I don’t even know where to begin with Furia by Yamile Saied Mendez. I’ve seen a little bit about it going around Instagram but until I got the e-mail asking if I wanted to read it in exchange for an honest review, I didn’t know too much about it. After reading the synopsis I knew I would love it. Plus, super awesome, this is my first physical ARC. I usually get eBook ARCs from NetGalley. This really was an extra special treat for me.

I seriously loved this book from the beginning. Camila is such a great character that grows so much throughout the progression of the book. She is strong-willed and independent and although she is that way from the start, she learns so much about herself and how strong she really is. Camila lives in a household where her father is pretty much abusive, at least emotionally, towards her mother, brother, and herself. All he thinks about is money and fame. Camila’s brother, Paolo, is a soccer player on his way to the big leagues, which his father has pushed him towards all his life. Camila’s mother is a seamstress out of their house and is very timid but loves her kids immensely.

Then we have Camila. Her parents are pushing her to become a doctor. They think she is doing a lot of studying for medical school when really she is playing soccer on a team called the Eva María’s. Not only does Camila love soccer, but she is dang good at it. Some even say she is better than her brother. Her dream is to play on a professional team in America. Her issue is having to tell her parents because eventually, she will have to.

I loved that this story focused more on Camila and her independence, friendships, and family more than it did her love life. That being said, there is a love interest in this story, and it was perfectly done. Diego is not only her and her brother’s longtime friend, but he is also the first boy she kissed, and the boy she can’t not think about. He is also a professional soccer player that lives insanely far away from her. Even though he is rich and famous, he is still the same ol’Diego that she has always known. But now, not only does she have to deal with the stress of her family, but she has to deal with the stress that comes with having feelings for someone that she feels is out of her league.

I had so many feels reading this book. I laughed and cried a lot. My connection with Camila was almost immediate and I felt every single emotion she did throughout this entire book. The ending was complete perfection as well. Furia is one of my favorite books of 2020 for sure. I really hope that you go out and read this book ASAP. Disappointment is not possible.

Again, thank you to Algonquin Young Readers and Yamile for my copy of Furia!!!!

And if you haven’t already seen the amazing news… Reese Witherspoon has selected Furia as her second ever Reese’s Book Club YA Pick. So exciting!!!! I know everyone will love it! Check out their insta to see Reese talking about the book!!!

FURIA @yamilesmendez ⁣
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𝗢𝗩𝗘𝗥𝗔𝗟𝗟 𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚: 5/5 STARS⁣
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𝗙𝗔𝗩𝗢𝗨𝗥𝗜𝗧𝗘 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗥𝗔𝗖𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗦: Camila, Diego and Ma ⁣
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𝗙𝗔𝗩𝗢𝗨𝗥𝗜𝗧𝗘 𝗔𝗦𝗣𝗘𝗖𝗧𝗦: This book nestled its way into my heart with ease. Filled with culture, twisted with heartbreak, desperate with ambition and yearning, this book tells a story about wanting freedom, about women’s rights. ⁣
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Camila, the strong female lead of this story is a complex, messy character. She’s not perfect all the time, she’s got highs and lows. It made more believable to read, more easy to love and root for. The oppression, the hierarchy she’s forced to fight again, hurts in a real way. This story isn’t fantastical, it could be happening to any girl in this society. That’s what hits your core. ⁣
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FURIA is painful with dark in elements but most of all it’s hopeful. It’s a reminder to shatter the glass ceiling, to constantly be fighting for your dreams. It is a love story, not just about loving another but understanding that you are as important as anyone else. ⁣
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𝗦𝗛𝗜𝗣𝗦: I was beyond happy when I realised that the author would be showing how Camila loved herself, chose herself, before anything else. It made me want her and Diego to end up together more because he was not her main goal. ⁣
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𝗥𝗘𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗠𝗘𝗡𝗗𝗘𝗗 𝗙𝗢𝗥: readers looking for an intense sports contemporary. ⁣

Camila wants to play professional soccer in the United States, one big problem is that no one in her family even knows she plays soccer. Where she is from soccer is not for girls. Her father, a one-time professional player, haunts his family with his quick temper. Her brother, a soccer player on his way up the professional ranks, is too busy with his own life, and her mother is too busy trying to please her abusive father. Then there is Diego, the boy from town she loves, who is now is a very famous soccer player. They all come crashing down around her as her soccer team makes the play offs. A truly stand out book that I feel will resonate with many girls.

