“Lies have short legs,” Camila Hassan remembers her grandmother telling her. But when Camila discovers her passion for fútbol (soccer) during her last year of high school, she’ll find out just how short a lie’s legs really are.

In Argentina, girls don’t play fútbol—only boys. And Camila’s older brother already earns his living playing for a team. Her mother wants her to study medicine. And her father…well, she never knows what her father wants. Neither does the rest of the family, who lives to appease his short temper.

When her team wins a place in a tournament that could lead to a soccer scholarship for Camila at a university in the United States, she knows she’ll do anything to achieve her dreams. For the past year, though, she’s lived a double life. Her parents have no idea she plays soccer. Camila’s brother knows and supports her as much as he can without sharing her secret.

When her childhood friend returns to town and declares his love for her, Camila faces further confusion. All the lies she’s told to follow her dreams start chasing her on their short little legs. Can she face her parents with the truth? Will her team actually win the championship? And is Diego, the man she loves, really someone who will wait for her as she pursues her passions?

Why I Loved this Book

Yamile Saied Méndez manages to weave together a book about dreams, goals, and true love with a social justice issue I had no idea existed outside the reservation in the United States—missing and murdered women and girls. The resulting tapestry will both charm and haunt you long after you finish the book.

You don’t have to love soccer to love Camila’s passion on the pitch—but if you know a young woman who loves soccer, buy her this book!

The author’s authentic voice (she grew up in Argentina and love fútbol) lends subtle textures and colors to the story. Sol Madariaga, an Argentinian actress does a masterful job of narration. Although I speak decent Spanish, Madariaga’s accent made me feel like I normally do around Argentinians—just a little lost but following bravely along.

If you want the full flavor of this own-voices book, don’t just read it, experience it through narration as well.

𝙁𝙐𝙍𝙄𝘼⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Micro Synopsis: Camila Hassan loves fútbol ⚽️ more than anything. But in Argentina, women do not play football. Even though Camila has a brother with playing potential and a childhood friend/crush who has become an international star playing in Italy, her parents don't approve of her playing. With so much societal and familial pressure to go to med school instead, Camila will have to pave an uncharted path for herself in order to chase her dreams. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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You'll love this book if you love:⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⚽️ Fútbol ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
🇦🇷 Argentine Stories⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
🔨 Breaking the Patriarchy⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
💚 Modern YA relationships⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
🏋🏽‍♀️ Strong Female Protagonists⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
🪂 Fleeing Familial Oppression to Chase Lofty Dreams⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Pro Tip: I loved the audiobook 🎧version and highly recommend it because the narrator's voice really helped give me a sense of place and culture.

This was such a good read. Camila has a difficult home life and unwanted expectations placed on her. I love that she didn't stop dreaming or fighting for what she wants. Her passion shone through the pages. She didn't let anyone hold her back.

I highly recommend this. She's a great character for girls to look up to and learn from.

The narration was done very well and really helped bring the story to life.

Set in Argentina, Furia tells the story of Camila Hassan. She has a troubled home life with an abusive father, a mother with very specific expectations for her and a soccer-star brother. But, Camila also dreams of being a soccer star. She plays on a local team and dreams of playing in the USA professional women's soccer league. She is passionate about soccer but keeps that passion a secret from her parents. She has skill and is called La Furia by her teammates. When Diego, a hometown boy who has found fame as an International soccer player returns to town, Camila rekindles her feelings for him.

This was a sweet sports-centric YA romance. The balance between Camila's soccer aspirations and her romantic aspirations is well done. We are shown how she is torn in her decisions and how they may impact herself and her family. Camila is a strong female protagonist who is faced with choices that in my opinion, she handles with grace.

I listened to this on audio and the narration was well done. It was a good listen that helped take my mind off all of this election 2020 madness.

I recommend this one to YA fans, in particular #ownvoices YA fans.

