The Fury by Alex Michaelides

Alex Michaelides has blown my mind again with his crazy twists and creative storytelling. The Fury is narrated by Elliot, a playwright, who is invited to spend the Easter holiday with his glamorous movie star friend Lana, and several others on a private island in Greece.

Then there is a storm - the fury - a murder. At first it might seem very Agatha Christie, with all the different personalities and motives gathered on this island, but then Michaelides keeps taking the story to different places I did not expect. Elliot reminds me of an Edgar Allan Poe narrator; his past is dark and shady. He and most of the other characters are unlikeable, but all very compelling. I don’t want to go into details because I don’t want to spoil things!

The Silent Patient and The Maidens were both 5 star reads for me, and I gave this a five as well. This one had a slower pace as Elliot is unraveling the story like he’s having a conversation with you at a bar, but it was equally riveting for me.

There are also some references to those two other books - this is not in any way a sequel - but I’d read those first to avoid potential spoilers.

Also, this is the second book I’ve read recently set in Greece and I want to book a trip!

I received a free ARC copy of The Fury from Celadon for review.

This was an interesting take on the thriller genre. I enjoyed the way it was written as if someone was telling it like a story to their friend. I enjoyed the various characters, even the ones I couldn’t stand, and their various secrets. The descriptions of the island were great, I felt as if I was there.

There were so many other things going on in this story that the setting took a bit of a backseat this time. This is such a minor grievance, but it’s truly one of the reasons I love Michaelides’s work as much as I do.

However, the writing and storytelling more than makes up for any misgivings. The twists here shook me and spun me in a hundred different directions. By the time the story ended, I was in awe. There is a genius to the art and level of twists that Michaelides reveals, and it’s truly captivating. The Fury is a suspenseful page-turner, one that will be difficult for readers to put down.

Great story! Wonderful set of characters. So many twists you never see coming. Have been waiting for another book since Silent Patient and she definitely topped it.

✔️ Murder mystery
✔️ Unreliable narrator
✔️ Isolated setting
✔️ Unlikeable characters
✔️ Quirky
✔️ Meta
✔️ 2nd person point of view
✔️ Quick read

With this book, you might think you know what’s going on at all times, but you’d be wrong. It’s not only a whodunn𝘪𝘵, but a whodunn𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵, and takes the idea of an unreliable narrator to a whole new level.

This felt a little bit like The Guest List, a little bit like White Lotus, and a little bit like Looking Glass Sound. And despite having aspects of all of these stories, and feeling extraordinarily familiar at first glance, The Fury stands apart because of its bizarre narrative structure. It is written in 2nd person point of view, which isn’t commonly used in much these days beyond short stories, which makes it immediately feel different. Our narrator, Elliot Chase, breaks the fourth wall often, and refers directly to the reader, pulling us into the story and investing us more deeply in its outcome. I would say that if you can enjoy this style of narrative voice, then there’s a good chance you will like this book. If you find it off-putting and can’t get past it, there’s a good chance this won’t be for you. Luckily, I was able to get used to it fairly quickly, and even found it kind of fun when all was said and done.

And although being billed as a psychological thriller, I would say this book is much more of a mystery that has psychological components than a true thriller. The storytelling is not quite as fast paced as you’d expect from a thriller, and the narrator takes his time peeling back the layers of this twisted tale. However, the author compensates for the pacing with short chapters and small reveals sprinkled throughout, always giving you just enough to want to turn the page.

Another aspect I feel deserves mentioning is the tone of this book. Alex Michaelides’ writing always reads a little pretentious to me, but in the case of this book, I think it actually works. The writing fits well with the narrator’s personality, and makes it seem as though the pretentiousness is meant to be a part of his overall character and is not of the writing itself. This pretentiousness even comes across quite playful at times—like he, our narrator, is the cat and you, the reader, are the mouse. I don’t think the same effect could have been achieved had this been a multiple POV book like The Hunting Party or The Guest List, but because there is only the sole narrator this worked in the book’s favor and lended itself well to the vibe.

I can only imagine this book will be polarizing for many people, and so I hope that my small insights will be found helpful when deciding to read this. (Let me know if you do and what you think!)

Thanks so much to Celadon Books and NetGalley for the advanced copies in exchange for an honest review.

Dear Reader, this won't be long -

Upon opening The Fury, whether by opening the book's covers or by clicking your preferred device, be aware that you'll be having a book-long conversation with Elliot Chase. He's charming, witty, wise even. Don't be sucked in. Listen closely, and do stay up. Don't let the spaces between reading and not reading be long. He'll be sure to take good care of you (he knows you've bought the book and so are invested in this tale), although he digresses from time to time. Not that those digressions are unimportant. . .you might want to take a few notes. . .

After this read you might suffer from whiplash, need to strap your jaw back into place, and do something about those tall eyebrows and wide-open eyes. . .

