I absolutely loved this amazing #ownvoices Latinx story about Camila, a girl with incredible talent and ambitions despite the obstacles that try to hold her back. It took me a little bit to get invested in the story, but once I did, I couldn't put it down and fell in love with Camila's character. It was hard to read at times, I felt for all the characters when they were experiencing difficulties and could feel their pain.
Yamile Saied Mendez has a beautiful writing style and I will definitely be picking up anything else she writes! ❤️

(Trigger warnings for domestic violence.)

Furia is available now to purchase or request from your library! ❤️⚽
This book is also the newest YA book for Reese's Book Club!! 😊

Thank you so much to @algonquinyr for allowing me to be a part of your review tour. #algonquinyr #furia

Have you ever read a YA novel that was a little too young adult for you to relate? This one missed the mark for me. The story was great - a girl with ambitions and dreams goes after what she wants, yet knows that the sky is the limit in terms of how far she can go without her family’s approval. This was tough to relate to because my parents have always supported my dreams. Even when I had ridiculous ideas, they always backed me up. It was so disappointing to see parents who supported their son being a soccer star, but the rules didn’t apply to their daughter. This frustrating narrow mindedness made it hard to enjoy.

⚽️

3.5 stars

*Thank you Netgalley and the Publisher for providing me with an early copy of this book for review all opinions are my own*

I really liked this book, it is a fast read and the story itself is very captivating.
Here we follow the story of Camila who wants to play football but it is difficult to do that being a girl.
I loved to follow her journey going after her dreams no matter all the obstacles and never giving up, this book leaves a taste of hope because it also touches on very harsh realities.
Every girl reading this book will be able to relate to something in this story.
The author brings very relevant themes as much as she does not delve into them, they are present.
The book besides being fast to read also takes place in a short period of time which bothered me a little because some things happened very fast and lacked a little development.
But in the end, this book is great and very important I highly recommend it to everyone but mainly girls.
Ps: I loved how the author brought terms and phrases in Spanish and didn't translate them right after.

Something you don't know that you need a book until you read it. This is that book for me. Though I'm usually into paranormal and scifi books, sometimes I just need a good real life book that makes you feel good. It takes you through heartaches and the happy times, and just all the ups and downs of real life. It feels good to take a break from everything and read something like that, with a happy ending, when things don't always feel like they'll have a happy ending.

Following a seventeen year old girl named Camila, and her life in a small town in Argentina, it shows her life as she hides what she really wants in life, to play soccer. At home, she's smothered by her abusive father, shell of a mother, and soccer star brother. She just wants to carve her own path in a life that's been planned out for her. Known on the soccer fields as Furia, she does exactly that.

Through the story we see her ups and downs. Reuniting with a now celebrity first and really only love. Dealing with her father. Getting a job teaching English to children at a church. Growing distant with her best friend. Things like that, and much more. It's real, it's raw, and it's just what I never knew I needed. Sometimes it's just nice to escape your own life, and get to live through someone else, even if they're fictional.

This is a story of persevering through whatever life throws at you. It's about following your dreams, no matter how hard it might be to reach them. I honestly think everyone should read this book, because it's just uplifting even when it gets hard. I'm so glad I got the chance to check it out, and I highly, highly recommend it. It was a much needed break from all the supernatural things I read, a really down to earth book and I hope that you like it as much as I did.

(Radioactivebookreviews.wordpress.com)

5 stars!

Wow. This is the kind of book that makes you wish you could give out more than 5 stars. One young woman's quest to find herself, do what she loves, find love, and break the cycle of female oppression in contemporary Argentina—this was such a glorious read.

Writing: ★★★★★
Plot/Pacing: ★★★★★
Themes: ★★★★★
Enjoyment: all the stars, it was beautiful

Camila wants to be a female futbol (soccer) player. Raised in a family where her father, her brother, and her close family friend Diego all played and rose to fame on the field, it's in her blood to pound her feet across the field after the ball.

But Camila is a girl. And in Argentina, women are treated very differently than men. Instead of being able to play, Camila is forced to be a pile of contradictions—i.e., the female Argentinian experience. Be this, but not that. Get yourself a good man, but don't be a slut. Cook fantastic homecooked meals, but don't you dare get fat.

Camila decides she's had enough of that. Keeping it a secret from her authoritative father and her family, she joins a female futbol team. And she kicks BUTT. They call her Furia, and when she plays the play flies.

