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A review by readingwithtrey
The Fury by Alex Michaelides
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I've been a fan of Alex Michaelides since The Silent Patient. I absolutely devoured that book and have been chasing the same vibes since. The Maidens wasn't my favorite, so I had really high hopes for this one. It's been a few days since I've finished it, and while I did enjoy it more than The Maidens, I'm not entirely sure of my feelings/thoughts.
It wasn't the best first impression with The Fury. I immediately got vibes similar to And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie. Although the narrator made reference to Agatha Christie, I wasn't sure how I was going to feel about the similarities. To me, it greatly takes away from a book if plot lines are too similar to other works. I was nervous that was what was happening here. But as I continued to read, I started to feel that the author had something different in play here, almost as if the similar plot lines added to the unreliability of the narrator. I don't want to say too much because I want to avoid spoilers, but the turn of events (especially in the end), won the story for me.
While The Fury didn't live up to The Silent Patient, I still ended up enjoying it very much. I read the bulk of it in one sitting because I was so invested in the story and the roller coaster of emotions it sent me on. I love a good, unreliable narrator, but there was a point where I got so annoyed with him that I wanted to chuck the book out the window. Because of this, I keep going back and forth with my rating. As of now, I've settled on 4 stars. As others have said, the pacing was a bit off. There was also a twist near the end that was a bit ridiculous. BUUUUUUT, when I think about it more, I wonder if the reader is meant to feel that the twist is ridiculous. Because when you remember that everything is being recalled from the narrator's POV (this particular scene is referencing what other people were thinking/saying), and when we realize the mental state that he's in, that could explain why it sounded so ridiculous. I know I'm rambling, but this is a great book to ponder on.
One thing that I love is how the author ties together all of his books. You don't necessarily need to read them in order, but I would note that the epilogue for this one includes a spoiler for The Silent Patient.
Thank you to Celadon Books for my early copy of the book! All opinions are my own.
It wasn't the best first impression with The Fury. I immediately got vibes similar to And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie. Although the narrator made reference to Agatha Christie, I wasn't sure how I was going to feel about the similarities. To me, it greatly takes away from a book if plot lines are too similar to other works. I was nervous that was what was happening here. But as I continued to read, I started to feel that the author had something different in play here, almost as if the similar plot lines added to the unreliability of the narrator. I don't want to say too much because I want to avoid spoilers, but the turn of events (especially in the end), won the story for me.
While The Fury didn't live up to The Silent Patient, I still ended up enjoying it very much. I read the bulk of it in one sitting because I was so invested in the story and the roller coaster of emotions it sent me on. I love a good, unreliable narrator, but there was a point where I got so annoyed with him that I wanted to chuck the book out the window. Because of this, I keep going back and forth with my rating. As of now, I've settled on 4 stars. As others have said, the pacing was a bit off. There was also a twist near the end that was a bit ridiculous. BUUUUUUT, when I think about it more, I wonder if the reader is meant to feel that the twist is ridiculous. Because when you remember that everything is being recalled from the narrator's POV (this particular scene is referencing what other people were thinking/saying), and when we realize the mental state that he's in, that could explain why it sounded so ridiculous. I know I'm rambling, but this is a great book to ponder on.
One thing that I love is how the author ties together all of his books. You don't necessarily need to read them in order, but I would note that the epilogue for this one includes a spoiler for The Silent Patient.
Thank you to Celadon Books for my early copy of the book! All opinions are my own.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Murder, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Emotional abuse and Infidelity
Minor: Abandonment