Wow, this was such a great read! I lOVED the female protagonist, Camilla Hassan, who wants to become a professional football player and tries her hardest to be able to follow her dream. Camilla is such a strong and empowering character who doesn't want anyone to save her but herself. She struggles with emotional and physical abuse, domestic violence and the hardships of being a woman. The novel discusses these hardships and even though it made me emotional, I think it's so so so important to read about. I feel like this book will be such a great influence on young girls everywhere and I love the novel for it. I can't recommend this book enough. Please pre-order it! It's worth it!

Trigger warnings: emotional and physical abuse, death, domestic violence.

Thank you to NetGalley and Algonquin Young Readers for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Title: Furia
Author: Yamile Saied Méndez
Genre: YA
Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Camila Hassan lives a double life. At home, she is a careful daughter, living within her mother’s narrow expectations, in her rising-soccer-star brother’s shadow, and under the abusive rule of her short-tempered father. On the field, she is La Furia, a powerhouse of skill and talent. When her team qualifies for the South American tournament, Camila gets the chance to see just how far her talents can take her. In her wildest dreams, she’d get an athletic scholarship to a North American university, but the path ahead won’t be easy. Her parents, who don’t know about her passion, wouldn’t allow a girl to play fútbol—and she needs their permission to go any farther. Meanwhile, the boy she once loved, Diego, is not only back in town, but has also become an international star, playing in Italy for the renowned team Juventus. Things aren’t the same as when he left: Camila has her own fútbol ambitions now, and La Furia cannot be denied. As her life becomes more complicated, she is forced to face her secrets and make her way in a world with no place for the dreams and passion of a girl like her.

This is an excellent read! The setting comes to life on the page—even for someone who’s never seen an Argentina barrio—and the picture of life there is hard and dark, but with glimmers of light in unexpected places.

Camila is tough as nails, and she keeps her soft spots hidden from everyone: her parents, her friends, even Diego. I loved reading about her determination to succeed, no matter what obstacles stand in her way.

Yamile Saied Méndez is from Argentina but now lives in Utah. Furia is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Algonquin Young Readers in exchange for an honest review.)

Synopsis:

A powerful, #ownvoices contemporary YA for fans of The Poet X and I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter set in Argentina, about a rising soccer star who must put everything on the line—even her blooming love story—to follow her dreams.

In Rosario, Argentina, Camila Hassan lives a double life.

At home, she is a careful daughter, living within her mother’s narrow expectations, in her rising-soccer-star brother’s shadow, and under the abusive rule of her short-tempered father.

On the field, she is La Furia, a powerhouse of skill and talent. When her team qualifies for the South American tournament, Camila gets the chance to see just how far those talents can take her. In her wildest dreams, she’d get an athletic scholarship to a North American university.

But the path ahead isn’t easy. Her parents don’t know about her passion. They wouldn’t allow a girl to play fútbol—and she needs their permission to go any farther. And the boy she once loved is back in town. Since he left, Diego has become an international star, playing in Italy for the renowned team Juventus. Camila doesn’t have time to be distracted by her feelings for him. Things aren’t the same as when he left: she has her own passions and ambitions now, and La Furia cannot be denied. As her life becomes more complicated, Camila is forced to face her secrets and make her way in a world with no place for the dreams and ambition of a girl like her.

Filled with authentic details and the textures of day-to-day life in Argentina, heart-soaring romance, and breathless action on the pitch, Furia is the story of a girl’s journey to make her life her own.

Review: I get goosebumps just thinking about this book now that I have read it. All the advance praise is completely on point. Honestly I’m a little worried my review won’t do the book justice. I was completely hooked from beginning to end, and when I wasn’t reading I genuinely missed Camila. Yamile has written a book that makes you fall in love with the story and completely empathise with the characters. This was an emotional book for me, everything is so descriptive and detailed I always felt like I was with Camila wherever she went.

This is the coming of age story that the Latinx community has been waiting for. An own voices book that everybody will fall in love with. I have absolutely no background knowledge of soccer or football but I was able to picture the scenes accurately despite my lack of background knowledge. What brilliant writing!

Trigger warning: This book discusses, sometimes in graphic detail, domestic violence. If anybody would like to read this book but is sensitive to violent scenes I’d be more than happy to provide more detail and which characters are involved and when it occurs in the book. It’s not often, but it is a constant theme that is discussed. Additionally, the word rape is mention by the main characters father.

It has been an absolute pleasure to be part of the blog tour for Fura, and thank you to Algonquin publicity for hosting and organising the tour. Also, many thanks to Algonquin for including me, and providing me with an advanced copy of the book as part of my involvement in the blog tour.