Soon scouts start paying attention, and as her Furia futbol persona rises, Camila's secret life gets harder and harder to maintain. When her childhood friend and long-time crush Diego comes home from his international futbol team, things get even more complicated.

Can Camila keep her dreams, her family, and her love life separate and thriving? Or will it all come crashing down and force her to choose?

The only words I have for this debut are WOW. And spectacular. And stunning. This was a riveting, nearly one-sit read for me as I devoured Camila's story. Her need for personal fulfillment of her dreams, her struggles for identify, individuality, and love in a culture with restricted ideas of the female experience... all of these ideas come to a head in Furia. Camila's struggles to choose her own path are universal for many young girls and young people, and yet her unique story and responses make this tale something special and uplifting.

A powerful, spectacular debut from an Argentinian author to watch.

Thank you the publisher for my copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and Algonquin Publicity for an eArc of this book!

"We'd made the space. We'd filled in the cracks of the system and made room for ourselves where there was none. No onde had given us anything. We had taken it. But no one wanted to hear the truth"

Furia follows the story of Camila Hassan, an Argentinian female soccer player born and raised in Rosario whose love of futbol and need of playing is dismissed, forbidden and looked down upon by her mother and father. But Camila knows her worth and talent in futbol, and so, for a year she has been playing alongside her best friend Roxana is an all female fútbol club called "Eva Maria".
Everything changes for Camila the day her teams qualifies for the Sudamericano women's tournament, this being the chance to finally fulfill her dreams of becoming a professional fútbol player in the States, due to not being opportunity for female futbol players here in Argentina to go pro.
But that is not the only event that unfolds, but that very same day Diego Ferrari, the hottest new player for the Juventus team, and also Pablo (Camila's older brother, who is also a well known player here in Argentina, widely know as Pablo "The Stallion" Hassan) and Camila's best friend, and also her longtime crush, is back in Argentina after having left the country a year before to start his futbol carrear over in Italy. And let me just say, this take a turn with his arrival.

So, what's to love about this book?
Let me just say, there are many situations, occurences, dialogues, certaint plot points that will make readers fall in love with this beautiful tale of female empowerment and facing adversities.

"None of the girls and women whose faces plastered the walls of our city had ever intended to become statistics, either, but they were blamed for the crimes commited against them"

One of the things I loved the most from this book is how the author has brought attention to the Ni Una Menos (which for those who do not know or do not live here in Argentina, is the name given to the Feminist Event whose sole purpose is stopping the numerous femicides ocurring in our country), this book has given light and knowledge to those who do not live in our country of the daily atrocities happening to the females in my country with needs to be stopped. It shows that violence is unfortunatelly and every day ocurrence, that we can't judge people because of the social-economic enviroment they were born into. We do not choose the place we are born into, but if the harness and nurture our talents and have the will, we can make a better live for ourselves. We just gotta dream and have the faith in ourselves to do it.

Another of the reasons I loved this #OwnVoices tale is the Romance. I mean, who doesn't love a well done love story? Camila and Diego had such a strong chemistry from the get go, add that with the trope of "Brother's Best Friend" and the "Friends to Lovers" one and add it a little of futbol love and you have one great love story. Every interaction and dialogue between those two were so romantic and cute that I can't choose just one of them. Diego was such a sweetheart to Camila and since their first interaction in the book one could see the love and attraction between those two. If I had to choose at least one of their interactions I would choose this one:

"'I win!' I said, jumping up and down.
'I win.'
I leaned against the wall. 'I beat you by like two seconds. How did you win?'
'I had the best view', he said, standing next to me"

Over all, without giving anything away or spoiling any of the events in this book, I would recommend it to anyone that likes tales of female protagonists standing up for themselves, making their dreams come true and never giving up.
Camila was a delight of a protagonist.
Diego an amazing love interest.
Roxana an outstanding best friend (let's hope she gets her one book. Fingers crossed!), and
Diego was a loving brother

Furia by Yamile Saied Méndez is in a nutshell an amazing Own Voices book, with vivid characters and amazing character arc. I really recommend this to everyone!

This one has 4★ from me

I have not read much books by a Latino writer and with Latino representation, so I was very interested in this book when I came across it on Netgalley. Furia by Yamile Saied Mendez is the story of Camila Hassan, who loves to play futbol for Eva Maria, but she has to keep this fact hidden from her family. I loved this book’s plot, it’s characters, and it’s themes.