Other than that, happy reading, enjoy with a tasty beverage of your choice. (And don't trust Elliot as far as. . .oh, wait. jk. jk. . . .)

*A sincere thank you to Alex Michaelides, Celadon Books, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for an ARC to read and independently review.* #TheFury #NetGalley 52:10

🎁 𝓐𝓡𝓒 𝓑𝓸𝓸𝓴 𝓡𝓮𝓿𝓲𝓮𝔀 🎁
2.75/5 🌟

Ugh, what a bummer. I was SO excited for this one - it was SO hyped up. It’s a thriller, and a mystery, with a supremely unreliable narrator (my favorite kind!) but there were just so many versions of what was going on that I lost track.

I was truly engaged the first half, and I loved that the narrator, Elliot, was snarky and insufferable. He was a version of Nick Carraway, or Truman Capote. In this case, a writer trying to shed his past as a bullied and abused young boy (if we can believe him) and get “in” with the glitterati. He has befriended one of the world’s biggest movie stars, Lana Ferrar, after she left the Hollywood life behind. Elliot and several others of Lana’s inner-circle are spending Easter on her private island in Greece, and one will end up dead, as Elliot has shared from the beginning. But just who, and how, and why?

There was so much plotting and scheming and so many different POVs, that I got twisted up and eventually annoyed. Alright already, what is the REAL story? Not sure I know, even after finishing the book. It was messy. The first half intrigued me, for sure, and its a fast-paced read, but then it was just enough. I think there are a lot of readers who will enjoy this, it just wasn’t for me. Honestly I think this will be adapted for the screen and I’ll like it better that way!

Thank you to @netgalley and @celadonbooks for the ARC in exchange for my thoughts.

The beginning of this book is SO insanely slow. It was slow, annoying and had way too many small descriptive details that were unnecessary. The narrator Elliot was so frustrating and I couldn’t stand him.

It DOES get better once you’re about 60% done the book. It picks up the pace and is actually interesting and you will want to find out what happens. The only reason i continued to read it was because I received this as an Arc and I wanted to leave an honest review.

I gave it three stars because I did enjoy the ending. Once i got to the part that picked up, I did want to continue and find out what happened. It is a different writing style than The Silent Patient and I liked the style. I also liked that someone from Silent patient wad mentioned, which was cool.


Thank you for the Arc!

The first 20% of this book had me hooked, I liked the premises , the narration feel of the book, the point of view of the “odd one of the bunch”, and the murder mystery aspect. It was getting a little dry with the storytelling of backstories of some of the characters after the introductions, and some of the characters needed more depth and details to make me connect and care more, such as the main woman’s son. The twist at the end was good, but maybe a little too mild for what I thought this book would give. I would recommend to certian friends and viewers

I really enjoyed this new release from Michaelides. The narrator takes us on a journey that is part theater and part memoir. I really didn't expect a lot that happened. The twists and turns kept me constantly guessing and it was pleasantly surprising. The only thing I can complain about is that the narrator telling the story made the action less palpable somehow. I guess because it all seemed to be taking place in part tense or we were hearing the information second-hand. It didn't seem exciting even the content was.. I guess it was just delivery that missed the mark a tiny bit for me. overall, WELL DONE! 🌟🌟🌟🌟 Thank you #netgalley for early access to this amazing book. Just released 1/16/24. Must read!! #TheFury

So I have never read any of Alex Michaelides work, although I've seen it mentioned often enough. This book cover kept intriguing me and I had to check it out. I really loved The Fury. I had to think hard about how I would review the book, because I can see where it would be hard for some to stick with, but I personally loved the slow burn before we got to the pay off in the end.

Michaelides writing style was a little different than typical popular books that I've read, and I always enjoy reading an author with a different style. I'm also a fan of the locked room style murder mysteries. The reader is told that a murder has taken place, and I'll admit it took me a bit to figure out and follow the flow of our narrator in this book. Elliot Chase is himself an enigma, and as we go through the story we see scenes told from different perspectives, undermining what the reader thinks they know.

There are several twists and turns throughout the book, and I enjoyed immersing myself in the story on a Greek island. Each one of the characters in the novel seems worthy of their own book, they have so many interesting backstories and motivations. I saw my local bookstore advertising this in their Insta as a new release Tuesday book (they were literally placing it on the floor), and now I'm debating a physical copy to re-read and see what I didn't pick up on the first time through. I'm sure there are a few key pieces I probably missed as I burned through it. There were a few slower parts, but I felt that the slower portions of the book added to the build up of the finale. I will probably end up picking up the Silent Patient after reading through this. I don't always pick up books that are super hyped, but after reading The Fury, definitely want to check out the Silent Patient. There are several twists and turns throughout the book, and I enjoyed immersing myself in the story on a Greek island. Each one of the characters in the novel seems worthy of their own book, they have so many interesting backstories and motivations. I saw my local bookstore advertising this in their Insta as a new release Tuesday book (they were literally placing it on the floor), and now I'm debating a physical copy to re-read and see what I didn't pick up on the first time through. I'm sure there are a few key pieces I probably missed as I burned through it. There were a few slower parts, but I felt that the slower portions of the book added to the build up of the finale. I will probably end up picking up the Silent Patient after reading through this. I don't always pick up books that are super hyped, but after reading The Fury, definitely want to check out the Silent Patient. If I can be on Santorini while reading it, that would be a bonus.

