<i> This is a story for anyone who has ever loved </i>
3.5/5 stars

I'm going to preface this review by saying that I was SO EXCITED to read this one, and was really looking forward to it, so my review may be influenced by the hype and feeling let down that it didn't fully live up to my expectations.

Do you like drama, murder, stories of unrequited love, and the theatre? Then this will be for you!

Elliot tells us the story of the famous movie star, Lana Farrer, who happens to be a friend of his. Enter her husband Jason, best friend Kate (also an actor), and son Leo. The group have been friends for ages, close as you can be--a true found family. In fact, it starts that way on a vacation to Lana's private Greek island, protected by the terrifying winds known as "the fury." Most family gatherings seem likely to end in murder--and this one actually does. Elliot walks us through the events that led to the murder through the eyes of a playwright full of the dramatics and emotion one would expect.

Elliot is the very definition of an unreliable narrator, and the story is mostly told from his point of view, giving insight into his particular state of mind and seeing every other character through his eyes and his alone, which I did find well done and interesting. I do think the mini subplot regarding what was going on with Jason to be underdeveloped and unnecessary to the story, especially because nothing happens with it in the end.

I struggled with how to truly review this one, because I actually did really enjoy it (especially the little easter egg that ties it into The Silent Patient and The Maidens!). But I did feel like this was a VERY slow thriller--I wasn't fully hooked in until the main action happened about 85% into the book. Don't get me wrong, it was still entertaining, and I was invested enough in the characters, but the pacing felt a little slow to me until you hit the climax.

Overall, I'll definitely be recommending this to people to read despite falling flat to me compared to the author's other works. Worth reading if you're already a fan, particularly for the epilogue!

Thank you Netgalley and Celadon books for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review!

Oh, piss off. "The Fury" lost me bit by bit with each subsequent page. Bizarre writing style & narration and a ridiculous amount of plot twists. Felt like the book was sabotaging itself. I enjoyed "The Silent Patient" though I acknowledge its flaws, and this has those flaws amplified. Glass Onion it ain't.

Readers and fans of The Maidens and The Silent Patient, expecting the same caliber of writing and story, might find themselves disappointed in The Fury. There are nice descriptions of Aura, the Greek island where the story takes place, and the wind, or fury, becomes a main character itself. I found myself expecting and wanting more from this novel than what was delivered. I was holding it to a bar it never achieved - that said, it's a fun, light, entertaining read, more superficial than substance. Thank you Net Galley and Celadon Books for the opportunity to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Fury by Alex Michaelides
Publication Date- February 16th
Publisher- Celadon Books
Overall Rating- 5 out of 5 stars

Review: Review copy given to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I take notes on all the books I review for my booktube channel. As part of that process I write a “rating prediction.” My rating prediction for The Fury was a DNF. I honestly thought I would be disappointed and DNF this book. If you haven’t noticed yet… I gave it 5 stars and I’m just as shocked as you are. I LOVED this book. Just to be clear, the reason I thought I would DNF is because I read The Silent Patient and The Maidens and strongly disliked them but the setup of this book was too much for me to pass up. Anything that has a remote island and a whodunit, I’m there. Put me on the island, let me solve the crime.

We kick off on a very engaging and intriguing start. I was thrilled from page one all the way to the end. The pacing doesn’t let up, I was always interested in what the next page was going to say. One of my favorite things about the storytelling is that we are placed in a unique setup where one of the characters that was on the island during the murder is telling us the story. At times they will break the fourth wall and say things like “now let’s pause here really fast and go back in time so that this will make more sense to you” (not a direct quote from the novel, used only as an example for review purposes). The narrator also sets us up as if they are tellings us the story while we are setting at a bar with them having a drink (this is actually used and it really worked for me). I loved the zoom in and out of the story and back and forth in time.

Thankful to have received an early copy of this book! It took a bit to grab me, but once it did, I flew through. I’ve always appreciated Alex Michaelides’ quick-paced, greek-infused thrillers and his characters are always fascinating to meet. As far as “The Fury,” the plot fell a little flat for me. There was so much potential (similar to what could have been “Knives Out”), but it bounced around too much for what felt like shock value. However, for a short, snappy-chaptered thriller, it did keep my attention!

See for yourself when it’s released on January 16th!

Thrillers can be so hit or miss for me and this one was a miss.

Elliot Chase is our unreliable narrator in The Fury following a whodunit style story taking place on a remote island in Greece. We know that a murder takes place one night on the island and where only a small group of people were staying. Lana, a world renowned retired actress, her husband Jason, her son Leo, her employee Agathi, her best friend Kate, and of course our narrator Elliot.

It’s clear that Elliot is an unreliable narrator and is supposed to be an unlikeable character but I found him and his inner thoughts so self centered and insufferable.

