✨Book Review!✨
“The Fury”
Written By: Alex Michaelides
Published by: Celadon Books
Publication date: January 16th, 2024
ARC provided by Netgalley
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Elliot Chase tells the story of his friendship with Lana Farrar, famous movie star and how it came to be. Every year, sometimes a few times a year, Lana visits her own private Greek island for rest, relaxation and sunshine and often times brings her husband, son and friends along with her. Luckily, every time they have visited, they haven’t experienced the whipping, all consuming wind known as… The Fury. This trip is different though. Elliot has a plan and is determined to see it acted out as if it were a twisted play. But will his plan come to fruition or be ruined by others on the island?
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I received The Fury as an advanced copy from NetGalley and was THRILLED to have the chance to read it before its publication date and as my 150th book of 2023. This twisty, turns thriller is full of characters who will keep you guessing and a plot unlike any other. If that’s your jam… be sure to buy The Fury on January 16th, 2024 OR choose it as your January Book of the Month! (If you don’t subscribe to BOTM, let me know and I’ll be happy to share my code with you to join!)
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Did I love it as much as The Maidens? No I did not. I had really high hopes for this one and did REALLY enjoy it but unfortunately it fell a bit flat for me. I can’t pinpoint exactly why but I just wasn’t shocked or awed. It’s still a well written book with a unique plot that I think a lot of people will love! Maybe just not quite the one for me.

Kind of spoiler…(there’s an Alex Michaelides book crossover in the end that’s lots of readers will love!)

1- Characters: 9
2- Atmosphere/Setting: 9
3- Writing Style: 8
4- Plot: 9
5- Intrigue: 8
6- Logic/Relationships: 8
7- Enjoyment: 9

Total Score: 60
60/7 = 8.57
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Fury by Alex Michaelides

I will admit, this one took me a minute to get into. I found the narrator extremely annoying in the beginning, but by the end, I understood why he was the way he was… which I love.

The Fury follows an ex-movie star and her friends who decide to take a trip to a remote island, where *shocker* a murder occurs…. Or does it? The narrator, Elliot, is extremely unreliable, which makes you question literally everything that you read.

Honestly, I didn’t love the beginning and I even questioned if I was going to finish it. But by the end, I am so happy I finished it. I really enjoyed the ending, and *spoiler* loved the little nod to The Silent Patient at the end.

Was it my favorite thriller I have ever read? No. But I did enjoy it and would definitely recommend it as a book with a really good twist that caught me off guard.

Thank you so much to Celadon & Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in an exchange for my honest review.

#TheFury

This book was a surprise in several different ways and I'm absolutely still thinking about it, hours after turning the final page. The Fury was, quite literally, read in a fury. In that case, the book delivered on the promise.

While in the same vein as The Silent Patient, though without the spooky feels, The Fury has the same unique point of view feel that seems both super personal and makes the back of your brain twitch at the same time. I will admit, it took me awhile to ease into the narrator's voice as at first it seemed to do nothing but tell me things rather than showing me.

But one that script flipped, so to speak, I was riveted. A little play-write humor, given the main narrator. He was absolutely lovely in the most devilish and understanding of ways. A true Alex character—multi-faceted, but truly empathetic and chilling.

Also, hello, the unexpected nod to The Silent Patient? I was here for it. Totally.

This book had it's twists and left me guessing, but at the final reveal, although there were several, I saw a few of them coming. Which left the ending and final reveal as more of a “pop” rather than a huge spark and dazzle in the sky of my imagination.

But, does this come close to giving me the feeling that The Silent Patient did on my first reading? Breathless. Fun. Thinking hard.

Yes. Yes. Yes.

This was for sure a hearken back to his earlier work that I adored and we’ll forget that The Maidens ever happened, okay? Okay,

Alex Michaelides never disappoints. I was so thrilled to receive an advance copy of The Fury and loved every page of it. I look forward for what is to come!

This is a fast paced thriller told in the first person with an unreliable narrator. It’s about an ex movie star who goes to a secluded island with a groups of her friends.
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The narrator reminds me of Hugh Grant in most the rom coms he’s acted in. Narcissistic. Annoying. Kind of likable and funny.

