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A review by whatninaread
Furia by Yamile Saied Méndez
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Camila Hassan dreams of playing soccer professionally, but in Rosario, Argentina, good girls don't play fútbol. So Camila plays in secret, living in the shadow of the male superstars from her neighborhood, including both her brother and her childhood crush. When she leads her team to the Sudamericano tournament, Camila is forced to reveal her secret and come to terms with just how far she's willing to go to follow her dreams.
Furia was my first five-star read of the year (I'm very stingy with five-star ratings), so as you can guess, I absolutely adored this book. It was pretty darn close to perfect!
Furia was beautifully written and descriptive. I never annotate books, but I found myself highlighting so many passages. I felt like I was in Camila's barrio as I was reading, despite never having been to Argentina. Sports scenes can be difficult to write well, but Yamile Saied Méndez made the soccer scenes exciting without letting them overwhelm the narrative.
Camila was exactly the kind of role model that young girls (and adult women) need to see in books. She's strong and determined in the face of a world that has been stacked against her. Though she stumbles and faces hardships, Camila holds tight to her dreams and isn't willing to give them up. My teenage self would have felt so seen watching Camila struggle with her family relationships and friendships and trying to find a way to follow her dreams when the world is telling her she can't do it.
Méndez also does a wonderful job of showing why representation and role models matter, both on a national/international scale, but also on a local, more personal level. Camila sees that her dream is possible through the futbolera Marta, but also through the examples of her coach Alicia and Gabi Tapia. Camila herself serves as a role model to Karen, a young girl she tutors. Though the hardships of Karen's life don't change, we get to see her blossom as she learns that she has choices in life, something she's never been told before.
If all of that wasn't enough reason to love this book, Furia definitely reminded me of an Argentinian Bend it Like Beckham!
Furia was my first five-star read of the year (I'm very stingy with five-star ratings), so as you can guess, I absolutely adored this book. It was pretty darn close to perfect!
Furia was beautifully written and descriptive. I never annotate books, but I found myself highlighting so many passages. I felt like I was in Camila's barrio as I was reading, despite never having been to Argentina. Sports scenes can be difficult to write well, but Yamile Saied Méndez made the soccer scenes exciting without letting them overwhelm the narrative.
Camila was exactly the kind of role model that young girls (and adult women) need to see in books. She's strong and determined in the face of a world that has been stacked against her. Though she stumbles and faces hardships, Camila holds tight to her dreams and isn't willing to give them up. My teenage self would have felt so seen watching Camila struggle with her family relationships and friendships and trying to find a way to follow her dreams when the world is telling her she can't do it.
Méndez also does a wonderful job of showing why representation and role models matter, both on a national/international scale, but also on a local, more personal level. Camila sees that her dream is possible through the futbolera Marta, but also through the examples of her coach Alicia and Gabi Tapia. Camila herself serves as a role model to Karen, a young girl she tutors. Though the hardships of Karen's life don't change, we get to see her blossom as she learns that she has choices in life, something she's never been told before.
If all of that wasn't enough reason to love this book, Furia definitely reminded me of an Argentinian Bend it Like Beckham!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Domestic abuse and Violence