This was a title I got on one of those read it now for the first 100 members. It appealed to me immediately. Though I'm somewhat torn on what to think about it after finishing it. There was something morbidly compulsive about the whole thing. Though I did find the writing to be very pretentious. Granted, the whole thing is an adult woman recounting a story of her youth, told from when she was a teenager, there was something of a cross between the two and some of the language didn't sound like it would come from a teenager. Even one with a smart girl potential who was caught up in a downward spiral thanks to the attention of a new friend.
In some respects, Violet was an easy character to identify with. An outsider not so good at making friends, caught the attention of a special group of girls. Also seemingly outsiders, but ones that caught everyone’s attention. There were some fascinating lessons on women, power, and history, coupled with art and mythology. Overshadowed by the disappearance of a girl who had previously been part of the group. Violet’s need to belong, finding herself dragged into a whirlwind of partying, drinking, drugs. Hints of witchcraft and a foreboding history. It’s uncomfortable and yet compelling at the same time.
While Violet’s actions were certainly not the smartest, it’s easy to understand why what happened did. Overdramatic, overheated, over the top. There’s a good sense of atmosphere and the nauseating effect of small towns on bored teenagers. Of course before long things all start unravelling and go from bad to worse. I’m still unsure if I liked it or not. It preys on your mind and gets under your skin.

I really enjoyed this one! It’s a deliciously dark tale of witchcraft with its finger on the pulse of what it feels like to be a teenage girl. I also appreciated the 90s setting and evocative locations in the book. THE FURIES is a gripping, memorable read that left me wanting more.

I loved The Furies. Dark, sinister and packed full of interesting female characters, it was right up my street. The opening chapter was a real smack in the face and had me gripped to find out more. I felt it did lose pace slightly in the middle but it picked up again and had me racing to find out how it all ended.
I found many of the themes relatable, such as the teenage feeling of being an outsider, even amongst your own friends. I'm still unsure as to whether this is an adult or YA novel but I would highly recommend it to people looking at either genre.

The formatting of this book didn’t work so I cannot review it unfortunately. I’ve given a neutral rating in this case.

The Furies is a book about being a teenage girl, about wanting to fit in and how far you are willing to go for people you think are your friends, but also the rage you feel at how powerless you are to affect the world around you. Told from Violet’s point of view, she describes with no emotion how she ended up at Elm Hollow for sixth form. Elm Hollow is a girls school that goes back generations but also has historical relevance in the area as a place that was affected by the witch trials of the 17th Century.

Violet is hard to like, which is made worse by how badly she wants to be liked. When Violet starts at Elm Hollow, she ends up becoming part of a friendship group that is haunted by the death of Emily Frost, the group is comprised of Alex, Grace and Robin. Violet is fascinated by Robin, although it is hard to understand why, as Robin pulls her into more and more dangerous stunts she feels that Robin is using her, but yet keeps allowing herself to follow Robin in anything she suggests.

The story gets darker the further into it you get, but leaves open the question as to whether some of the deaths that happen in the book were accidents or whether they have supernatural origins as Robin and Violet cast a spell to call down The Furies. There are several nightmarish moments and betrayals, taken to murderous degrees.

The book itself has a lot to say about peer pressure and asks how far you would go to make and keep friends, even if those friends don’t seem to have your best interest at heart. Violet bears a small resemblance to Emily and is constantly reminded that she isn’t her. Everyone is guilty of something in this book and there is a lot of anger held by a large number of the characters.

The book also says a lot about belief: do the girls really believe they are the harbingers of revenge or are they just trying to give themselves power, in a world that tells girls they will never be strong enough? Violet also looks up to her teacher, Annabel, who urges them to think for themselves, although this is something that none of them seems to be capable of doing at the start of the story, especially Violet as she seeks approval from everyone.

The pacing of the novel is quite slow, as we follow Violet into her new school. The Furies has a lot of dreamlike set pieces, and as it is told by Violet remembering her younger self, it does have that feeling of memories, with some being clearer than others. There is a lot of tension in the story that can feel too much in places, but this is the case with a lot of stories involving teenagers. I did enjoy The Furies and there are sections which made me glad to no longer be a teenager and have to be so emotionally invested in school manipulations.

I know a lot of people loved this, so I was really looking forward to reading it. Unfortunately, it wasn't for me. I found it confused, mixing US and UK terminology, so it was hard to figure out exactly where it was set (somewhere in the UK I guess?). It didn't seem to make up its mind over whether it was supernatural or not, and there was lots of unanswered questions, as explanations were sacrificed in the name of atmosphere.

There are better books about toxic friendships and unsolved murders. I didn't think this was that great.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC without obligation.

This sounded so great but unfortunately it didn’t live up to my expectations and I gave up half way through. Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

It is 1998 and Violet has just joined exclusive Elm Hollow Academy after a tragic car accident kills both her father and her younger sister. Violet has never found it easy to make friends, preferring her books over putting in a particular effort to make friends but when she encounters Robin and her friends, she feels an inexplicable pull towards them.

