Book Review: Fury by Shirley Marr

31 March, 2012 Reviews 7 comments

Fury by Shirley Marr

Publisher: Black Dog Books

Pages: 277 (Paperback)

[xrr rating=”4/5″]

Let me tell you my story.
Not just the facts I know you want to hear.
If I’m going to tell you my story,
I’m telling it my way.

Strap yourself in…

Eliza Boans has everything.
A big house.
A great education.
A bright future.

So why is she sitting in a police station confessing to murder?

This is the good thing about Goodreads.  When you start reading, the mediocre fare doesn’t seem so bad, maybe even enjoyable.  But after reading your hundredth YA paranormal romance with Mary Sue, Miss Goody-two-shoes, virginal blob, it starts to leave a sour taste in your mouth and a dissatisfying sickness in your gut.

But on Goodreads, you get to learn about books like this.  Books you might never have discovered if a friend hadn’t reviewed it or someone hadn’t recommended it to you.

After all those same books with the same themes and same stories and same characters, I started looking for different books.  Amazing books with excellent writing and brilliant execution.  Books that shine or burn or blaze their way through your mind.  That’s what this book was for me.

Marr’s writing is raw and spartan, but her imagery is complex and her characters are deeply flawed, interesting and vivid.

Eliza Boans, sixteen year old rich brat and school socialite is in for murder. Why?  From the very first page Eliza flashes you her bratty, shallow, vicious personality – daring you to contradict her.  But the tale that unfolds shows a different person.  She is often unlikeable but never unreadable and this is the distinction that so many authors miss out on.

The tale is gripping, pulled through by the beautiful tapestry of characters and relationships and mystery that surrounds Eliza’s fall from grace.

My favourite thing about this book is Marr’s ability to translate Eliza’s emotions and personality to the reader. She’s able to help the reader feel Eliza’s rage, her frustration, her loneliness and helplessness.

Also, you get TOTAL hipster points from reading this book – great for trolling.

 

Don’t forget to check out our awesome author interview with Shirley Marr and giveaway of both Fury, and her new release, Preloved here.

7 Responses to “Book Review: Fury by Shirley Marr”

  2. Lexie B.

    I really, really want to somehow get my hands on a copy of this. It sounds so completely different, which would make me want to read it even if there weren’t the Goodreads cult following. I’m so grateful to Goodreads, because if it weren’t for that site, I don’t think I’d know about half the incredible books I do today.

    Also, I completely agree on the issue of the unlikeable character. I can recognize that some of my favorite characters are, in actually, probably worse people than a lot of the awful Mary Sues we rant about today. But there are two main distinctions: one, they aren’t portrayed as G-d’s gift to man. And two, they’re actually entertaining. I’d take a shallow/cruel/spiteful but entertaining protagonist over a nice but bland one any day.

  3. Kaethe

    Well, if you’re going to get all excited about Aussie writers with unlikeable characters, have you read Justine Larbalestier’s Liar? I’m thinking you might love it.

  4. Yeti

    I have just read Fury and it was absolutely brilliant…I did not want to put it down, so pretty much didn’t!!! I also read Liar that Kat says about in the comments and that was also absolute brilliance 🙂