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dark
mysterious
slow-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
This story was very aggravatingly told. The timeline is non-linear, which, when executed well, adds quite a bit to a story and gives the characters a lot more depth. That wasn’t how it worked in this book.
I spent a good portion of this book being extremely frustrated by the author unexpectedly catapulting me into the past right on the cusp of a big present day reveal. Wildly, wildly irritating stuff.
When attempting to subvert expectations, the alternative HAS to be better than the expectation. That’s the only way the reader doesn’t leave disappointed. Unfortunately, that wasn’t to be. I absolutely hate how this story was written.
I spent a good portion of this book being extremely frustrated by the author unexpectedly catapulting me into the past right on the cusp of a big present day reveal. Wildly, wildly irritating stuff.
When attempting to subvert expectations, the alternative HAS to be better than the expectation. That’s the only way the reader doesn’t leave disappointed. Unfortunately, that wasn’t to be. I absolutely hate how this story was written.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Child abuse
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
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism, Bullying, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Infidelity, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship
Minor: Domestic abuse, Blood
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
dark
mysterious
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Infidelity, Violence, Murder, Gaslighting
Moderate: Alcoholism, Bullying, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Stalking
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I swore that I could guess how The Fury by Alex Michaelides would end. I’ve read his first few novels. My favorite genre of fiction is Thriller and sometimes I can tell how a story will end. However, this time I was wrong. One thing I will say is one constant in every single novel written by Michaelides is an unreliable narrator. They cannot be trusted even when you want to believe that there is a method to their madness. Even if they present themselves as a good person or in this case “a nice guy” they aren’t. Dont be fooled.
The one thing I like about The Fury is the narration. Elliot’s story is told from his point of view. He even recounts events that occurred involving the other characters from his point of view. It isn’t until, you are able to see the other side of the story that you realize how truly delusional and dangerous Elliot is. The setting is another aspect that I like about this novel. These are places that I want to visit someday especially Greece.
The way this story has a connection with The Silent Patient and The Maiden is another thing that I liked. It was nice to see Mariana again and hear about Theo.
One thing that I did not like was that Lana had to die. I wanted her to live and have the life that’s she deserved. Despite, her success as an actress she was so unhappy. Yes, I know it’s unrealistic but she deserved a happy ending. I do understand why the story had to end with her death. That action revealed how truly deranged Elliot was. His obsession with her veered into the territory of “if I can”t have you no one can.” I wanted to know more about Nikos and Agathi. I like them as well.
I rate this book four stars out of five. Theo from The Silent Patient is a pretty unsettling character but I think that Elliot took the cake. Maybe it’s wishful thinking but I want to see some of these characters in future novels. I liked every one of them.
The one thing I like about The Fury is the narration. Elliot’s story is told from his point of view. He even recounts events that occurred involving the other characters from his point of view. It isn’t until, you are able to see the other side of the story that you realize how truly delusional and dangerous Elliot is. The setting is another aspect that I like about this novel. These are places that I want to visit someday especially Greece.
The way this story has a connection with The Silent Patient and The Maiden is another thing that I liked. It was nice to see Mariana again and hear about Theo.
One thing that I did not like was that Lana had to die. I wanted her to live and have the life that’s she deserved. Despite, her success as an actress she was so unhappy. Yes, I know it’s unrealistic but she deserved a happy ending. I do understand why the story had to end with her death. That action revealed how truly deranged Elliot was. His obsession with her veered into the territory of “if I can”t have you no one can.” I wanted to know more about Nikos and Agathi. I like them as well.
I rate this book four stars out of five. Theo from The Silent Patient is a pretty unsettling character but I think that Elliot took the cake. Maybe it’s wishful thinking but I want to see some of these characters in future novels. I liked every one of them.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gun violence, Suicidal thoughts, Murder
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Every moment when I thought I had this book figured out, it threw me for yet another twist. Now I am left just utterly baffled, confused, and speechless, but in the best way. Alex Michaelides is slowly becoming an author that I will read anything he has ever published and anything he will ever publish. These characters are downright horrendous but in the best of ways. Even Leo, and I wasn’t thinking about him in that way at first, but even Leo was not innocent in this story. This is psychopathy and obsession at its ugliest and its finest.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Toxic relationship, Murder, Toxic friendship
Moderate: Addiction, Death, Gun violence, Mental illness, Alcohol
Minor: Rape, Suicidal thoughts
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
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
While this book had the potential to be great, I found it's heavy reliance on dramatic elements for shock value rather disappointing and tiring.
The flow of the story often felt unbalanced. Some scenes tended to drag on longer than necessary, while other key moments were rushed through or not fully developed. This unevenness in the pacing detracted from the overall enjoyment I had while reading.
I also felt there was a lack of credibility and common sense throughout, which prevented me from fully enjoying it. The characters' choices often came across as being poorly thought out.
And while Elliott may not have been the most likable or believable narrator, it would have added depth to the story if his past had been more fully developed.
Overall, this book felt like a shallow imitation of an Agatha Christie novel, lacking the depth, complexity and attention to detail that made her novels so captivating.
The flow of the story often felt unbalanced. Some scenes tended to drag on longer than necessary, while other key moments were rushed through or not fully developed. This unevenness in the pacing detracted from the overall enjoyment I had while reading.
I also felt there was a lack of credibility and common sense throughout, which prevented me from fully enjoying it. The characters' choices often came across as being poorly thought out.
And while Elliott may not have been the most likable or believable narrator, it would have added depth to the story if his past had been more fully developed.
Overall, this book felt like a shallow imitation of an Agatha Christie novel, lacking the depth, complexity and attention to detail that made her novels so captivating.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Death of parent, Murder, Toxic friendship
Moderate: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity
Minor: Bullying, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, Stalking, Alcohol
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-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
Out now! [Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an ARC to review!]
Rating: 4/5 stars
A locked room mystery in the style of AND THEN THERE WERE NONE, focused on the tragic events that take place during a movie star’s getaway to a private Greek island with her friends and family.
I absolutely LOVED the writing style of this one—truly, Michaelides is one of the great talents in the thriller genre right now, and I breezed through this book in a little more than a day because I could not stop turning pages!
I did struggle a bit with the plot itself, which ultimately went in a direction I didn’t expect, and with the main character/narrator, who I never connected with. That said, this is truly so well-written and so unique that I almost gave it 5 stars even WITH those issues. Highly recommend if you’re looking for a quick and captivating thriller!
CW: Suicidal thoughts; blood/murder/violence; mentions of child abuse and suggested sexual abuse; gun violence; bullying
Rating: 4/5 stars
A locked room mystery in the style of AND THEN THERE WERE NONE, focused on the tragic events that take place during a movie star’s getaway to a private Greek island with her friends and family.
I absolutely LOVED the writing style of this one—truly, Michaelides is one of the great talents in the thriller genre right now, and I breezed through this book in a little more than a day because I could not stop turning pages!
I did struggle a bit with the plot itself, which ultimately went in a direction I didn’t expect, and with the main character/narrator, who I never connected with. That said, this is truly so well-written and so unique that I almost gave it 5 stars even WITH those issues. Highly recommend if you’re looking for a quick and captivating thriller!
CW: Suicidal thoughts; blood/murder/violence; mentions of child abuse and suggested sexual abuse; gun violence; bullying
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Death, Gun violence, Blood, Murder
Moderate: Child abuse, Suicidal thoughts