I started out loving this book and the further I got in the less I liked it. It felt like I was going in circles, each chapter repeating the same information like the one before.
I really loved his first book and skipped the second. Maybe my expectations were too high going in. I was just okay.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy in exchange for an honest opinion. 3⭐️

Alex Michaelides has done it again with The Fury! This slow burn pulls you into the life of the elite. The lifestyles of the rich and the famous can bring so many amazing opportunities. But when you're that famous it seems like everyone wants something from you. It muddies the waters. Do we really know the people closest to us? Alex weaves the tale so effortlessly that you are pulled in immediately and can't stop reading. 5 huge stars for this one!

Thank you Alex Michaelides, MacMillan, and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

If you like an unreliable narrator story, you’ll like this one. Unfortunately he was unreliable AND super unlikeable. All the characters were insufferable. I wasn’t a fan of the “breaking of the fourth wall” elements of the story. I give it 3 stars since it did keep my attention and the story had a lot of twists and turns.

This book starts off with a bang, but the pacing slows down quite a bit after that. It’s a long, slow reveal of details over the course of the book, but once you hit the first plot twist, it’s one twist after another! We love an unreliable narrator (he’s truly the most unreliable of narrators), and there was a quote I loved about how we’re all the unreliable narrators of our own story. I liked the perspective the book was written in, with the narrator thinking he knew everything that was happening, but being unaware of certain twists (trying to be vague to avoid spoilers lol). I also liked the little references to The Silent Patient and The Maidens! In all, this is probably my least favorite of Alex Michaelides’ books, but I still enjoyed it!

Thank you to NetGalley.com, Alex Michealides and Celadon Books for providing an advanced copy for review. All thoughts stated are my own and were not compensated for in any manner.

The Fury by Alex Michaelides is a twisty turny locked room mystery akin to Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None that takes a few U-turns and loop-de-loops before dropping you off at the heart-pounding ending; all that to say, it's one hell of a ride!

It takes place on a retired starlet's private Greek island, Aura (it's supposedly haunted) where 7 people are staying for the Easter holiday, and are trapped there with no one being able to get to them due to the violent winds often found in the region, called The Fury.. The seven people being the retired starlet, Lana, her husband Jason, their teenage son, Leo, her playwright best friend Elliot, her actress friend Kate, her nanny/housekeeper Agathi and the groundskeeper who takes care of the island, Nicoli. You learn more about these characters and their secrets and motivations, which are just as a juicy as a soap opera.

With the unique second person narrative, the narrator is talking to you, the reader, as if they are telling you a story. This includes backtracking and fast forwarding and breaking the 4th wall, the likes of which reminded me of the children's movie "The Emperor's New Groove". I don't want to say too much for fear of spoiling it, and it's honestly better if you go in knowing as little as possible. Just know there were many times where my mind was blown and I audibly gasped. I started this book and literally could not put it down until I knew how it ended! It's that good! Also I found the little nods to Michaelides's other works, The Maiden and The Silent Patient to be fun little easter eggs.

If you like a plot-upon plot locked door mystery, with intriguing characters and twists and turns for days, then you will love Alex Michaelides's latest book, The Fury!

This book pleasantly surprised me! I was not very intrigued by the synopsis but because Michaelides is such a popular author I thought I'd try it anyway. The plot/details were super unique and not something I'd read before! Some of it became slightly convoluted to me and a bit too theatrical for my taste, but it was definitely a good mystery throughout! If I didn't have real life responsibilities to contend with I definitely could have finished this in one sitting so if you're looking for something to really get wrapped up in - this book is definitely for you!

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC of this novel. The Fury takes the reader to such a vibrant yet morose island where you aren't sure if you trust anyone. I really enjoyed the narrator. I don't typically enjoy when the 4th wall is broken but I thought it added such a unique spin on what could be a cookie cutter type experience. However, this was a wild ride that was anything but cookie cutter. The last twist at the end had me spinning and it made me really question how much I liked characters I thought I had grown to love. My only wish is to have had an epilogue that gave me a glimpse into the backlash of that last chapter. I am dying to know how the others on the island responded. Overall, I had a lot of fun reading this and will continue to be excited about this author's future works.

“If I wrote my story down, it might set me free.”

Where to begin? If you asked me 1/2 way through the book I would say “oh this is maybe a 3 star book, it’s good, but not great.” …. And then, in true Michaelides form, the twist…. And twist…. And twist.

