Cold Fury

Cold Fury
By T.M. Goeglein
Published by Putnam Juvenile
Published on July 24, 2012
Source: ARC from Publisher






Summary taken from Goodreads:

Jason Bourne meets The Sopranos in this breathtaking adventure

Sara Jane Rispoli is a normal sixteen-year-old coping with school and a budding romance--until her parents and brother are kidnapped and she discovers her family is deeply embedded in the Chicago Outfit (aka the mob).

Now on the run from a masked assassin, rogue cops and her turncoat uncle, Sara Jane is chased and attacked at every turn, fighting back with cold fury as she searches for her family. It's a quest that takes her through concealed doors and forgotten speakeasies--a city hiding in plain sight. Though armed with a .45 and 96K in cash, an old tattered notebook might be her best defense--hidden in its pages the secret to "ultimate power." It's why she's being pursued, why her family was taken, and could be the key to saving all of their lives.



The cover of this book reflects the novel so well.  I love how kick-butt the model looks and that there is a silver briefcase.  I love that it looks like a poster to an action movie instead of the typical YA cover.  No fancy dresses here- Sarah Jane is out to kick some hiney!

This is not the type of book I normally read.  I am much more into faeries and vampires than I am a straight contemporary action novel.  That being said, I have been trying to branch out with what I read- this was the perfect novel to branch out with.

Have you ever watched the Bourne series?  Well the summary is absolutely right that this is a teen girl's Jason Bourne.  The action was non stop and the writing was intensely clever.  I never felt like this book was predictable  or followed well-used plotlines.  

The only part of this book I was a little confused about was the "cold fury".  Was it intimidation? Was there something paranormal going on?  I really don't think  that there is any need to have anything paranormal in this book- it stands alone quite well.  I really loved reading about all of the history of the mob in Chicago and how it still relates to the "mob" today.

I will note that this book discusses some pretty tough topics like kidnapping, bullying, suicide, and a whole whole whole lot of butt kicking.