Violet is no stranger to death and heartache. As a teen her dad and sister died as the result of a car accident; an accident Violet walked away from. When she starts at a new school, Elm Hollow Academy, Violet hopes that she can get a fresh start. After Violet is asked to join an exclusive, secret class, Violet finds herself mixed up in some intense situations with her new friends that has her questioning what is going on and what she has been told. To make matters worse, when the body of Emily Frost, whom Violet has been told she resembles, is found, things go from bad to worse.⁣⁣⁣
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I found the story okay; it really felt like a fusion of a lot of 90s and 2000s movies, including Mean Girls, The Craft, Skulls and AHS Coven. Things seemed to jump around and I wasn’t always sure how they got to where they were in the story. There were a couple of OMG moments that I enjoyed, but overall it didn’t grab me. ⁣⁣⁣

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read this book. I have to give it three stars out of five. I wish I could give it more stars as I wanted to love this book but I found myself getting very distracted while reading. It definitely gave me the movie The Craft vibes which I was into but I found the story was just moving too slowly for me.

The story begins with the mysterious death of a 16 year old girl found on the Elm Hollow Academy school property several years past. The school which is a private girl’s school is known for its history of being the site for witch trials. Violet one of the main characters is enrolled at Elm Hollow Academy after surviving a car crash that killed her father and sister. She is befriended by Robin, Alex and Grace. The girls where invited by their art teacher to join a special group. These friends are so manipulative especially Robin. Violet wanting to fit in, she will do anything that the girls tell her to do. All the main characters in this story were unlikable.
I would like to thank the publisher and NetGalley for the eArc in exchange for an honest review.

High school can be pretty scary—balancing school work and relationships and the quest to figure out your true identity. But in The Furies, author Katie Lowe throws in dark mysteries, deep secrets, and a school with a history of witchcraft to make it even scarier than the typical high school experience.

Full review published on NightsAndWeekends.com - and aired on Shelf Discovery.

*Somewhere between 3 and 4 stars. I thought this was a well-written YA thriller, aimed at older teens because of the mature themes of drinking, drugs, sex and murder.

Violet Taylor starts attending Elm Hollow as a scholarship student after the death of her father and younger sister. She finds it difficult to make friends at first but is thrilled when 'the cool girl' Robin and her two friends, Grace and Alex, take her under their wings. The four of them are invited to join a special class held by their art teacher Annabelle who begins telling them about the early origins of the school, which includes some dabbling in witchcraft.

'...women are doomed to two fates. It is our lot to be seen as either unpredictable and irrational mortals, maligned and repressed by the actions of men, or sacred beings, goddesses of a higher realm, among the Fates and the Furies.'

When they find a book of spells among Alex's mother's collection, the girls decide to do some experimenting on their own. According to a page in Annabelle's required reading: "'Once summoned, the Furies cannot be sent back, only leave of their own accord. To summon them without due reason, therefore, is to risk a life of torture, the deepest suffering of the human soul.'"

The story is told from Violet's first person perspective, looking back on those days now that she is an adult and a dean of students herself. It is almost painful how easily she was led into doing things because of her love for her friend Robin and wanting to be liked by the group. Violet seems unable to say no in many dangerous situations and is pushed to learn what she is capable of doing. Very uncomfortable reading!

I received an arc of this Ya thriller from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Many thanks.

The Furies was outside of my comfort zone; I don’t read a lot of YA or books that dabble in witchcraft. With that being said, I did enjoy this one and I’m glad I read it despite reading many negative reviews before picking it up.

This story centers around Violet, a new student joining Elm Hollow Academy. Her mother decided to enroll her in a new school after a tragic accident that killed Violet’s father and sister left them with a hefty insurance settlement. Violet ends up connecting with a group of girls (Robin, Alex and Grace) who are all rumored to be bad news: into drugs, alcohol, skipping school and partying with older guys. She soon joins an exclusive study group with this group of girls led by their art teacher, Annabel. In these study sessions they learn about witchcraft and the dark history of the school. As Violet’s friendship with Robin intensifies, she becomes involved in things she never would have imagined. Robin begins to understand why she was warned about this group of girls, but is in over her head.