The girls are part of an exclusive study group run by their art teacher Annabel. The group meet to learn of the tragic history of the school, in particular, the tragic death of the founder of the school when she was burnt as a witch. They discuss art and literature in their group, but the girls are particularly interested in rites and rituals, specifically those that involve taking revenge.

When someone dies it is for the reader to decide if it is murder or witchcraft. Is it the furies exacting revenge or is it murder committed by drug and alcohol addled teens?

The Furies is a book about the powerful and sometimes toxic friendships girls can form in their teenage years.

The Furies is a gripping and well-written story with a brilliant beginning.

“The strange thing, they said, wringing their hands and whispering as though we couldn’t hear, or we weren’t listening through extension phones or cracks in the walls, was that there was no known cause of death.

Inconclusive, they said, as though that changed the face of it, which was this: a sixteen-year-old girl, dead on school property without a single clue to suggest why or how. No unexplained prints on the body, the forensic examination finding no trace of violence nor rape, nor a single fibre that could not be linked to the girl, her friends, or her mother, whom she had hugged for the last time that morning as she left for school. It was as though her heart had simply stopped, her blood stilled in her veins, preserving her forever in a single moment, watchful as the dawn.”

Some of the aspects of the book were a bit chilling to read, I liked that the narrator showed no remorse in adulthood.

“I’m grateful to the voyeurs of the internet, to the stranger who uploaded the crime scene photos decades after the fact. They turn my nerves electric, the memory radiating white hot, clear.

For, despite all that followed – the investigation, the questions, the on-camera tears and plaintive words wailed at drooling reporters – even after all these years I struggle with this one unspeakable truth. I don’t feel bad about what we did. Any of it. Somehow, I can’t…guilt is not the feeling I associate with her death.

Because in the year I knew her and in all the events leading up to her death – her murder. I felt more alive than I ever have before or since.”

The Furies is not a book I will easily forget.

I tried very hard to like this book but it just wasn't for me.

The toxic relationship between a couple of the characters, although very realistic, just didn't do it for me. Maybe because I just didn't like or care about any of the characters.

I just feel that this premise of a book has been done many other times and much better.

Drawn in by the Greek mythology-spin on the title (it has been all the rage recently, after-all), but disappointed by the utterly formulaic, late-2007-YA nature of the book's contents. Well, isn't that always the case? Things like this, after-all, always seem to work better in ideas. The unrealistic, flat characters felt more like murky shadows of teenagers instead of ones that ever rung with any truth; meaning that, despite my initial high expectations, I ended up with more of a watered-down The Craft-inspired snooze-fest than anything that felt truly original.

Sex, drugs, murder and witchcraft… have you ever heard of a more Slytherin book? The Furies is a story of cliques, revenge, passion and the true horrors that can occur when those things are combined. Slytherins often form incredibly strong bonds with those who take the time to get to know them and have no problem doing some serious damage to those who have wronged them. These girls are resourceful, fierce and on occasion wholly misunderstood.

This book reminded me of a mixture of The Graces (Laura Eve), meets The Girls (Emma Cline) meets The Heathers (film), which means I enjoyed it very much! I would describe it as an exploration of teenage friendship, the lust for power, and witchcraft, mixed with a murder mystery; an interesting mix and one which kept me turning the page. The setting is great, the characters are intriguing, flawed and multi-faceted, and the prose was explosive. The only issue I had with it was that the ending was a little bit 'open' for my liking, and although I know this was on purpose, I would have still preferred more answers!

The Furies tells the story of a group of four girls, bound by their mutual feelings of isolation and interest in the macabre. As their friendship intensifies they begin to act out their obsession with rites and rituals, leading them into deadly territory.

Well if I'm honest that was a bit of a grind to get through. It certainly is an interesting premise but it was all just a bit grubby and left a bad taste for me. Whilst the style of writing is good the book was lacking any likeable characters so when the tragedy unfolded I just wasn't bothered. Two stars for the idea and style, just needed a sympathetic protagonist for me to invest in.

I loved this book.

It has an ethereal, almost erotic, definitely slightly surreal beauty to it.

It's reminiscent of Picnic at Hanging Rock and Virgin Suicides. We know there's a tragedy coming from the opening, the tragic, cinematic beauty of the dead girl on the swing, but we don't know exactly what it is or how we're going to get there. The characters bear similarities too, beautiful young girls who just don't fit into the world around them.

There's a beauty and there's a horror to it all. I loved the characters of the four girls, who all felt vibrant and real, powerful and vulnerable. The men in the story are generally pretty awful, undeserving of the girls' beauty, and richly deserving their vengeance. I loved the supernatural elements blended into the contemporary setting.

