Book Review: Fury by Charlotte McConaghy

This is a spoiler free review!

I feel like I haven’t reviewed enough books yet so here we are with this rather underrated dystopian gem by Charlotte McConaghy.

Review

This is that perfect mix of Divergent and Maze Runner with the good qualities of a dystopian novel without the bland cynical parts.

Fury follows the story of 18-year-old Josephine Luquet, or Josie as you’ll get to know her as, who has a horrible experience on the blood moon every year where she wakes up covered in blood and naked without a clue on what has happened.

The society in which she lives has purged anger by introducing the Cure, an immunisation manadated by the government. Those who do not take it are subject to become Furies and those that do become ‘drones’. She has not responded to the Cure like the others, and that makes her dangerous.

Then along comes Luke, a drone who is determined to help Josie figure out what is happening and save her before the next blood moon, and before the government finds out she has not been Cured.

Let me just say this book is a roller coaster of action, emotions, mystery and suspense. I absolutely loved it and I feel like it deserves more love than it gets. McConaghy’s writing is effortless yet packs a punch, creating characters that will make you want to cry in the best way possible. They are well-rounded and flawed in their own way, adding to the concept of humanity that is explored throughout the book. While the plot is character-driven, the world we’ve immersed ourselves in is gritty, dangerous and places our characters in situations that have our palms sweaty.

What I liked about Josie is she is hard as nails; her recklessness is her biggest flaw yet her most memorable trait as it takes her on some pretty wild journeys. Luke played his part well, caught between being a drone and wanting to help someone who isn’t Cured. His internal struggles were complicated and human, that’s what I liked about him. Also, the romance is breathtaking, such a raw love that made my head spin.

McConaghy’s dystopian world where our anger is taken away was a unique idea and she executed it wonderfully. The Bloods and Furies show the contrasting impact of the Cure and it was fascinating to see how easily the world could crumble. The chaotic order, the side effects, the meaning behind it all – eventually, it all boils down to our humanity. What are we willing to sacrifice to be human? Where do we draw the line between drone and human? What are we without emotions? The premise of this book makes you think through all the violence and chaos, causes you ponder on what life would be like without your own fury. It’s brilliant.

Rating

🌟🌟🌟🌟

I honestly enjoyed this book immensely and can’t wait to continue the series.

Let me know your thoughts if you’ve read this!

Until next time,

Keep heart.