I enjoyed the fast pace and plot of this book a lot. The twists at the end of the book were very enjoyable.

Was kind enough to receive an arc for this novel.

Which I wish it would've gone to someone who loved it. I personally found eighty percent appalling and unreadable. I will not lie I even skimmed part of the middle. The MC head is a jumbled mess of bad writing. I know an ARC is before final print, but I don't think the big issues will be fixed in a draft or 2 above this.

The story is like most a mess and hard to follow with one dimensional ass holes. Just like Michaelides other books I just don't think he's for me. I'll probably skip his next outing like I'm telling you to skip this one.

I love an unreliable narrator and The Fury's could be the most unreliable I've ever read. The format of the story is really compelling as is the locked door aspect of being on an island, and I enjoyed the references to Greek myths and previous characters from Michaelides' books. This is a twisty thriller that keeps you on your toes until the very end!

Thanks to Celadon for the copy to review!

A fast paced thriller that I really enjoyed. It's a perfect palate cleanser which can be read in-between heavier reads. Highly enjoyable and loved the unique narration style. Alex Michaelides never fails to deliver!

This story was not what I expected it to be. It is a thriller/murder mystery in which a famous movie star brings her husband, friends, loyal employee and son to her private Greek island. While on the island, one of the group is possibly murdered and the book tells the tale of what may or may not have happened before, leading up to, and after this event. I loved how the narrator, Elliot Chase, begins to tell the story. It felt creative and different, and I appreciated that about the way the book was written. Many of the characters are people you love to hate, or have mixed feelings about depending on where you are in the story but mostly, they weren’t particularly endearing to this reader. However, like or dislike the characters, I still wanted to know where the story was going and thus, I read on. It’s a pretty quick read and it is written well. Not my favorite book by this author, but well worth taking the time to read it!
Thanks to NetGalley, Celadon books and the author for the opportunity to read the e-galley in exchange for this honest review.

I’m on the fence about this one. I had to put it down for a while and pick it back up to finish. I was a huge fan of The Silent Patient, so I was excited to read another new one from this author. I was not as big of a fan of this one. This has got to be one of the slowest “thrillers” ever written. I did not care for any of the characters and was told from an unreliable narrator’s point of view. Lana Faara, who is a beloved movie actress, invited her closest friends to join her on a remote Greek island for a getaway. The vacation starts with seven friends, ending with one of them dead. Though I did enjoy the ending, this one did not live up to the hype.

This was a good book, a whodunit, it was with many literary aspects to it. The pacing was a little off, at times some parts that should have moved fast went slow, and parts that should have went slow went fast. Overall if you are looking for a clever, smart thriller I do recommend this book. I felt it was well thought out, just wanted it to pack a little more of a punch

Alex Michaelides has written a beautifully crafted suspense with her latest book The Fury. It has everything, beautiful celebrities, a Greek island, murder, passion and secrets.
I love a good unreliable narrator and that’s never been more true with Elliot Chase. He’s a playwright and with his wit and satire he sits you down at the bar and tells you all about what unfolded on that island. The secrets and the lies that were told. But can you trust anything you hear?
I was hooked from the beginning. As an avid mystery reader, I saw some of the twists coming but not some of the big ones which is what made this book such a joy to read. If you love a good twist this book is for you!
Thank you to Celadon and NetGalley for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest review.

Alex Michelides did not disappoint. This book was true to his style with an unpredictable ending. The writing style was great and brought the setting to life. I loved the short chapters and minimal characters to keep straight. I definitely recommend this one.

Loved the SILENT PATIENT by Alex Michaelides, I recommend it to anyone who will listen. The Maidens, meh, not so much and now the book I eagerly anticipated hoping to love it as much as THE SILENT PATIENT; I did not.

Six very dysfunctional people travel to a privately owned Greek island, The island is owned by a famous retired actress, There is a murder on the island during the visit. Throwing suspicion on different characters at different times, I found myself not caring, not invested, just wanted to finish and move on to my next read.

I will continue read anything Mr. Michaelides writes with eager anticipation of another great read for me.