5/5 Stars

A massive and grateful thank you to Algonquin & Algonquin Young Readers for this advance copy of this beautiful book. Oh, Furia. What a female, what an athlete, what a force - and what a story. I loved watching Camila find her way - learning how to use her voice in her own challenging home life and how to shine as Furia on the futbol field. She wanted HER dreams and didn't accept the easy way out of anything less, and I think YA and adult readers alike can learn so much from her fearless spirit and grace and the commitment to being her true self. I loved this book!

This was so good! Such a beautiful and heartwarming story, and the whole journey made me root for Camila and her dreams. We see the MC try to balance career, love, and family, and we see how unfair it can be for women whether it be in sports or on life. The writing was good, but I feel like it lacked something. I feel like I also wanted more action-packed sports scenes. Still, this was a great read! Full review soon!

Thank you Algonquin Young Readers for sending the e-arc my way!

Furia is an amped up coming-of-age novel following Camila, an Argentinian living a double life. Balancing her family’s expectations with her passion for fútbol and dreams of being an international star, Camila also has to tackle her feelings for Diego, the boy she once loved who is already a celebrated rising star athlete.

The overall message of Furia is one of empowerment and recognizing the power that one holds within themself, however throughout there is heavy content presented that is not always easy to read. Camila, her family, and the community face harsh realities and some content warnings to be aware of include domestic violence, physical/emotional abuse, misogyny, and abduction/murder.

My only complaint about the novel is that a few of the side stories came off as rushed or lacked clarity and/or resolution, but overall I was impressed by the depth of the story. I would love to revisit these characters if there is ever a sequel or spinoff created.

Furia is a must read for YA fans of all ages and those looking for a compelling story that provides authentic cultural contex. Furia would be an especially valuable addition to school and public libraries due to the #ownvoices representation it provides Latinx readers. Also, just to note that while there are plenty of sports references throughout (it is about a fútbol player after all), this story is so compelling that even those who aren’t sports fans will surely enjoy.

Thank you Algonquin Young Readers and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this book.

"Furia" by Yamile Saied Méndez is a young adult novel about Camila Hasan, a teenager whose life is centered around navigating her life for soccer and her relationships with friends and a love interest with her controlling family. I really loved the uniqueness of this story. It intertwines Argentina's history and culture with soccer fanaticism, women's rights, and social justice. Mendez leaves the reader in suspense as to whether Camila will successfully navigate her desires for a future of her choosing with the demands place upon her by her parents, being overshadowed by her brother's fame, and a somewhat tumultuous and public relationship with Diego. "Furia" is a great book for young people while still being a fun read for those well past their teenage years. I definitely recommend checking out this book.

Well this was a powerful story about a badass lady. Pretty mind-opening reading about the abuse, murder and sexism against women in Argentina, so it was even more meaningful to see Furia and her family triumph. The football was described in a way that I didn't get lost, despite having zero knowledge about the sport, and the author did awesome at illustrating how powerful these female athletes are. Furia was believable as a strong and brave woman and I hope lots of young girls will look up to this character.

Furia by Yamile Saied Méndez is a stunning novel, full of heart and power. The main character, Camila Hassan (known as Furia on the field), was an incredible character to follow, and she felt deeply human through the entire book. Her determination, her heartbreak, and her love, both of fútbol but also of other people in her life, shone through the entire novel. I was rooting for her the entire time. And Diego! What a great character. His connection with Camila was its own wonderful story to follow that was full of romance and heartache. The novel also did a great job of following Camila's own personal journey and character arc while also dealing with heavier topics like gender based violence in a way that felt incredibly relevant, important and powerful. This book is the portrait of a young woman learning her worth and growing into her power and potential and the result is something brilliant. It is a testament to the strength of young women and how necessary it is to give girls the chance to succeed and shine.
I loved every bit of this book and couldn't put it down. It's definitely one of my favorites of 2020 and the YA genre is so lucky to have a book like this join its ranks and have a character like Camila Hassan.
I'm so excited for people to find this book and be inspired by Furia. I certainly was.

Review will be available on The Reading Fairy on September 12th, 2020

Actual Rating: 3.5 stars

TW: Blood, Misogyny, Sexism, fatphobia, discussions about weight, abortion (mentioned), mention of violence, mention of smoking, ableism and ableist language, malnutrition (mentioned), physical abuse, discussion of racism, animal death (on-page), child abandonment (mentioned), teenage pregnancy, bullying, homophobia, cheating, missing sibling, death of a sibling, mention of rape
Rep: Mixed Race (Latinx, Black, white) MC, Latinx cast, Indian side character, disabled side characters, sapphic romance

Disclaimer: I received an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for my honest review. This does not affect my opinion.