The plot is a beautiful coming-of-age story. In regards to this aspect, Camila’s struggles are well-depicted; the author creates a holistic picture of what Camila has to deal with, so there is no quick resolution. Instead, these obstacles help strengthen Camila’s character as a brave and determined girl, which completed this genre’s requirements. Other than this aspect, the story’s development is well-paced and it has the right amount of drama happening, which complements the plot line. However, I did not like the fact that Diego (Camila’s love interest) occupies too much space in the plot; I know he is important to the plot line, however I shared Roxanna and Coach Alicia’s sentiments in being disappointed with his involvement in Camila’s life. I also wanted Eva Maria’s ( Camila’s football team) other team members to get more limelight. Other than these two aspects, I found the plot to be well-written, which exceeded my expectations.

I know I came off as a Diego hater, but I did like him ( for some time), and some other important characters as well. Diego is the loving boyfriend that any girl would swoon over. However, I just did not like him for being around Camila for so long, she has futbol to worry about, she does not need boy problems! 🤦‍♀️ Nonetheless, his role is important in determining the action in the plot. Other than the love interest, the fierce and endlessly supportive best friend- Roxanna is a treat to read about. Coach Alicia( Eva Maria’s coach) another favorite character of mine. The main reason that she stands out to me so much is because she connects with her team on a professional and personal level, which is usually foreign to these kinds of characters ( for me at least). In addressing all these characters, I have forgotten to criticise the protagonist-Camila. I am particularly impressed with how Camila remains strong willed about her goals no matter what obstacles come her way. All these characters are well-developed: they are well-rounded in regards to their personalities, so the reader can empathise with them.

Other than the amazing characters, there are some very important themes such as female empowerment, friendship, and the importance of family love and support. Mendez has highlighted a very realistic outlook on these subjects, which inform the reader about these topics in context of the Argentinian culture. Therefore, these themes help international readers understand and relate to the Argentinian society.

Furia by Yamile Saied Mendez is an inspiring coming of age story. It has a unique and well-written plot, which exceeded my expectations. In addition to this aspect, the characters are well-developed, so the reader can easily empathise with them. Other than these two aspects of this book, there are some important themes highlighted in this story, which helps the reader understand the Argentinian culture and society. Furia is an inspirational coming of age story that I highly recommend everyone to read.

"Our country had legalized same-sex marriage way before the U.S., but prejudice didn't read or obey laws. It was a hard weed to pull from people's hearts."

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. My thoughts and opinions are my own. Any quotes I use are from an unpublished copy and may not reflect the finished product.

Furia was an amazing read that I thoroughly enjoyed! My soccer knowledge is limited, but coaching my son's team last year taught me a few things. ;) I've also been learning Spanish on the Duolingo App, which helped me understand some of the lovely language being used on and off throughout this book. It made me feel like my lessons were actually working, but I did have to Google certain words and phrases if I wanted exact translations. A lot could be guessed based on context, but I like to know exactly what is being said! I also love it when author's mix languages in their books - - it makes them feel more authentic and really fleshes out the setting. I felt like I was there in Rosario with Camila and the rest of the characters.

Soccer is Camila's passion, but it's also her biggest secret. Her father was a slimy, despicable piece of shit, and I really wish someone had stepped in to defend Camila, Pablo, and their mother. It wasn't like people were unaware of what happened during heated moments or behind closed doors, they just chose to look the other way. Although, I do appreciate how the author addressed that aspect of the story. One toxic person can influence the lives of multiple people, and they can affect them in very different ways. His not-so-subtle digs at his wife's weight, his daughter's body and personal choices, his son's career and expectations. I hated his character, but I also thought the author did a wonderful job portraying him and the hold he had over others.

Roxana was an amazing best friend, and she was always willing to help others. She thought a lot of people's situations and circumstances were unfair, and she wanted to fight to make things right. Her heart was huge, but that also made it easy to hurt, and we see Camila and Roxana struggle through an unexpected rift in their relationship. It wasn't that they stopped caring about each other, but they needed time to heal and clear the air.