I wasn’t expecting this story to be as dark as it was. There’s a lot going on in this book- murder, rape, dark magic and toxic friendships. I felt like this story was paced just right, and the ending left me reeling. I think this is a clever and unique YA book that will keep readers on their toes.

Thank you Netgalley for my advance reading copy- this is the perfect October read and will be published 10/8/19.

There's no way not to fall head over heels into this book! I loved it, start to finish.

Is there such a thing as the Furies, women exacting their revenge on those who have done them wrong? It starts out as fun and then too many coincidences lead you to believe that maybe the four girls really have gotten themselves into a power that can't be undone. I loved watching them grow, questioning their abilities and falling into the power that their abilities possess when things seem to go their way. Yet, using them for matters, without even conviction at times, was almost their downfall.

I wonder what could have been had Robin not been picked as one of the elite 4. She seemed to be too much of a wild card, granted the book would never have been what it was without her. But, could the Furies have been passed down to four more girls, without so many deaths and scandals surrounding the school? Would any of the girls eventually have daughters that fell into the elite group, as well?

I don't know, but I wish I knew how the next generation would hold it all down or if Annabell has already started a new class. You're going to be fully immersed in this world and left wanting more, too. This culture of the wealthy elite, mixed with the underworld and teenage angst will drive you wild!

Are witch stories right up your lane? Did you like The Craft? Do you like teenage angst with old literature thrown throughout? Then this book is for you. I was thrilled to read this book and the telling of past and present really made it enjoyable. It will leave you gasping in shock.

I found this to be a dark thriller about friendship and the lengths a teen might go to in order to have some friends and then keep them. I was drawn in from the opening and continued reading to find out exactly what and how things happened. I would not say that this was one of my favorites read this year but it was interesting. I received a complimentary copy from NetGalley and the publisher and this is my honest opinion.

I genuinely tried to get into and enjoy this book. It had all the elements I love: witchy vibes, a secret history, a bit of The Craft mixed in for good measure. But I just couldn't really lose myself in the story. At its core, it's a story about revenge (here for it), but I felt like it was lacking in a few ways.

I really enjoyed this thriller. It's very dark and twisty and kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time. The characters are unique and different from each other which is something I always love in a book. They also brought something to the main plot of the story and kept me guessing throughout the story. I also loved how Lowe added in the feminist aspect to this with the empowered women and how society viewed those women; I think it gave the story a very unique vibe. Overall, I really enjoyed it and definitely recommend it.

I really liked The Furies, A scary intense read about a group of girls struggling through their teenage years. Dabbling in the occult, murder, witchcraft and drugs. Elm Hollow Academy has links to the Witch trials that took place on these grounds in the 17th century. Violet finds herself enrolled in classes and trying to fit in. She meets Robin, Alex and Grace and the insanity ensues. I liked all the twists and turns and unexpected ending. Looking forward to reading more from this Author.
#TheFuries #NetGalley

I give The Furies 4 stars for its intense read.
I would recommend this book to Thriller Fans.

Violet is in need of a fresh start after losing her father and sister. Seeking to escape her traumatic family situation, Violet enrolls in an all-girls boarding school on the outskirts of her town. Awkward and unsure where to find her fit within the student body, Violet sees her chance to form a group of friends after being invited to an advanced study group held by her mysterious and captivating art teacher, Annabel.

Violet forms a fast friendship with the three other girls in this group. Alex, Grace, and Robin embrace Violet and together with their teacher, they start to dive into the school’s long-buried history of witchcraft. The school seems to be the home of occult interests, dating all the way back to the founder. Annabel insists her lessons are not to sway the girls into rites and rituals, but to enlighten them to history and mythology. The girls see it differently and they are soon convinced that they should learn to harness the magic they have been studying. As their actions start to spiral out of control, Violet finds herself unsure who to trust, including herself.

