Member Reviews
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Overall Review (spoilers)
I was so excited to get this off Netgalley. I read Alex’s other two works and loved them (The Maidens and the Silent Patient). It was great to see characters from those two books be featured in this one as well.
I have to say, Alex was able to perform another absolutely amazing story for us. I never saw the ending coming into Act III, and I doubted myself the whole time. The narrators unreliableness made it even better. I couldn’t even assume that the facts the narrator was telling us was true during the whole story, a fact they told us from the beginning. I really love unreliable narrator thrillers, because it makes it harder to guess the ending.
The tropes featured in this book, tragic movie star, cheating lovers, grumpy husbands, disgruntled and jilted lovers, and men who think they are owed women’s attention is amazing. I felt like I hated the narrator the entire time, despite his attempts to make me love him.
I really recommend pre-ordering this book if you get the chance!
Plot Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Spice Rating:
Genre: murder, mystery, thriller
Trigger Warnings: murder, mild sexism, stalker ish behavior.
“The Fury” by Alex Michaelides
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🤓🤓🤓
This was a good way to end the year! A fun, page turner with lots of twists and turns, so take your Dramamine! I enjoyed this a lot, but it wasn’t my favorite book of his…I liked it more than “The Silent Patient”, but not as much as “The Maidens”. The plot was engaging and the characters were interesting, but I did feel the ending was a tad rushed. The build up was 🔥 though! If you have read and enjoyed his other books, you won’t want to miss this one. Also, a moment of silence is needed for how stunning this cover is!! This beaut is out January 16, 2024! Thanks to @netgalley for the ARC! All opinions are my own 🧿
#netgalley #thefury #arc #book #booksbooksbooks #bookrecommendations #bookreview #bookstagram
If this were a audiobook, I would’ve listened on 2x speed just to get through it.
While an interesting twist on an overdone concept, this was so boring until the very end. I could not stand how it was being written — as if it were a story. IMO, any book that has to state it’s going to “tell you a story” is bad. Albeit the ending was interesting, you feel no sense of relief or happiness or anything that the story is over. You’re mostly just happy to be out of the mind of the writer and don’t have to hear about these people anymore. As Teddy KGB says in Rounders: “I feel so unsatisfied.”
While Alex is good at writing twists, I don’t think I’ve liked a single character from any of Alex’s books. I cannot stand these people and the way he chooses to write them, and for that reason this will be the last book I read of his.
Another masterfully crafter thriller full of references to Greek gods and mythology featuring a reclusive ex-movie star and her friends who find themselves staying on a remote Greek island during a storm only to have one turn up dead. Ostensibly this plot is fairly typical but what really makes the story stand out is its narrator. If you enjoy narrators who break the third wall, twists you don't see coming and lots of great character depth, this story is one not to miss. A new fav for me by this author for sure. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and physical copy in exchange for my honest review!
3.5 stars. Entertaining but......odd. The ending redeemed it a bit since I didn't see the twist coming, but in general the story was a bit too outlandish for me. I've read The Silent Patient so I had some awareness of this authors style but this was a bit different. Elliott was incredibly unlikeable the entire way through, which was maybe the point, but didn't make for a very invested read. Non of the characters were very likeable, actually. Overall still an entertaining read for anyone who likes strange mysteries.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy.
The Fury is a whirlwind of a "murder mystery" and I truly couldn't put this book down. Strap in folks, this is a less than 24-hour read and it's a wild ride. Our narrator, Elliot Chase, breaks the fourth wall and speaks directly to the reader throughout the book. The narration style is so unique and immediately pulls you in. I felt like I had been transported to a Greek island and was experiencing the drama firsthand with this friend group.
Plot: Our narrator quickly informs us this is not a "whodunnit," but in fact, a "whydunnit." This clever changeup served to let us know how to read the book and what clues to be looking for throughout. Elliot is not just our storyteller or a spectator from afar---he finds himself smack dab in the middle of the friend group on the Greek island of Aura. He takes us through the players one by one and talks about their motivations, flaws, and personal relationship with Lana. Lana Farrar is the star of the show, literally. Her fame as a movie star ensured she couldn't go out in public without being solicited for an autograph. When she invites a group of her close friends for an Easter getaway, something is bound to go wrong...in this case, murder. Finding out the "why" behind this untimely killing is an absolute thrill. "To meno," Greek for "the fury," may describe the winds on the island, but is also an apt title and description of how this story unfolds.