Diego was adorable and I loved him. He never forgot where he came and appreciated his roots. He was always giving away whatever he could to help others, and enjoyed the simple pleasures in life (good food, good friends, walks around town, dancing in the street). His fame and fortune didn't make him selfish, but it did pull him in two different directions. He wanted the comforts of home, family, friends, but he also didn't want to give up the dream he was living either. I think that's one of the reasons he wanted to "save" Camila so much. If she went with him, it would have been like having his cake and eating it too. That's not to say he didn't care about her - - because he definitely did - - I just don't think he understood her drive and desires. She wanted something he already had, and she wanted to earn it for herself. He thought providing for her, helping her however he could, would make her happy, but that's not the life Camila wanted for herself.

I thought the author expertly handled the romance in this story, and I'm glad she didn't make Camila sacrifice a part of herself to make it work. Even when Diego was spontaneous and earnest, she held on to her dreams (although she did fantasize about others). Their feelings stemmed from a years-long friendship, and I liked that they revisited some of their childhood memories together. It helped me understand exactly what Camila would be giving up if she chose her dreams over her love for Diego. It was heartwarming and bittersweet, but expertly executed. I'm thrilled with how things ended for them both.

My whole heart was invested in this story. The relationships Camila had and how they evolved over time, the hard work and determination she applied to becoming a professional soccer player, the love and respect she had for herself, and the cultural aspects of Argentina that I was unaware of. Méndez really brought Rosario to life with the details: vendors, people smoking on street corners, Camila feeling uneasy on the bus or walking alone. The author conveyed the way a single look could chill a person to the bone, or light them up from the inside. We see that words and actions matter. Intentions matter. Trust matters. We see children hungry for food and companionship, yet filled with a desire to become more than what they are. Furia truly was an evocative book, and one I'll likely never forget. (★★★★★)

Camila Hassan wants to be a futbolera, a soccer star, even though the world stands against her. Her parents do not want her to play soccer, and instead they are supporting her brother in his soccer ambitions. Camila's childhood love, who went on to soccer stardom, is back in town, tempting her to put him first and her dream second. What everyone doesn't realize is that on the field, Camila transforms into La Furia, a terrifying force of nature that devours the soccer field with skill and ferocity. She knows she has what it takes to surpass everybody's expectations of her, and she is not willing to back down for the sake of love or her family's expectations. Her only problem is that she's been keeping her soccer playing from her parents, and her team's qualified for a competition that she needs parental approval to attend. La Furia won't back down from this challenge either.

Camila, a.k.a. La Furia, is the star of this amazing story, so I want to talk about her first. Camila is an incredibly strong character who is so fierce, and is not willing to let anyone take advantage of her hard work or take credit for it. She works so hard to improve her soccer skills in order to reach her goal, and I admire that determination. Her relationship with her brother was also very solid, and I liked that he did what he could to help her. Even so, Camila doesn't want to be saved by others, she wants to save herself. I loved how strong she was to defy her parents and reach for her dreams, even though her parents, particularly her father, felt like she should walk a path they set out for her. While I believe it is important for children to be there when possible for their parents, children also do not need to live their lives in their parents' image or for the sole sake of lifting their parents up. Being a parent is not a free ticket to control children, for one day they grow up to make their own future.

I loved the symbolism and role that literature played in La Furia's story. Camila speaks of countless stories and female poets from Argentina who open her eyes to the possibilities she can dream about, and pave her way to strive for those dreams. I thought it was moving when Camila passed this inspiration on to Karen, a girl she mentors, so that another girl could find her own dreams and reach for them, just as Camila does. Stories connect us and inspire us to reach into our hearts for the dreams we dare not contemplate on our own, and I was thrilled to see that illustrated so clearly in Camila's life. Camila also longs to study and play soccer in North America, and it was really great for it to be shown that people can love new places for the opportunities and potential they offer, while still holding on to the good things about their original home and culture.

You know that feeling when you haven't even finished a book and you already know you want to own it in every format available? That is what I felt as I was reading Furia. I couldn't put this book down and I read it in just one sitting because it was so good! If I could change just one thing, I would ask for this story to be longer, because I felt like I needed more of these characters! All books come to an end, but I would have gladly read countless more pages to stay with these characters. I wish I had been able to read Furia and other books like it when I was growing up, because its message is so wholesome. To read and know that it is okay to choose yourself and your dreams over romance, family, and other people's whims and demands is a powerful message, and one I think all youth (and some adults) need in their lives. It is too often expected of women that love means sacrificing personal dreams and aspirations for the sake of the relationship, but those expectations don't have to be reality. I think it is great to see that stories where the protagonist chooses their dreams and ambitions over romance are becoming more mainstream, not just in the Latinx community, but in general. Too often the misleading fairy tale is sold to people that life is not complete unless there is a love interest, and that narrative isn't true.

