAVE NEW WORLD and Veronica Roth’s DIVERGENT produced a literary love child and her name is Josephine Luquet, and she is full of passion, power, and fury. And while Fury is of the same flesh and blood as the Dystopian societies created by Mr. Huxley and Ms. Roth, this is Josephine’s story, and she stands strong.
Having now read all three Episodes of Fury: Book One Of The Cure, by Charlotte McConaghy, I can now say with absolute certainty, Fury, is among those precious few novels that reside in my heart now and forevermore long after turning the last page.
In this last episode, the reader delves deeper into the world created, learning more regarding the history of Josi, how she was manipulated into what she becomes every year during the blood moon, and those responsible for her creation. Those parts are chilling and haunting. Josi, Anthony, Luke, and Dr. Ben Collingsworth shine throughout this episode.
Josi: the heroine trying desperately to seclude herself from others for fear of killing and having to live yet again, with the stains of murder on her soul. Josi is uncured and able to feel emotions. Being surrounded in a world filled with cured humans also known as drones, intensifies Josi’s desperation to align herself with individuals she believes deep in her heart exist, to join a cause where others like her can join together and fight against the heavy hand the cure has dealt upon the world. Amongst this, Josi finds love and reading her dreams of the future, one filled with love, with children, with emotions…was tender and emotional. I can see her, near black hair swirling around her face, her eyes focused ahead, looking into the future, a dream where she and Luke have children and they can experience the pains and joys of loving, raising a family, growing old together, and I wanted it for her, I wanted Josi to be able to grab hold of that carrot dangling in front of her face, but in Fury, that dream is always mere inches away, so close and yet so far away.
Luke: the hero running from his past for fear it could damage his future. Luke is an Agent, a Blood, working for the very individuals that oversee the administration of the cure and the demise of any who oppose it. Luke’s character is heart wrenching to read. In meeting his family and learning his own history, I only felt that much more connected to him. His plight breaks my heart. Luke finds himself in a situation where he must decide to take a stand against the evil he’s worked for his entire life, or risk everything for love. The type of Agent he is has spared Luke the fate of being injected with the cure. Luke is able to feel love, loss, pain, joy…and Josi evokes those feelings in him, she gives him courage to go against the Bloods and join in a hope that there is a different future awaiting them, one worth fighting for, because a life without love is a life not worth living.
Anthony: the psychiatrist who is cured and yet through the fog and haze the cure instills, is able to fight his way through his minds prison and understand that his emotions should have never been stolen from him. Anthony is a winner and serves to remind us that sometimes salvation and kindness can come from the most unexpected places. I will never look at birds the same…they will always remind me of that little girl and her mother, that family the cure stole from a man who deserved so much more.
Dr. Ben Collingsworth: the Scientist who designed the cure with good intentions. In many ways, I empathized most with Dr. Collingsworth. I felt for his character. I could easily visualize a young man on the verge of a medical breakthrough so profound the possibility of it seemed to hold all the answers. I truly believed his intentions had a pure basis and over time had produce a world he never intended. And to live with regret over his creation and the horrific results it produced…
Amazon and Goodreads allow me, as a reviewer, to give 5 stars, indicating that I loved this novel. And while I do, I feel that it limits me, forces me to categorize this novel when Fury is in a league all its own. Trying to measure the greatest of a book in a number of stars is difficult when I would give Fury the galaxy, a universe designed only for those rare books deserving of such accolades.
Ms. McConaghy writes a novel strong enough to remind us that pleasure is meaningless without pain, that sorrow is balanced with happiness, and that pain can be overcome with love. It’s the array of emotions that come together in a kaleidoscope of color to overpower an otherwise gray world. Fury is a gripping novel that explores the human emotion at its finest. To read the world created by Ms. McConaghy was exhilarating, powerful and thought provoking…a true literary masterpiece.
The above was my review for the third episode of Fury. My thoughts and feelings remain the same. I am now and will always be a fan of Ms. McConaghy. Her writing is beautiful, meaningful and forces us to examine the humanity or lack of that we exhibit. Fury is such a treasure, a gripping tale never to be forgotten. I eagerly anticipate more!
August 11, 2014
Sooooo
many unanswered questions.
Took me a while (3 months) to hash out this review with my over-active brain, my all too deceiving curiosity and my unhinged spidey-book sense.
Fury, for me, was a bundle of unnerving sequences that left me floored, flabbergasted and feeling outright weird.
I read Josephine as strong willed but she's ultimately a tortured soul, defeated and torn by her 'circumstance'. I loved her deadpan sarcasm (I'm a total sucker for it) and her unwavering resolve (though it did annoy me when it made her seem obtuse). She was all alone in the world midst her terrifying reality till she meets Luke.
Luke. Can I tell you about Luke?
Yeah... Luke was a picker-upper for me. He walked in like the blazing hero to swoop and conquer the heroine and set her ovaries on fire.
Well not really. But I'll just go back to my previous point...
Luke was a steady force that Josephine could not resist. He was kind and compassionate, strong willed and sweet. He was the screw driver to all Josephine's loose screws, as I like to put it.
Their romance (If I dare call it that. It was so twisted and complicated it probably isn't) was well spaced and played out. I truly felt heartbroken for them. I hoped for a bright and shiny ending for these two love birds but noooooooo. No brightness, no shine and no way it will end well, or at the very least get better before it ends in total catastrophe.
I will say I am intrigued by the whole premise of this world, where emotions are 'erased'. This story was full of suspense, mystery and weirdness. There was a bit of horror which scared and delighted me in equal measure. And as I said before, it left off with a ton of unanswered questions and wonderful possibilities.
I feel irked.
But I also feel excited as I contemplate where the story will continue. I'm eager for more of this dark, twisty tale.
And this feeling usually gets me into good trouble.
Here's hoping...
**************************************
Received from Publisher via NetGalley
For this review and more check out http://sayitlikeireadit.blogspot.com/
Took me a while (3 months) to hash out this review with my over-active brain, my all too deceiving curiosity and my unhinged spidey-book sense.
Fury, for me, was a bundle of unnerving sequences that left me floored, flabbergasted and feeling outright weird.
I read Josephine as strong willed but she's ultimately a tortured soul, defeated and torn by her 'circumstance'. I loved her deadpan sarcasm (I'm a total sucker for it) and her unwavering resolve (though it did annoy me when it made her seem obtuse). She was all alone in the world midst her terrifying reality till she meets Luke.
Luke. Can I tell you about Luke?
Yeah... Luke was a picker-upper for me. He walked in like the blazing hero to swoop and conquer the heroine and set her ovaries on fire.
Well not really. But I'll just go back to my previous point...
Luke was a steady force that Josephine could not resist. He was kind and compassionate, strong willed and sweet. He was the screw driver to all Josephine's loose screws, as I like to put it.
Their romance (If I dare call it that. It was so twisted and complicated it probably isn't) was well spaced and played out. I truly felt heartbroken for them. I hoped for a bright and shiny ending for these two love birds but noooooooo. No brightness, no shine and no way it will end well, or at the very least get better before it ends in total catastrophe.
I will say I am intrigued by the whole premise of this world, where emotions are 'erased'. This story was full of suspense, mystery and weirdness. There was a bit of horror which scared and delighted me in equal measure. And as I said before, it left off with a ton of unanswered questions and wonderful possibilities.
I feel irked.
But I also feel excited as I contemplate where the story will continue. I'm eager for more of this dark, twisty tale.
And this feeling usually gets me into good trouble.
Here's hoping...
**************************************
Received from Publisher via NetGalley
For this review and more check out http://sayitlikeireadit.blogspot.com/
March 30, 2014
I received a copy of this book from the publisher through Net Galley
This book looked interesting as I was browsing through Net Galley last week, so I decided to take a chance and request it for review. I am so glad I did, it is bloody brilliant. Most of the time I am reading simply for escape and nothing to deep or thought provoking. Mainly I pick books that look like they are going to be an entertaining story. This book was all that and more. It made me think. It made me ponder the questions it brought up and lead to some great conversations with my husband, who now wants to read the book.
The authors website describes this as a Romantic Sci-Fi, and Net Galley labels it as Dystopian that should appeal to fans of the Divergent series. Net Galley had lead me to believe this was a YA book, but I think it leans more towards a New Adult or Adult audience, but still enjoyable and appropriate for YA readers. I would classify the book as a Dystopian Sci-Fi, but more heavy on the Sci-Fi. Oh and there is a romance thrown in, but for me it wasn’t what kept me reading.
The story is told from three different perspectives; Josephine, Luke and Anthony’s. Josi (as Luke calls her) is the main focus of the story as we follow the events of her life for about three years. The story jumps back and forth in time, which reminded of The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger. We first meet Josi in an institution and start learning her story as she recounts it to her therapist Anthony. For much of the book I can’t make out if this is all true or just the vivid imagination of someone who has been institutionalized. We learn of her life with Luke as they desperately search for answers as to what is going on in Josi’s life and why each year she ends up with missing time and a really bad feeling she has done something horrible.
The world this is set it is as captivating as the characters themselves. We have a society that has decided to alter its people. To remove some emotions, to cure people of them, making people drones as Josi calls it. This is really what got me thinking. The story made me wonder what would that do to us as people. If we remove only negative emotions how does that affect us. After can you really feel love or happiness if we do not have hate and misery. How would people react to situations if they can no longer feel passion or anger. Our feelings make us who we are, if you take them away are we still people. I love how this story asked me these things. And what of the people in charge? Should they have the right to do this to their citizens? This aspect of the story reminded me of The Giver by Lois Lowry.
The ended of course left me with a freaking cliffhanger, it is after all the first in a series or trilogy. I desperately want to know what happens next and will be looking for when book two comes out. I hope you add this one to your to-read list. Really a well done dystopian story that is unlike so many of the others that are popular right now. It is written by an Australian author and a few words are different from what American use, but it isn’t anything you won’t be able to figure out. I also look forward to seeing what else this author has written.