Diego blinked and stared into the darkness of the kitchen. “That sometimes we’re cursed, and we can’t break free without the help of these who love us.”

I’ve been eyeing this book this book ever since I got an email from Algonquin Young Readers for a blog tour for this, and I knew I had to read it. An #Ownvoices YA Contemporary romance set in Argentina which made me really excited! And the fact that it’s a sport centered makes me even more happy!

This is my first book I read about and set in Argentina. I don’t know anything about Argentina really at all, and I love how the book is explored. I am not Latinx nor am I Argentinian so I can not comment about the rep at all, but I encourage to seek out ownvoices reviewers for this book.

The one thing that kinda threw me off a little bit, was the quite a bit of trigger warnings I found and I was not prepared for it at all. It wasn’t anything graphic at all, but some issues I really am sensitive about was talked about, and it jerked me out of the story a few times. This is why trigger warnings/content warnings are important.

Can we talk about the Spanish in this book? It wasn’t only a few words here and there. There were full blown sentences in it and I was amazed. I didn’t look what they were saying at all even though I needed too, because my Spanish sucks. I think it was kind of cool, and I hope more authors do it.

I loved Camila. Not because is is an awesome protagonist, nor that she is a fútbol player-but simply she is herself. She doesn’t change herself for a boy, nor did she chooses them-only choosing herself. It’s such a refresher because most YA protagonists always choose the Love interest, but seeing someone choose herself is excellent! We need more books in where the MC doesn’t choose the romance and doesn’t give up anything that she loves!

I love Camila’s passion for fútbol! It was shown really well on the fact she was a huge passion for it, that she is really good at it. She is known as “La Furia” on the field. I also love how her dreams co-aligned with it, and it was so cool!

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to read an ARC of this wonderful book! Furia is an extremely powerful feminist story about a girl finding herself and her place in the society around her. The main character, Camila, has a strong personality and a strong sense of what she wants, but struggles to find a way to achieve her dreams. She grapples with balancing her love of futbol and her love for a boy, and I especially love that the story doesn't take the usual path that this kind of story takes. I also love how well developed the setting for the story is, and while reading it, I was able to fully picture Camila's neighborhood in Argentina, though I have never been there myself. The supporting characters are also well developed and interesting, and I especially loved following Camila's relationships with her family members. This is an extremely beautiful and powerful story, and I highly recommend it!

Camila is a soccer goddess, she plays with passion, heart and amazing talent, but she has to keep that All a secret in a world and a family who thinks only men can make their way in the world through futbol. As Camila fights to take a stand at home and on the field she feels her passion and confidence wavering. Will her dream slip out of her hands? Will she risk it all and not reach her dream? This book was a beautiful ode to soccer and the athletes, especially the women, who play the game. This book was especially powerful because of the choices Camila, la Furia, made and how they were not strep typical of so many other YA books in this genre. Camila is a heroine for today’s young woman.

I super wanted to love this because of the awesome premise, but the writing style is just not clicking. Wouldn't be fair to the book if I finished and rated it lowly. DNF.

Furia is a powerful debut about an aspiring soccer player from Argentina, dreaming to make it big!!

Camilla secretly plays for Eva Maria, a women's soccer team, hiding this identity of hers from her parents. All she wants is to play and be someone, not live in her brother's shadows. And then there's also the bubbling emotions with the sensation Diego Ferarri that Camilla doesn't know how to handle.

I loved the story!! It is all sorts of beautiful and strong, and Camilla's voice is profound. The author did such a great job in portraying her emotions, her feelings for the game and Diego, the emotional suffering that she goes through at home. Her father was such a pig, and his subtle comments thrown in during gatherings just tug at the heartstrings. I loved the complicated family dynamics. However, I wished we could have gotten more of Camilla and her brother's relationship because I really liked that and would've loved to know more.

When Diego came into the scene, I didn't like him much. I had all my doubts on him and was literally screaming inside my head for Camilla to stop seeing him. But later on, I guess he grew on me a little. I wasn't entirely fond of their relationship tbh, it felt weird and out of the place. Like, his words felt so out of the place, like it's not genuine. <Spoiler> And I was so mad when he came back and had the audacity to ask Camilla to join him, goodness. I wanted to smack him but I'm glad Camilla didn't join him. That was really great!! </Spoiler>

What I loved the most was Camilla's determination. I think it is really inspiring and beautifully portrayed. The way the games were described, the angst and the joy upon winning, the pain of hiding it - it was all fantastic and those were the parts that I loved the most! And I also think the romance was well balanced with the bigger plot; even though at times it seemed to outweigh the goal of soccer. Still, I enjoyed it.

