I enjoyed listening to this audiobook read by Alex Jennings. I thought he did an incredible job, very enthusiastic and he played the part of the unreliable narrator perfectly. The style of the book is unique with lots of asides, flashbacks p, twists and secrets.

I enjoyed this more than I had expected! The plot wasn't very propulsive, but I loved the author's storytelling and how the story unfolded a little at a time. He is an amazing writer!

The narrator wasn't my favorite, but I did get used to his voice, and I think it fit his character's personality.

I read this with my eyes first and then my ears. I love this author and really enjoyed this book. I thought the narrator did a great job. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

🧿 Spoiler Free ARC&ALC Review 🧿

#2 of 2024
The Fury by Alex Michaelides

Thank you @netgalley , @macmillan.audio , @celadonbooks and @alex.michaelides for granting me access to this ALC and sending me a physical book with the most awesome PR package in exchange for an honest review.

Pub Date: January 16, 2024

I loved the fact that it was set in Greece! I have enjoyed previous thrillers set either in Greece or anywhere in Europe. I loved the fact that this had short chapters too. I am such a sucker for those! Every time I flip the page and see that it’s the end of the chapter I’m like - AWESOME!

This book was very unusual and weird for me. Don’t get me wrong though, I enjoyed the journey. Buuuut the writing is very PAINFULY META. To the point that sometimes, Elliot can give you a mix of annoyance and amusement. Oh, there were also times wherein I GOT SO CONFUSED WHO THE NARRATOR WAS already because for me the POV sounded like it switched from time to time but then again maybe it’s just me. There are a lot of times wherein I can question — wait, how can Elliot know that when he wasn’t even there? 🤣 My poor brain could not comprehend. It took its time to process some stuff but I know it’s just me. Elliot felt like he was more of a robot than that of a person that I did not feel anything for him - I wasn’t drawn to him or anything.

The first half of the book was bearable for me albeit it was slow I was able to follow the characters and you can sense the dislike that they all have for each other. The type of book that will make you think that everyone is a suspect. However, as the events started to unravel it got super confusing especially towards the end. I just didn’t like how the ‘twistsssss’ were delivered. It just felt so half baked for me and how excruciatingly unreliable Elliot was of a narrator. And so because of that by the time the book ended, I didn’t really care anymore what happened to the said characters.

Maybe unreliable characters just isn’t my thing? And to how the ending and twists were delivered in this story. Buuut even after all that, I will still recommend this especially to those PLOT TWIST lovers out there. 🔪🩸

I was not sure what to expect going into THE FURY, but I knew it would be different than any of the other books that I've read. Elliott is our narrator and he begins with telling us a story about the night of a murder. A murder amongst friends during a trip to a private Greek island. Set up in four acts, we learn a lot about his friends and how he came to know them. I had it in my mind that I knew the outcome but that it would be too obvious. If you've read the Silent Patient, which I highly recommend, you will know what I mean by this. When I got to the end of THE FURY, I thought to myself, this was a clever story. I personally, really enjoyed it. I like books that are different and this one checks all the boxes for me. I don't really want to say much more, but to pay close attention to what's happening and you might guess the ending or maybe you won't. Either way, I hope you enjoy this story, as much as I did. I can highly recommend the audiobook. It kept me entertained on this rainy day.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Celadon, and Macmillan Audio for my gifted ARC and ALC.

This review will be shared to my Instagram (@coffee.break.book.reviews) on publication day, January 16th.

Elliot's story of the event that changed his life on the Greek island was entertaining, but predictable. I definitely felt like I was in an Agatha Christie novel with colorful characters and an intriguing "who done it." Having Elliot as the unreliable narrator kept me looking for clues and thinking the obvious was too obvious, but ultimately, I had this plot figured out quite early. I kept hoping that I was wrong, but alas... I do think a wide audience will enjoy this book and recommend you read and or listen to The Fury.

I loved The Silent Patient and was hoping for a repeat. While entertaining, I was left wanting a bit more. With Alex Michaelides being such an excellent writer, I will continue to anticipate his future projects and will read each and every novel!

I really liked The Silent Patient by this author so I was excited to read this one. I didn't like the narrator, I think reading this would have been better than listening to the audio. I think the narrator made listening a little confusing for me. I also didn’t like how the narrator admitted to being unreliable in the beginning.