This book looked interesting as I was browsing through Net Galley last week, so I decided to take a chance and request it for review. I am so glad I did, it is bloody brilliant. Most of the time I am reading simply for escape and nothing to deep or thought provoking. Mainly I pick books that look like they are going to be an entertaining story. This book was all that and more. It made me think. It made me ponder the questions it brought up and lead to some great conversations with my husband, who now wants to read the book.
The authors website describes this as a Romantic Sci-Fi, and Net Galley labels it as Dystopian that should appeal to fans of the Divergent series. Net Galley had lead me to believe this was a YA book, but I think it leans more towards a New Adult or Adult audience, but still enjoyable and appropriate for YA readers. I would classify the book as a Dystopian Sci-Fi, but more heavy on the Sci-Fi. Oh and there is a romance thrown in, but for me it wasn’t what kept me reading.
The story is told from three different perspectives; Josephine, Luke and Anthony’s. Josi (as Luke calls her) is the main focus of the story as we follow the events of her life for about three years. The story jumps back and forth in time, which reminded of The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger. We first meet Josi in an institution and start learning her story as she recounts it to her therapist Anthony. For much of the book I can’t make out if this is all true or just the vivid imagination of someone who has been institutionalized. We learn of her life with Luke as they desperately search for answers as to what is going on in Josi’s life and why each year she ends up with missing time and a really bad feeling she has done something horrible.
The world this is set it is as captivating as the characters themselves. We have a society that has decided to alter its people. To remove some emotions, to cure people of them, making people drones as Josi calls it. This is really what got me thinking. The story made me wonder what would that do to us as people. If we remove only negative emotions how does that affect us. After can you really feel love or happiness if we do not have hate and misery. How would people react to situations if they can no longer feel passion or anger. Our feelings make us who we are, if you take them away are we still people. I love how this story asked me these things. And what of the people in charge? Should they have the right to do this to their citizens? This aspect of the story reminded me of The Giver by Lois Lowry.
The ended of course left me with a freaking cliffhanger, it is after all the first in a series or trilogy. I desperately want to know what happens next and will be looking for when book two comes out. I hope you add this one to your to-read list. Really a well done dystopian story that is unlike so many of the others that are popular right now. It is written by an Australian author and a few words are different from what American use, but it isn’t anything you won’t be able to figure out. I also look forward to seeing what else this author has written.
June 6, 2014
Review posted at Ja čitam, a ti?
Taking away human emotions is something I have seen before in dystopian stories, but non of these stories was so dark and intriguing as Fury. Which made this story even more interesting to me is that I'm hardly ever furious, so seeing Josi explode in the nights of the full moon is how I sometimes feel to.
But let's go from the start. Josephine, our main character here is living in an dystopian world where the government has taken negative emotions out of people. They turned them basically into drones, without giving them opportunity to stand up and fight. But Josi is different, every year in time when blood moon is full she loses her memories and that night is always a mystery to her. Her secret stays with her until there is Luke. A guy who seems like any other drone but still different somehow. Josi must be careful as she knows that the government wouldn't be free if they knew her secret.
Beside interesting character and plot I really like the way this story was written. With constant switch from past to present and discovering story bit by bit I really couldn't put it down. Only thing that bothered me was that we get a part of the story which Josi tells to someone and in that part we have Luke's POV included. It wasn't a bad thing but I really had troubles with that as he was not around. It seems illogical to me and while I did like that we had his POV I couldn't get read of the weirdness.
All in all, I really expect this story to become something even more interesting.
Rating: 3.5 stars.
Taking away human emotions is something I have seen before in dystopian stories, but non of these stories was so dark and intriguing as Fury. Which made this story even more interesting to me is that I'm hardly ever furious, so seeing Josi explode in the nights of the full moon is how I sometimes feel to.
But let's go from the start. Josephine, our main character here is living in an dystopian world where the government has taken negative emotions out of people. They turned them basically into drones, without giving them opportunity to stand up and fight. But Josi is different, every year in time when blood moon is full she loses her memories and that night is always a mystery to her. Her secret stays with her until there is Luke. A guy who seems like any other drone but still different somehow. Josi must be careful as she knows that the government wouldn't be free if they knew her secret.
Beside interesting character and plot I really like the way this story was written. With constant switch from past to present and discovering story bit by bit I really couldn't put it down. Only thing that bothered me was that we get a part of the story which Josi tells to someone and in that part we have Luke's POV included. It wasn't a bad thing but I really had troubles with that as he was not around. It seems illogical to me and while I did like that we had his POV I couldn't get read of the weirdness.
All in all, I really expect this story to become something even more interesting.
Rating: 3.5 stars.
May 12, 2014
And the Dystopian Angels sang! The best of this genre that I have ever read!
February 5, 2015
Enter for a chance to win a copy of Fury during the blog tour over on my blog Lilybloombooks
Fury is one of those rare and precious finds. Having not even heard of this book before the tour sign ups. I was sucked in by the premise, and jumped at the chance to read it. Let me tell you - this book will blow you away. It's dark, disturbing, sorrowful and powerful.
Imagine a world where anger is nonexistent. By given a serum to rid individuals of anger, what would be left? Would it be peaceful? Would everyone be happy? Or would everyone who was given this "cure" be mindless, shelled individuals? What do you feel, if anger is no longer there?
In Fury, all individuals are given the "cure" at age 15. Those whom are "uncured" are feared as wild and violent - and usually killed. Josie, is uncured. But there is more to Josie than meets the eye. At the same time every year during the Blood Moon, she wakes up naked, badly bruised and with no recollection of the previous 24 hours.
Honestly, there is so much going on Fury to skim over and not discuss. We have the Government mandating this serum, to "cure" each individual. We have Josie, who like I mentioned, blacks out and loses herself for 24 hours each year (and what she does will make you shudder). We have Luke, the sole person to SEE Josie and offer to help. There is propaganda, secrets and test subjects. Then we have the touchy subjects of suicide, abuse and murder. Not to mention, the slow intense burning romance.
We have 3 POV's in the story - Josie, Luke and Anthony; alternating between the past and present - primarily from Josie's view - as she explains events over the past year and how she winds up in the asylum. Slowly, pieces of each of their lives are woven together and the world starts to come into clear view as the book progressed. This writing style in actually one of my favorites. It is quite easy to get lost and confused reading books this way, and the execution has to be perfect. And in Fury, it was. Plus, this minimizes info dump, since we learn about the world and characters slowly, over time.
Each character is complex, intense and I loved em all. Josie especially. She is strong, smart and beautiful. My heart just ached for her, having to deal with that she does, what has happened to her, and her internal battle of whether or not to end it all. Luke, too. Of all the characters, he had the most complex life and characteristics. There were many times where I was just as confused as Josie was, even after learning about majority of his secrets. Anthony, the psychologist. Now, it took me more time than I would like to admit his overall role in everything.
The romance in the story is a major factor in the book. In most cases, the romances in dystopians have been lackluster for me. In Fury, it was one of my favorites. It's slow and intense. All consuming, powerful and raw. It left me hopeful, sad and smiling at the same time. Truly, beautiful.
One thing that make me nervous about Fury was balance. I am a firm believer that there NEEDS to be balance. So, how could one feel happiness, without anger? How Charlotte created the repercussions of this serum was brilliant. All emotions are in essence, connected, so if you remove one it's a domino effect. It took some time to fully understand how these "cured" individual's thought, but once I did? Brilliant.
As I said, there is a lot going on. As much as I feel I need to talk about each small thing in this book, there isn't enough time in the day. And really, you need to experience the full effect of this novel on your own.
- My Peeve -
Not really a peeve but I must mention it anyway. There was one thing towards the end that Luke did, that even still, I have no idea why. I just can't comprehend what the hell he was thinking. The REAL peeve? The ending. It's not bad by any means, so don't go there. But I was hoping for a few more answers and HI CLIFFHANGER.
- Overall -
I absolutely loved it. Charlotte has created a mater piece. Intense, powerful and full of raw passion, this is a must read.
- Recommend -
YES!
*I received this book from the Author in exchange for an honest review.*
Fury is one of those rare and precious finds. Having not even heard of this book before the tour sign ups. I was sucked in by the premise, and jumped at the chance to read it. Let me tell you - this book will blow you away. It's dark, disturbing, sorrowful and powerful.
Imagine a world where anger is nonexistent. By given a serum to rid individuals of anger, what would be left? Would it be peaceful? Would everyone be happy? Or would everyone who was given this "cure" be mindless, shelled individuals? What do you feel, if anger is no longer there?
In Fury, all individuals are given the "cure" at age 15. Those whom are "uncured" are feared as wild and violent - and usually killed. Josie, is uncured. But there is more to Josie than meets the eye. At the same time every year during the Blood Moon, she wakes up naked, badly bruised and with no recollection of the previous 24 hours.
Honestly, there is so much going on Fury to skim over and not discuss. We have the Government mandating this serum, to "cure" each individual. We have Josie, who like I mentioned, blacks out and loses herself for 24 hours each year (and what she does will make you shudder). We have Luke, the sole person to SEE Josie and offer to help. There is propaganda, secrets and test subjects. Then we have the touchy subjects of suicide, abuse and murder. Not to mention, the slow intense burning romance.
We have 3 POV's in the story - Josie, Luke and Anthony; alternating between the past and present - primarily from Josie's view - as she explains events over the past year and how she winds up in the asylum. Slowly, pieces of each of their lives are woven together and the world starts to come into clear view as the book progressed. This writing style in actually one of my favorites. It is quite easy to get lost and confused reading books this way, and the execution has to be perfect. And in Fury, it was. Plus, this minimizes info dump, since we learn about the world and characters slowly, over time.
Each character is complex, intense and I loved em all. Josie especially. She is strong, smart and beautiful. My heart just ached for her, having to deal with that she does, what has happened to her, and her internal battle of whether or not to end it all. Luke, too. Of all the characters, he had the most complex life and characteristics. There were many times where I was just as confused as Josie was, even after learning about majority of his secrets. Anthony, the psychologist. Now, it took me more time than I would like to admit his overall role in everything.
The romance in the story is a major factor in the book. In most cases, the romances in dystopians have been lackluster for me. In Fury, it was one of my favorites. It's slow and intense. All consuming, powerful and raw. It left me hopeful, sad and smiling at the same time. Truly, beautiful.