FYI-- There's a "Camila's PreGame playlist" on Spotify that was created by Algonquin books: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/18BqMFVQaIrUkYagGZ0lRE

Looking for a book that will fill you with hope and motivate you to keep up the good fight, then look no further than Furia by Yamile Saied Méndez, audiobook narrated by Sol Madariaga!

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Thank you to @netgalley and @workmanaudio for the ALC of Furia! This was an amazing #ownvoices YA novel based on the authors own experiences growing up in Argentina. This book had it all, romance, family drama, politics, and sports. The narration brought female protagonist Camila alive, and showed the wide range of emotions that Camila felt as she navigates the complicated road to having it all while also being a girl.

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Synopsis from the publisher: 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. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Before the covid restrictions of 2020 we were considering a trip to Patagonia. This isn't about Patagonia, but there are so few books with settings in Argentina that I was drawn to this one.

I really enjoyed this book. The protagonist has been hiding her participation in a soccer league and also her crush with a soccer star. Of course that isn't going to work out for her. Loved listening to her life in Rosario, Argentina and getting a sliver of a flavor of her world.

A Reese's Book Club YA pick.

Thank you NetGalley and the author/Yamile Saied Mendez for the opportunity to listen to an advance read copy of Furia in exchange for an honest review.

When I listened to the authors note, Originally I thought that I had heard that Furia WAS an autobiographical book. But on relistening, I think it says that it is WASN'T. I haven't listened to many autobiography's, and nominated in the Goodreads Memoir & Autobiography section. Probably an oops on my part, but I've decided to not correct it.

In Rosario, Argentina, Futbol is one of the most important things. Camila thinks so too. Not only does she loves the sport, but also because playing will be her ticket out and might get her to study in North America. With her women's team qualifying for the South American tournament, the pressure is on her to tell this big secret to her family. But she knows that's not going to be the easiest thing she has to do.

I received a free copy of the audiobook from Netgalley. And I am so glad I did!

The story is just amazing, and I am floored by how much culture is packed in this book. I learned a lot about Futbol and about Argentina as a country and its social standings. It amazes me that though this is written in Camila's point if view, it felt like I was seeing beyond that. The way the author made Camila's thoughts were just so inspiring.

As a character, Camila is a daughter, a sister, a best friend, a team captain, a student, and an athlete. And it was nice to see her grow into those roles and then some. I love her tenacity, and her drive. She's a true feminist, and I love that she was still the same person despite everything that she had to go through.

I also just want to say this now: the book has so much feels! From her romance to her pursuit of dreams, I just felt everything! And it was a rollercoaster of amazing-ness! This book just has a lot to offer.

If I were to actually read the book, I'm pretty sure I would enjoy it. But listening to the audiobook is magical! I am not a Spanish speaker, so hearing all the Spanish parts of the book is a godsend! I am also not a fan of Futbol, FIFA, or Soy Americano. I had no idea that each team has their own chant/song. And I just really appreciate that the narrator actually sang it for us! I just liked that the audiobook made me feel like I was there in Camila's matches, in her house, in her school, just everywhere. The narrator did such amazing job lending her voice to this amazing book!

There's really nothing much I can say, but this book was amazing, and I definitely recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for a copy of Furia in exchange for an honest review.

Like most teenage girls, Camila Hassan has dreams. Her dreams are to earn an athetic scholarship so she can play soccer at a college in the United States. But living in Rosario, Argentina, her reality makes her dreams seem impossible. Her family doesn't know she plays on a soccer team, she lives in the shadow of her brother who is a rising soccer star, her father is abusive, and her boyfriend is an international soccer star.

Camila is a force to be reckoned with. Once she finds her voice and channel her energy where it is needed, there is no stopping her, both on and off the field. Fear, love, and loss try to derail her but she fights back and keeps her eye on the prize. I love how the author wrote such a strong female character. Since this is a young adult book, hopefully seeing a character with such strength to overcome obstacles will help other young women who read this book.

I listened to this audiobook and I did find it was a little difficult at times since there was a lot of Spanish in the book and there was no translation in the audiobook. That being said, it didn't really take away from the comprehension of the text. I could just see a child who doesn't speak/understand Spanish possibly walking away from the book because of it.