Bravo to Michaelides for a spectacular and unexpected tale. I loved the references to acclaimed mystery writer, Agatha Christie, as well as other famous authors and playwrights throughout. The book is written like a play, with five distinct acts and a thrilling ending. Y'all, if you read this, we HAVE to talk about the ending!!! As much as our unreliable narrator tried to assure us there wouldn't be a classic mystery novel twist, there was an insane twist right on the last page. I can't wait to read The Fury again and hope to see it come to life as a movie. Go grab this book on January 16 and enjoy the genius of Alex Michaelides!
Thank you thank you thank you to Celadon, Alex Michaelides, and NetGalley for the ARC of The Fury!
Thank you NetGalley and publisher for the ARC of this book and opportunity to read and review. When this book ended, I was conflicted on what to rate this. I finished it in a day, so I was intrigued and kept me reading. However, I wasn't invested in any of the characters, they were all unlikable but there was no depth to connect to. I like a good unreliable unlikable character but this one missed the mark for me. I did find the structure and narration unique, and I enjoyed that. There were almost too many twists and turns that made it hard to follow at times though.
Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy of The Fury!! I am so grateful to have the opportunity to read this arc. 🫶
Alright, Alex Michaelides, I see you. Wow, this book was a thrill ride filled with a lot of unexpected twists a la The Silent Patient. I really appreciate how all of his novels have similar elements (i.e. unexpected twists), yet they are all uniquely their own. From start to finish, I didn’t really know what to expect and the way the events played out definitely surprised me.
The story follows retired movie star Lana Farrar as she invites a group of friends to her private Greek island for a weekend away. From the start, it is evident that there are secrets and deceit that the narrator, Elliot Chase, is not divulging. The narration jumps around, which I feel adds to the overall suspense and intrigue. The chapters were short and often left with cliffhangers that made me want to keep reading. I was definitely invested the whole time, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The only downside for me is that sometimes I felt the narrator used a lot of repetition when alluding to what was going to happen next. However, after finishing, I am thinking this may have been intentional. I don’t want to reveal much more because each reader should get the chance to experience this book for him/herself.
I really enjoyed this book! Alex Michaelides really knows how to write a thriller. The characters and the setting were well drawn out. It wasn’t anything mind blowing as far as thrillers go, but it kept me engaged and wanting to know what happens next after each chapter.
I would rate this book 3.5 stars. This book was one of my most highly anticipated books of 2024 because I absolutely ADORED The Silent Patient; however, this one kind of fell short for me. I feel like the beginning of the book was somewhat dragged out, with all of the twists and turns coming at the very end of the book. In regards to the twists and turns- I didn't see them coming! I am, however, very grateful to Celadon Books and Mr. Michaelides for allowing me to read an advanced copy of The Fury and I will continue to read all of his books that are published.
This one was different than Alex Michaelides other books. I was excited to read this one as I enjoyed the others a lot, but I felt like this one did not live up to them. The beginning is slow and hard to get into, but once the characters are on the island it picks up and I could not put it down. I did not like how this book was written in first person and then would randomly jump out of first person. I did not like the main character, he was extremely annoying and I can see why the others did not truly like him. I love the tie in of the characters to the other two book by Alex Michaelides. Overall, this book is enthralling and entertaining.
I want to thank Netgalley and Celadon Books for an ARC of this book.
4.75 stars rounded up. Thank you NetGalley and Celadon Books for this ARC. Wow! The way this book was written and narrated is unlike any thriller I’ve ever read, and I loved it! I find thrillers often become predictable or redundant, but this was neither of those things.
I enjoyed the unreliable narrator, Elliot, as well as the settings of London and Greece. Short chapters are a pro for me (makes it much easier to binge), and there was no shortage of twists and turns. I read through this one quickly, and finished the second half in one sitting.
As a fan of The Silent Patient, I had high hopes for The Fury, and it did not let me down. Lyrically written and beautifully delivered, this was a wonderful book all around. The only reason it was not a five star read for me was because the epilogue was a bit confusing. I had to read one section multiple times to make sure I understood what was being insinuated, and I feel like I ended the book a bit unsure about things — was this the point?
Anyways, I loved this one and can’t wait to hear what others think once it releases.
I've read The Silent Patient and The Maidens, and this is quite a different animal from those two works. This is a solid and well written work that I'd recommend for those that enjoy unreliable narrators. While it's not my favorite work from the author, I'm incredibly glad to have read it and it definitely kept me guessing!
I was very excited to get this as an ARC from NetGalley, since I enjoyed The Silent Patient by this author immensely.