This entire book was so incredibly unpredictable - all the way to the epilogue.

The narrator, Elliot, was very complex and intriguing. Michaelides flipped seamlessly between Elliot as the narrator and another character taking over.

I loved the set of the book. I will say, there were so side stories that were a tad long winded and I could do without but I understand why they were included for the purpose of moving the plot and character development.

I’ve read Michaelides two other books and this one is by far my favorite.

Alex Michaelides consistently presents the reader with a certain type of narrator and non-linear plot line. And why wouldn't he when it works so well? He's an author I do not recommend reading more than every couple of years or he'll start to seem too formulaic. Fortunately, he's still early in his writing career and if you consume his books as they are released, you're in for a bit of fun. The Fury is a nice mash-up of Christie's famous island whodunit and Highsmith's most beloved sociopath. If it didn't quite keep me guessing until the very end, it took me close enough to anticipate the conclusion.

This book was a page turner from beginning to end. A group goes to an exclusive island by invitation of an affluent actress. The story jumps around to show you the perspectives of most people in this story and how we get to present day. Found it so interesting the main narrator we don’t even discover until almost halfway through the book however this book literally has so many twists and turns I was left shook. Did not see the end coming. Had parallels to the seven husbands of Evelyn Hugo if you are a fan. Would highly recommend. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

For fans of The Silent Patient, Alex Michaelides is back with a riveting story about love, lust, betrayal and the theatre. This intricate psychological thriller takes you down a very twisty road that will leave you shocked and in the dark until the end.

The story was a slow burn in the beginning but paid off in the end. The way the story tied together was a perfect blend of suspense and mystery. I also love the title and how the author wrote the story around it. Clever! A solid 4 stars, well written with plenty of suspense!

“That’s the tricky thing about honesty. It cuts both ways, that sword; which is why I am so wary of wielding it.”

“That’s where all creativity is born, I believe—in the desire to escape.”

3.5 stars! I enjoyed this one but I read every one of his books searching for the brilliance that was The Silent Patient and this one didn’t have that. The pacing was very slow to start and then switched to so fast paced it gave me whiplash.

The characters are, for the most part, unlikable and I never felt like I really got to know any of them therefor I was unable to really like or care for them. I didn’t even get a full sense of the beauty that I am certain this private Greek island has.

I did enjoy Elliot’s narration, though. It was quite a nice change to be read a story, in a sense, as apposed to watching it unfold. He keeps you guessing on his reliability throughout.

The narrator did a great job with the audio of his one, keeping the suspense up and the emotions high!

Thank you so much to Netgalley, Celadon Books, Macmillan Audio, and the author for the ARC and ALC in exchange for an honest review.

I had high hopes for this novel, as I loved The Silent Patient by this author, but unfortunately, I was disappointed by this book. This plot was very basic and boring, the author tried to dress it up by setting up the plot in a unique way, but when the final twists are revealed, it’s something we’ve seen before. I felt that this book was a lot of telling and not showing. Pages and pages were devoted to the narrator rambling on about the past, rather than keeping us in the action of the present. I understand we needed the context of the past to understand what was happening, but this was excessive. Unfortunately, this one was not a hit for me. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a free arc in exchange for an honest review.

This is a very hard book to rate and describe without giving too much away. I think I liked this book, but I’m not totally sure. I think this is a great book for a book club or to discuss with others as I’m sure there will be some strong opinions as people will like or hate the structure and narrator.

The book starts with, “This is a tale of murder. Or maybe that’s not quite true. At it’s heart, it’s a love story, isn’t it.” So that basically tells you what or what not to expect quite like this book told in five Acts. It is really a character study. As mentioned in the book, Heracleitus said, “Character is fate. And if Heracleitus is right, then the tragedy that awaited us in a few hours was a direct consequence of our characters . . . .” Therefore, what is truth and what is an illusion.
I do recommend this book, especially if you like unreliable narratives.

I really enjoyed ‘The Maidens’ and ‘The Silent Patient’. Sadly, I felt let down by ‘The
Fury’. Writing wasn’t as good and the constant twists just felt kind of ridiculous—not surprising and thrilling. The characters also felt one dimensional and I wasn’t much invested in the outcome.

Sadly, a disappointment for me.

<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!