First, a big thank you to the publisher for the opportunity to join this tour and read this wonderful #ownvoices book. And congratulations to Furia for being selected as the September YA @reesesbookclub pick!

I absolutely fell in love with this book. Camila is a powerful protagonist. She grows up in a patriarchal environment, but doesn’t let that limit her, even though her journey is not easy.

The use of first person narrative to deliver the story immerses the reader in Camilia’s world. I loved how the book shows female strength and friendships and celebrates the different choices women make with their lives.

The book doesn’t sugar-coat reality, but it is able to combine the real societal and institutional challenges, abuses and discrimination women face with a story that inspires you.

I loved how the book celebrated Argentinian culture, which is where my fiancé’s is from and I loved sharing what I was reading with him (he has LOTS of thoughts about soccer!) This is a perfect book to read during #LatinxHeritageMonth , but it’s important not to forget about it when the month is over. I know this one will be staying with me for a while and be a regular recommendation.

When people ask why I read YA, a book like Furia explains it all. It’s because it’s just plain good.

Social Justice Topics:
▪️Women’s Rights
▪️Social Class Disparities

Grade Level: 6th and up

Furia shows the bravery and the strength that it takes to follow your dreams and to trust your ambition. Camila knows she wants to play professional soccer. There is no doubt in her mind. But there are obstacles. No one besides her team know she plays—but she needs permission from her parents to go play in a life-changing tournament. The love of her life (who is now an international soccer star) comes back to town—and the passion between them is anything but over.

Girls and boys need to read this book—Camila is an idol for young girls to be strong advocates for themselves and what they believe in.

Furia follows the story of Camila, a rising football star who beats the odds and makes a life despite the hardships and obstacles thrown at her.
I have thought very long about what I will write here. Not because the quality of the book was questionable - in no way it was: Méndez writes poetically yet realistically and it was a delight to read. The plot and the characters were strong, too. So... what was the problem, you may ask.
Here's the thing: there was too much politics thrown in here. It's different to write a story about a strong, poor girl rising from the slums than to write a story about a strong, poor and "woke" girl rising for the slums. The constant details thrown in - mainly about abortions - disturbed me very much. And though this review isn't really going to make a difference, I just wanted to say this, because it's important to me and I feel it's my duty to do so with books like these. Murder is not the solution. The baby it's not the woman's body, it's in the woman's body. And most important of all, it wasn't necessary to emphasise this in the book. I get it that the standards in Argentina aren't as liberal as they are in the US, but maybe that isn't always a bad thing. Most of the time, but not always. And the author made it sound like everything there was bad, at least to me.
So, that's what I wanted to put out there. I'm sorry it got too moralistic and political and ideological, but that's what the book was, under the layers, although most of them were good.

“I wanted to feel what Diego had. I needed to play on a team like that, to feel the love of the fans. I needed the chance to do something impossible and amazing. To be great.”

It’s no secret I love sports fiction and sports romance! Especially with diverse characters, but Furia is truly something special! This is also the @reesebookclub YA pick for September!

I LOVED this #ownvoices contemporary YA novel set in Rosario, Argentina. The story follows rising soccer star, Camila Hassan, as she follows her passion of playing soccer and dreams of earning an athletic scholarship to a North American university. She juggles all of this while dealing with the complications her disapproving family and life in Rosario presents. There’s also a little of romance thrown in the story!!! But more than anything, this story is about Camila “La Furia” Hassan growing into the powerful women and incredible soccer star she is! ⚽️

I loved how this story shows us about life and culture in Rosario! I appreciate the representation and the diversity shown within the Latin American community! Furia herself discussed her Russian, Palestinian, and African roots. The author also discusses heavier topics like feminicidos “feminine homicide”, domestic violence, sexism, and social inequalities. She also mentions Ni Una Menos, a feminist movement which started in Argentina and aims to end violence against women.

This has been my favorite YA sports fiction book of the year and I couldn’t recommend it more! Thank you to @yamilesmendez for writing such a powerful story and to @algonquinyr for the gifted copy!

