Thank you NetGalley for an ARC of The Fury in exchange for my honest review!

The humorous yet thrilling novel, The Fury, is narrated by a side character / main character Elliot Chase and unfolds the intriguing tale of Lana Farrar, an introverted former movie star. It's Easter, Lana invited her closest friends to unwind on her secluded Greek island.

Elliot's narrative isn't just remarkable, it's an intensely dramatic roller-coaster of events. Agatha Christie couldn't have topped this modern Who Dun'it if she tried.

The peaceful Easter trip takes a turn when one of the group is found murdered. Stranded on the island due to sever weather conditions, latent animosity and a thirst for revenge ensues, batting old friendships into a dynamic game of cat and mouse leading to a shockingly unforgettable climax.

I'm thrilled that I finished my 2023 reading list with this magnificent piece of literature. This book made such an impression that I've added it to my Book of the Month box and also pre-ordered it on Audible. I'm sure you'll love it as much as I did!

Well…

I was actually really excited to read this, because I didn’t love The Silent Patient.

Sadly I’m left really disappointed.

This novel was all over the place. The Fury has many ideas and storylines, but none of them feel fully developed. It made it hard to appreciate anything going on.

One of my biggest issues is the narrator and his narrations. The way he’s breaking the fourth wall, and cheekily letting us in on certain things…. Flops. He wasn’t interesting enough to pull this move off.

The other characters are needed, but also felt so pointless. I would go into more detail about them, but I didn’t care enough about a single one of them, so it feels like a waste to do so.

The pacing of the story is the next problem. It was SO SO SO slow. Nothing happens for so long, that when things finally get started it’s such an unexpected punch in the face and everything is just being thrown at such a rapid pace at you it’s so off-putting. You are literally promised this big twist throughout the whole book (and I do mean literally) that when you get the surprise it in no way pays off.

My last issue is the epilogue, it spoils another one of his books… It feels presumptuous to assume everyone reading this novel has read your other ones… but hey maybe that’s what he was going for? 🤷🏻‍♀️

I really enjoyed this book! The only thing that bothered me was the character that narrated, he was pretentious and somewhat irritating. I was done with his “side stories” and really felt like he dragged it out. (However, in the end it makes a bit of sense why he would drag it out, he had plenty of time on his hands to write)

Overall it was another great book by Michaelidas and I look forward to his next one!
Thank you NetGalley for the arc!

My rating: 3.75 stars

TROPES:
- Murder mystery
- Psychological thriller
- Secluded getaway

READ IF YOU LIKE:
- Unreliable narrator
- Short chapters
- Rich people drama
- A WILD ride

The Fury is one of my most anticipated 2024 releases. Thank you to Celadon for the eARC copy via NetGalley!

I found the first 15-20% of the book to be kind of boring. I do understand the purpose of the beginning, which is to introduce the characters and make sure we know who’s who, and their relationships to each other. It was helpful in keeping track of everyone, but I found myself waiting and waiting for the “meat” of the story to begin.

I loved how the narrator tells the story as if we’re in the same room having a conversation. I haven’t read a book with that kind of narration, and I feel like it really immersed me in the story. The narrator even asks the reader questions to get us thinking in some parts.

Once the story started kicking off, I was HOOKED. I absolutely could not put the book down even if I wanted to. Especially with the short chapters, it was so easy to just keep telling myself “okay, just one more chapter THEN I’ll stop”. The way the story was being told reminded me a lot of the movie “Glass Onion”, where the narrator would tell us something that happened, and then would later go back to the same event and give us more information from a slightly different perspective. It made me question everything that I was reading because in my head I thought “is this really how it happened? What more to the story is there?”. I personally enjoyed this writing choice. Kept me on my toes for sure.

My big disappointment in this book is the ending. I have read Alex Michaelides’ other two novels, which I would say is necessary to do before reading The Fury. But, I still don’t fully understand the ending. I caught the The Silent Patient character cameo, but everything else went over my head. In the epilogue, Elliot finds something that doesn’t belong to him and we are told he steals it. Everything after that, I am confused about. I feel I have so many unanswered questions.

All in all, I definitely recommend The Fury! I enjoyed my time reading, and I found it to be very fast-paced and entertaining. It was a rollercoaster ride in the best way.

Happy reading!

I got an advanced copy of the audiobook. I loved this book. A former actress takes her family and friends on a getaway to a Greek island and then a murder happens. There's one plot twist I definitely didn't see coming. There was one point where I was convinced I knew what was going to happen but I was so wrong. When I tell you the ending had me floored...wow. The last line of the book right before the epilogue had my jaw on the floor.