This thriller started off pretty slow. It is written in the second person point of view so that was pretty unique. Our narrator Elliot is telling the story. He is on a Greek island with his movie star friend, Lana and her group of friends. One of them is murdered and Elliot is telling you the story for you to figure out. There is a love triangle involved. I rated this book a 3 because I hated how the story kept changing... it was like NOPE that wasn't true either.. just kidding. I finished it just for it to be predictable.

The audio reading was fine. The story itself was a bit of a drag. I didn't connect with any of the characters which then made the entire murder and "whydunit" plotline wordy and uninteresting. While I do love Michaelides inquisitive writing style and have thoroughly enjoyed his titles, this one in particular didn't hit the mark for me.

Completely blindsided…

I truly was in shock & disbelief listening to the last 30% of this audiobook. The entire plot and storytelling of this book was genius and kept me on my toes. Highly recommend for all my thriller loving & hopeless romantic friends!

Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for this ARC!

3.5 stars

The Fury is a book that will transport you to both the Greek island it is mainly set on, but also to dreary London which the characters are trying to escape. Told like a play in five acts it isn't a fast paced thriller. The story meanders around thanks to the narrator Elliot. He tells you want he thinks you should know in the order he thinks you should know it. This makes for an interesting storytelling experience. The book claims to be a story of murder or love (you can decide which you feel is more of the main topic) but in fact it seems to be more so a story of the circle surrounding ex-movie star Lana, and thanks to his way of storytelling, especially Elliot. If you are looking for an intriguing story filled with murder, love, a locked room setting, betrayal, and drama all told at a leisurely pace you can stop searching, and pick this up.

An added bonus is that this book is set in the same world as Michaelides' other novels. The main characters from The Maidens, and The Silent Patient are there, but not having read those other titles does not deter from understanding of this one. They are just Easter eggs for fans.

The narrator did a great job of bringing the story to life. It really felt as if you were just listening to someone telling a tale. I believe this format greatly enhanced my enjoyment of the book. Without the narrator I know I would have become annoyed by all the diversions in the storytelling. The audio made it seem more natural than I believe it would have seemed reading the print version.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of the audiobook of The Fury. I really enjoyed the style & premise of the story. The epilogue had a nod to The Silent Patient, so I definitely recommend reading them in succession to keep your memory fresh. I was fairly sure I had predicted the twists, but the epilogue left me with a few questions. The end made me think of The Adventures of a German Student by Washington Irving. This novel is definitely one to add to your 2024 queue!

Additional thoughts on The Fury.
I was given the advanced audio version of this book, and I enjoyed it, but felt like I heard Elliot Chase’s voice differently in my head. I think I liked my Elliot Chase better then the narrator of this book. However, I always like to see how the story affects me differently based on how I experience it. It was fun to read this and then listen to it a couple of months later. There were things I missed and all in all I liked the audio a lot.

I was so excited to score an advanced reader copy of this book! Michaelides is such a talented writer and I think he truly shows his diversity here. This story is not like his others, however, it’s equally as beautifully written. I loved the location, the way he stays true to his Greek roots, the narrator’s voice, the characters, and the way he navigates through the story. So excited for this book to be released so others can enjoy it as well! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️solid stars.

Thanks to Celadon books for the paperback ARC and NetGalley for the ALC.

The Fury
by Alex Michaelides

Narrated by Alex Jennings.

Story Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (0-5)
Narration: 🎧🎧🎧🎧🎧 (0-5)
Overall Rating: 4.5/5
No on-page steam.

What I’m Starry-Eyed Over:
🤩 I’m definitely not the one to be rating this book. I’m a romance reader, always in search of an HEA. You won’t get that here. (I try to read about one thriller-type book per year.) Will you be entertained? Yes. The writing is so clever and good, keeping the reader constantly skeptical, trying to pay attention to every little detail, searching for the sneaky ones. The narration, Alex Jennings as Elliot’s voice, is superb!
Some other thoughts:
🤩 Take me to a private island in Greece. Okay, nevermind, don’t (mild LOST vibes).
🤩 I love how the theatre saved Elliot (almost).
🤩 Eyebrows up and “say what?” moments. Yeah, it’s twisty and surprising.
🤩 If you like a cleverly-written murder mystery, you should definitely give it a try.

What I’m Wishing/Dizzy About:
💫 Keep in mind, it has the mental health problems from childhood trauma and young adult outcomes like you find in Fifty Shades of Grey but with no on page details/steam at all. It’s a little heavy and angsty because of these emotional issues.
💫 I’m not sure I actually liked any of the characters. I kind of enjoy liking some of the characters in my books.

