A story about a group of friends on a vacation to a Greek island. Except there's a MURDER. Who died? Who did it? Who is narrating this story?? Elliot sits us down and feeds us this tale one crumb at a time.

This book was a very easy read and a blew through it quickly. "The Silent Patient" is one of my FAVORITE thrillers of all time and I refuse to shut up about it, so I was very excited to read the author's latest book. I'm going to break this down into two parts.

1. The things I enjoyed: We're told the story piece by piece. There are obvious holes that create a lot of mystery and intrigue, motivating the reader to stay up late to find out what happens next. I loved this method of pacing, being taken back and forth in time to help set the scene and fill in the blanks. The narrator does a wonderful job of introducing us to all the characters and gives us helpful backstory to understand their motivations. This book had BIG theater vibes and I was mostly all for it. The island itself was such a moody and mysterious character, it was the perfect stage.

2. What didn't work for me: I have been on record MANY times with not being a fan of unreliable narrators. This is probably the closest I've gotten to enjoying that style, which should speak to the writing. If that's your thing, than I highly recommend this book. That being said, I struggled after the 8th rug was pulled out from under me. I understand I'm supposed to be confused, but somehow I'm more annoyed than I should be.

Really I did like this book. TSP will continue to reign supreme for now. Absolutely read that before this book, as there's a spoiler for it in The Fury. I'm going to be honest that didn't hit home for me, but I also had issues with all the cameos in the Marvel movies so I just might not be the audience for that. I'm comfortable with three stars. Michaelides has a style of writing that I will absolutely always come back to.

Expected publication date: 01/16/24

Thank you to Celadon Books and NetGalley for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

I read this in a day as it captivated my attention and I needed to find out the ending! I would definitely recommend this book. Be prepared, though. I felt parts of Elliot’s history and timeline building were long winded. I do understand that it was necessary for the foundation. He also comes off as a bit self-centered. I felt bad for him, but then I also didn’t like him by the end of the book.

I thoroughly enjoyed the twists and the misdirections which kept me guessing our characters’ endings. I do wonder what happened to Nikos, as it was foretold his future had a morose ending.

I was totally shocked by how this book ended…Michaelide’s managed to combine previous books and their themes into this novel, making this the best mystery yet in my opinion.
Taking place on an island in Greece, a weekend full of secrets and anger unravel ending with a twist you won’t see coming.

5⭐️

Every year, reclusive ex-movie star Lana Farrah invites her friends to spend Easter weekend on her private island in Greece. But this year something happens that hits all the tabloids and gossip sites. And while the story had been told again and again, no one really knows what happened except those that were there. And Elliot Chase, Lana’s best friend, has set out to tell the story no one else knows.

This was a wild ride. This read very much like Clue or Knives Out with fourth wall breaks and breaks between parts where Elliot the narrator breaks things down. Elliot is a total unreliable narrator and calls himself on it several times in these breaks. I loved trying to figure out what was actually the truth and what was a bit of a stretch before it was revealed.

I love books focusing on rich socialites that can be completely out of touch but still relatable when they realize things haven’t gone their way just because of their money. I also love analyzing the “normal” people in the socialites orbit to look at their motive. This book was full of red herrings and I truly didn’t know where the story was going to go until the very end. The ending also revealed a trope that I love that I can’t mentioned without spoiling things but

Thank you to NetGalley and Celadon books for the ARC!

4.5 ⭐️

This is my 2nd book by Alex Michaelides and it did not disappoint. I enjoyed this book more than the Silent Patient. This was a quick, easy read with short chapters that kept you saying “just 1 more chapter”.

Fabulous! I have really enjoyed the author’s prior books, and so I was really excited to read this. It’s my favorite so far. I really enjoyed the unique writing style of this book, and all the twists and turns!

This was an easy read for me. I liked how the chapters were set up and it made it fun to get through. The unreliable narration was fun. Seriously. I liked the tone of Elliot Chase throughout, even to the last page.
I admit it got a bit wild for me at one point and then boop, plot twist that didn't happen. Again, unreliable narrator. It was a quirk that added to the story for me.
I know others may find the characters unlikable but I didn't. I actually enjoyed Lana and Elliot quite a bit. The little bits of Nikos, Agathi and Leo were likeable for me as well. Really, it was just Kate and Jason that were unlikable to me.

Now, personally, I've enjoyed each book the author has put out a little more than the last. For me, the story and writing keeps me turning the pages and that's what I look for in a book. I think this is another win. Especially when set on a Greek island

As a huge fan of Alex Michaelides’s two other books, I was ecstatic when I was approved for this ARC. Unfortunately, it did not captivate me as much as those did.