The Furies is not a comfortable read. The events of the novel made me feel distinctly uneasy and looming over the whole story is that one image of the girl on the swing. I'm not sure if the conclusion quite lived up to the promise of the rest of the book though. I think I was maybe expecting something more, something bigger, but it definitely had a heartbreaking emotion of its own.

When the bereaved Violet starts a new school she is drawn into an obsessive friendship group with three friends whose best friend mysteriously died. There are hints of The Secret History but in A YA setting in this as the girls vow vengeance on various people as they delve further into classics and the occult. Definitely a page turner.

This book conveys the power of teenage girls - their obsessive friendships, shifting alliances and the need to belong. Boredom, paranoia and female rage lead to dabbling in witchcraft which culminates in violence and betrayal. A dark and atmospheric debut crackling with foreboding.

“It was as though her heart had simply stopped, her blood stilled in her veins, preserving her forever in a single moment, watchful as dawn.”

Thinking back on The Furies by Katie Lowe gives me a strong feeling of unease and that’s totally fine. I don’t think Violet truly spends any part of the book at ease.

So when reading it you really do follow Violet on her journey rife with obsession, witchcraft, and murder.

Being a teenage girl is never easy – there are so many things we all have to tackle.
“I turned to Robin, wanting to tell her everything – not only of this moment, but my whole life story, every secret emotion I had ever held in my heart, all the things I couldn’t say -“

And that’s without befriending Robin, Grace, and Alex. A misfit group of girls that classmates generally advise steering clear of. Yet Violet can’t help but want to be engulfed by their beauty and closeness.

Luckily for Violet a few things help her in her quest for friendship. The fact she resembles their missing (only missing, definitely not dead) friend, a secret study group with their art tutor, and her desire being so strong to be one of them that she becomes a shell of her former shelf.

Their dependence on each other, alcohol, and drugs wither her away. Until she fits into a mould that toxic highschoolers create for one and another.

It’s wild to be writing their friendships in such a negative way when they’re also very full of positives.

The whole book is very queer coded due to how Violet’s obsession with Robin is explored. I am very sure there are queer elements to it, there are some very queer moments. But I am happy to say there is on page f/f relationship too.

Katie Lowe writes this beautiful and flawed friendship group so perfectly. I could read about their intense antics any day.

Additionally, the girls are there for each other. They’re a team.
“…and I fell to the sand, never realizing I’d left the ground.”

After a harrowing event they band together to try something unpredictable and dangerous. They delve into witchcraft to summon the Furies, in hopes of giving themselves a power they so darkly crave.

Initiating this is what gives them the confidence to be Judge, Jury, and Executioner. The grime of their world fading away so long as they have each other, coffee, and a packet of smokes.

This type of ritualistic witchcraft is explored at least another two points within in the book. Each time the price and outcome rising. It’s easy to see how they get lost in their lust for power and need for vengeance.

Their journey is a dark one.
“A seam of blood, black in the darkness, seeping in under the door, which rattled as a hand beat against it, each thud a little weaker than the last.”

Power doesn’t stop at magic. But that type of power does make you feel untouchable.

Their hands do not remain clean. Though you could argue their hands were never clean after the summoning.

On the proof copy of The Furies you can find the words “You’d kill to be one of them” and a more perfect sentence doesn’t exist. This notion is explored in great detail as Violet struggles with the temptation of how far she’ll go to please.

So it shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone at how far the girls are ready to go. At how blurred their judgement becomes when they believe they’re unstoppable. That they’re blessed.

One of my favourite elements is how incredibly Katie Lowe explores the power of rumours and gossips in highschool. It was a very nice touch, helping to ground the magical and extremer parts of the story to it’s real world setting.

Overall I really enjoyed this book, reading it felt like a very intense and uncontrollable drug trip. Running wildly, removing the prison of patriarchy, and saying a big old fuck you to social norms.
The Furies by Katie Lowe explores just how powerful teenage girls can be.

Please note: This book is a heavy read. It includes (excessive) use of drug, alcohol, and smoking. There is a rape scene. At least two murders. Manipulative and controlling behaviour. Eating disorders.

This is not a YA book, do not be fooled by Goodreads.

I wasn't sure of this book. I believe it is aimed at Young Adults and once I discovered this, it tainted it somewhat. Unfortunately I am no longer a young adult!! The language used was very teenager and you really get all the teenage angst come through. But its a good story if you can get over the above

After a tragic accident where Violets Father and Sister both die, Violet becomes introverted, not going to school and teaching herself, getting good results and a large compensation payout Violet is enrolled into the private school to do her A Levels, there she is invited to attend an advanced class, one of only four girls in the school to do so, the class teaches the girls about the myths and legends of women.

The girls become embroiled in their secretive world casting spells and curses with devestating affect.

Another YA story, another story about toxic female friendships, love, secrets and lies. -Sigh-

Hard to connect to the story and characters after the prologue, the characters are cruel and the story a bit over the top. Wasn't really mine ATM.