Overall, I highly recommend this book and hope my daughters will read it when they are a bit older due to some of the mature themes in the book.
#YoungAdultFiction #Argentina #Soccer #Abuse #TeenagePregnancy #Murder #Abductions #Dreams #Family

DNF @ 25%

I wanted to love this book so much, and I did for the first 15%, but then came the romance, and for some reason I completely lost interest in the book. Though, I do believe that this book just simply wasn't for me. It happens.

But I do need to say that I was listening to the audiobook and that the narrator did a brilliant job at it. I felt that their voice fit quite well with the story and the characters. So I would recomend listening to the audiobook.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

<<Furia>> is an absolutely engrossing, vibrant coming-of-age story of Camila following her dreams against odds and expectations. The intersectionality of racial representation and feminism is executed beautifully-- I'd recommend this to all YA readers in my life.

Read in the author's own voice, the audiobook adds even more life to the already vivacious, stunning book.

It’s the futbol, family, and female empowerment for me.

Honestly, this tells you everything without telling you anything, so if any of those words get you hype then read this book.

Furia is an Argentine She’s the Man - filled with on field action and realistic tension, this book is a treasure. Camila is a 17 year old with a secret - she’s a soccer powerhouse who has helped her team quality for the South American tournament. But La Furia on the field has more to worry at home between an abusive father, a defenseless mother and her old crush who has come back in town.

Although these tropes have been seen before, Méndez executes them with stunning accuracy - breathing new life into teenage drama. The book thrums with passion without passing into the blasé. Camila pursues her love but VALUES HER GOALS MORE. I have never felt so delighted and refreshed from an 17 year olds life choices.

The writing is fast paced, the details thoughtful and the character relatable and dynamic. Skip the TBR and put this at the top of your list.

Quotable: “I felt joy for being alive, playing a sport that a generation ago could have landed me in prison.”

This is a little different for me but I have to say I enjoyed it. It’s a book that has a strong female character that addresses lots of issues at such a young age. Lots of different dynamics and relationships but not one overpowering the story. The pace of the book was appropriate and loved the narrator as it really added to the story when she spoke in the native tongue. Would recommend...

Thanks to Netgalley and Workman Audio for the opportunity to read this ARC and review that was published on the 15th of Sept.

Ohhhh Furia's story makes me both rage with anger at the patriarchy and jump for joy at the hope that exists in so many girls around the world. Furia lives in a world of poverty and domestic abuse. She is a girl with a brain and a dream. Her family places so much pressure on her to become successful to "save" them from their troubles and offer her little to no support for her dreams. 

There are so many dramatic telenovela-esque moments that left me hardcore rolling my eyes, but I took it with a grain of salt that Camila was a teenager and culturally there is a lot more emotion amongst her and those around her than I am used to in my day to day life. The writing was a little over-flowery at times for my taste with lots of unnecessary metaphors, but again I tried to think of the story as glimpsing into this young girl's diary and that helped when I grew annoyed with it.

I appreciated Camila's drive to be who she wanted and fight for her dreams amidst everyone trying to bring her out of the clouds and tell her that her dreams were unattainable. Too many times women are told you can't have it all, and that's complete nonsense. It will take work, discipline and perhaps some sacrifices along the way but you can have it all. It does take a supportive network around you though and boy were Camila's friends and family frustrating. Roxana and Diego really irked me because their friendships seemed very conditional.

I listened to this one on audiobook via the new Netgalley shelf, and was really impressed with the narrator. I appreciated that she had the appropriate accent and sometimes pronounced the words differently than I might, it made Furia more real to me.

There was real hope in this story and lots of education about the culture of Argentina and life of a mixed BIPOC girl who's trying to be something more than just someone's wife.

