Cold Fury by T.M. Goeglein

Title: Cold Fury (Cold Fury #1)

Author: T.M. Goeglein

Publisher: Putnam Juvenile

Release Date: July 24, 2012

Source: ARC from Publisher

Buy the Book: Amazon / Book Depository

Sara Jane Rispoli has just turned sweet sixteen but so far it's anything but sweet. She'd planned to spend this birthday at the spring dance with the handsome Max Kissberg, not being chased and attacked by a masked assessing, dirty cops and a turncoat uncle. She certainly didn't plan on discovering that her family is deeply embedded int eh Chicago Outfit (aka the Mob) or to come home and find them gone.

Now on the run but determined to find her family, Sara Jane fights back with a flame burning in her gut--a deadly cold fury. Though also armed with a .45 and a briefcase full of cash, an old tattered notebook might be her best defense. It holds the key to "Ultimate Power." It's why she's being pursued, it's why her family was taken away, and it could be the key to saving her life.

Action-packed with fresh cinematic writing, Cold Fury is a riveting and imaginative adventure announcing a compelling new voice in YA.

I'm not going to lie, Cold Fury by T.M. Goeglein had me at mafia. Who wouldn't want to read a story about the Chicago Mob? The only worry I had about the story was that it wouldn't live up to my expectations. But Cold Fury was action-packed, and definitely lived up to my expectations.

Sara Jane Rispoli thought she came from a family of Italian bakers, but there were always conversations that seemed a little odd to her. Then her parents and her brother mysteriously disappear and Sara Jane has to figure out what her family is involved in so she can get them back. As the mystery unfolds, Sara Jane finds out that her family is deeply involved in the Chicago Mob and now she has to step up to the plate if she wants to have any hope of getting her family back alive. And maybe that weird cold blue flame that keeps appearing in her stomach can help her get through it all. 

Like I've already said, Cold Fury had me when I found out it was a story about the Mob. Just from the description I knew it was going to be a story full of action and that I would be able to get completely wrapped up in the story. And because of that, my expectations were pretty high. But Cold Fury didn't disappoint me in the least. Right from the prologue, I knew the story was going to be great and it didn't take long at all for me to get completely dragged into the story. Cold Fury was as action-packed as the summary had suggested it would be. My favorite part of the story was the Mob aspect of it all. I loved how much back story T.M. Goeglein included about the Mob and how it was all a part of the Rispoli family history. It made for an interesting and layered story.

There were a lot of characters to keep track of in this story, but the story wouldn't have worked as well with a small cast of characters. I really liked Sara Jane, and I liked that she didn't take everything in stride when she found out the truth about her family. But she also didn't completely break down. And I loved just how strong she eventually became. Mostly, I liked that by the end of the book she didn't really let anything stand in her way. Aside from Sara Jane, I feel like I didn't really get to know any of the other characters all that well. I would have loved to find out more about Sara Jane's father outside the Mob stuff. Max had the potential to be a really interesting character, but it felt like every time I was going to learn more about him, he got pushed to the side. But who knows, maybe in the future.

Cold Fury was a fantastic, action-packed read. The Mob back story definitely added something and made the story that much more interesting to read. I'm definitely looking forward to more from T.M. Goeglein in the future.