I found it really slow paced and it jumped around A LOT. I never really had a moment where I was surprised by the events unfolding or one of those epiphanies of “wow nothing is actually as it seems.”

I like how atmospheric his novels are especially in this kind of setting and I actually do really enjoy the little Easter eggs he leaves in references to his previous books.

The Silent Patient was 5 stars for me, The Maidsens was 4 but this one was lackluster in comparison. I don’t know that’ll keep reading his books.

This book releases January 16, 2024.

I had a really hard time getting into this book and almost DNFed it but I kept going. I really wanted to know who the murder was but boom twist and I was like ok. But, the twist kept coming and usually this is a good thing but believe it or not there was way too many. I started loosing interest again because it was too hard to follow. I wish I could say I made it all the way through but I ended up giving up at 93 percent. I just couldn’t do it anymore.

I will be the first to admit that I wasn't immediately excited for this one. I loved The Maidens, but I HATED The Silent Patient. My chances of liking The Fury felt fifty-fifty and honestly...I was expecting not to like it.

I was wrong.

I pride myself on being able to see the twists in thrillers coming but when I tell you there was not a single moment I felt confident in my suspicions, I'm not kidding. An unreliable narrator and not many redeeming qualities in the other characters to get you ob their side make for a wild ride of second-guessing and "what the @&!#?" moments.


Thank you NetGalley and Celadon Books for gifting me and advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review and opinion.

I really wanted to love this as I loved the Silent Patient but this was all over the place. Very much a slow burn and when things finally start moving it’s thrown at you rapidly. Twist after twist where it got weird and convoluted. There’s not much I can say without spoiling the book, but one thing I can say is, if you’re planning on reading The Silent Patient, don’t read the epilogue as it gives major spoilers.
Thank you so much for giving me the chance to read it before the release day.

The Fury (out on 1/16/2024!)

⭐️⭐️⭐️

I was so excited to get this early copy to review after (along with everyone else in the world) loving Alex Michaelades’ “The Silent Patient.”

A world-famous ex-movie star whisks her family and friends away to her private Greek island getaway, hoping for rest, relaxation, and respite from the dreary English weather… but the trip ends in murder. Who is telling the story, and what went wrong? Who was murdered, and who is guilty?

This book is a masterclass in setting a scene and describing the events that occur, and then a few chapters later re-telling that same scene & event from someone else’s eyes and with more context. It’s a story that keeps unfolding, even though readers know the main events that happen over the 2-3 days. I love how the camera lens swivels, and nuance is added to the story until we see the truth. With this plot format, it’s super easy to read & to keep turning the page to find out more.

I liked the narrative voice — I love when authors break the fourth wall and talk directly to us readers and acknowledge what we’re thinking: (“I am aware of this genre, I know what’s meant to happen next and what you’re expecting… a twist”). I think this would have been a lot more exciting/ groundbreaking to me if I didn’t read “Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone” earlier in the year, which does the same thing.

Overall, I enjoyed this much more than “The Maidens,” but it didn’t surpass the “The Silent Patient” for me. I was surprised at the end, yet not totally blown away. However, I DO think you should pick this one up when it publishes in January if you’re looking for a twisty, fast read! This is definitely a “fun read” you can take on a trip or sit down with for an evening to be entertained. Thank you to @netgalley @celadonbooks for the ARC!🙏🏼

3.5 stars out of 5.

I really enjoyed The Silent Patient so I was excited to read this book. Overall, I thought it was an ok read and was not as good as The Silent Patient. I did not like how the book was written and it took a bit to get used to that format. It was written in a play format with an unreliable narrator. This was also a really slow thriller for the first 80% of the book and was drawn out. The last few chapters of the book were excellent though! I was not expecting the twists and I was definitely not expecting that ending. I was not really invested in any of the characters which may have been because of the writing style. Also, what was the point of the wasps?

In The Fury, Elliot is our narrator. He is good friends with Lana Farrar, a retired movie star. Elliot and Lana started their friendship years ago by chance. Lana invited some friends to her private island for Easter. There ends up being a murder and Elliot is the one who is telling us this wild tale!

Thank you Netgalley and Celadon Books for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

A fun, short, twisty psych thriller! Not what I was expecting, but a pleasant surprise!

