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challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Felt there is a lot of things we’re mentioned in passing throughout the book which were never called back to or elaborated on that would have made for a better story. Ending felt rushed, unimaginative, and lackluster.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Infidelity, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Blood, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol
Moderate: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Violence, Stalking, Abandonment
Minor: Animal death
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Bullying, Gun violence, Blood, Murder, Alcohol
Moderate: Addiction, Bullying, Child abuse, Mental illness, Gaslighting
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Blood
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Drug use, Blood, Murder
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A solid mystery thriller from Alex Michaelides. Better than The Maidens but not as good as the Silent Patient. The non-linear storyline and first person limited voice made it a really fun read. None of the characters are likeable but they're interesting enough that you want to know what happens to them.
If you liked Saltburn, you'll like this book. It's not the same level of sexually charged but it has the same outsider vibes.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Violence, Blood, Stalking, Murder, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
“The real tragedy, of course, by always looking outward, by focusing so intently on the other persons experience, we lose touch with our own. It’s as if we live out entire life pretending to be ourselves, as imposters impersonating ourselves, rather than feeling this is really me, this is who I am.” (pg. 60)
This book started off pretty slow in my opinion, and I didn’t get invested until around page 50-60. During this time, I was questioning whether I was going to enjoy this book and what the point of all the exposition was, but the thriller aspect started to kick up eventually.
I was also able to understand why the beginning may have started as it did. Despite the narrator mentioning that starting a book with the weather is never the right move, I can see how it serves this book well. The island that the group of characters goes to is known for having terrible storms known as “The Fury,” which, coincidentally, is the namesake of the book. With the storm in mind, I see the boring exposition as the calm before it. Mixed with our unreliable narrator, who slowly begins to open up to the reader as the acts progress, the reader is being allowed a moment of stillness before the real twists start to pop up. I can appreciate it now, but forcing myself to power through at first was tough. It’s partially why I still can’t give it 5 stars no matter how I can appreciate it.
I will say, it did teach me to give a book at least 50 pages before considering a possible DNF. I’m glad I finished it, and the annotation process was enjoyable.
This book seems to have a theme that centers heavily on childhood trauma and how we carry that pain or that child with us as we go through life. The author claims that people who have gone through trauma at that age become the people they needed at that time as they age. There were many moments in the book where I could relate to some of the characters’ backstories. It reminds me of just how much I hate bullying and is a very dramatized telling of the lengths a person would go to protect themselves from their pasts. Being able to relate to something like that added an extra layer of complication that I always enjoy. Give me that wonderful mental challenge of morality, and I eat it up every time.
It was nice to see how the retelling of the events while they were on the island slowly became more clear as the narrator opens up. You are able to see how certain details didn’t quite add up or what changed from one telling to the next. The twist in this story is satisfying, and I like that subtle hints are sprinkled throughout that allow you to gradually piece things together.
I also liked the use of 2nd person throughout the book. It’s one of the least common to see when reading, and I think the author implemented it successfully.
This book started off pretty slow in my opinion, and I didn’t get invested until around page 50-60. During this time, I was questioning whether I was going to enjoy this book and what the point of all the exposition was, but the thriller aspect started to kick up eventually.
I was also able to understand why the beginning may have started as it did. Despite the narrator mentioning that starting a book with the weather is never the right move, I can see how it serves this book well. The island that the group of characters goes to is known for having terrible storms known as “The Fury,” which, coincidentally, is the namesake of the book. With the storm in mind, I see the boring exposition as the calm before it. Mixed with our unreliable narrator, who slowly begins to open up to the reader as the acts progress, the reader is being allowed a moment of stillness before the real twists start to pop up. I can appreciate it now, but forcing myself to power through at first was tough. It’s partially why I still can’t give it 5 stars no matter how I can appreciate it.
I will say, it did teach me to give a book at least 50 pages before considering a possible DNF. I’m glad I finished it, and the annotation process was enjoyable.
This book seems to have a theme that centers heavily on childhood trauma and how we carry that pain or that child with us as we go through life. The author claims that people who have gone through trauma at that age become the people they needed at that time as they age. There were many moments in the book where I could relate to some of the characters’ backstories. It reminds me of just how much I hate bullying and is a very dramatized telling of the lengths a person would go to protect themselves from their pasts. Being able to relate to something like that added an extra layer of complication that I always enjoy. Give me that wonderful mental challenge of morality, and I eat it up every time.
It was nice to see how the retelling of the events while they were on the island slowly became more clear as the narrator opens up. You are able to see how certain details didn’t quite add up or what changed from one telling to the next. The twist in this story is satisfying, and I like that subtle hints are sprinkled throughout that allow you to gradually piece things together.