This was an enticing read, however, I did not find it as captivating as The Silent Patient. Pacing was inconsistent throughout, there were definitely times it dragged and times where I sped through in anticipation waiting to see what would happen.
I am not one who usually guesses twists correctly, but I was able to anticipate the first twist very early on in the book. You know early on that the narrator is likely unreliable, so the desired outcome is not as it seems. If the narrator was a bit more conniving and gradually gave away that he was unreliable, I think it would have been more enjoyable. The second and third twists, however, right at the end of the novel, I did not anticipate those.
Many thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!
One of my last reads of this year was my most anticipated book of 2024, The Fury by Alex Michaelides!
Set on a Grecian Island there is a murder, our narrator takes us through his inner thoughts throughout the book, reading like a glimpse into his mind. Michaelides really captured the narrator’s character in his writing style, which had shifted from his previous two books, better serving this new tale. The book follows a trope of actors and actor adjacent characters and their encounter with a death of one of their own. The plot holds a fast pace and was organized in chapters and acts to aid in the progression of the book.
The Fury was a fresh story from Michaelides, a master of thriller twists, and was fun as ever. The epilogue was an excellent addition to which I will patiently await to see where the fourth book of Michaelides takes readers. Fans of the Knives Out movies and classic whodunnit mysteries will love this book, I know I did!!
Thank you to NetGalley and Celadon Books for the eARC
I really couldn’t put this one down. The way the plot unfolded was unlike anything I’ve read in awhile. The problem for me is that some of it was too far fetched. How did our narrator know things he said he knew if he wasn’t present? Idk.
This one is filled with chaotic relationships- messy messy relationships. Mostly all unlikeable characters. Murder. Unreliability. Unrequited love. Betrayal. Yet somehow is a slow build.
3 stars for me.
I’ll admit that I was not a fan of The Silent Patient (don’t attack me 😅) and I was prepared to DNF when I started reading the first chapter.
I wasn’t a fan of how it was written by an omniscient third and it kind of annoyed me so I put it down. I had the audiobook though and I had a reading goal to meet so I gave it another chance.
I AM SO GLAD I DID!
With the way the story was written, the audiobook was key. It allowed me to really get immersed in the story and it was a good one!
Part 1, backstory. Part two things get good. Then part 3, 4, 5, AND THAT EPILOGUE?! Whew. The twists were twisting.
My advice is to definitely read this but listen to the audiobook if you can!
This is an honest review in exchange for an advanced reader copy.
I was excited to read the third book by Alex Michaelides. Called The fury, which the narrator Elliott explains is a specific wind storm that occurs on the Greek Island that this story takes place on.
Elliott is a complex character that warns us that this is not going to be a regular book about a murder. The story has many themes running through it and often became confusing and the storyline became blurry. I started out loving the style of the writing but found myself lost in detail that was confusing. The story had potential but I felt too much was going on at once.
I am glad I was given the opportunity to read this book and to write a review. As a thriller it gets 4 stars but loses one because of the unnecessary complexity of the plot.
As a fan of “The Maidens, I was excited to read Alex Michaelides’ new novel “The Fury.” He sets the reader up through structuring the plot like a Greek tragedy as well as an Agatha Christie novel. The plot twists certainly are unexpected, but there were almost too many of them to be as impactful as a thriller like “The Maidens,” I found myself confused at a few points. The setup of a group of rich friends with secrets on an isolated Greek island is fun to read, and definitely reminiscent of Christie and other locked room mysteries. It took longer for me to become invested than I had hoped, but once I was almost halfway through it became hard to put down! The ending surprised me, especially that there was a random spoiler/callback to “the Silent Patient” in the epilogue. I recommend giving this a shot if you enjoy thrillers!
The Fury opens with the narrator telling us this isn’t your usual whodonit. Not an Agatha Christie like story that will follow a formula.
It was very easy to fall into. I read this over winter break and was annoyed everytime I was pulled away.
The small isolated Greek island made for an incredibly atmospheric location and the use of a wind storm nicknamed ‘The Fury’ only helped to elevate the tension.
One of my favourite things about this book was the different way the narrator told the story. There were a lot of twists and turns, that made me appreciate the unique way this tale was constructed and presented. I loved how hard it was to predict.
Elliot our narrator is a complex character and elicited a lot of negative feelings from me. He isn’t a likeable character, but that does not take away from the tale he shares. If anything it enhances it.
*Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book for my honest review.*