Wow. This book was a wild ride. The narration was different. It was like reading someone’s diary. At the end of each “Act” you’d think that you had the mystery figured out and then Elliot would start the story over from another perspective showing you that details MATTER.

It was slow going in the beginning, but I blew the second half. There was so much happening and the excitement kept me reading! I loved the quick nod to Silent Patient and I appreciate the closure at the end of this crazy psychological thriller.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

Thank you to Celadon Books for the opportunity to read this ARC,

Unfortunately, this book was a big miss for me. Although there were some positives such as the commentary around personal growth, the overriding experience I took from this book was it falling flat and trying too hard to be this insightful murder mystery when in all honesty, everything felt surface level. For example, the characters don’t feel fully developed with some of them coming across as caricatures. I never felt like I knew any of them and because of this I didn’t care what happened to them. On another note, the atmosphere also felt flat, it felt like the characters could have been anywhere and I never felt like I was transported to the setting through the book. Also, the connections between the characters did not feel properly developed, I never felt invested in the friendships. A big flaw however was the narration, at first I found it lighthearted and fun but over time it just became distracting when they narrator would insert comments along the lines of “this is where the twist comes” or “ I bet your thinking this”. It was just too many of those kind of comments. Overall, I think The Fury was trying to be a deep, insightful murder mystery but it unfortunately was not for me. The lack of character development, lack of development of the relationships and the overly simplistic narration style made this book lackluster.

“The Fury” is the newest mystery thriller by Alex Michaelides. It is set mostly on a private Greek Island. Elliot is the narrator and an unreliable one. His friend Lana is murdered at the beginning of the novel and it’s a who done it. The ending has a good twist, but isn’t particularly shocking or thrilling.

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. The Silent Patient remains one of my favorites to this day so I was very excited to dive in head first with this one. I loved the little connection at the end (spoiler if you haven't read Silent Patient first, best to do that). This book was very twisty, the unreliable narrator was my favorite part. At times, some events did seem a little far fetched but overall I loved this book.

3.5/5

I wanted to love this book. Alex Michaelides is one of my favorite authors. However, it felt really slow. The narrator wasn’t likable which is what made the book even harder for me to read. Without about 30% left of the book comes a great twist that I thought made the book more fun to read and made me want to keep reading.
It’s split into 5 different acts.
Not a favorite but if you like a unlikable narrator and multiple storyline points you’ll like this one. The twists at the end were good and I’m glad I stuck with it.

I did not like this book. The pacing was off - it was so slow for a long time, then lots of big reveals back to back - and the narrator speaking to the audience directly just didn't feel like it worked. It just made him all the more unlikeable, and felt like it continued to drag down an already slow moving plot.

Many other reviewers have expressed that they don't understand how this book and the Silent Patient are written by the same author, and I agree wholeheartedly.

Can Alex Michaelides do wrong?? Here is another amazing story from this amazing author!

"This is a tale of murder.
Or maybe that’s not quite true. At its heart, it’s a love story, isn’t it?
My name is Elliot Chase, and I’m going to tell you a story unlike any you’ve ever heard."

I loved the narration style of this book. It makes me feel like I'm actually part of the story, like I was really there to witness it all. Lots of suspense and twists. It's a story within a story somewhat. Like Michaelides previous books, this one has great characters and great story line. LOVED!!!

Thank you to Celadon for the gifted advanced copy of Alex Michaelades’ latest thriller - THE FURY (Jan 2024). I was so honored to receive a copy as I am a HUGE fan of his previous books THE SILENT PATIENT and THE MAIDENS.

Sadly, this one did not live up to the hype for me. It was an interesting concept and had a few twists and turns, but overall was really slow and did not have enough character development for me. There is a large cast of characters that had contradicting descriptions and also didn’t have great background/history to give context to readers. It was very similar to the movie GLASS ONIONS and the book THE SIREN. Overall, it was a quick read and interesting, but didn’t really live up to his previous works.

This is a tale of murder.


Or maybe that’s not quite true. At its heart, it’s a love story, isn’t it?


And that is how our story begins. As our narrator, Elliot, tells us. The only problem is that Elliot is the least reliable narrator I have ever read! Oh my, he changed his mind so often! But I did forgive him because he was just a perfectly imperfect character.


When he tells us that this is a story like you have never heard, he is correct.
Meet Lana, a former movie star, and still just as famous as she was in her heyday. Although she may seem to have it all, we know that is rarely true, and for Lana, it is a heartbreaking story.


You see, we only have Elliot’s descriptions to go on and he is just not reliable. Lana has invited her small circle of friends to her home on a Greek Island. One that she owns. And someone has an ulterior motive, but who?


A private island. One way off and on. A Furious wind and…a murder!


There were so many really good moments in this book. The author writes in a way that has you flipping the pages, wanting to know the end. But the journey is what is so sweet with this one!