A big thank you to @celadonbooks for a physical ARC of this book & to @macmillianaudio for the audiobook version as well! I always find it intriguing to flip between formats when I read a book, to see the vibes I get from the tangible book vs the audiobook narration. Alex Jennings did a phenomenal job narrating this one, I was captivated by his voice & the way in which he told the story!

As a big fan of The Silent Patient by this same author, you best believe I was thrilled to receive an ARC of Alex’s newest work! Full of short page-turning chapters, The Fury is unique in many ways. Specifically through being written from the perspective of an omniscient & unreliable narrator - who consistently breaks through the fourth wall speaking directly to the reader. Talk about twisty! 🤯

I do feel that it was a bit of a slow burn, even if the short chapters ended on various mini-cliffhangers which kept me turning the pages. As I reflect more, I am thinking that the slow burn may have been intentional due to the cerebral nature of certain aspects of the book.

Regardless, I continued on with this book trying to figure out the twists (which I could not do, nor did I guess the MULTIPLE ways this book would swing back and forth) - which made it a fun read as well. Alex’s writing style is unique but so profound all at the same time - not to mention the Easter eggs to previous books, which was an added *chefs kiss*😘🧑🏻‍🍳💋

I found this book to be in-fury-ating! Without giving anything away I can say that this is very clever story telling, but at the end of the book I'm still not sure what to believe. With the exception of Elliot, I don't feel like I got to know any of the characters. This kept me detached from the outcome. One quote that stuck with me: "Don't write your story for an audience, Elliot. Write it for yourself."

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the audio book in exchange for my honest review. I really liked the narrator as he gave an 'I'm not to be trusted' vibe to Elliot from the opening chapter of this book. Because of this, I liked the audio version better then the e-book. Also, the traditional Greek music that opens the audio book really set the feel for the Greek island setting.

We found ourselves trapped there overnight. Our old friendships concealed hatred and a desire for revenge. What followed was a game of cat and mouse ― a battle of wits, full of twists and turns, building to an unforgettable climax. The night ended in violence and death, as one of us was found murdered.

But who am I?

My name is Elliot Chase, and I’m going to tell you a story unlike any you’ve ever heard.

Unpopular opinion - this was not for me.

I started on audio, but switched to the ebook because I was having trouble understanding what was going on. The story didn’t grab my attention, I didn’t understand who these people were, or why they were together. Did I predict the surprise? No. It was an interesting twist, but I also wasn’t super impressed. I found the majority of the book to be filler/fluff whatever you’d like to call it, so by the time we got to the action I just wasn’t feeling it anymore. I liked the way the story was written, but the story was not for me.

Thanks NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book!

Spoilers**

If you’d like to see inside the mind of a sociopath- this is your kind of book! I have so many thoughts when it comes to this book. Yes, it was gripping and wild, turn by turn. Yes I couldn’t put it down. But after reflection, I have some critiques.

There are so many things the narrator would literally never know when it comes to the peak elements of the story. I understand the purpose of a first person story and a writing style- but there are plot holes.

It was also confusing telling half the story, then saying “jk that didn’t happen” like I get it’s supposed to show he’s a liar, but it seemed to be far fetched and a tad annoying by the end.

This was probably the closest most of us will ever get inside of the mind of a sociopath. If you’re looking for a quick read without analyzing what is actually possible- would recommend.


Also gives an insight to the main character in the silent patient at the end.

Perhaps this author just isn’t for me. I found both this book and his last one to be a little underwhelming. I just can’t bring myself to care very much about the characters, and by extension what happens to them. Also, I mostly find unreliable narrators to be a lazy way of adding twists to a story.

An ex-movie star, her unhinged best friend, and a small cast of secondary characters go to a private Greek island, where a series of events play out (I won’t spoil the story by telling you more than that).

You’re introduced to the secondary characters and made to think they’ll matter later, when in fact several of them could have been left out altogether and it wouldn’t have really changed anything.

The narration of the audiobook was good though, performed by Alex Jennings. The audio is 8 hours and 8 minutes long. I’ll admit I sped it up and breezed through it pretty quickly.

I received an ARC of The Fury audiobook from Netgalley. Pub date: January 16, 2024. The narrator is very important to me when listening to audiobooks and as soon as I pressed play I knew this was book was going to be hard to finish. I stopped at 15% and the narrator was basically giving background on all of the characters and nothing about their stories pulled me in. I am going to give this book 2 stars.