THE FURIES is Katie Lowe’s captivating debut into the lives of four teenage girls who are seemingly misfits at their boarding school. Each girl has something they’re hiding in their personal lives, something that draws them to feel lost and unsure. Together they have built a support system. They have also built an interest in witchcraft and the possibility that they could harness magic to be used to seek vengeance on those who have wronged them.

As with any book revolving around teenagers, THE FURIES does have a strong Young Adult presence. As someone who does not predominantly read in this genre I was a bit concerned starting my read. Lowe quickly took away any doubts I had about the enjoyability and content within the pages of her book. Is there school-aged drama? Of course, but it’s written in a way that makes it relatable for a reader of any age, rather than feeling childish. I do think some readers might find the initial few chapters to be heavily YA, but I urge you to give it time as Lowe flushes out the characters.

THE FURIES is not a complicated story, but it is one that I found to be entertaining and a light read. The book certainly touches on some darker areas, but the writing is not overly graphic or gory during those sections of the book. Overall the material, layout, and writing of THE FURIES makes for a binge-worthy, coming-of-age read perfect for the autumnal season!

Disclosure: A huge thank you to St. Martin’s Press for sending me a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!

Oh boy am I a sucker for teen girl rage books. This one gave me Girls on fire and Megan Abbot vibes.... and I CAN DIG IT. Perhaps not my fave book of all time, but definitely worth the read.

This book started well and I was intrigued by the staged scene and the coincidental appearance similarities between the person in the scene and the main character. Unfortunately the rest of the book did not match the beginning for me. It was well written with some unlikeable characters (which I actually love) and strange decisions. The school set up was quite unbelievable to me.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC of this.

Maybe it's because I've inadvertently read a bunch of other books this year that take place on exclusive prep school grounds that contain *~*secrets*~* (usually of the murderous kind), but this let me down. This wasn't quite as YA as the Truly Devious series, but also isn't on the level of The Secret History, and it's in an awkward middle place. The resolution of the book felt muddled, and it was tough to keep track of who was being horrible to who for what reason, and two characters actions at the end came somewhat out of nowhere. The book seems to be trying to say things about secrets and female friendships and trust, etc., but I feel like while this was reasonably well told, I've seen it done better elsewhere already. OTOH, if what I've described is extremely your thing, add this one to the pile.

I went into this book expecting it to be a lot like Heathers, and it was dark like that book which was okay. However, there was literally not one person in the book who I liked. I am not sure there was one decision I agreed with. Although well written, the story just did not entertain me, enlighten me, fill me in any way. I was really disappointed in this.

The Furies ultimately was not for me. I was intrigued by the opening scene but after that it was really a teen mellow drama cut from some Freeform type cloth. Headed into reading this one I was getting The Craft vibes but I was sorely disappointed.

The book opens to Violet being the sole survivor of a crash that kills her father and sibling and her taking a year off school to teach herself while her mother struggles with the overwhelming loss. Mom then drops Violet off at boarding school when she makes friends with Robin, Grace, and Alex. Oddly Violet bears a strong resemblance to another girl who previously hung out with these girls but her body turns up on campus some nine months after she went missing. Is there magic going on or something else?

Ultimately this is a bit of a teen angst story with no real consequences for anyone’s behavior. I feel like there are probably better books to cover the topics of this one. It ultimately left me feeling disappointed.

This book opens with a murder. A victim perfectly positioned in a possible statement
This book explores 4 mean girls and a study group of occult and witchcraft
It was a good read

Book review
I was sent an eArc of this book by NetGalley in exchange for my honest thoughts.
I was so excited to read this book because I'd heard such good things about it but unfortunately I hated it.

The characters were so bland & uninteresting. I didn't connect with them at all. Violet was so needy & clingly & obsessed with Robin & her friends it was ridiculous. Its like she couldn't or didn't want to make her own choices or be her own person.

The plot was had the opportunity to be interesting but I found it boring & dull.

In all this book was a disappointment for me. I really wanted to like it but I just don't.

If you are looking for something witchy or something with dark magic I recommend this book.