One thing that make me nervous about Fury was balance. I am a firm believer that there NEEDS to be balance. So, how could one feel happiness, without anger? How Charlotte created the repercussions of this serum was brilliant. All emotions are in essence, connected, so if you remove one it's a domino effect. It took some time to fully understand how these "cured" individual's thought, but once I did? Brilliant.
As I said, there is a lot going on. As much as I feel I need to talk about each small thing in this book, there isn't enough time in the day. And really, you need to experience the full effect of this novel on your own.
- My Peeve -
Not really a peeve but I must mention it anyway. There was one thing towards the end that Luke did, that even still, I have no idea why. I just can't comprehend what the hell he was thinking. The REAL peeve? The ending. It's not bad by any means, so don't go there. But I was hoping for a few more answers and HI CLIFFHANGER.
- Overall -
I absolutely loved it. Charlotte has created a mater piece. Intense, powerful and full of raw passion, this is a must read.
- Recommend -
YES!
*I received this book from the Author in exchange for an honest review.*
September 13, 2014
One of the most amazing aspects of reviewing books is that often times you come across a book that you might have other wise never had the chance to read. If you are really lucky, it turns out to be an AMAZING book that you want to share with the world. Fury by Charlotte McConaghy is one of those books.
From the second you begin to read Fury you are sucked in. I knew I was going to love this book from the first few words. It helps that the writing is utterly wonderful! I normally don't share book openings in my reviews but this one deserves to be spotlighted.
"I am a flame of fury. The last flickering flame in a
world long since burned out. I have rage threaded
through my skin, whispering against my ears, tied
tightly around each one of my bones. My eyes, one
brown and one blue, leak with it.
Most of the times it frightens me.
But sometimes I like it."
If that alone doesn't make you want to run and pick up this book then I don't know what will! The rest of the writing was just as brilliant. Most times the writing was poetic and when it wasn't it was hilarious! I laughed so many times out load while reading this book. Josephine's retorts and sarcastic comments were right up my alley. They brought a bit of light to such a dark circumstance.
I loved the world and the idea behind it. The idea that we as humans would try to remove negative emotions is not completely foreign. We have medication to help with "sadness" and medicine to help deal with angry mood swings. Even in today's society we attempt to find ways to get rid of the bad emotions and only keep the good ones. But that brings up the question: can we know one without the other? I think we can to some extent but I also think we feel are biggest highs when we know what our lowest lows have felt like. I think the author did a great job of presenting the idea that removing one emotion damages the rest of us because if we cannot feel we cannot truly live.
I know a great majority of people are not a fan of multiple POVs but I am in the minority. When done right it can bring so many dimensions to the story. I loved all three of the perspectives. We got to see Josephine as she sees herself and then we see her in two different lights. The way Luke sees her and the way Anthony sees her. This made Josephine so much more real. In life there are many different sides to a story and this also applies to people. I didn't think any of the characters fell flat and I give a lot of credit to Charlotte for keeping me interested in the story all three had to say.
This book was crazy intense and action packed. There was not really a moment of complete peace and I loved that because it kept you on your toes. It made you unable to relax while reading this book because the second you were about to something new would smack you in the face! It is one of those stories that you want to continue reading but are nervous to turn the page. There were a few times that I put down my kindle, paced around my living room, grabbed a drink and THEN braved picking it up again. There is no way you can read this book and not become emotionally invested in the world, the characters and the outcome.
The only bone I have to pick with Fury is the GIANT cliffhanger at the end! REALLY? I needed more! Definitely one of those books that could have been 1000 pages and I still would have devoured it!
Please go out and buy yourself a copy! It is a thrilling story from start to end. It will keep you on your toes. A new favorite of mine!
Disclaimer: I was provided with a copy for an honest review.
From the second you begin to read Fury you are sucked in. I knew I was going to love this book from the first few words. It helps that the writing is utterly wonderful! I normally don't share book openings in my reviews but this one deserves to be spotlighted.
"I am a flame of fury. The last flickering flame in a
world long since burned out. I have rage threaded
through my skin, whispering against my ears, tied
tightly around each one of my bones. My eyes, one
brown and one blue, leak with it.
Most of the times it frightens me.
But sometimes I like it."
If that alone doesn't make you want to run and pick up this book then I don't know what will! The rest of the writing was just as brilliant. Most times the writing was poetic and when it wasn't it was hilarious! I laughed so many times out load while reading this book. Josephine's retorts and sarcastic comments were right up my alley. They brought a bit of light to such a dark circumstance.
I loved the world and the idea behind it. The idea that we as humans would try to remove negative emotions is not completely foreign. We have medication to help with "sadness" and medicine to help deal with angry mood swings. Even in today's society we attempt to find ways to get rid of the bad emotions and only keep the good ones. But that brings up the question: can we know one without the other? I think we can to some extent but I also think we feel are biggest highs when we know what our lowest lows have felt like. I think the author did a great job of presenting the idea that removing one emotion damages the rest of us because if we cannot feel we cannot truly live.
I know a great majority of people are not a fan of multiple POVs but I am in the minority. When done right it can bring so many dimensions to the story. I loved all three of the perspectives. We got to see Josephine as she sees herself and then we see her in two different lights. The way Luke sees her and the way Anthony sees her. This made Josephine so much more real. In life there are many different sides to a story and this also applies to people. I didn't think any of the characters fell flat and I give a lot of credit to Charlotte for keeping me interested in the story all three had to say.
This book was crazy intense and action packed. There was not really a moment of complete peace and I loved that because it kept you on your toes. It made you unable to relax while reading this book because the second you were about to something new would smack you in the face! It is one of those stories that you want to continue reading but are nervous to turn the page. There were a few times that I put down my kindle, paced around my living room, grabbed a drink and THEN braved picking it up again. There is no way you can read this book and not become emotionally invested in the world, the characters and the outcome.
The only bone I have to pick with Fury is the GIANT cliffhanger at the end! REALLY? I needed more! Definitely one of those books that could have been 1000 pages and I still would have devoured it!
Please go out and buy yourself a copy! It is a thrilling story from start to end. It will keep you on your toes. A new favorite of mine!
Disclaimer: I was provided with a copy for an honest review.
May 16, 2014
Full review originally posted at http://escapeintowords.blogspot.co.uk...
I'm not sure what I was expecting from Fury, but it certainly wasn't this. I thought I might be getting dystopia, some strange world where nobody feels anger anymore, except Josephine. In a way, that's what I did get, but I also got so much more.
Fury is a lot more grown-up than I expected it to be. Billed as something for fans of Divergent, with an eighteen year-old heroine, I thought I'd be getting something Young Adult or New Adult-ish. And while I think a lot of teens would enjoy the book, they might not appreciate it as much as adults. With age and experience comes a higher appreciation of true talent, and that's what McConaghy has.
Fury is no light and easy read, but neither is it heavy and hard-going. Rather, it's deep and moving and highly addictive. Josephine is the most compelling MC I've come across in ages, and once she got into my head I couldn't bear to let her go. I think I fell for her at first sight, just like Luke did. She's tragic, strong, snarky and vulnerable all at once. Her condition makes her body weak. The things she's done are without question terrible. She should be unlovable, she believes she is. But she's wrong.
McConaghy's world is an intriguing and frightening one. She paints a picture of a future where the rich are obscenely wealthy and the poor are destitute. A world populated by drones - everyone is forced to be administered with 'the cure' - a shot that inhibits the ability to feel anger. But without anger we lose a part of our humanity. If you can't get angry when you see a child being abused, how can you stop it?
Josi lets us into her world, piece by piece, from the confines of a mental asylum. As she talks to her doctor, describing the events of the past year, we slowly learn about the world she lives in and the life she leads. McConaghy is slow to reveal the important information that will make everything come clear, but that is no bad thing. With this suspense she is treating us, the readers, as intelligent people. We don't need everything to be spelled out in a corny information dump. We can use our imagination and the small but essential details that she gives us to build up this future world in our minds. This lets us feel everything so much stronger, and there is a lot to feel.
Fury is a dystopian love story, and the relationship between Josi and Luke is so very intense. Caught up in a whirlwind of horror and fear, this love story may seem doomed from the start, but we all know that true love is a force which can overcome countless obstacles. Is it enough though? Is there any way that Josi and Luke can have a happy ending? I want it so much, and so will you by the time your reach the end. What these two go through, the things they've seen and done, they deserve some sort of happy ending. But Fury is the first in a trilogy so instead we're left with a cliffhanger of sorts. I don't begrudge it though, because if, at the end, a happy ending had been contrived somehow, I think it would actually have disappointed me. This is not a world of happy endings. It's a world of harsh reality. Don't be a drone reader - be brave and open up a book that will make you feel more.
I'm not sure what I was expecting from Fury, but it certainly wasn't this. I thought I might be getting dystopia, some strange world where nobody feels anger anymore, except Josephine. In a way, that's what I did get, but I also got so much more.
Fury is a lot more grown-up than I expected it to be. Billed as something for fans of Divergent, with an eighteen year-old heroine, I thought I'd be getting something Young Adult or New Adult-ish. And while I think a lot of teens would enjoy the book, they might not appreciate it as much as adults. With age and experience comes a higher appreciation of true talent, and that's what McConaghy has.
Fury is no light and easy read, but neither is it heavy and hard-going. Rather, it's deep and moving and highly addictive. Josephine is the most compelling MC I've come across in ages, and once she got into my head I couldn't bear to let her go. I think I fell for her at first sight, just like Luke did. She's tragic, strong, snarky and vulnerable all at once. Her condition makes her body weak. The things she's done are without question terrible. She should be unlovable, she believes she is. But she's wrong.
McConaghy's world is an intriguing and frightening one. She paints a picture of a future where the rich are obscenely wealthy and the poor are destitute. A world populated by drones - everyone is forced to be administered with 'the cure' - a shot that inhibits the ability to feel anger. But without anger we lose a part of our humanity. If you can't get angry when you see a child being abused, how can you stop it?