It doesnt support or open after I download the pdf version of it. It's also not showing in my shelf in netgalley and I cant open it to read Please look into the issue and if you can send me the pdf in my mail ID- taniagungunsarkar@gmail.com I cant read the book from here. Please look into the issue

I LOVED THIS BOOK, especially as an audiobook. YA perfection encapsulating the struggles of being a teenager with dreams that are outside what your family/culture expects of you. Narration was excellent. Highly recommend! I'll be thinking about this story for a while.

ARC from the publisher via NetGalley, but the opinions are my own.

Furia by Yamile Saied Méndez is an Ownvoices young adult contemporary set in Argentina, about a girl who is a rising soccer star. Camila Hassan, a seventeen year old has been living a double life in Rosario, Argentina.

One is where she plays soccer with her local team and another one is where her parents don't know about it. Her brother, Pablo is also a rising soccer star player. Her father is very absuive and short tempered.

But on the field, everyone calls her La Furia - a powerhouse of talent and skill. She and her team work really hard and get qualified for the South American Tournament. We see a very resilient Camila Hassan and also theme of female empowerment.

Furia is a character which will give you energy, hope, power and the will to do something that you truly believe in and dream about. Across the book, the character of Furia keeps on growing into a positive and strong female.

We see very wonderful and inspiring Love and Friendship in this book. Diego, also a rising soccer star has been visiting cities and playing for different clubs. His career is taking a peak, we see how realises his mistakes at the end.

Camila's father is a very abusive and controlling parent who doesn't want her daughter to be roaming with the "not so right crowd" or even playing soccer. I loved when Camila's mother stood up to him once and for all. Her support for her daughter's dream was brilliant.
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Thanks to NetGalley and Publisher for providing me ALC.

Thank you NetGalley! I wasn't expecting to enjoy this book as much as I did. I don't normally read contemporary fiction, and I don't know much about sports. I saw the beautiful woman on the front and decided to check it out.

I read this on audio, the narrator has a soothing voice and does a good job of showing emotion. I'm not sure if she's a native English speaker because there were a few words that were mispronounced.

If you like strong female characters, I would highly recommend this. Camila is a strong, inspiring female lead. She's a young woman who overcomes many obstacles so she can live her dream.

#netgalley #Furia

The hero of this story is a 17 year old girl called Camilla. She grew up playing soccer (futbol) in Argentina along with her brother. As they got older her brother excelled but Camilla wasn’t allowed to play because she is a girl. She went against her strict parents wishes and hid her playing. Through many personal events, some positive, others very trying, Camilla (Furia) comes out strong. A powerful book about racial and cultural inequities in Argentina.
Thank you #netgalley and #Furia for the audiobook.

Furia is a beautiful novel of womanhood. Of standing up for yourself, believing in YOU first and moving on to bigger and better things. Camila is a surrounded by soccer kings, her brother plays for a local team and the boy she has crushed on for years plays for Italy. Yet she may be the best player of all of them. Except her father forbids a woman to play soccer. It is a man's sport and there is no place for a girl there. So, naturally, Camilla plays anyways, in secret on a league headed to an international competition! Between managing her relationship with Diego, the boy from Italy, keeping out of her abusive father's way, and trying to earn money to pay for the tournament, Camilla keeps herself busy. But it's all worth it for the love of the game. She protects hard, and plays harder. It's a sweet coming of age story with a happily ever after. I loved the mix of culture throughout the book and the sharing of the difficult political climates in Argentina. This book covered everything, dealing with tabloid relationships, abusive parents, LGBTQ, feminist movement and then some. All fairly lightly but any deeper and it might be too much for a ya book.

Overall this was a great read. Very altruistic but I think those go well in moments like this. I feel like there were several things that were lost in translation in the spanglish throughout the story but I was listening and it may have been different if I were reading instead. It was something that was enough of a difficulty that I felt it pulled away from the story because I couldn't connect because I didn't understand it. Something as simple as an English translation could help. (again something I could have easily Googled if I were reading but couldn't really as a listener.) I just wanted to completely connect and understand and felt like there was a blockade preventing that could have been avoided.

Cant wait to pass along to my neices as a story of empowerment and hardwork!