NetGalley/ Celadon Books January 16, 2024

I almost gave up on this book because I did not care for the narration style. The narrator was kind of annoying, but it did get a bit better further into the book. Overall, it was an ok read, but I do not think I will be reading anything more from this author in the future. I did enjoy some of the twists and turns of the "who did it" plot, but it was not super surprising & kind of left me feeling blah.

Alex Michaelides “The Fury” struck me as a combination of cozy mystery and literary novel. There’s much to admire about it and I’m sure many will love it, especially fans of old mystery films like “Laura,” “All About Eve,” and “The Last of Sheila” (screenplay by Stephen Sondheim). While I enjoyed the first half to three-quarters of “The Fury,” ultimately, I found it disappointing.

It’s a murder mystery set in London and on a small, private Greek island. It involves some 7 or 8 characters and is told in the first person by a narrator who is also a major character. During an isolating storm, a murder occurs on the island. Who did it and why is the mystery to be solved by those on the island. To say more about the plot might spoil it, so I won’t.

On the plus side, the settings are well-described, especially the Greek island with its sugar-white beaches and aqua waters, not to mention an ancient ruin. The characters are deeply drawn, and initially interesting and believable. Ms. Michaelides includes a number of observations about life, love, and relationships that may strike chords with many readers.

However, no matter how well-drawn the characters may be, I found none of them likable, much less admirable. Some are objectively dislikable from the very beginning. Others begin the novel as potential “good guys,” but then disappoint. Mostly, they are actors or writers or businesspeople who have enjoyed much success, even glittering careers. All of them are in search of love (and for a variety of reasons, be it loneliness, desire, narcissism, etc.) But what they’ve done, or are doing, to get what they think they need is often appalling, if not downright evil.

And, while there are twists and turns to the story, especially in the final one-third, I found those surprises not very believable. Convoluted? Yes. Byzantine? Certainly. But rooted in actions that make a lot of logical sense? No, not really. That, more than once, the narrator describes an event, only to then immediately say that the event never really happened, further damaged the story’s credibility. If it never really happened, then why am I reading about it?

So, for me, “The Fury” was a mixed bag—some of it good, some of it not-so-good—which is why it’s getting a three-star rating.

My thanks to Net Galley, author Alex Michaelides, and publisher Celadon Books for providing me with a complimentary ARC. The foregoing is my independent opinion.

This book was absolutely propelling from the very beginning! The narrator's voice just sucked you into the story. The twists and turns were plentiful and oh how justice did prevail in the end. This is quite different from his other books, but a stand out just the same. Unreliable narrator, murder mysterious on a private island, love triangle, questionable morals....it had all the things!!!! Will highly recommend this book to my friends!

I loved The Silent Patient. I wasn’t a big fan of The Maidens. Nevertheless, I decided to give the author another shot anyways.

The Fury takes place on a private Greek island and ultimately end in a murder. The whole story leaves you wondering whose murder is it?

The story is narrated in first person POV. I didn’t find myself loving the narrators personality. Quite the opposite, actually. I could’ve done without the first person POV altogether, so maybe it’s just my preference. The plot starts out very slowly. I didn’t find it really pick up until the last third of the book. At that point it was hard to put down with all the action finally taking place!

I loved the twist at the end! Talk about being extremely psychological. I don’t even know how authors can come up with some of these things! It really leaves you shocked and wondering.

Overall, if you’re hesitant to pick up this book because you didn’t love The Maidens like me, do it anyways. Was it as good as The Silent Patient? No. But The Fury does provide redemption.

Thank you to NetGalley and Celadon Books for the digital reviewer’s copy in exchange for my honest review.

The Fury is a thriller full of twists and turns, an unreliable narrator, and a timeline that goes all over the place. But I was compelled to find out what happened and devoured the book in a few hours on an overseas flight.

A former movie star and a group of her friends visit her private Greek island to get some sunshine. There’s a murder. But in order to find out the murderer, The Fury’s narrator Elliot gives us the back story of how they all ended up on the island in the first place. Like a play, this story is told through five acts. The chapters are short, though the pacing ebbs and flows.

None of the characters are particularly likeable, and it’s interesting to have their stories told by Elliot. I had some suspicions right away about who committed the murder, but I certainly didn’t expect the last act to go the way that it did!

Thanks to NetGalley and Celadon Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Alex Michaelides does it again! Readers follow Elliot and Lana to a remote island in Greece for a weekend away but in typical Alex fashion all is not what it seems. As you journey through the friendship of these characters you begin to trust, distrust, sympathize and yet become so angry with both, you never can pinpoint a villain. If you've been waiting for this book as long as I have you will not be disappointed.