Josi lets us into her world, piece by piece, from the confines of a mental asylum. As she talks to her doctor, describing the events of the past year, we slowly learn about the world she lives in and the life she leads. McConaghy is slow to reveal the important information that will make everything come clear, but that is no bad thing. With this suspense she is treating us, the readers, as intelligent people. We don't need everything to be spelled out in a corny information dump. We can use our imagination and the small but essential details that she gives us to build up this future world in our minds. This lets us feel everything so much stronger, and there is a lot to feel.
Fury is a dystopian love story, and the relationship between Josi and Luke is so very intense. Caught up in a whirlwind of horror and fear, this love story may seem doomed from the start, but we all know that true love is a force which can overcome countless obstacles. Is it enough though? Is there any way that Josi and Luke can have a happy ending? I want it so much, and so will you by the time your reach the end. What these two go through, the things they've seen and done, they deserve some sort of happy ending. But Fury is the first in a trilogy so instead we're left with a cliffhanger of sorts. I don't begrudge it though, because if, at the end, a happy ending had been contrived somehow, I think it would actually have disappointed me. This is not a world of happy endings. It's a world of harsh reality. Don't be a drone reader - be brave and open up a book that will make you feel more.
April 2, 2014
Copy recieved via Netgalley - thank you to all concerned.
When emotions are erased from the world, creating a civilization of mindless drones, only those with fury can survive.
On the same day each year Josephine Luquet wakes naked, shivering and covered in blood that is not her own. Under the cold gaze of the blood moon she is someone else entirely, but when dawn breaks her memories flee and she is left with only an icy horror, a burning fury. Amid a sea of drones, she alone hasn’t been cured.
The first thing that I have to say on this one is that it has been a while since a novel in this genre has captured my imagination so utterly and completely that I have literally gulped it down in huge magnificent chunks of reading joy - and come out the other side feeling utterly destroyed that now I have to hang on in there to find out more. I need more I tell you! Book Hangover alert!
So we meet Josephine - from the confines of a psychiatric hospital she tells her Doctor a strange and wonderful tale - and tries desperately to warn him of the danger that surrounds anyone who is close to her at one particular time of the year - a time that is fast approaching. As her tale unfolds, a picture emerges of a cold world - one where emotions are non existant and the ability to feel love, fear, anger, betrayal, almost anything that makes us Human have all but disappeared. Except for Josephine. Well, maybe...
This was a beautifully constructed story - with a highly imaginative and compelling premise - just what WOULD we be without our emotions? I really do not want to go too much into plot detail, the reasons, the truth that lies just beneath the surface, and what may or may not happen because of it - these are the things that make this book so fascinating, such a great read and a truly brilliant page turner that will often have you on the edge of your seat. Don't make assumptions. I'm just saying...
Characterisation is of a very high standard, Josephine is damaged, uncertain, absolutely sure that she cannot be helped, she just wants to avoid hurting others. The people she meets along her journey are all enigmatic and there is a lot to be revealed - the author leads you slowly but surely through the minefield of a world gone mad..and puts you right at the centre of one girl's struggle to understand it all.
I would place this book on the cusp of YA and Adult. It has a definite eye towards the YA audience but tackles some very adult themes and does involve occasional sex and violence - I don't like to put books in boxes but I think that anyone aged around 15 and up will love this and find something to spark their imagination here...
Clever and captivating, at times enchanting and with an ending that will send you into a spiral of dismay at the thought of having to wait any time at all for the next instalment, I highly recommend this one.
Happy Reading Folks!
When emotions are erased from the world, creating a civilization of mindless drones, only those with fury can survive.
On the same day each year Josephine Luquet wakes naked, shivering and covered in blood that is not her own. Under the cold gaze of the blood moon she is someone else entirely, but when dawn breaks her memories flee and she is left with only an icy horror, a burning fury. Amid a sea of drones, she alone hasn’t been cured.
The first thing that I have to say on this one is that it has been a while since a novel in this genre has captured my imagination so utterly and completely that I have literally gulped it down in huge magnificent chunks of reading joy - and come out the other side feeling utterly destroyed that now I have to hang on in there to find out more. I need more I tell you! Book Hangover alert!
So we meet Josephine - from the confines of a psychiatric hospital she tells her Doctor a strange and wonderful tale - and tries desperately to warn him of the danger that surrounds anyone who is close to her at one particular time of the year - a time that is fast approaching. As her tale unfolds, a picture emerges of a cold world - one where emotions are non existant and the ability to feel love, fear, anger, betrayal, almost anything that makes us Human have all but disappeared. Except for Josephine. Well, maybe...
This was a beautifully constructed story - with a highly imaginative and compelling premise - just what WOULD we be without our emotions? I really do not want to go too much into plot detail, the reasons, the truth that lies just beneath the surface, and what may or may not happen because of it - these are the things that make this book so fascinating, such a great read and a truly brilliant page turner that will often have you on the edge of your seat. Don't make assumptions. I'm just saying...
Characterisation is of a very high standard, Josephine is damaged, uncertain, absolutely sure that she cannot be helped, she just wants to avoid hurting others. The people she meets along her journey are all enigmatic and there is a lot to be revealed - the author leads you slowly but surely through the minefield of a world gone mad..and puts you right at the centre of one girl's struggle to understand it all.
I would place this book on the cusp of YA and Adult. It has a definite eye towards the YA audience but tackles some very adult themes and does involve occasional sex and violence - I don't like to put books in boxes but I think that anyone aged around 15 and up will love this and find something to spark their imagination here...
Clever and captivating, at times enchanting and with an ending that will send you into a spiral of dismay at the thought of having to wait any time at all for the next instalment, I highly recommend this one.
Happy Reading Folks!
June 10, 2014
Concoction of a Review:
Fury is one of those books that MS put off because she just was not sure. Please, understand that sometimes MS does not enjoy the Dystopia bandwagon books like others. Yet, this book was good in that way where MS felt as if she has been looking for this sort of read.
A novel wherein our abused main character, Josephine, races against time to find out what just makes her change into a most powerful human killing machine once a year. The same day every year she turns into a violent rage apparatus.
Josephine has felt as if she was the only one in the world behind a wall among the cured population,"drones". Sadness surrounded her with a disturbing youth in foster care & her sickness. However, Luke notices her. Against all of his government training as a Blood he is still drawn to the tiny frail person that Josephine has become.
It was a push and shove relationship. MS really enjoyed the tug of war in Josephine's head over Luke, herself trusting another, the government, the resistance & even the simplest gestures of being touched in a non threatening manner. Imagine fighting yourself over having a few good things happen to you because nothing nice has even occurred. The poor dear.
The unique idea of the cure taking away anger from every person was most likely hard to write. At points within, it was hard to read. At times, not only was anger missing but also fear which confused me. Other times it seems as if the cure messed with a person's complete capability to just go through a rational thought process.
It is a complex idea with adventure around many corners & was even hard as a reader to not stop and think about what a cure could really mean if it took away anger. How would you change??
Fury is one of those books that MS put off because she just was not sure. Please, understand that sometimes MS does not enjoy the Dystopia bandwagon books like others. Yet, this book was good in that way where MS felt as if she has been looking for this sort of read.
A novel wherein our abused main character, Josephine, races against time to find out what just makes her change into a most powerful human killing machine once a year. The same day every year she turns into a violent rage apparatus.
Josephine has felt as if she was the only one in the world behind a wall among the cured population,"drones". Sadness surrounded her with a disturbing youth in foster care & her sickness. However, Luke notices her. Against all of his government training as a Blood he is still drawn to the tiny frail person that Josephine has become.
It was a push and shove relationship. MS really enjoyed the tug of war in Josephine's head over Luke, herself trusting another, the government, the resistance & even the simplest gestures of being touched in a non threatening manner. Imagine fighting yourself over having a few good things happen to you because nothing nice has even occurred. The poor dear.
The unique idea of the cure taking away anger from every person was most likely hard to write. At points within, it was hard to read. At times, not only was anger missing but also fear which confused me. Other times it seems as if the cure messed with a person's complete capability to just go through a rational thought process.
It is a complex idea with adventure around many corners & was even hard as a reader to not stop and think about what a cure could really mean if it took away anger. How would you change??
June 17, 2014
4.5 stars
Did I enjoy this book: I devoured it.
It’s dark and passionate and wonderfully written, and though I’m typically just a smidge embarrassed about reading love stories, I won’t be hiding this one under my bed. It’s a grown-up version of Divergent – just a few shades darker. It’s the kind of book you’ll respond to viscerally; you’ll want to feel what Josephine and Luke feel, but at the same time you’ll be secretly relieved your life isn’t like theirs. So. Pour yourself a glass of wine, snuggle in under your favorite blanket, and don’t put this book down until you’ve read the whole thing.
Would I recommend it: Yes. YES.
As reviewed by Melissa at Every Free Chance Book Reviews.
Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
http://everyfreechance.com/2014/06/bl...
Did I enjoy this book: I devoured it.
It’s dark and passionate and wonderfully written, and though I’m typically just a smidge embarrassed about reading love stories, I won’t be hiding this one under my bed. It’s a grown-up version of Divergent – just a few shades darker. It’s the kind of book you’ll respond to viscerally; you’ll want to feel what Josephine and Luke feel, but at the same time you’ll be secretly relieved your life isn’t like theirs. So. Pour yourself a glass of wine, snuggle in under your favorite blanket, and don’t put this book down until you’ve read the whole thing.
Would I recommend it: Yes. YES.
As reviewed by Melissa at Every Free Chance Book Reviews.
Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
http://everyfreechance.com/2014/06/bl...
January 23, 2019
The concept of this book intrigued me and it did not disappoint. Josephine lives in a world where at 15, teenagers are given "the cure", which takes away the ability to feel anger. But Josephine never got the cure. I liked this book more than I expected. McConaghy did an incredible job showing what a world without anger would be like. I loved the pace of the story. After finishing this book, I felt very connected to the world and the characters. I can't wait to read the next book!
October 12, 2022
Not gonna lie. I was hoping for more.