Furia is a powerful story of a girl reaching for her dreams no matter who expects her to compromise them. Every one of us could take a page out of La Furia's playbook to make fewer compromises as we reach for the stars. Furia earns my highest recommendation as a story of empowerment, aspiration, and the determination to love yourself more than anything or anyone else, and to push yourself beyond your limits to turn your aspirations into reality.

Thanks @algonquinyr @yamilesmendez for the gifted copy! // La Furia aka Camila is a talented young soccer star who has fallen deeply in love but she keeps both of these things a secret from her strict parents who have rigid expectations of her. Furia remains true to herself even when societal pressures are trying their hardest to get her to conform to what a young woman "should" be. I was expecting a cute story but this book hits hard and touches on some serious topics. I highly recommend this one! Out tomorrow, 9/15!

FURIA / YAMILE SAIED MENDEZ

SYNOPSIS: An #ownvoices contemporary YA set in Argentina, about a rising soccer star who must put everything on the line, even her blooming love story, to follow her dreams.In Rosario, Argentina, Camila Hassan lives a double life. At home, she is a careful daughter, living within her mother’s narrow expectations, in her rising-soccer-star brother’s shadow, and under the abusive rule of her short-tempered father. On the field, she is La Furia, a powerhouse of skill and talent. When her team qualifies for the South American tournament, Camila gets the chance to see just how far those talents can take her. In her wildest dreams, she’d get an athletic scholarship to a North American university.

But the path ahead isn’t easy. Her parents don’t know about her passion. They wouldn’t allow a girl to play fútbol—and she needs their permission to go any farther. And the boy she once loved is back in town. Since he left, Diego has become an international star, playing in Italy for the renowned team Juventus. Camila doesn’t have time to be distracted by her feelings for him. Things aren’t the same as when he left: she has her own passions and ambitions now, and La Furia cannot be denied. As her life becomes more complicated, Camila is forced to face her secrets and make her way in a world with no place for the dreams and ambition of a girl like her.

#deweyrating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

You know I love a book that does many things well – and Yamile Saied Méndez's FURIA is that, through and through. Thank you Algonquin Young Readers for the ARC.

Content warnings: femicide, domestic violence, sexism

I’ve been a Juve fan for over 15 years and Saied Méndez is a fellow Utahn, so there was zero doubt that I’d read this book. When I started reading it, I thought it was going to be a much simpler plot centered primarily around passion for fútbol and young love. It is that, but I can’t ignore what else this book brings to the table:

+ Diversity presented as fact. Our protagonist Camila is Argentinian with Palestinian, Russian, Black Brazilian, and Andalusian heritage. Her best friend Roxana is Chinese Argentinian, and another character is Indian (South Asian). It’s a wonderful reminder that no country is a monolith. We Americans like to think of ourselves as the only melting pot… but that’s pretty self-aggrandizing, since it ignores our historical and current xenophobia. (And let’s not forget how our melting pot is white-washed.)

+ #NiUnaMenos. I am aware of overt sexism and societally accepted violence against women, here and abroad, but it’s not my lived experience. That’s a privilege. But that’s not to pity Argentine women for their lives or to make light of their experiences. Women are powerful people, and this book celebrates female power and the turning tide against machismo, domestic violence, and femicide. Saied Méndez touches on how feminism can be polarizing.

+ Multidimensionality. I don’t want to perpetuate a myth that Latinas need to be everything and more to be multidimensional, but I love that Camila is athletic and passionate about the English language. That she loves her family and wants a life bigger than that for herself. That Diego can be macho and vulnerable in ways that lends hope for current and future generations of male-identifying people.

If you pick up one YA book this year, let it be FURIA.

Furia is one of those books that grabs your attention as soon as you open it and refuses to let go. With wonderful writing and accompanied by a strong protagonist, the story unravels in breathtaking fashion.
It was impossible for me not to empathize with the main character. The events and emotions are fleshed out perfectly, making the book poignant. The characters are so realistic that the entire story feels less like a fictional book, and more like you’re experiencing the entire thing first hand.
It’s quite difficult to put my thoughts of Furia into words. The best I can do is explain what reading it feels like, and the answer to that is quite a simple one. It felt sincere. It felt like I was going through one of the most important experiences I’ll ever get.
Furia left an aftertaste in my mouth after I finished it, left me craving more of the same, but I’m afraid that books like this are rare. I absolutely recommend it, and I can only hope that you’ll experience it the same way I did. I wish I could go back in time just so I can read it for the first time again.