Please be advised that I received an Advanced Readers Copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

"It's imperative to refrain from tinkering at this late stage. Many a great work of art has been ruined by the artist's inability to stop tampering with it. Many a criminal venture, too, no doubt."

4 out of 5 stars

Thank you to Alex Michaelides, Celadon Books, and NetGalley for an eARC of The Fury!

I feel like I can always count on Alex Michaelides for a quick, engaging thriller. I loved The Silent Patient, enjoyed the Maidens, and The Fury roped me in and kept me on the edge of my seat for the whole book!

Things I Loved:

The unreliable narrator: I kind of loved how it felt like the reader is sitting in a bar listening to the narrator (Elliot) tell the story. As a playwright he is obviously a creative and essentially tells us at the beginning that he has a good grasp on how people felt. This is the first red flag that we can't trust what he's saying. There were multiple times as I was reading that I got wrapped up into one version of events only to learn that it wasn't true at all. The more we read, the more we can see that maybe we need to take Elliot's version of events with a grain of salt.

The setting of the story: We mainly jump back and forth from London to a Greek island. I loved the pictures Michaelides painted of both settings. The Greek island in particular was so vivid in my mind that I could perfectly visualize events as they happened. It was a great mix of beauty and spooky which is tough to master in a good thriller!

The twists and turns of the story: Holy toledo - twist after twist after twist. Not all of them were big. Some were small and simply gave us insight into the character of the characters. Others had me saying "WHAT?!" I thought all were executed fabulously and were very well set up throughout the story.

The tie in to the Silent Patient!

I don't have anything I absolutely did not like about this book. I thought it had a great plot, great twists, interesting characters, and an easy flow about it. I definitely recommend it for anyone who liked his previous works and also fans of Riley Sager and Ruth Ware!

A masterfully paced thriller about a reclusive ex–movie star and her famous friends whose spontaneous trip to a private Greek island is upended by a murder ― from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Silent Patient.

This is my favorite Alex Michaelides' novel so far. The plot and character interaction is so much more complex than his previous novels. The book is beautifully written with a first person/unreliable narrator who narrates from the sidelines at times and others as an active participant. I enjoyed his psychological portraits of the characters and their impact on the others around them. It is a story of manipulation, love and revenge. The twists at the end, although a little contrived actually added to the overall mood. Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This was a huge miss for me. I waited to listen to the audiobook and that was a mistake. I didn’t connect with the narrator at all. I switched to the ebook and still wasn’t connecting with the characters or the overall plot. The pacing was all over the place and I struggled with finishing. The story was somehow too much and not enough at the same time. I love this author so I will give him another try in the future. I’ve seen a lot of good reviews for this one so I’m definitely in the minority. So if you are a fan of this author, then give it a try. I’m curious to see what you think!

Thank you so much for my gifted copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

dnf’ed at 47%.

i was a big fan of the silent patient and was eager to get my hands on ‘the fury’ especially since it sounded like it would resemble ‘the glass onion’ in quite a few ways.

unfortunately it was disappointing and difficult to follow. i liked the style of narration the author chose to use but i found it hard to keep track of where we were and whether or not certain moments had taken place in the past or were currently happening. i might pick it up down the road again to give it a second chance because i am very intrigued to know how it ends but for right now i think it is best to put it down.

thank you to netgalley and celadon books for an e-arc!

"The Fury" by Alex Michaelides absolutely lives up to the hype of his breakout novel, "The Silent Patient". Taking a classic murder mystery format, this book follows a group of friends (or lack thereof) that travel to a Greek island to get away from their troubles, only to realize that there problems have followed them there.

Similar to 2022's Knives Out sequel "Glass Onion", Michaelides weaves this story together by sharing the same scene from different points of view, giving readers a unique perspective that many modern thriller/mystery authors do not provide. While this format seems best suited for the screen, Michaelides does a masterful job and making reading the same scene over and over again, not as dry as it sounds.

I found "The Fury" to be a delightful read that will be a new favourite for fans of the genre.

4/5

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me access to this book.