Thank you to Algonquin Young Readers and NetGalley for my copy of Furia
by Yamile Saied Méndez in exchange for an honest review. It published September 15, 2020.
What a GREAT YA novel! This is exactly what I hope for in a YA! Empowering, real, not based on love or being saved by the guy. I loved the sports theme, and the fact that it was the tool to help Camila grow and find her place in the world.
I felt like I learned a lot about Argentine culture and I’m fascinated to learn more. I looked up recipes for a lot of these foods mentioned and hope to try them out!
I highly recommend this book!

Going into Furia I had high expectations because of all of the good reviews it was getting. I was actually let down immensely. I actually really enjoyed the setting of Argentina, I don’t think I have read a book set there so that was refreshing for me.

Now for Camila as a person, she got on my nerves a lot. She has the “not like other girls” syndrome. Her feelings for Diego were very wishy washy to me, one day she would be in love with him and then the next she would tell him to leave her alone and then she would go back and forth and her that got so old. Because of that I felt like the romance didn’t add much and Camila liked the concept of Diego rather than actually have feelings for him. She also felt like she had to hide this romance from her best friend and claiming that she wouldn't understand her so that was really odd to me and bugged me a LOT.

For all of the hyped up talk claiming that this book was extremely feminist-yes, it did have it’s points but for the most part I didn’t actually see much of that. Camila doesn’t stand up for herself, lies A LOT to her family and friends, and she doesn’t tell people what is on her mind or how she’s feeling. It drove me insane that she just lied to everyone, including her best friend. I felt that she was a little petty too. I expected a much stronger character with Camila. I did like some of the topics that were covered but I felt they were breezed through.. I’m happy with the ending, I actually liked the last maybe 20% of the book but as for the rest of it, nothing really happens and was quite a drag to read.

Thank you very much to both Netgalley and Edelweiss for a copy of this book as well as to the publisher. Also, if you were interested in reading this book I think you still should and take my review with a grain of salt only because I seem to be the outlier and the ratings are extremely hide.

Generally speaking, sports books are not my go-to genre, but FURIA is incredible. I really enjoyed reading a story about a strong woman in a male-dominated sport and culture that does not center whiteness or take place in America. The plot was fast-paced (in a great way) and I was very engaged with all of the characters. This is a great story for readers of THE CROSSOVER.

First of all, I want to thank Algonquin for this opportunity. Furia is an amazing read that tackles familial abuse and depicts what ambition sometimes expects from you. I loved how family-focused the story was and how unapologetically ambitious and determined Camila was.

Camila Hassan lives in Rosario, Argentina. She is an ambitious character who wants to live from her passion in the United States. The opening pages are about her leaving her home to go to her futbol’s women’s competition. The stakes are set up and you can already see how much Camila is willing to give up on in order to get the opportunity to play football at a professional level, like her brother, her father, and Diego the boy she fell in love with and who is as the book begins, a professional player for Juventus.

She wants to be a futbolera and nothing, nothing, will prevent her from accomplishing her dream. No boys. No controlling or abusive father. Not the people saying that futbol is a boy’s sport. Camila is dedicated to sport and it is a blessing to watch her grow, and to watch her manage to grasp her dreams and to achieve what she wants.

Camila is from the barrios in Argentina. Her family depends on her brother's success at futbol (soccer) and it is Camila's plan to follow in her brother's footsteps and play futbol as well. On the field she is La Furia but at home she is another girl who is seen as having few options and doing her best not to get pregnant and forced to marry like so many others. She finds the perfect opportunity to shine in her first big South American tournament but pressures from home, girls going missing, her father's abuse and the love of her life who happens to be a huge futbol star all weigh down on her dreams. It is a story of courage, hope and chasing your dreams. The Spanish is well interspersed with the English and add to the authentic voice. This book for young adults will be a great addition to understanding the latino culture and issues facing young people all over the world. My thanks to the publisher for the advance copy.

This ARC was provided for review, but in no way affects the following impartial and unbiased review:
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5*
Pros: This is such a beautiful book, I have no words to properly describe it. Short but full of life, of joy, of power. Argentinian and biracial lead. Flawed, raw and real characters. Completely immersive and honestly outstanding narrative, description and writing style. Heartwarming but not sugar-coated romance. As someone from a country that views football as a religion, this book was home to me. Loved to learn more about Argentine culture, cuisine and traditions. Beautiful focus on football/soccer, being a female player in a country that does not support it, and all the challenges and hardships it entails. Talks about domestic violence and toxic family relationships, along with the violence perpetrated by men on young girls. Incredibly feminist and powerful to young girls all over the world.
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Cons: Just too short, I'd love to read all the sequels.
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Trigger warning: Domestic violence

This was such a relatable book. It surprised me how much I loved it without loving soccer! The characters were amazingly written and teh plot was very interesting. A marvelous read and a definite reccommendation!