** spoiler alert ** "I’d leave this house the first chance I got, but not by chasing after a boy, including my brother. I’d do it on my own terms, following my own dreams, not someone else’s".
-Camila (Furia)

Let's just start off by saying that this book was everything and more. It was a tale of strength, of a girl pushing against all odds, and a girl chasing her dreams no matter what. Futbol is Camila's life and she's determined to become a huge star and eventually make it to the states. There is many obstacles in Camile's way however. She has to worry about her parents finding out that she plays futbol, she has to worry about measuring up to her brother's standards and she has to worry about her abusive father. Set in the country of Argentina, Camile has to be careful, there's just so much sexism towards women who don't except their roles in society. But, Camile doesn't care. She's fiery and her personality shines throughout the book. I really was looking forward to seeing her succeed and eventually for her mother to also be happy. Living with Camile's abusive father has really killed the spirit of her mother. It was a stressful household and life for Camile and everyone involved. But, eventually in the end Camile and her mothers relationship starts to patch up and their bond is unbreakable.

Camile isn't the only facing adversity. There's a lot going on with her teammates as well, especially one whose little sister goes missing. In Camile's town there's girls that are going missing everyday, and their bodies are coming up. This creates major chaos and instills fear in everyone, especially Camile's mother whose always worried about Camile as is. These poor girls's never had a chance at life. Their stories floating in the air as non-exist. Mendez does a great job of sprinkling some politics in there but, not a lot to steer away from the main story itself. It really makes you think of what
is truly going on in the country of Argentina.

I really enjoyed this story, and I can proudly say it's one of the best books I have read this year. Mendez has a way with her writing that really pulls you in and makes you apart of the story. The relationship between Diego and Camile is just enough not to take away from the premises of the story which is Camile's passion of playing futbol and becoming a star that all little girls and women can look up to. While abuse was mentioned throughout the book and wasn't really shown as much as it was talked about, please be aware there's two instances of abuse in the book. One of which is animal abuse. Huge thanks to NetGalley and Algonquin Books for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

cw: murder, assault, abuse, sexism

So I went into this book expecting Bend It Like Beckham. THIS IS NOT BEND IT LIKE BECKHAM. This is a SUPER heavy book. Please pay attention to the content warnings and make sure that you're in a good headspace before you read.

That being said, FURIA is ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS. The descriptions were gorgeous and the prose flowed together so well, I read it in less than 24 hours. The only time I stopped was for sleep and class. It was SO. GOOD. I can't count how many times I cried reading it, sometimes because of an emotional moment and sometimes because the writing is just that powerful.

A big part of FURIA is the power of angry women with dreams. FURIA tackles how women, specifically Argentine women, are forced into a narrow idea of who they can and should be. There are so many lines about how women who use their voices have been silenced and labeled as crazy or hysteric. There are so many lines from this book that I want to write all throughout my journal because they are so inspiring and make me feel powerful. This is a book that will empower young girls and women the world over.

Parts of this book did have that Bend It Like Beckham feel. There's the love of the sport that's so strong it inspires rebellion and the bond that is inevitable between teammates. The soccer scenes are beautifully written. I was expecting to find them somewhat boring (the intensity of sports doesn't always translate well to the page), but instead I was on the edge of my seat, silently cheering Camila and her teammates on. It really felt like I was watching them play on live TV. Not every play is described, which was much appreciated, but some scenes are described down to the breath and are just... perfect.

Furia is an incredible story of feminism and football! I really enjoyed this as I love women's football and I'd love to see more representation of women's sports. The friendships in this book are great, and I liked the will they won't they relationship between Camila and Diego. Tying in important topics like domestic abuse and girls going missing made the book even more interesting, it was hard-hitting and raises awareness of these issues. I really enjoyed this book and would love to read more from this author!

Oh wow, how do I do this book justice? I fear that I can't, but I will do my very best! First, I expected I'd like this book, it's been on my TBR since I first heard about it, but wow did it deliver! So we're just going to talk about everything I loved about Furia!