The plot layout is interesting — how it starts off with one version of the events, then repeats but with more information, and so on. However, I did not find myself connecting with the characters at all. They truly felt dispensable to me, like stock characters. I didn’t feel any true sense of stakes for them.

I know that Michaelides is capable of leaving me on the edge of my seat, so reading this and feeling “meh” was even more disappointing. The writing felt flat, with more statements of things rather than descriptions. It felt very matter of fact and lackluster. Though, it could be chalked up to Elliott himself being the narrator and writing this in his style.

I also did not understand the information about Elliott and felt like things were more implied than stated in that sense, and it was confusing, when they were monumental pieces of information.

7 friends trapped on a Greek island. Everyone has a reason that they needed this getaway...but no one thought it would end with this murder.

To start, if you are expecting Silent Patient vibes, adjust that expectation. I enjoyed them both, but trying to compare them is futile.

Further, if you need a character to "root for"? You aren't going to get that here either. This is, at the root of all things, a story about some seriously unlikeable people. Told to us by a narrator that often comes through the fourth wall. If these are things that rub you the wrong way, now you know what you're getting yourself into.

I learned early on never to trust a narrator that tells me to trust them. That being said, I did not see any of the twists coming. Although the characters are unlikable, they are thoroughly well developed enough to base that opinion on; the fact that I have strong feelings either way means Alex Michaelides did their job. If you enjoy being the victim of reverse reverse reverse psychology, give this book a shot! Thank you to Netgalley and Celadon books for the advanced copy!

I loved everything about this book! The unreliable narration kept me hooked from the very beginning. I love how Alex Michaelides ties in a character from his previous novels and makes you feel like you are a part of a larger story universe. This book is released January 16th. Go grab your copy and read it! Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the privilege to read this ARC!

What happens when a movie star Lana Farrar invites her friends to a small Greek island for an Easter getaway with her family? What Lana does not know is that one of the seven won't leave the island alive...
The Fury is my second time reading anything by this author and it did not disappoint. The book was a page turner from beginning to end and was so addictive. This book was a twisty thriller and I highly would recommend this to others. Thank you to NetGalley and Celadon Books for this thrilling read in exchange of my honest review.

I was very excited to get this ARC as I loved the Silent Patient and The Maidens. There are strong opinions for both of his prior books so maybe that is where I am at with this new one. I didn't like the way this was written at all or the narrator or the slow slow build at the beginning. This entire book wasn't for me. I love this author so this one just may be me. I encourage others to read and it get their own perspective and thoughts. I will look forward to his next book. Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you so much to Sourcebooks and NetGalley for the ability to read this book before release day. This was my first book by Alex Michaelides, and honestly I'm very happy I started with this one, especially since I wasn't already used to their writing style! Other readers found the plot slightly predicable, however I did not! I was very surprised by the ending, and really enjoyed my entire time invested in this mystery-thriller. I will certainly be picking up this author's previous works!

The Fury left me with mixed emotions. Alex Michaelides is a phenomenal writer, and I blew through his newest book in two days. With most of the plot set on a remote Greek island, The Fury is an excellent choice for a vacation read.

Unfortunately, I found the plot predictable. There were too many similarities between The Fury and one of his other novels. I called the twist before reaching the halfway point. It was still a great book, but I can't help but feel disappointed.

Synopsis:
The story is narrated by Elliot, a successful playwright and failed actor. Elliot is best friends with movie star Lana Farrar, who has taken a break from the limelight to care for her son and new husband. Lana invites Elliot and their mutual friend Kate to her private island in Greece under the premise of needing a vacation. However, Lana's motives are darker than what they appear. Someone is murdered on the island, and as suspicions rise amongst the friends, hidden secrets of betrayal, obsession, and deceit are uncovered.

Review:
Character Development - ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Elliot's character offered a slightly different perspective of an unreliable narrator. The reader learns about every character through Elliot's eyes, and that lens gives an interesting perspective on how others perceive us.

Plot - ⭐️⭐️⭐️ I enjoyed the story and was engaged throughout. However, I predicted the "twist" early, so it wasn't as suspenseful as anticipated.

Writing Style - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ The story was fast-paced and riveting. I could not put this book down (even after knowing how it would end). The writing is easy to get through but wonderfully descriptive.

Originality - ⭐️⭐️ You can't get away with the same trick twice! Unfortunately, this book felt too similar to one of Michaelides's earlier works.

Overall, I recommend The Fury - especially to readers new to Alex Michaelides. It is a fast and fun read, perfect for the beach!

