Reviews tagging 'Child abuse'

The Fury by Alex Michaelides

72 reviews

corkspork's review against another edition

dark sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

The blurb about this book reminded me of Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, and consequently I think I was comparing this book to that movie the whole time, and found the book wanting (and also disagreeing with David Baldacci's assertion that The Fury is "highly original"). I got tired of the way the narrator kept alluding to the terrible events yet to come rather than just telling us what they were, and I was underwhelmed by all of it.  Ultimately I think the book was fine and I didn't resent my book club for chosing it (though I did lower my rating from 2.5 to 2.0 as I wrote this review).

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Gun violence

Minor: Child abuse and Sexual violence

rsboquet's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying

Moderate: Child abuse and Emotional abuse

mj_86's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense slow-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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gun violence, and Murder

Moderate: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, and Infidelity

Minor: Bullying and Toxic friendship

kshertz's review against another edition

dark emotional tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I thought this was quite the thriller. You realize it’s an unreliable narrator and you’re not hearing the truth so the whole time you’re trying to figure out what actually happened. It was excellent and kept me glued to the book. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Violence, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

mklein319's review against another edition

dark reflective tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Gun violence, and Blood

Moderate: Child abuse

acrosstheskyinstars's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

The book you think you're going to get going in is absolutely not the book delivered, but it's a wild ride. Nothing you can't see coming, but if you love dark themes with terrible people who are wildly unpredictable narrators, then this might be the book for you.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Gaslighting, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Forced institutionalization and Murder

Minor: Gun violence and Sexual violence

lauren_shilling's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

This book started off really strong, but it lost me a little in the last quarter, I think. It was a little out there, and while I don't usually mind a thriller that's a little far-fetched, this one just didn't work for me entirely. However, I really enjoyed how it was written, and overall, I did like the plot. It was dark, it was creepy, and it was easy to get through. I was in a reading slump when I read this, and I think this was the perfect book to pull me out of that slump, so that definitely bumps its rating a bit. The characters were so interesting to unravel and learn about as the story progressed, especially the narrator, who becomes more and more clear to the reader as the story progresses. It was so interesting to unravel. Like I said, the last quarter of the book wasn't my favorite, but I think that the reveals about the main character were super good throughout the whole thing. The other characters were interesting too, but sometimes it felt like there were too many, and not all of them were necessary, in my opinion. However, I was decently interested in them all, even if I wasn't sure why some of them were there, if that makes any sense. Overall, I would recommend this book, especially for someone trying to get out of a reading slump! It was really helpful for me in that sense.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gun violence, and Murder

Moderate: Child abuse and Infidelity

Minor: Bullying

kelly_e's review against another edition

dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

Title: The Fury
Author: Alex Michaelides
Genre: Thriller
Rating: 3.75
Pub Date: January 16, 2024

T H R E E • W O R D S

Atmospheric • Clever • Dynamic

📖 S Y N O P S I S

Lana Farrar is a reclusive ex–movie star and one of the most famous women in the world. Every year, she invites her closest friends to escape the English weather and spend Easter on her idyllic private Greek island.

I tell you this because you may think you know this story. You probably read about it at the time ― it caused a real stir in the tabloids, if you remember. It had all the necessary ingredients for a press sensation: a celebrity; a private island cut off by the wind…and a murder.

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.

💭 T H O U G H T S

The Fury is my second book from author Alex Michaelides (skipped The Maidens due to Greek Mythology focus) and I knew to expect something clever and different than your run-of-the-mill thriller. And that is exactly what this is.

The story itself is fairly forgettable, with typical tropes and elements often used in other locked room mysteries. But what makes this book stand out are the narrator, Elliot Chase, and the brilliant structure. Told in the form of a play, with quick, short chapters, it was like sitting down and being told a juicy story as Elliot was speaking directly to the reader. On the surface it's a story of deception and revenge, but when digging a little deeper it's a love story.


Reminiscent of a Greek tragedy, Alex Michaelides has skillfully delivered one of the most unreliable narrators I have yet to come across in my reading life. The story isn't the strength of this book rather its the telling. I still prefer The Silent Patient, yet the author definitely has a gift in writing clever books. I am intrigued to see what he will do next.

📚 R E A D • I F • Y O U • L I K E
• unreliable narrators
• murder mysteries

⚠️ CW: murder, gun violence, death, alcohol, drug use, infidelity, bullying, toxic friendship, toxic relationship, blood, stalking, gaslighting, mental illness, alcoholism, child abuse, emotional abuse, suicidal thoughts, cursing

🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S

"In case I am speaking to a young person now, let me give you something to hold on to: do not despair at being different. For that very difference, initially such a source of shame, so humiliating, and painful, will one day become a badge of honor and pride."

"We are all the unreliable narrators of our own lives." 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Toxic relationship, Murder, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol

Moderate: Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Blood, Stalking, and Gaslighting

Minor: Cursing and Suicidal thoughts

carlack7's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Bullying, Gun violence, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Alcohol

Minor: Child abuse and Pedophilia

miggyfool's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism