The Fury: The Director's Cut by Alexander Gordon Smith
| The Fury: The Director's Cut by Alexander Gordon Smith | |
|
| |
| Category: Teens | |
| |
Reviewer: Margaret Young
 | |
| Summary: An apocalyptic fiction novel unlike anything I have ever read before, that will appeal to adults every bit as much as to teens. | |
| Buy? Yes | Borrow? Yes |
| Pages: 704 | Date: July 2013 |
| Publisher: Faber and Faber | |
| External links: Author's website | |
| ISBN: 978-0571303854 | |
|
Share on: | |
|
| |
I chose The Fury expecting a zombie novel. It isn't what I was expecting at all. The official press release describes the Fury as a zombie book without zombies. This book has several things in common with the zombie genre; a group of survivors, in this case all children struggling to survive against a world that wants to destroy them. Unlike the typical zombie book, those affected by the fury are not the mindless living dead. They are ordinary people who go about ordinary lives with one exception. When they get near one of these children they are gripped by an uncontrollable urge to rip them apart, and everyone on the planet, other than a very small group is affected. Parents murder their children, other children will kill their best friends and total strangers will give up everything to destroy them. After they have killed them, they will go back to their ordinary lives. The world will continue unchanged - at least for now. What makes these children different? Why does the whole world want them dead? Who is infected - and with what?
I am being deliberately vague. The less you know about this book before reading it the better. This has twists you could never anticipate unless you read about them first and I don't want to give a single one away. I'm very thankful that I did not read the blurb on the back of the book before reading it - even that would have taken some of the suspense away. This book is totally unlike anything I have ever read before. It is such a novel and unique take on apocalyptic fiction, it deserves to be a in a genre all by itself.
The Fury does contain strong violence. If you are looking for a book filled with action and suspense, this book is certain to satisfy you. But, it is by no means a typical slash and bash end of the world novel. There is physical danger and fear, but it is nothing compared to the psychological horror. It is a bit of slow starter, but this is necessary to fully develop the characters. The author does this perfectly, each character springs to life from his descriptions. They are made all the more realistic by flaws and imperfections. This is a book where you do need to know something of the main characters' backgrounds, what makes them tick, and why they react as they do, because The Fury brings a whole new concept into this genre - free will. These characters must make a choice and that choice will determine what they become. Once the story begins to pick up momentum, it is non-stop. This a book that grips the reader and draws you into a different, and terrifying world. It leaves the reader wondering what choices they would make in the same situation. There is quite a lot to ponder with this book about good and evil, guilt and innocence, right and wrong, personal responsibility, religion and morality. This book examines the best and worst in human nature, and will leave you thinking long after the last pages have been read.
If this book appeals then we can also recommend:
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
The Fury by Alexander Gordon Smith
Please share on: 
Facebook, 
Twitter and
Instagram
You can read more book reviews or buy The Fury: The Director's Cut by Alexander Gordon Smith at Amazon.co.uk Amazon currently charges £2.99 for standard delivery for orders under £20, over which delivery is free.
You can read more book reviews or buy The Fury: The Director's Cut by Alexander Gordon Smith at Amazon.com.
Comments
Like to comment on this review?
Just send us an email and we'll put the best up on the site.