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I finished it in about three days which is incredibly fast for me. I probably wouldn’t put this book in the fast-paced thriller category, but it did have some twists throughout. It was on the slower side and was a bit more character driven than many other thrillers I have read. However, it kept me entertained and wanting to read what happened next.

The writing perspective was very unique and introduced an interesting aspect to the book. Without spoiling anything, the narrator of the story is a writer and is writing down his account of the story. The writer himself essentially tells you to question what he is writing. Definitely a book that made me think and do a bit of inner soul searching too.

I'm not really sure how to feel about this book. One thing is for sure, the author has a knack for writing unlikable characters. There was not a single character in this book that I cared about, and I think that was part of the point. I'm not going to talk about the plot, because knowing anything outside of the publisher's description might ruin the read. It was definitely a page turner, and kept me guessing. I would recommend this to anyone who can get past the unlikable characters, and I suggest you do, if you want to get to the bottom of the mystery at the center of the story.

I am so sad! I spent months trying to get this book as an ARC and got approved and started it right away! Unfortunately, this was not what I had hyped it up to be in my brain after loving this author’s previous books! I truly have no idea what really happened in this book. If you needed me to summarize it… I could not do that. The narrator is so unbelievably unreliable that I don’t know what’s real and what’s not! I’d love to hear what others think about it!

This book publishes 1/16/24 and if you’ve read Michaelides previous books, check it out and let me know your thoughts!

Thank you NetGalley and Celadon Books for an ARC of The Fury by Alex Michaelides. At first, The Fury started off slow and I wasn’t sure how it would pan out, but as we got into Act II, the pace started picking up and I really started to enjoy the story. I love how Alex Michaelides structured the story. With the main character being an aspiring play writer, the story was told in first person POV and was really a story within a story. Broken into five Acts, the story was structured just like a playbook, which I thought was brilliant. If you’re into thrillers or murder mysteries and love a good “whodunnit” story with a twist, then this is the book for you. ❤️

Where to start with the Fury? There is a lot to unpack, to be honest. The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides is one of my favorite thriller novels, so I have had high expectations for the his following works since then. His second book, The Maidens, greatly disappointed me so I was excited when I saw he would be publishing a new book, in hopes it would follow more after The Silent Patient. I didn’t quite get what I wanted from it. It felt very scattered, choppy, and structureless. Sometimes that’s nice in a novel so long as it still flows well and comes together to create a big picture. The Fury did not flow well for me. I understand that our narrator is supposed to be unreliable, and he is trying to confuse us most of the way through, but instead of feeling excitedly confused, I just started to get tired three quarters of the way in. The narrator says at one point that the story is less of a whodunit and more of a whydunit. I really liked that. But neither answer was very clear until the very end. And when it was revealed, the lead up had taken so long that it kind of fell on its face. It felt like Michaelides realized it was time to wrap up the story at last and found himself racing to badly patch up holes so the whole thing didn’t sink. I did not like any of the characters, specifically the “lovely” Lana who everyone in the novel seems to worship simply because she is beautiful and a good actress. Michaelides tries to explain what makes Lana special through the eyes of our narrator, but it doesn’t translate to me. I still felt she was dull and could not for the life of me fathom why nearly ever supporting character was practically in love with her.

Ok, now for the good stuff! I enjoyed the Greek island setting with the sinister wind called the fury. The cover of the book was expertly chosen, I liked it from the jump. The story was obviously interesting enough for me to read the whole thing through, and it was pretty cool to get a mention of Theo and Mariana from Michaelides’s previous novels. There was no shortage of drama whether it actually happened in the story or not, so that was enjoyable. In short, it wasn’t The Maidens (thank goodness for that) but it also was not even close to The Silent Patient. Three stars from me and I will be back again for Michaelides’ next work!

So I realize that almost everyone in the world has read the author before – except me. I didn’t read The Silent Patient nor did I read The Maidens. I will absolutely say that maybe this is just the author’s style and that his style isn’t for me, but this…meanders!

I mean it’s a slow, back-and-forth, wandering of the mind.

Our narrator? He’s weirdly pompous and veers between omniscient and ego-in-the-know. The narrator does explain in the beginning that sometimes he’s going to give us other people’s thoughts as he *assumes* they were thinking at the time, but it doesn’t really work. Note that I can see why the author did it this way, but it read very clumsily.

I did know the who of everything very, very early. However, props to the author – there was quite a bit I didn’t know. The problem was that I also barely cared.

I hope you like this more than I did.

• ARC via publisher