November 21, 2014
When I read the summary for Fury by Charlotte McConaghy I thought it sounded intriguing and while I hadn’t heard anything about it, I decided I wanted to check this one out. I have to say, I opened this up and as soon as I did, I wasn’t able to put it down. The characters and the story pulled me right in and I couldn’t put it down until I finished. Even now I am excited to see when book two will come out.
The world has been changed by the decision to force “the cure” on its citizens. Now, people don’t feel emotions and the intent was that it would eliminate the problems happening due to how people reacted. This decision actually created another level of problems in that people now don’t feel anything and react inappropriately to things going on around them. As Josi calls people, they are a bunch of drones. What I would have like to have known is more about the decision makers and what the catalyst was to figuring this was the right solution. With that said, I though McConaghy did a great job building out the background of the creation of the cure and the goal behind the end result.
The book transitions well from different points of view as well as from the past to current time. Through all of this, I was able to see how things got to be as they are for Josi as well as see things from the other characters perspectives…which added to the story. The story starts out with Josi/Josephine, the main character, interacting with Anthony, her shrink at the asylum she is in and we begin to find out more about why she is there. Because she is telling Anthony her story, the flashbacks give us her past as well as more information about her relationship with Luke, her boyfriend and the person Josi believes will come save her.
Josi has grown up being shuffled around to various foster homes and when she was placed in a house that had a boy who did something horrible to her, she reacts and is turned in as someone with a rage issue. This was the action that changed things completely for Josi as when she is turned in; she is given to the scientists in charge of the cure to be used for testing.
Every year on the same day, Josi loses herself completely. She wakes up naked somewhere random with only brief memories of what happened the night before and it is because of this, she ends up meeting Luke and ultimately ending up in the asylum she is in. As the present time creeps closer and closer to that horrible day, both Josi and Luke are working to figure out how to manage this. They both know that this may be the last chance they have to save Josi from the beast that takes over every year and they are willing to do whatever is needed.
Luke is an interesting character and I really liked him. His story was interesting and I thought the way he and Josi met was great. Additionally, I know he had some secrets but I have to say that I appreciated the fact that he came clean to Josi before the end of this story. He is clearly willing to do whatever he needs to in order to save and protect Josi.
An added layer to this story is the idea that there is a rebellion “out there” somewhere that included other people that were fighting the idea that the cure was the answer to the issues of the world. I hope we get to learn more about them in the next story and where this one left off, I have an idea that we will.
I have only touched the tip of the iceberg with this review and that’s mostly because I don’t want to give anything away. I think McConaghy does a great job of revealing bits and pieces of the story but I do have to say, there is a pretty big cliffhanger at the end of this book. I am really looking forward to the next book of this series and can’t wait to see where McConaghy goes with this story.
Thank you to Netgalley and Momentum Books for the review copy.
The world has been changed by the decision to force “the cure” on its citizens. Now, people don’t feel emotions and the intent was that it would eliminate the problems happening due to how people reacted. This decision actually created another level of problems in that people now don’t feel anything and react inappropriately to things going on around them. As Josi calls people, they are a bunch of drones. What I would have like to have known is more about the decision makers and what the catalyst was to figuring this was the right solution. With that said, I though McConaghy did a great job building out the background of the creation of the cure and the goal behind the end result.
The book transitions well from different points of view as well as from the past to current time. Through all of this, I was able to see how things got to be as they are for Josi as well as see things from the other characters perspectives…which added to the story. The story starts out with Josi/Josephine, the main character, interacting with Anthony, her shrink at the asylum she is in and we begin to find out more about why she is there. Because she is telling Anthony her story, the flashbacks give us her past as well as more information about her relationship with Luke, her boyfriend and the person Josi believes will come save her.
Josi has grown up being shuffled around to various foster homes and when she was placed in a house that had a boy who did something horrible to her, she reacts and is turned in as someone with a rage issue. This was the action that changed things completely for Josi as when she is turned in; she is given to the scientists in charge of the cure to be used for testing.
Every year on the same day, Josi loses herself completely. She wakes up naked somewhere random with only brief memories of what happened the night before and it is because of this, she ends up meeting Luke and ultimately ending up in the asylum she is in. As the present time creeps closer and closer to that horrible day, both Josi and Luke are working to figure out how to manage this. They both know that this may be the last chance they have to save Josi from the beast that takes over every year and they are willing to do whatever is needed.
Luke is an interesting character and I really liked him. His story was interesting and I thought the way he and Josi met was great. Additionally, I know he had some secrets but I have to say that I appreciated the fact that he came clean to Josi before the end of this story. He is clearly willing to do whatever he needs to in order to save and protect Josi.
An added layer to this story is the idea that there is a rebellion “out there” somewhere that included other people that were fighting the idea that the cure was the answer to the issues of the world. I hope we get to learn more about them in the next story and where this one left off, I have an idea that we will.
I have only touched the tip of the iceberg with this review and that’s mostly because I don’t want to give anything away. I think McConaghy does a great job of revealing bits and pieces of the story but I do have to say, there is a pretty big cliffhanger at the end of this book. I am really looking forward to the next book of this series and can’t wait to see where McConaghy goes with this story.
Thank you to Netgalley and Momentum Books for the review copy.
June 12, 2014
This book had me within the first chapter and I honestly wasn't expecting it to be as good as it was. I haven't read anything by Charlotte McConaghy before so I didn't know what I was getting. Suffice to say, I was pleasantly surprised. It's a powerful story and keeps you guessing the whole way through. There wasn't a single moment where I thought I knew where this was going. It didn't hold back and Charlotte certainly wasn't afraid of shaking thing up and adding in those all too important plot twists.
The book follows the story of Josi, an all but invisible girl 364 days of the year but on the blood moon something changes. The book is set 150 years or so in the future, in a world were they've 'cured' the human race by removing they're ability to feel anger. But in doing that they've produced a generation of people who aren't able to access all their emotions, which in turn causes them to act in strange, almost inhuman ways. Josi calls them 'drones'.
It's told with multiple points of view (Josi, Luke & Antony) which would normally annoy me. However, to get the complexity of the plot you needed to know everything and by using not two but three different voices you were given everything you needed to understand Josi's curse.
The Characters:
First, and most importantly with have Josi. She's had a hideous upbringing that instantly draws you in. I wasn't expecting her to be quite as easy to relatable as she was. With a lot of books like this you find the female lead is more like freaking Rubik's Cube than a person but everything Josi did was understandable. She was driven and stubborn and relatable in a lot of ways.
Then there's Antony. Oh, the poor sod. Antony is Josi's shrink and has most definitely been 'cured'. Which of course means he's almost completely inept to deal with the whole 'Josi Situation'. For the first half of the book you almost want to shake him into being something more than he is but you also know it's not his fault. Then in the second half you'll spend the whole time cheering him on in your head. He too has this heart wrenching back story - but you don't find that out until the very end so I won't say anything more.
Lastly you have Luke.
Luke. Luke. Luke. Luke! You damn fool!! In many ways he's your perfect swoon worthy book boy but he has one - fatal - flaw. He lies. A LOT! It gets to the point where there's almost a compulsive nature to his lying and whether or not he thinks he's doing it for the right reasons you spend the whole book knowing that when he's lies get discovered there'll be no turning back. He's the perfect example of what lies can do - not just to you but to the people around you.
It's a great story with moments that will make you smile and other that will break your heart. Not to mention more than a few chapters that will have you picking you jaw up of the floor! I've never read a book were there have been quite so many plot twists, with each and every one smacking you right in the chest. You think you know someone one minute and then the next you realise you've been looking at it all back-to-front!
Even though this is a fantasy novel I don't see why any lover of contemporary reads wouldn't also enjoy this book. The fantasy aspects comes in drips and drabs - great drips and drabs I might add - with the majority of the book focused on Josi's past and if she'll be able to find a place for her in the future. Highly recommend and well worth the read! You'll love it!
*I was given this book by a blog tour host to review for the purposes of a tour.*
The book follows the story of Josi, an all but invisible girl 364 days of the year but on the blood moon something changes. The book is set 150 years or so in the future, in a world were they've 'cured' the human race by removing they're ability to feel anger. But in doing that they've produced a generation of people who aren't able to access all their emotions, which in turn causes them to act in strange, almost inhuman ways. Josi calls them 'drones'.
It's told with multiple points of view (Josi, Luke & Antony) which would normally annoy me. However, to get the complexity of the plot you needed to know everything and by using not two but three different voices you were given everything you needed to understand Josi's curse.
The Characters:
First, and most importantly with have Josi. She's had a hideous upbringing that instantly draws you in. I wasn't expecting her to be quite as easy to relatable as she was. With a lot of books like this you find the female lead is more like freaking Rubik's Cube than a person but everything Josi did was understandable. She was driven and stubborn and relatable in a lot of ways.
Then there's Antony. Oh, the poor sod. Antony is Josi's shrink and has most definitely been 'cured'. Which of course means he's almost completely inept to deal with the whole 'Josi Situation'. For the first half of the book you almost want to shake him into being something more than he is but you also know it's not his fault. Then in the second half you'll spend the whole time cheering him on in your head. He too has this heart wrenching back story - but you don't find that out until the very end so I won't say anything more.
Lastly you have Luke.
Luke. Luke. Luke. Luke! You damn fool!! In many ways he's your perfect swoon worthy book boy but he has one - fatal - flaw. He lies. A LOT! It gets to the point where there's almost a compulsive nature to his lying and whether or not he thinks he's doing it for the right reasons you spend the whole book knowing that when he's lies get discovered there'll be no turning back. He's the perfect example of what lies can do - not just to you but to the people around you.
It's a great story with moments that will make you smile and other that will break your heart. Not to mention more than a few chapters that will have you picking you jaw up of the floor! I've never read a book were there have been quite so many plot twists, with each and every one smacking you right in the chest. You think you know someone one minute and then the next you realise you've been looking at it all back-to-front!
Even though this is a fantasy novel I don't see why any lover of contemporary reads wouldn't also enjoy this book. The fantasy aspects comes in drips and drabs - great drips and drabs I might add - with the majority of the book focused on Josi's past and if she'll be able to find a place for her in the future. Highly recommend and well worth the read! You'll love it!