Furia chronicles the life of football/soccer player Camila Hassan, as she intrepidly navigates, the streets of her barrio trying attain her dream of being a star football player just like her brother, Pablo and her childhood crush Diego. Mendez's writing is vivid, the book entrances the reader immediately. You can feel the Camila's energy pulsing on the page. Yet some of Mendez's best writing is the football scenes, I am not a big football/soccer fan but I do watch the mens and womens World Cup, she totally captures that fervor of the sport. I was so engrossed in those scenes, I was totally Team La Furia, Vamanos!!!! Just as adeptly as the football scenes are written Mendez pens a dreamy budding romance while still giving the reader a realistic look at the familial trauma and social ills that plague the girls of Camila's community while helping the reader understand how difficult dreams are to achieve and why so often those dreams are deferred. So, what door to the future will Camila "La Furia" Hassan walk through, will she pursue her dreams of football stardom, or will she choose Diego's love, or will she go to med school fulfilling her mother's expectations, I highly recommend that you pick up this book and find out. Furia is rich, vibrant, and wonderfully written love letter to football, family, friendship, first love, forgotten girls, feminism, & fulfilled dreams! Five stars for Furia , I loved this book and I hope you do too.

*Thank you to NetGalley and Algonquin Young Readers for a digital ARC of this book in return for an honest review.

An incredibly strong, #ownvoices coming of age story set in Argentina with a kick-ass female futbol player. Camila Hassan is a young girl who has to lead a double life. Her parents are only concerned with her brother and his futbol career, her mother has low expectations for her, and her father is abusive. That is one part of her life, one anyone would want to get away from. The other is her amazing skill and talent on the soccer field where she plays with one of the few female futbol teams. She lies to her family to go to practice and the games, but when her team makes the championships, she needs their okay to play. Her family would balk at a girl playing futbol, but the tournament has the potential to make her dreams come true and get a scholarship to a school in the United States.

That's one part of Camila's story. The other is her relationship with Diego. They have been friends for years, but he has been off in Italy on a professional team. With him back in town, their relationship rekindles and he even supports her playing futbol, but how does he feel about her need for independence?

Furia is a powerful and realistic novel that really questions how women are seen in the world and in their families. Camila is the real deal and has some inner strength that we all yearn for. She doesn't always do what you expect her to and that is a great part of her personality. A smart move for the second YA book chosen by Reese Witherspoon and I highly recommend.

Set in Rosario, Argentina, Furia follows 17-year-old Camila “La Furia” Hassan, an up-and-coming fùtbolera (soccer player) who has to keep her aspirations secret from her fretful mother and abusive father. She sneaks out to practices under the guise of going to her friends’ house to study, but when her team qualifies for the Sudamericano Tournament, Camila needs her parents’ blessing to proceed, which threatens to upend the double life that she works so hard to maintain.

Furia is about so much more than just soccer; Méndez also tackles issues plaguing Argentina today, as well as some universally relevant topics. In her struggle to be allowed to compete, Camila comes face-to-face with sexism, domestic abuse, and generational trauma. Reading about how Camila’s father abused her and her mother, and her mother’s desire for Camila to break the cycle of generational trauma, was utterly heartbreaking. Méndez also touches upon the epidemic of missing and murdered women and girls in Argentina that has brought about the #NiUnaMas movement, which is why my mom has been hesitant to bring us back (Rosario, where Furia is set, is her hometown). There’s a lot of beauty in Furia, too, though, from a celebration of Argentine culture (including, of course, our obsession with fùtbol), a lovely second-chance romance between Camila and her childhood crush Diego, who returns to Rosario an international soccer star, Camila’s job teaching English to children at a local convent, and the friendships that Camila has with the other girls on her team. Furia was a layered, powerful story that will stay with me for a long time.