►First, I have to start by saying that I am a huge sucker for women-in-sports books. I think because I spent my young adult years very heavily involved in swimming, I can just relate so much to the characters and their love of sport. In this case, Camila's family poses an extra obstacle, as they're not supportive of her involvement in soccer (though of course they think her brother playing is the best thing ever, but we'll get to that). So suffice it to say, Camila must sacrifice a lot for her sport, more than most certainly.

►Not only is she an awesome soccer player, but she is just very driven in general. You cannot help but root for Camila, and hope that she succeeds in whichever path she chooses. Her hard work and perseverance are incredibly inspiring!

►Camila's family is a huge focal point of the story. Camilia's dad is kind of the worst, so let's get him over with. He treats his family like absolute trash, and is abusive. And Camila and her family have to work through dealing with him and his garbageness, which is really hard, especially since it is fairly commonplace in her neighborhood for this sort of abuse to happen. Camila's brother is trying to navigate his own soccer career, as well as a fairly serious romantic relationship. Camila's mother very clearly feels trapped and helpless, and my heart just broke for her. She is a good woman who ended up in a really bad situation and is just trying to keep her kids safe. The thing here is, she is by far not the only woman who feels trapped in unhealthy and/or abusive relationships because she has no other option. I really enjoyed watching Camila's relationship with her mom grow and change, as Camila realizes some of the awful choices her mother has had to make.

►There is a romance, and I loved it! Diego is just a straight up good dude, and I loved that he loved everything about Camila, because same. He cheered her on in her soccer career, and he just cared for her. He had a lot of his own stuff to deal with too, so their relationship was complicated, but I loved him regardless.

►Camila is also trying to navigate friendships and teammate relationships in the midst of everything. There is a bit of a rift between Camila and her teammate best friend, which you can tell really eats away at both women, which, yes! Thank you to the author for showing how much our platonic friendships can really impact our lives, and how wrong it feels when those friendships are under duress! I loved their dynamics, and the dynamics among the teammates in general, because they felt really authentic to me.

►I loved getting to spend a few days in Argentina! I mean, obviously I'd love to actually go there one day, but I was so glad that Yamile Saied Méndez took me on an adventure there in the pages, for now!

►As I mentioned a bit above, there is a ton of commentary about the treatment of women. When a teammate becomes pregnant, Camila is so worried for her, because she knows how dream-ending it can be. She has to watch her back everywhere, and her parents and her father's friends critique every word she says. While they champion her brother for playing soccer and being popular, Camila is told to tamp down both her dreams and her personality. And that's just the non-violent stuff. Women are hurt, harassed, and just plain treated terribly, but there is also a message of hope, and people in Camila's life who are actively trying to change the status quo (including, of course, Camila).

►The book is incredibly emotive. I cried for sure, but I also smiled, and felt chills at Camila's strength, and laughed, and cheered. The author did an incredible job of making me feel all the things both for and with Camila.

►This is so random, but Camila putting Gigi D'Agostino on her playlist brought me back! I was a huge fan in high school/college, and I mean, he's obviously back on my playlist once I was reminded of how much I loved his stuff! (This, incidentally, was my jam!)

Bottom Line: Furia is completely captivating, hopeful, and empowering. I recommend this book to every single person, and this is what everyone I know is getting for Christmas this year.

"Each time a woman stands up for herself, without knowing it possibly, without claiming it, she stands up for all women." - Maya Angelou

Furia is a contemporary YA novel about a young woman fighting for her right to follow her dream to play fútbol professionally. Think 'Bend It Like Beckham' (one of my favourite movies), but set in Argentina.

Camila lives a double life, playing the dutiful daughter and pretending to study for med school while hiding the fact thats she plays fúbtol. But on the pitch she enters a trance-like state and becomes La Furia. While her talent might just be enough for her to impress scouts from the U.S., Camila faces many challenges - her family's expectations, perceptions about how women should behave and rumours about her connection with a famous player. The question is, will Camila become lost or stay true to herself?

I enjoyed this book even more than I expected. Yamile Saied Méndez did an amazing job of immersing us in Argentinian culture (maté, fútbol, Spanish language). I love learning about cultures different from my own and experiencing new perspectives through books so this was a highlight for me. The author also explores important themes such as feminism, familial expectations, domestic violence and violence against women. The loved the feminist theme and was rooting for Camila and other female characters like her mom and Karen. El Buen Pastor was so sweet, I would read a whole book just about that!