Thank you very much to Netgalley and Celadon Books for the advanced reader’s copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Alex Michaelides has done it again! Twists and turns are throughout and the narrator will lead you in a path the he thinks is the right one or is he? Elliot Chase wants to have a drink with you and recount his love story that seems unbelievable. A chance meeting has him encountering Lana, the most famous and beautiful movie star there is. There is a plot of murder, scandals and top-notch acting on the island of Aura. Similar to the aptly mentioned Glass Onion (movie on Netflix) yet there is no Leblanc to solve this mystery, this one is up to you as Elliot continues to take you through his journey. By the end you’re not left disappointed because as a murder mystery this whodunnit is different and the twists are very satisfying because you won’t know until the very end, you might have an idea but are you sure? I greatly appreciated Mr. Michaelides for this, a breath of fresh air in the murder mystery genre and there are also some surprises if you’ve read his other books. Thank you NetGalley for an ARC!

Lana Farrar is a retired actress with a small group of friends and family. She needs to get away from the hustle and bustle of London after suspecting her husband of having an affair with her oldest friend. She, her family, two closest friends, and her assistant go to Lana's private island in Greece. The island is perfect for what Lana has planned for her next big act that leads to murder.
This story is told from the perspective of Lana's close friend, Elliot Chase, and is structured as a five-act Greek tragedy. While this is a psychological thriller, it is a very slow thriller. The story itself is not a bad one, it just has a slow narrative that was drawn out. I have never read a book written from a characters perspective before like this one and it took some getting used to but I ended up enjoying this different view. The story kept me guessing and I really got into the last quarter of the book.
If this is your first Alex Michaelides book, I'm sorry and please give him another chance by reading The Silent Patient. It's worth it!
Thank you NetGalley and Celadon Books for allowing me to read this advanced reader copy and provide my feedback.

“A tale of a beautiful, well-intentioned failure- ending in death. Which is a pretty good metaphor for life, isn’t it?“

My thoughts ⬇️

On a book that had so much hype?
On a book that made the top 10 most anticipated books for the New Year?

I struggled to like this one as much as the Silent Patient. I’m not going to lie.

HOWEVER….

I went into it blind, knowing little about what this book was about and that’s the absolute best thing I could have done!

It was a slow burner, but each Act started to pull me in deeper and deeper until the end left me surprisingly impressed. It was unpredictable in my opinion and the playbook setting was incredibly unique.

This was a buddy read with my booksta friends and although we didn’t all read it at the exact same time it was still fun to discuss when we did!

•Anticipated the biggest book of January•

👉🏼 Love story or murder that is the question

Elliot Chase is going to be the narrator of this tale and he is inviting you to pull up a stool and join him for a drink. Is this thriller going to be one of murder or love? Well our storyteller would have you believing it's one of love but in the end it is up to you to decide. The story is told in dual timelines. We are listening to Elliot weave a recollection according to him of the events that led Lana our reclusive ex-movie star to a Greek island with a group of six others and another of the events that took place on the island that led to murder. Much of the story is written as if our narrator is producing a play for an audience. He is interacting with us, his audience, and guiding us along his story. I actually liked the idea behind the storytelling. I was engaged enough that I was never bored with the story but where I think I struggled is that I was never really connected to any of the characters. I wasn't emotionally invested in anyone of them that I was anxious wondering if they were going to make it off the island. There were some unexpected twists but they didn't pack the punch I was hoping for. I would definitely classify this as more of a mystery to be solved than a thriller. This is not listed as part of a series but I would read The Silent Patient first to avoid spoilers.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review

The Fury was my first book from this author and I have to say, after hearing about him for a long time now, this book lived up to my expectations.
Revolving around a group of "friends" going for holiday on a private greek island where a tragedy occurs. A story told in 5 acts, I really enjoyed the way with each passing act we got to go another level deeper until finally, after many twists and turns, all is revealed.
For a more in depth review please find attached my spoiler free youtube review,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZi8FQjMsnc&t=48s

4.5 ⭐️! Some authors write stories and others tell stories through their writing; Alex Michaelides is a truly artistic story-teller. This particular story was told in such a unique and refreshing way, frequently breaking the fourth wall, and, (oftentimes humorously) combatting cliches usually seen in thriller/suspense novels.

I was worried it wouldn’t live up to how much I thoroughly enjoyed The Silent Patient (also written by Michaelides), but The Fury was another page-turner that I couldn’t put down! Probably one of my top reads of 2023 that I can’t wait to recommend when it releases in January 2024! I alternated between physically reading this book and listening to the audiobook version and I equally enjoyed both formats.

(Huge thank you NetGalley, Celadon Books, and Alex Michaelides for a free e-ARC in exchange for this honest review!)

HE DID IT AGAIN!!! I loved the silent patient and haven’t really had a thriller compare until this one! So good

I found “The Fury” by Alex Michaelides to be a disappointing read. Despite a promising start, the constant shifts in the narrator’s reliability, the bizarre inclusion of a play and wasps, and the overall disjointed feel made it seem like a haphazardly composed work. It’s as if multiple authors contributed without any cohesion, leaving the potential of the story unrealized and the book ultimately falling short of expectations.