An #ownvoices story about a soccer player named Camila who is living a double life in Rosario, Argentina. When she is with her family she can't be 100% herself, because having a daughter who plays soccer doesn't meet her family's expectations. When she is on the soccer field, she is someone else, she is La Furia. She is finally going to get her chance to shine when her team qualifies for a big South American tournament. Could this be the chance she has been waiting for?

Everything takes a turn when the boy she once feel in love with is back in town. Diego originally left her hometown to become an international soccer star, and they've lost touch while he's been playing in Italy for the famous team Juventus. Her world just got a little more complicated and she is going to have to face her secrets sooner rather than later.

I had originally requested this book because it involved soccer. I started playing soccer when I was around 5 years old and I've played my entire life. This one hit home for me, because there is this stigma in Central and South America where girls are supposed to be doing girl things and soccer is not a "girl thing" to do (it's a pretty sexist culture). I remember I'd be the only girl playing soccer in Peru with my cousins and their friends, and strangers would walk by shaking their heads in disapproval. Thankfully, my parents and my family in Peru were supportive, but it was unfortunate to see that Camila didn't have the same support system as I did. I did feel like Camila AKA La Furia was very relatable in the sense that she didn't let what other people thought stop her from doing what she loved.

There was some romance in this book and while I don't usually like romance at all in YA, I think it really worked well in this story. No funny business or eye rolls when it came to Diego, he was one of the good ones which I appreciated because I'm always rolling my eyes with guys in YA. This relationship felt very real especially because there were some complicated issues in their relationship that seemed realistic.

There was also a sense of unity with Camila's soccer team and a strong friendship that we see with her best friend. I really loved seeing that along with other issues the author covered such as love, family, domestic violence, feminism, sexism, violence, etc. I think that's what made me love this book...it had EVERYTHING, it wasn't just about soccer or family or a relationship. There was just so much that someone could relate to! Oh and I really loved the Spanish phrases here and there throughout the book, that made me feel right at home.

I definitely recommend reading this one especially if you want to read a book that really stands out from the typical YA we're all tired of seeing. It was such a breath of fresh air to read an #ownvoices book especially about a girl that plays soccer, we rarely see that. While it's overall very easy to relate to this book as it covers various topics, this one will hit home for you if you're a Latina that grew up playing soccer! This might be one of my favorite YA books of all time now, I really loved it and connected with it. I'm really looking forward to seeing what this author comes out with next!

Camilla was a truly strong feminist protagonist and loved that this book took place in Argentina!

The writing was beautifully done and culturally nuanced and extremely resilient. Camilla never gave up hope when things seemed dark, and always continued to push towards her dreams. Love the friendships in this book as well, which is such a rare treat!

Can't wait for others to grab this book. Well-deserved Reese pick.

4.25 ⭐️
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.This #ownvoices YA contemporary set in Argentina follows Camila as she’s juggling school, friends, family and her love life while chasing her dream of becoming a professional soccer player.
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Let’s start with the setting: the book instantly transported me to Argentina and showed some of the amazing parts like the beautiful culture and also some of the not so great parts of this country. I really liked how the issue of girls going missing was woven into the story. It’s such an important topic and it also gave the book a feminist undertone.
I definitely rooted for our main character Camila. She’s ambitious, loyal and she also had great character development. Her biggest passion is of course soccer but she loves reading as well and becomes a tutor at an orphanage - I loved seeing those different sides of her.
And then we have the romance. It had a bit of a unusual pacing (not necessarily in a bad way) but I liked it. I must admit that I was quite charmed by Diego. It was cute and had some teenage angst but it didn’t take away too much from the other subplots or the main focus of the story - Camila‘s soccer career. I always enjoy when a sports game is described in a book and I thought that the author did a great job of writing engaging scenes on the soccer field. I loved the camaraderie between the girls and how the good and bad sides of being a professional athlete were explored.
Another big theme of the story is family. We get to see Camila’s complex relationships with the different members of her family and also what the typical role of an Argentinian daughter/wife looks like. I’d like to put a trigger warning for domestic abuse here. Furia explores some hard-hitting and important topics which I thought were dealt with in a realistic way.
Over all, I really enjoyed this book. It had a great story arc and really gripped me. So why did I give it “only” 4.25 stars? Well, I must admit that I struggled a bit with the writing style. This sounds like such harsh criticism but it’s really personal preference and I believe that many of you would love this story. Furia is a moving and very unique book that I highly recommend.