The last few scenes were heartbreaking. It got intense and very real. I, for one, loved the story even more because the characters and to make sound decisions - not the stupid ones that I usually witness in YA. The final game she played was an emotional joy ride - it was heartwarming and beautiful!!

Yess, I did feel like there were certain scenes in the book that weren't very necessary, but it was ok. I seemed to overlook them.

I really enjoyed this book. It gave us a small insight into Argentina lives, and about a girl who dared to dream. Very inspiring and emotional, this is a stunning debut to look out for!!

Thanks to the publishers for an advanced e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

Furia is the game-changing and fiercely feminist contemporary I've always wanted to read.

Written in a style that is accessible and easy to understand, Furia narrates the story of Camila Hassan, your average high school senior — unless you count the fact that she's a futbolera, a female futbol (or soccer!) player. While girls playing futbol is legal, it's still not socially acceptable for many families in Argentina, including Camila's family, which sees futbol as something that's meant to be played by boys only.

Under the backdrop of Rosario, Argentina, Mendez creates a political climate that is alarmingly familiar, regardless of where you live. She paints a picture of a world that is making progress in terms of laws and acceptance, but is still governed by those who don't believe wholeheartedly in equality. The sexism in Rosario is palpable, whether it's how girls aren't given the opportunities boys are, or how the disappearance, rape, and/or death of girls is almost normalized and seen as oh-well-what-could-we-have-done through the eyes of some people. All in all, the sheer oppression that some women have to go through is searing and painful to read. But more importantly, Furia is a story of hope.

Camila comes from a family that's not very well-to-do. Her father is abusive, manipulative, and a disgusting human being. Her family's a mess and her life is a whole spool of lies, all tangled up. However, Camila has a talent, and talent brings opportunity. And my god, Camila seizes her opportunity, and takes her future into her own hands. It is beautiful, empowering, and so refreshing to see.

With romance, familial bonds, an addressal of toxic masculinity and cycles of abuse, heart-stopping soccer action, and so much feminism(!), Furia is no doubt an upcoming release that you should anticipate, read, and love.

Am not entirely into sports or books with the theme, but this was just so good.

We see Camilla a teenager deeply in love, with an abusive father while finding her voice in a deeply sexist patriarchal environment of In Rosario, Argentina. A powerhouse of skill and talent in football. When her team qualifies for the South American tournament, Camila gets the chance to see just how far those talents can take her. In her wildest dreams, she’d get an athletic scholarship to a North American university.

Slow paced but i loved her courage in finding her path regardless of her other desires. A coming of age story with an own voice representation.

I loved this #OwnVoices contemporary YA set in Argentina!

An anthem to following your dream, despite your family’s and community’s rules and expectations. This story touches on the dangers many women face to just live their daily lives, and how they are portrayed as deserving of the violence against them. It addresses the struggle it takes to rise above those chains and cling to a dream. To refuse to let someone else save you, and instead to save yourself by sticking to your goals and your heart.

I do love fútbol (soccer), so the parts about the passion and the pain and sweat and disappointments resonate with me. Even if you aren’t a sports lover, you won’t be lost by the passages about it. I think, though the lens of their passion for the sport, it will expand your compassion for the characters’ love and struggle, and the family they build together.

Goddamn, I really, really loved this book.

It’s not even fair to make the comparison, but this was everything I wanted Kulti to be. This was everything Kulti—with its slut-shaming, double standards, and unrealistic romance—could NEVER deliver. Even the two books’ titles make this point crystal clear: Zapata’s is named after the love interest, while Saied Méndez’s centres its furious, incorrigible female protagonist: Camila Hassan.

◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️

What stood out to me above all else was Camila’s tenacity and fire. We aren’t simply told this about her—these qualities manifest in her every action and every word. Camila is unwavering in her love of fútbol and her determination to carve her own path as a professional fútbolera, apart from her father’s cruelty and the expectations forced upon her by both family and society.

Time and again, Camila chooses herself over the men in her life, including the one she loves with her whole heart. She wants more than they could ever give her—more than even Diego, her childhood love and now an international superstar, could provide. Camila makes some really heart-shattering decisions throughout the course of the novel that demonstrate the lengths to which she will defend herself, her mother, and the other women—named and unnamed—who have shaped her life.