How I loved this book! I loved Yamile’s writing, the character development, how it’s so easy to relate Camila with so many girls from here. This book has a really important messages for young adult readers, not only girls, but boys can learn a lot with this story. How it’s to be overlooked in a society that the man is considered more important the the woman, how to fight against prejudice, poverty and what your family thinks is the best for you, what a lot of people thinks is best for you. If I have one wish after reading this book, it is to have more Camilas in the world.

Soccer and soccer players are everywhere in the barrios of Rosario, an industrial city in Argentina. For Camila Hassan’s family, soccer is not just a pastime. Her father played professionally, and her brother currently plays on the local professional team. Camila also plays, a captain on a team that is in contention for a tournament featuring women’s teams from across South America. On the field, she is La Furia, a player with enough promise to pursue her dream of playing in the United States with the best women’s soccer teams in the world. But in Camila’s family, girls don’t play soccer. They don’t go out alone, because young girls and teenagers keep disappearing, only reappearing as murder victims. They don’t defy their parents, particularly their domineering and abusive father. When Camila’s childhood friend turned first love returns to visit the neighborhood for a week on a break from his career as an international soccer star, things only get more complicated. Camila won’t be able to keep her secret much longer if she wants to keep moving forward with her dreams.

This was a book where I kept telling myself, “just one more chapter and then I’ll put it down” all the way to the end. Camila is a powerful role model, both off and on the field, without having all the answers or seeming superhuman. Fantastically written and vivid, Furia is definitely on my list of books to recommend to all YA and contemporary fiction readers.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher for an honest review.

Furia by Yamile Saied Méndez was a stunning and ferociously feminist novel about a rising soccer star who must put everything on the line for her career. Set in Argentina, this #ownvoices novel has a distinct voice that shouts loudly about injustice, passion and love. It’s empowering, gorgeously written with a protagonist I immediately fell for.

What I liked:
-Camilla! I loved everything about our main character. She’s so fierce and ambitious. I love how she put her aspirations above everything. She shouldn’t have had to choose, but I love that it showed her choosing her own destiny, her own dreams, over everything else. She is SO strong, a wonderful character in every way.
-The feminism! Furia discusses feminism in many ways, which I love. Not only is there a central feminist plot about Camilla pursuing her soccer dreams despite the sexism in the football industry and the expectations that she, as a girl, shouldn’t be doing this sport, but Furia also brings up sexism in other forms, showing the reality of life for girls in Argentina. This book discusses domestic abuse, misogyny and sheds a light on the fact that so many young girls and women go missing or get murdered in Argentina, with no one to look for or avenge them but their family and friends.
-The prose! Furia is absolutely gorgeously written, lyrical throughout and creating an atmosphere seeped through the page! The palpable heat of summer, the stifling confines of being a woman, the pressures Camilla feels from those around her, the butterflies in her stomach around Diego - all of it transferred right to the reader, so that we felt we were right there with Camilla.
-The setting! I’m part Argentinian but I’ve never been there myself so I loved how vividly the author built the barrios, cities and streets of Argentina in a way that made me almost homesick. As I said, Yamile Saied Méndez has a real talent for building atmosphere and setting. I also liked the Spanish incorporated into this book, I don’t speak it myself but I got a little teary when Diego says to Camilla “sana sana colita de rana” when she’s hurt, because my Abuela and mum used to say this to me when I was hurt, so that was a little piece of culture I could connect to, even if it was small.
-Female friendship! I loved Camilla’s friendship with Roxana, how they always had each other’s backs, as well as with the rest of their football team! I liked how every female character was nuanced, even side characters, and how they weren’t without their flaws, and didn’t have to be perfect to deserve protection and love.
-The romance! Me, enjoying a heterosexual romance? Who would have thought! But I did, I really liked Camilla and Diego’s rekindled love and how clearly they cared for each other and connected. I loved how real their romance felt, not rushed and still a little awkward, despite how long they’d known each other.

What I didn’t like as much:
-I genuinely can’t think of anything, so you should really read this book! I didn’t understand the football scenes and references, but that’s completely on me.
-I loved the storyline and mentioning of the missing women in Argentina and I appreciate how it was there because it is an every day reality and it’s important to recognise that, but I do also wish there had been a little more development of that plot line, in some way.

Overall Furia was a phenomenal novel that sport fans are bound to adore, fiercely feminist and bursting with gorgeous writing and vivid imagery. I deeply recommend this book!