*I was given this book by a blog tour host to review for the purposes of a tour.*
April 9, 2014
There's a lot of books around at the moment labelled dystopian and even the odd movie but finding one with an original take sometimes feels nearly impossible. This particular book seems to be aimed at a young adult audience but for me borders on new adult with a sci fi twist but what's important is it is a book worth reading as it taps into a dark place that few authors seem to explore successfully. Humans are capable of so much good and yet we are almost self destructive. What would happen if our very natures were altered in some way? Would a life without anger be a better one and if so how much further could we go?
Josephine's story begins in a psychiatric hospital were she tries to convince those in charge that every year on one particular day she turns rabid and murders randomly only to wake up covered in blood with virtually no recollection. There seems to be no proof of this and so she regularly has sessions with Anthony who is beyond intruiged by her but does not believe her outrageous claims. They live in a time when human anger has been eradicated as science has found a cure and surely agreeing to take the cure would help Josephine with her inner demons and pain.
This story leaps back through time as we see how Josephine first met Luke a man who promised to protect her and offers her a home but is he a figment of Josephine's imagination? The wild stories she tells do not make sense and Anthony fears for the damaged Josephine. Fighting to save her sanity Anthony continues to counsel Josephine but hers is a terrible story which can only end brutally in death.
Such an unusual way of getting and keeping the readers attention. I thought the idea of flashbacks worked very well here and it wasn't confusing at all. The story is told from three points of view ( Josephine, Anthony and Luke) but the question remains all the way through , just how much is real? In such a regimented world could one woman alone truly commit multiple violent murders and yet there be no evidence? If the answer is yes then just what exactly is Josephine?
This book is written in such a way that the reader feels inside the characters heads and it's an intimate place to be. Characters are multi faceted and not always as straightforward as they might seem. It's a world filled with tragedy and probably the biggest is the fact that without anger humans lose passion. True horror is the thought of apathy when dealing with our fellow man and not truly connecting with loss . So much of how we react depends on how we feel and by removing anger people are disconnected and I thought the author did an excellent job in slowly revealing the terrible aspects of this scenario .
I thought it was an interesting beginning populated with damaged characters but slowed down a little in intensity as I continued reading. The last third gathered such a pace though that I could not put it down and just had to finish! It's a fantastic and well conceived conclusion that felt quite emotional and very unexpected . Unfortunately there is a cliffhanger and those who hate book hangovers will be tearing their hair out! This was such an intriguing and surprising read that I really have to know what happens next. A great beginning and I loved that I wasn't sure exactly how the story would end. Recommended .
Josephine's story begins in a psychiatric hospital were she tries to convince those in charge that every year on one particular day she turns rabid and murders randomly only to wake up covered in blood with virtually no recollection. There seems to be no proof of this and so she regularly has sessions with Anthony who is beyond intruiged by her but does not believe her outrageous claims. They live in a time when human anger has been eradicated as science has found a cure and surely agreeing to take the cure would help Josephine with her inner demons and pain.
This story leaps back through time as we see how Josephine first met Luke a man who promised to protect her and offers her a home but is he a figment of Josephine's imagination? The wild stories she tells do not make sense and Anthony fears for the damaged Josephine. Fighting to save her sanity Anthony continues to counsel Josephine but hers is a terrible story which can only end brutally in death.
Such an unusual way of getting and keeping the readers attention. I thought the idea of flashbacks worked very well here and it wasn't confusing at all. The story is told from three points of view ( Josephine, Anthony and Luke) but the question remains all the way through , just how much is real? In such a regimented world could one woman alone truly commit multiple violent murders and yet there be no evidence? If the answer is yes then just what exactly is Josephine?
This book is written in such a way that the reader feels inside the characters heads and it's an intimate place to be. Characters are multi faceted and not always as straightforward as they might seem. It's a world filled with tragedy and probably the biggest is the fact that without anger humans lose passion. True horror is the thought of apathy when dealing with our fellow man and not truly connecting with loss . So much of how we react depends on how we feel and by removing anger people are disconnected and I thought the author did an excellent job in slowly revealing the terrible aspects of this scenario .
I thought it was an interesting beginning populated with damaged characters but slowed down a little in intensity as I continued reading. The last third gathered such a pace though that I could not put it down and just had to finish! It's a fantastic and well conceived conclusion that felt quite emotional and very unexpected . Unfortunately there is a cliffhanger and those who hate book hangovers will be tearing their hair out! This was such an intriguing and surprising read that I really have to know what happens next. A great beginning and I loved that I wasn't sure exactly how the story would end. Recommended .
May 9, 2014
Disclaimer: ARC copy from Netgalley.
Fury, by Charlotte McGonaghy, is hands-down, an epic book. This book starts with the premise that there is a plague that has devastated the entire world and the survivors rode their fury to destruction and chaos. The emotion anger and the resulting aggression has been eliminated by a vaccine. That's a good thing, right? Not... quite. It has the unfortunate effect of making most people lose their humanity. Without anger, people can rape without getting upset. People see children getting brutalized and walk on by. If something traumatic happens like a fire, their brain gets distracted by the pretty colors and they end up not being able to save anyone. As the book's heroine, Josephine Luquet, says, "The world is a sea of ghosts. When the plague annihilated us there were riots in the streets. Buildings came down in a flood of dry rubble. A fury made of fear was born, and the world grew dangerous. Nine years ago, the government - every government - built walls around the remaining cities and started administering the cures. No more anger for humanity. No more aggression. The fight went out of us; we were malleable, controllable drones. But with one emotion gone, the other parts of us grew skewed and out of shape. Now everything is distorted - our perceptions of the world are damaged. A woman cheats on her husband and he can't manage to care. A house is burgled and the occupants think it's funny. A child is lost and nobody understands the importance of this except the Bloods. These aren't rational responses - they are the reactions of damaged psyches, brains that are scrambling to connect pieces of pictures that have been pulled apart."
So, this story is about Josephine, who is holding a terrible secret her whole life: she was never given the vaccine. She meets a guy named Luke who knows she hasn't been given the vaccine but still cares for her. She has an even worse secret however that he discovers: once a year on the Blood Moon, she blacks out and murders people. She doesn't know why either. Basically, the whole book is him falling for her and them trying to figure out why she kills people because it is killing her physically the longer it progresses. He has a secret also. That one, I'm not telling, so read the book.
I read several reviews that gave lower stars because the description of the book didn't match the book because they didn't lose all their emotions, just anger. Well, that's not the author's fault. That's the publisher's problem for messing it up.
I would have liked to have seen more info on the Resistance and the Bloods in this book, but she did a good job whetting my appetite for more in the next book. I honestly hope she hurries up and writes the next one already! I recommend this book to anyone who likes dystopian fiction, anyone who liked the Divergent series, those who like sci-fi, and finally to those who want to change it up to a new type of book! This is a great book!
Fury, by Charlotte McGonaghy, is hands-down, an epic book. This book starts with the premise that there is a plague that has devastated the entire world and the survivors rode their fury to destruction and chaos. The emotion anger and the resulting aggression has been eliminated by a vaccine. That's a good thing, right? Not... quite. It has the unfortunate effect of making most people lose their humanity. Without anger, people can rape without getting upset. People see children getting brutalized and walk on by. If something traumatic happens like a fire, their brain gets distracted by the pretty colors and they end up not being able to save anyone. As the book's heroine, Josephine Luquet, says, "The world is a sea of ghosts. When the plague annihilated us there were riots in the streets. Buildings came down in a flood of dry rubble. A fury made of fear was born, and the world grew dangerous. Nine years ago, the government - every government - built walls around the remaining cities and started administering the cures. No more anger for humanity. No more aggression. The fight went out of us; we were malleable, controllable drones. But with one emotion gone, the other parts of us grew skewed and out of shape. Now everything is distorted - our perceptions of the world are damaged. A woman cheats on her husband and he can't manage to care. A house is burgled and the occupants think it's funny. A child is lost and nobody understands the importance of this except the Bloods. These aren't rational responses - they are the reactions of damaged psyches, brains that are scrambling to connect pieces of pictures that have been pulled apart."
So, this story is about Josephine, who is holding a terrible secret her whole life: she was never given the vaccine. She meets a guy named Luke who knows she hasn't been given the vaccine but still cares for her. She has an even worse secret however that he discovers: once a year on the Blood Moon, she blacks out and murders people. She doesn't know why either. Basically, the whole book is him falling for her and them trying to figure out why she kills people because it is killing her physically the longer it progresses. He has a secret also. That one, I'm not telling, so read the book.
I read several reviews that gave lower stars because the description of the book didn't match the book because they didn't lose all their emotions, just anger. Well, that's not the author's fault. That's the publisher's problem for messing it up.
I would have liked to have seen more info on the Resistance and the Bloods in this book, but she did a good job whetting my appetite for more in the next book. I honestly hope she hurries up and writes the next one already! I recommend this book to anyone who likes dystopian fiction, anyone who liked the Divergent series, those who like sci-fi, and finally to those who want to change it up to a new type of book! This is a great book!
March 8, 2016
The blurb perfectly describes the story so let's get straight to my thoughts, that's if I can make sense of them!!
I finished this an immediately wanted the next book in the series, which, to me anyway, marks a great book. On finishing as well, I had so many emotions running through me, which I thought ironic, since the book deals with emotions being eradicated :) One thing about the blurb though, is that it says that emotions have been erased when really it's only anger that has been, from what I got from the story anyway. I also found myself confused at times because if anger was the only thing removed, then why at times did the author make it out that nearly every emotion was removed? A few times it says that only anger is removed with them thinking of removing sadness, yet it seemed that the author portrayed the drones as mindless, yet the drones could feel glee at hurting people, they were often times cruel and leering but how can they be if they are mindless drones?? I felt like this part could of been a little clearer! Still, it's only a minor niggle and didn't take too much from the overall feel of the story.