The Fury by Alex Michaelides is an intriguing story recounting the horror that happened on a secluded Greek island with a famous actress and her friends. I love Michaelides's style of writing. It's so poetic and philosophical. However, this one just didn't gel for me.

The story is told in the perspective of Elliot Chase, a playwright in his 30s(?). He admits from the get go that he has taken creative liberties in how he presents the different perspectives of the players. The novel follows seven characters who have traveled to a private Greek island for a short holiday. The plot bounces around and you get a clear picture of each person who was on the island when the tragedy occurs. The characters generally aren't very likeable. The novel was a bit slow going for the first 2/3, but picks up in the last 1/3 as there's more action. It leads to an intriguing conclusion and I'm unsure if I missed something or if we should trust the narrator.

This novel takes place in the same universe as The Silent Patient and The Maidens, so some of the characters referenced play major roles in those books. I have enjoyed reading theories about the novel.

Thank you Celadon Books for this ARC. All thoughts are my own.

I’d read (and enjoyed) The Maidens and The Silent Patient and I can safely say that Michaelides has achieved 3 out of 3 solid novels.

The Fury, set on a private island in Greece, follows the 5-act structure of Greek theatre: exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, resolution. I studied this format in some theatre courses in college, and I enjoyed how Michaelides paid homage to such a traditional format, especially given the novel’s setting. 

Our protagonist, Elliot Chase, is (fittingly) a playwright. Alongside him are:
-Lana, his friend, a former movie star
-Jason, Lana’s second husband, a big shot businessman
-Kate, a rough-around-the-edges actress
-Leo, Lana’s son from her previous marriage, an aspiring actor
-Nikos, the groundskeeper
-Agathi, Lana’s full-time housekeeper/cook

The fame element, while not essential to the plot, was somewhat interesting, especially in the many flashbacks that occur throughout the book. I also enjoyed that the narrator is sort of fame-adjacent, someone who canoodles with the stars but isn’t fully one himself.

The Fury has been compared to Knives Out, especially the semi-forgettable “Glass Onion” Netflix movie. With the many twists and turns and intricacies that occur throughout, I can see the parallels. I’d also compare the whodunnit plot and cast of characters — ranging from the upper echelon to the staff — to Lucy Foley’s works, which I’m fond of. One of the book’s strong points is that the reader is kept on their toes for a good portion of the story. 

The major flaw — I won’t go so far as to say *tragic* flaw — of the book is its characters, who never feel like fully fleshed out people to me. I couldn’t really connect with the characters, and not just because they are unlikeable. They almost felt like cardboard cutouts, like hollow people I was watching from afar. But maybe that was the intention? Maybe we were supposed to be voyeurs the whole time, like an audience watching a play, disconnected yet still holding onto their every line? Regardless, I don’t know if it was the right choice, as I truly didn’t care which characters lived and which ones died by the end.

All in all, this was a solid, fun read, yet another strong work from Michaelides.

I really enjoyed this book - character development was thorough, I loved the setting of a private Greek island. The ending catches you off guard and it’s a true AM story! Thank you for the ARC! I recommend reading this book highly.

Michaelides' latest is a murder mystery that builds its story with ever-increasing suspense and a growing whipping of the wind. Everything is wound tight. Pulled taut. Orchestrated within the confined structure of a five act play. It all starts off with a soft gale, where the narrator slowly introduces and details the lives of Lana Farrar and her group of friends as they gather to spend the weekend on a private Greek island. However, it isn't long before things devolve into a blustering storm of fury as sordid events unfold and murder is plotted, planned, and carried out--with secret motivations and manipulations being administered behind the scenes.

The narrative voice is unique in that Elliot Chase, one of Lana's friends, is recounting the tale. He often breaks the fourth wall, bouncing back and forth between directly addressing the audience like an old friend and offering a more detached, almost omniscient, perspective in an attempt to preserve his own credibility. It makes for an interesting unfolding of events because it encourages readers to parse through all the subtext he lays out and dissect all that he is (or is not) saying.

All in all, I thought this was a well-paced, character-driven thriller. I couldn't help but note the Knives Out: Glass Onion feel of it, with all the murder suspects not only knowing each other but being trapped together on a small island. I also couldn't help but draw parallels between Elliot Chase and Nick Carraway from The Great Gatsby because of how they both idealized Lana and Jay Gatsby in their own ways, and, as a result of that, put them up on a pedestal. They felt eerily reminiscent of one another in that respect. At the same time, I thought the unreliability their narratives struck entirely different tones in the end, leaving readers with wildly contradictory feelings about them, and I rather enjoyed that.

I imagine some readers may not enjoy the narration style in this, but if you're a fan of forced proximity in murder mysteries, or you care to witness a group of ritzy friends being shady and betraying each other on holiday, you won't want to miss this one!

3.5 stars

Many thanks to NetGalley and Celadon Books for the ARC in exchange for my review.