What a winding plot! Elliot is enamored of his best friend, Lana, a movie star. He discovers Jason, her husband is having an affair with her friend, Kate, a stage actress. He hatches plan necessitates planted clues, staged murders, and un staged tragedies. Twists, turns, and who are these people really? A very good read.

Thanks so much to NetGalley for the ARC of this book. I gave this book 2.5 stars (rounded up for Goodreads). I’ve been a fan of Michaelides ever since I read The Silent Patient, it’s one of those books that I will always remember reading. I remember exactly where I was listening to it when the big twist happened. So, I will probably forever be excited to read his new books. With that being said, I didn’t care much for The Fury. It was a combination of things for me. First off, the book is told through the eyes of one character (Elliot Chase) whom I found to be mildly irritating at best and completely insufferable at worst. Second, the style is very meta. Elliot is consistently speaking directly to the reader, breaking from the narrative to tell the reader what to expect next or to give advice, to ask for grace from the reader, to garner sympathy from the reader, etc. While I do think this can be an interesting technique it just wasn't hitting for me. I also really did not care for Elliot's self-deprecating attitude. He’s always saying things about assuming everyone hates him (including the reader). That just rubs me the wrong way. I feel like people like that just want attention, they want someone to contradict them and say “No, we love you, you're great”. That's the energy Elliot gave off the whole book. It’s so try-hard. And maybe that's the point but I still had to suffer through it. Now, to the plot, Elliot is friends with a group of rich people including a mega movie star, Lana, and a theatre actress, Kate. It’s about the three of them along with Lana’s husband Jason and her son Leo as they go on vacation together to Lana’s private Greecian Island (a gift from her late husband, pre-Jason). There are seven people on a private island and Elliot tells you very early on that one of them does not make it off alive and another is a murderer. I don’t want to give too much away, but there are several twisty turns, some of which are more believable than others. Ultimately, I enjoyed the mystery in this, however, I was hoping for something more clever to happen at the end. You do need to suspend disbelief here a lot unless you think all actors and actresses are over-the-top drama queens who are down for literally anything. I would say to definitely check this out if you want to have fun with your mysteries more than you want your mind blown.

Rich people on a private island all with their own secrets -- What could go wrong? You would imagine this story started the moment Lana decided to invite everyone to her Greecian Island but you would be wrong. Our narrator, Elliot, and best friend to Lana tells us the story of the fateful few days that would change his and his friend's lives forever.

If you were a fan of Michaelides's book Silent Patient, you better get your hands on The Fury.

Thank you, NetGalley and Celadon Books for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Definitely all the twist and turns. I felt I was in the fury at times so much happening. Page Turner

I want to thank NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of The Fury, but it’s a no thank you for me. The pacing was SOOOO slow. Many attempts to “get into into the story” fell flat … as flat as the characters. Dull, flat characters. I didn’t relate to any of them or anything.The omniscient narrator was just WEIRD as well as unlikeable and unreliable. The style of writing was weird and extremely annoying. The narrator was cheeky with his side winks and comments to the audience ( the reader) as the story is presented like a play. It did not work for me; it was annoying.
The book description for The Fury was a flurry of hype, promising a “masterfully paced thriller” but the hype was smoke and mirrors, as was the storyline. It all was weird. I keep using weird as the descriptive word for this novel; that’s being kind, IMHO.
I was so disappointed as I really was looking forward to a thriller. The Fury is not a thriller.

I LOVED The Silent Patient. As a result, the bar was set pretty darn high and nothing else quite measures up. Don't get me wrong, this was still really good, just not as good. This is like a modern-day take on Agatha Christie, and it was very well done! The setting was fantastic! The storyline was right up my alley, murder and secrets among famous people. Elliot is the narrator, and he is very unlikeable, although that fit right in with the storyline and was not an issue. I enjoyed the way the story is told through his eyes. The first half is a tad slow, but it is setting it all up, so just wait! Overall, a great read and I cannot wait for more!

Thank you to #NetGalley, Alex Michaelides and Celadon Books for this much appreciated ARC. All opinions are my own.

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