At every level, Furia is an unapologetically feminist story that does not shy away from the harsh realities faced by women, and particularly those in Rosario’s poorer neighbourhoods. Camila’s story unfolds in a space where women are denied abortions, face emotional and physical abuse at the hands of partners and family, and continually find themselves gaslit by men for simply existing. With poignant ferocity, this book asserts the memory and legacy of missing and murdered Argentinian women, and champions the ways in which women survive, resist, and thrive in the face of misogynistic violence.

And the women in this novel aren’t perfect. I thought this was such an important point to make: that we all find ourselves—intentionally or not—complicit in the undermining of ourselves and other women. But we all have the capacity to learn and grow, too, whether it’s Camila’s mother finally seeing Camila as someone worthy of ambition (beyond just cuffing a fútbol player) or Camila herself reflecting on the problematic way that she stereotypes botineras—baller wives—as superficial and gold-digging.

<<<“I’m following my own path, chiquita.”
“But he’s your true love.” Karen sounded like any little girl hoping for a happily ever after. When she saw me, she saw her teacher, a role model to follow. I didn’t want her to think that to be free and happy, a woman had to turn her back on love, but I didn’t know how to do both.>>>

There’s this AWESOME subplot that develops as Camila begins tutoring kids at a church shelter. She mentors a little girl named Karen, who has a stutter and is SO FIERCE and devours stories and poems written by women authors. The quote I pulled above is one of my favourite scenes in the whole damn book: it captures the ambivalence that I found so real and raw about Camila’s voice.

In fact, this sort of nuance made the romance arc really compelling for me. I loved Camila and Diego together (I’m suuuuch a sucker for tropes where the childhood love becomes someone famous/successful and they have to navigate falling for each other as adults). Diego is loving and generous—and even so, Camila still holds him accountable in the moments he falls short. (Sal and Kulti could’ve learned a thing or sixteen from these two.)

Not to mention, with lines like these, how could you NOT root for them??? I mean:

<<<La Furia met her equal in el Titán. The latent goddess inside me pulled at her bindings until she snapped them. Together, we held on to this boy who’d come to wreck my world.>>>

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The only part of this book I have complaints about is its length. For the most part, the pacing was perfect—but at certain crucial moments, I wished there’d been greater elaboration. I fell so hard for these characters and became incredibly invested in their storylines; I could’ve read at least another 200 pages of Camila and Roxana, Camila and Karen, Camila and her mother and brother, and of course, Camila and Diego. I REALLY hope that there’s a sequel, because I seriously miss reading about them already.

And if that hasn't convinced you: This is the first book I’ve ever pre-ordered for myself AND my best friend when I was only halfway done. That’s how much I adored it.

Furia by Yamile Saied Méndez // 5⭐️
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Thanks @NetGalley, @yamilesmendez, and @algonquinyr for the eARC! Furia releases on September 15, 2020, right in time for Latinx Heritage Month ✨
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CW: domestic violence, femicide
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Everything about this book is absolutely stunning, including the gorgeous cover art of the protagonist Camila Hassan. Furia is a powerful #ownvoices story about Camila’s journey towards becoming a professional futbolera, set against the backdrop of her barrio in Rosario, Argentina. In her quest to turn her love of soccer into a profession, Camila - or La Furia as she is known on the field - faces many obstacles, both personal and systemic. Camila is torn between family: her mother, who wants her to succeed and rise above her current life, her brother Pablo, a soccer star in his own right, and her father, with his rigid and often violent beliefs about women’s roles in society. Thrown into the mix as well is Diego, Camila’s childhood friend turned international soccer legend, who returns to Rosario and strikes up a passionate romance with promises of a life of luxury. Throughout the story, the book also doesn’t shy away from touching upon the hardships and injustices that are unfortunately all too common in some Latinx communities, such as femicide, domestic violence, patriarchal gender expectations, and a culture of machismo. Camila, in her fight to achieve independence and follow her dreams, serves as an inspirational heroine for anybody looking to free themselves of expectations.

I really loved the setting of this book. I found it to be such a informative read. I really loved how this book was focus on girl involved in sports. I really thought that this book had so many issues that tied together so well. I also liked this book did have romance plot but it was not the major plot point. I thought that the "game" element was much more focused at the start and the end, but not as much in the middle. I also liked how this book tackled domestic violence and abuse throughout the read and also tackled more harder and global issues as well like dangerous environments. It was a read that def captured me. I hope to read more by this author in the future.