I also liked the use of 2nd person throughout the book. It’s one of the least common to see when reading, and I think the author implemented it successfully.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Death, Drug abuse
Moderate: Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Infidelity, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship
Minor: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Incest, Sexual content, Suicide
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I feel Michaelides' books went downhill after The Silent Patient. Truthfully Silent Patient was one of the best thriller books I've ever read, and knowing it was a debut I decided to follow the author's works henceforth hoping to find a good thriller book with twisty turn and dark compelling story, but to no avail.
In The Fury we follow an unreliable narrator who amused us with the story of a murder in a remote island in Greece. It said in the beginning it's not a whodunnit but a whydunnit mystery. So it really focuses on the character rather than the plot. When I said unreliable I mean the narrator would tell us the occurrence of the event and later stated that it was what the narrator would hope the outcome would be (it's a lie), which I think it's annoying hehe.
When they all finally arrive on the island was when everything unfolds. Lies. Betrayal. Affair. Every noun you could think of to describe a remote island mystery. And of course someone is dead.
[SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER]
Having read Silent Patient, I see right through this book (if you know what I mean), I wasn't even trying.
In The Fury we follow an unreliable narrator who amused us with the story of a murder in a remote island in Greece. It said in the beginning it's not a whodunnit but a whydunnit mystery. So it really focuses on the character rather than the plot. When I said unreliable I mean the narrator would tell us the occurrence of the event and later stated that it was what the narrator would hope the outcome would be (it's a lie), which I think it's annoying hehe.
When they all finally arrive on the island was when everything unfolds. Lies. Betrayal. Affair. Every noun you could think of to describe a remote island mystery. And of course someone is dead.
[SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER]
Having read Silent Patient, I see right through this book (if you know what I mean), I wasn't even trying.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Blood, Murder
Moderate: Bullying, Drug use
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Minor: Alcoholism, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book was a long, slow tease, but it worked for me. I liked the twists and turns, misdirection, and unreliable narrator. If you like this author's style, I think you'll like this book as much as I did.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Infidelity, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
At first I enjoyed the meta, aware-of-itself vibe of the book, but I quickly grew tired of it. I'm not sure that I would classify this as a thriller. I was really bored and felt like the pacing was pretty slow. The twists really annoyed me. I didn't find any of it to be clever, satisfying, or even believable. I can handle an unlikeable character/narrator if there is good storytelling, but I wasn't a fan of the way this story unfolded at all. I like mysteries/crimes in which the pieces of the puzzle are dropped along the way so that the reader can play detective. Mysteries like this one just leave me irritated.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Infidelity
Moderate: Bullying
Minor: Child abuse, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Suicidal thoughts
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
It's a thriller based very loosely on Lana Taylor's murder. (Or that's my guess)
There were many twists and turns, but I figured out some partway through. I knew it would some way tie back to the other books. As they all tie back to each other.
I would have liked to know what he meant by, if you read this I'm dead part. Maybe I just don't remember from the other books.
None of the characters were particularly likable which did make it harder to enjoy. Though it was well written. It was very atmospheric. I also would have liked someone else's POV besides Elliot, since he was a highly unreliable narrator.
Narrator Rating: 4.5 stars
The narrator did an excellent job. Though he was a bit easy to zone out to.
Extra ratings: Fluff-NA Heartfelt-3/5 Helpful-NA Horror-NA Inspiration-NA Love aka Romance-0.5/5 Mystery-3/5 Predictability-1.5/5 Spice-0/5 Suspense-3/5 Tear- 1.5/5 Thrill-3.5/5 Humor-0/5
There were many twists and turns, but I figured out some partway through. I knew it would some way tie back to the other books. As they all tie back to each other.
None of the characters were particularly likable which did make it harder to enjoy. Though it was well written. It was very atmospheric. I also would have liked someone else's POV besides Elliot, since he was a highly unreliable narrator.
Narrator Rating: 4.5 stars
The narrator did an excellent job. Though he was a bit easy to zone out to.
Extra ratings: Fluff-NA Heartfelt-3/5 Helpful-NA Horror-NA Inspiration-NA Love aka Romance-0.5/5 Mystery-3/5 Predictability-1.5/5 Spice-0/5 Suspense-3/5 Tear- 1.5/5 Thrill-3.5/5 Humor-0/5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Death, Drug use, Gun violence, Infidelity, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Blood, Stalking, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Child abuse, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Death of parent, Murder
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Vomit