Josephine was a flawed but brilliant character. Her life has been beyond hard! She hasn't been cured so feels everything so much more than the "drones". Plus one every blood moon, she becomes something else, she becomes something more and she has killed!! She wakes the next day with vague feelings more than memories of death, of blood and of herself reveling in it. She becomes a loner, intent on ending herself soon rather than killing again. That is until Luke! Luke changes her and gives her something to live for. Josi is strong willed, brave, intelligent, furious, loving and longing to be normal, not a drone but not the way she is now.
Luke is Josi saviour. He is a Grey, one of only 3. He is the elite and brilliant at what he does, so when he is given an assignment to observe a target, he thinks nothing of it. It's beneath him but because he is in trouble at work, he does it grudgingly. What he sees though, is a captivating girl whom he can't help but be drawn to. What can I say about Luke other than yum and he rocks!!! Lol.
The word the author created is unique, brutal, harsh yet also makes you realise that your emotions are important, they make you who you are! Every emotion matters and the result of losing one can be devastating. I loved the idea behind it, I loved the idea of the Bloods, I loved the idea of the rebels and furies, though both don't get much screen time so I'm hoping we learn more in future books.
In all, this was an amazing read. Despite the minor problems, I still thoroughly enjoyed this and can highly recommend, only thing is, I need the next one now!!!
I finished this an immediately wanted the next book in the series, which, to me anyway, marks a great book. On finishing as well, I had so many emotions running through me, which I thought ironic, since the book deals with emotions being eradicated :) One thing about the blurb though, is that it says that emotions have been erased when really it's only anger that has been, from what I got from the story anyway. I also found myself confused at times because if anger was the only thing removed, then why at times did the author make it out that nearly every emotion was removed? A few times it says that only anger is removed with them thinking of removing sadness, yet it seemed that the author portrayed the drones as mindless, yet the drones could feel glee at hurting people, they were often times cruel and leering but how can they be if they are mindless drones?? I felt like this part could of been a little clearer! Still, it's only a minor niggle and didn't take too much from the overall feel of the story.
Josephine was a flawed but brilliant character. Her life has been beyond hard! She hasn't been cured so feels everything so much more than the "drones". Plus one every blood moon, she becomes something else, she becomes something more and she has killed!! She wakes the next day with vague feelings more than memories of death, of blood and of herself reveling in it. She becomes a loner, intent on ending herself soon rather than killing again. That is until Luke! Luke changes her and gives her something to live for. Josi is strong willed, brave, intelligent, furious, loving and longing to be normal, not a drone but not the way she is now.
Luke is Josi saviour. He is a Grey, one of only 3. He is the elite and brilliant at what he does, so when he is given an assignment to observe a target, he thinks nothing of it. It's beneath him but because he is in trouble at work, he does it grudgingly. What he sees though, is a captivating girl whom he can't help but be drawn to. What can I say about Luke other than yum and he rocks!!! Lol.
The word the author created is unique, brutal, harsh yet also makes you realise that your emotions are important, they make you who you are! Every emotion matters and the result of losing one can be devastating. I loved the idea behind it, I loved the idea of the Bloods, I loved the idea of the rebels and furies, though both don't get much screen time so I'm hoping we learn more in future books.
In all, this was an amazing read. Despite the minor problems, I still thoroughly enjoyed this and can highly recommend, only thing is, I need the next one now!!!
April 15, 2014
This review originally appeared at http://giantsquidbooks.com/2014/04/15...
Fury by Charlotte McConaghy took me by surprise. I can usually tell how I’m going to feel about a book from the first couple chapters. But with Fury, I did a complete 180. Though it took me a while to get in to the story, about a third of the way through it grabbed me and took off running, dragging me along with it!
The premise is a good one: in a future where anger has been “cured”, the uncured are feared and wild. Josi, who for years has gone on annual killing sprees she can’t remember, is particularly wild and particularly afraid–of herself. The story is told in fragments: it jumps around chronologically and the POV changes quite frequently. I think this is part of the reason that I had trouble getting in to the book– I just struggled to find my footing.
By the end both the rotating POV’s and the chronology shifts were working for me–the story jumps back and forth between Josi and Luke as they’re falling in love and Josi in an asylum, and the parts about Luke and Josi are framed as the story Josi is telling her therapist. And as the story built up steam it became clear that Ms. McConaghy is a master of suspense and reveal–I gasped out loud in a few places and the chronological jumps were timed perfectly to keep me on the edge of my seat.
I should say: Fury is described as an “adult” novel–that is, not YA. So actually my first observation is: damn, have I gotten used to really, really violent YA! Fury is brutal at times: the descriptions of Josi’s violent episodes made me cringe. But I liked the way Ms. McConaghy deals with violence: Josi is horrified by the violence she causes and other characters have that kind of reaction too (except those who don’t… as a result of the eponymous, humanity-stripping cure).
Fury isn’t perfect–for the first third of the book I felt fairly adrift, and I was pretty frustrated when Luke reveals a pretty damn big secret to Josi near the end (no spoilers here, don’t worry) with no consequences. But all in all Fury, once I got in to it, was a riveting read.
3/5 for characters–my biggest complaint was the “instalove” between Josi and Luke, which I’m just tired of, even in books that are billed as romances (The Cure series is described as “romantic science-fiction”.)
4/5 for worldbuilding–I liked that the dystopia is one that derives clearly from our own world–it was easy to see how they got there, easy to imagine how people might slip into thinking that the cure is a good idea. That’s something I really value and rarely find in a story.
4/5 for prose–this book reads beautifully.
and 5/5 for what I thought was an original approach to dystopia and a great story!
Fury by Charlotte McConaghy: 4/5
Fury by Charlotte McConaghy took me by surprise. I can usually tell how I’m going to feel about a book from the first couple chapters. But with Fury, I did a complete 180. Though it took me a while to get in to the story, about a third of the way through it grabbed me and took off running, dragging me along with it!
The premise is a good one: in a future where anger has been “cured”, the uncured are feared and wild. Josi, who for years has gone on annual killing sprees she can’t remember, is particularly wild and particularly afraid–of herself. The story is told in fragments: it jumps around chronologically and the POV changes quite frequently. I think this is part of the reason that I had trouble getting in to the book– I just struggled to find my footing.
By the end both the rotating POV’s and the chronology shifts were working for me–the story jumps back and forth between Josi and Luke as they’re falling in love and Josi in an asylum, and the parts about Luke and Josi are framed as the story Josi is telling her therapist. And as the story built up steam it became clear that Ms. McConaghy is a master of suspense and reveal–I gasped out loud in a few places and the chronological jumps were timed perfectly to keep me on the edge of my seat.
I should say: Fury is described as an “adult” novel–that is, not YA. So actually my first observation is: damn, have I gotten used to really, really violent YA! Fury is brutal at times: the descriptions of Josi’s violent episodes made me cringe. But I liked the way Ms. McConaghy deals with violence: Josi is horrified by the violence she causes and other characters have that kind of reaction too (except those who don’t… as a result of the eponymous, humanity-stripping cure).
Fury isn’t perfect–for the first third of the book I felt fairly adrift, and I was pretty frustrated when Luke reveals a pretty damn big secret to Josi near the end (no spoilers here, don’t worry) with no consequences. But all in all Fury, once I got in to it, was a riveting read.
3/5 for characters–my biggest complaint was the “instalove” between Josi and Luke, which I’m just tired of, even in books that are billed as romances (The Cure series is described as “romantic science-fiction”.)
4/5 for worldbuilding–I liked that the dystopia is one that derives clearly from our own world–it was easy to see how they got there, easy to imagine how people might slip into thinking that the cure is a good idea. That’s something I really value and rarely find in a story.
4/5 for prose–this book reads beautifully.
and 5/5 for what I thought was an original approach to dystopia and a great story!
Fury by Charlotte McConaghy: 4/5
January 2, 2015
This book was not was I thought it would be. It's hard to know what to expect from a relatively new author. In this case, the story quickly went from ambiguous to riveting. I couldn't put it down. It was, in fact, amazing.
This is the story of Josephine, whom we meet when she is speaking with a therapist in a mental health facility. She has tried to kill herself several times and her therapist is nearly at his wits end trying to figure out how to fix her. And apparently this is a facility for the criminally insane, since Josephine insists that she has killed several people.
The story then continues in flashbacks from three points of view: Josephine, her friend/lover Luke, and Anthony, the therapist. It also jumps the timeline, with each chapter dated. It sounds as if this would be difficult to track, but it's not. The tone and context of each chapter make sense with the jumps. It's never hard to figure out what's happening and when; it's not a complicated plot. It simply reveals itself bit by bit, grabbing you and leaving you hanging on for the next detail. It plays out like a very good action movie, complete with horrific murders and fighting scenes and shootouts. The whole package is very, very good.
Josephine and Luke, the main characters, are sympathetic and strong. Their relationship develops slowly and is a bit of a departure from the standard YA couple. This is what makes it somewhat believable; it was very easy to visualise these two as if watching them in a blockbuster movie. There is a marked age difference between them, but this plays well into the story as it develops. The scenes between them are wonderful as their relationship slowly grows and each one's strengths and weaknesses emerge.
The world building here is relatively sparse. Since the story ends on an uncertain note (not a true cliffhanger), it is assumed that will be explored in more detail in the next installment. There was enough to frame out the plot and give the characters context. And honestly, about 20% in I thought 'this is going to be just another werewolf book. You've gotta be kidding me.' I was never so glad to be never more wrong.
I will be anxiously awaiting the next book in this series. I hope this books gets the promotion and press it deserves, because it could well be the next in a long line of dystopian book-to-movie adaptations. 4.5 stars from me, and I highly recommend it.
This is the story of Josephine, whom we meet when she is speaking with a therapist in a mental health facility. She has tried to kill herself several times and her therapist is nearly at his wits end trying to figure out how to fix her. And apparently this is a facility for the criminally insane, since Josephine insists that she has killed several people.
The story then continues in flashbacks from three points of view: Josephine, her friend/lover Luke, and Anthony, the therapist. It also jumps the timeline, with each chapter dated. It sounds as if this would be difficult to track, but it's not. The tone and context of each chapter make sense with the jumps. It's never hard to figure out what's happening and when; it's not a complicated plot. It simply reveals itself bit by bit, grabbing you and leaving you hanging on for the next detail. It plays out like a very good action movie, complete with horrific murders and fighting scenes and shootouts. The whole package is very, very good.
Josephine and Luke, the main characters, are sympathetic and strong. Their relationship develops slowly and is a bit of a departure from the standard YA couple. This is what makes it somewhat believable; it was very easy to visualise these two as if watching them in a blockbuster movie. There is a marked age difference between them, but this plays well into the story as it develops. The scenes between them are wonderful as their relationship slowly grows and each one's strengths and weaknesses emerge.
The world building here is relatively sparse. Since the story ends on an uncertain note (not a true cliffhanger), it is assumed that will be explored in more detail in the next installment. There was enough to frame out the plot and give the characters context. And honestly, about 20% in I thought 'this is going to be just another werewolf book. You've gotta be kidding me.' I was never so glad to be never more wrong.
I will be anxiously awaiting the next book in this series. I hope this books gets the promotion and press it deserves, because it could well be the next in a long line of dystopian book-to-movie adaptations. 4.5 stars from me, and I highly recommend it.
March 12, 2016
A view weeks ago I received an invitation to participate in the blog Tour for 'Limerence' by Charlotte McConaghy. I read the book description and immediately wanted to sign up. But since ‘Limerence’ is the third book in the series and I haven’t read the previous books I thought I wouldn’t be able to be a part of the tour. Thankfully there was an option to read all three the books in the series. So as fast as I could I signed up and when I received the book I started reading the first book 'Fury' as fast as I could.
Well I can tell you one thing about this book: ITS AMAZING!! Really.. This book is so good I don't get why there aren’t movies being made about this one. From the moment I started reading I was completely hooked. 'Fury' is written in a very fascinating way. The story alters between the point of views of the three main characters and the story goes from a year ago to the present. This sounds confusing but really wasn’t confusing at all. This made this book all the more interesting, intriguing and completely addicting.
'Fury' is the story of a young woman called Josephine who is living in a world of people who have had the 'cure', and aren’t able to feel anger anymore. Josephine never had the cure and she is living with a terrible secret. She has been alone for years and doesn't interact with many people. That is until Luke starts talking with her. Luke is gorgeous, kind and really caring. He seems to really want to get to know Josephine. But life is hard and there is a lot wrong in the world.
Man, I loved these two characters. Josephine was so strong and I really admired her. She had been through so much and I think she was really brave. And Luke.. Sigh.. I loved that Guy. Seriously.. I developed a huge crush on Luke while reading this book. He was just so kind and caring. The romance and chemistry between Josephine and Luke was really fun to read about and I was totally hooked to every page.
This book gets a huge 5 star rating from me. I loved every single word and really couldn't put it down. Although a lot is revealed in the end, there is still a lot we don't know so I can’t wait to start reading the next book. 'Fury' is definitely a new favorite for me.
Well I can tell you one thing about this book: ITS AMAZING!! Really.. This book is so good I don't get why there aren’t movies being made about this one. From the moment I started reading I was completely hooked. 'Fury' is written in a very fascinating way. The story alters between the point of views of the three main characters and the story goes from a year ago to the present. This sounds confusing but really wasn’t confusing at all. This made this book all the more interesting, intriguing and completely addicting.
'Fury' is the story of a young woman called Josephine who is living in a world of people who have had the 'cure', and aren’t able to feel anger anymore. Josephine never had the cure and she is living with a terrible secret. She has been alone for years and doesn't interact with many people. That is until Luke starts talking with her. Luke is gorgeous, kind and really caring. He seems to really want to get to know Josephine. But life is hard and there is a lot wrong in the world.
Man, I loved these two characters. Josephine was so strong and I really admired her. She had been through so much and I think she was really brave. And Luke.. Sigh.. I loved that Guy. Seriously.. I developed a huge crush on Luke while reading this book. He was just so kind and caring. The romance and chemistry between Josephine and Luke was really fun to read about and I was totally hooked to every page.
This book gets a huge 5 star rating from me. I loved every single word and really couldn't put it down. Although a lot is revealed in the end, there is still a lot we don't know so I can’t wait to start reading the next book. 'Fury' is definitely a new favorite for me.
September 3, 2016
The title pages of this book compares this book to the Divergent series. I would say it's a lot closer to (and even better than) the Delirium series. Everyone in the Fury universe is cured of anger as a teenager and with that all other emotions are dulled. Josi is uncured and once a year becomes blackout violent.
While there are a few little errors in the book (in chapter 6 Luke is described as shirtless and then Josi says that she can see through his shirt and it's distracting) Fury is a seriously fun read. It's one of those books you stay up late reading because you just have to know what happens next. All of the characters are well developed and they will simultaneously break your heart and make you want to throw the book across the room in anger.
The book ends in a very interesting and precarious situation and I'm really excited to see where the story goes. There is more, right??
While there are a few little errors in the book (in chapter 6 Luke is described as shirtless and then Josi says that she can see through his shirt and it's distracting) Fury is a seriously fun read. It's one of those books you stay up late reading because you just have to know what happens next. All of the characters are well developed and they will simultaneously break your heart and make you want to throw the book across the room in anger.
The book ends in a very interesting and precarious situation and I'm really excited to see where the story goes. There is more, right??
April 28, 2014
There are some books that hook me for the prose alone, and others that hook me for the characters. Then there are the few books that absolutely hook me because the premise the book is based on is so absolutely thought provoking. This is one of the ladder kinds. Fury surprised me. I went into it expecting an adult version of Divergent, and I came out of it absolutely surprised (but the good kind). This book is thought provoking, and well written. The ending is a little predictable, but the pace is breakneck, and the plot is absolutely absorbing. Josephine is a character that keeps you guessing, and McConaghy’s writing is tight, and filled with just the right amount of description.
Fury is the first book in a trilogy, and I cannot wait to read more of it. It’s a fast, fun story, but also an absolutely fascinating look at the raw power of emotions.
Read my full review here:
http://www.bookwormblues.net/2014/04/...
Fury is the first book in a trilogy, and I cannot wait to read more of it. It’s a fast, fun story, but also an absolutely fascinating look at the raw power of emotions.
Read my full review here:
http://www.bookwormblues.net/2014/04/...
July 9, 2014
I would like to thank the publisher for approving my copy of this on Netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.
We first meet Josephine or Josi as she is in hospital, we live the story through Josi's eyes, it's is told in such vivid detail that you can see Josi as she is talking to her Doctor.
When I first picked this up I really wasn't sure if I would like it, but it is told in such a way that from page one you are asking questions like, who is Josi? Who is Luke? Is Josi making it all up? how can you live in a world with no anger?
We are dragged along as Josi tells hers and Lukes story, it is told brilliantly and leaves you eager to pick up and read every page. You can't help but like and feel sorry for Josi, no one believes her and she is struggling....
This is left on such a cliff hanger that you can't wait to pick up book 2.
We first meet Josephine or Josi as she is in hospital, we live the story through Josi's eyes, it's is told in such vivid detail that you can see Josi as she is talking to her Doctor.
When I first picked this up I really wasn't sure if I would like it, but it is told in such a way that from page one you are asking questions like, who is Josi? Who is Luke? Is Josi making it all up? how can you live in a world with no anger?
We are dragged along as Josi tells hers and Lukes story, it is told brilliantly and leaves you eager to pick up and read every page. You can't help but like and feel sorry for Josi, no one believes her and she is struggling....
This is left on such a cliff hanger that you can't wait to pick up book 2.
March 22, 2016
This book surprised me. I wasn't sure what to expect but I quickly grew interested in the main characters and their back-stories. It has revealing information slowly exposed so it keeps the mystery alive. It's based in a dystopian world where emotions are numbed, and it can be somewhat realistic with the way that some modern mental medications do in fact make people feel they are 'numb', especially when referring to rage or sadness. I really enjoyed this book and cannot wait to see what happens in this series.
I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
See my full review at MyeerahReads
I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
See my full review at MyeerahReads
April 18, 2022
I'm not sure how I feel about this book in the end. I found the timeline tricky to navigate, and wish the Author had found another way to make it clearer when things were happening. Once I got the hang of paying attention to the year, it was a bit easier to keep track of things.
This story is much like Divergent, and reminded me a bit of Firefly/Serenity where the plot revolves around a future where people are given a "cure" to remove their anger.
Josephine was an interesting character, with a sad past and seemingly no hope for her future. Luke too was flawed and made some questionable choices, but was also clever and strong and ultimately good. I also enjoyed Anthony and seeing him change, as much as he was capable. You don't get to know much about his past until it's too late, but it was nice to see Josi through his eyes too.
I think there were a lot of complex things about this world that readers have to learn, and I still don't feel that I got a clear picture of the day to day workings of this world and how people live - only getting the obscure perspective of three relative outsiders. I wish the "Bloods" had been explained more early on and I still don't really understand their purpose and how they fit in with this society.
Things do get very exciting at the end, but I was also getting fatigued by the jumping timeline so I was very happy to reach the end.
This story is much like Divergent, and reminded me a bit of Firefly/Serenity where the plot revolves around a future where people are given a "cure" to remove their anger.
Josephine was an interesting character, with a sad past and seemingly no hope for her future. Luke too was flawed and made some questionable choices, but was also clever and strong and ultimately good. I also enjoyed Anthony and seeing him change, as much as he was capable. You don't get to know much about his past until it's too late, but it was nice to see Josi through his eyes too.
I think there were a lot of complex things about this world that readers have to learn, and I still don't feel that I got a clear picture of the day to day workings of this world and how people live - only getting the obscure perspective of three relative outsiders. I wish the "Bloods" had been explained more early on and I still don't really understand their purpose and how they fit in with this society.
Things do get very exciting at the end, but I was also getting fatigued by the jumping timeline so I was very happy to reach the end.
February 13, 2019
Great book with an exciting story and strong characters that are easy to fall in love with. I loved the style of writing in this book where it would go back and forth from past to present in different perspectives. Also, I loved the way McConaghy described the action scenes where she did not hold back on the brutality and goriness of it. Overall, it was a really great read that ended on a massive cliffhanger, making me pick up the next installment in the series immediately!
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