I definitely picked up The Furies expecting, you know, The Furies of mythology to play a big part but I didn’t really know what I was going into. My first impressions were that it feels very 90s with the secret clique that are a group of witches, which is apt as it’s set in 1998. The key thing you should know is that it clearly takes a lot of inspiration from The Craft.

There’s a clear sisterhood of 4 formula that The Furies tries to follow, but I found that it only fleshed out half the group with any real depth. None of our characters seem particularly likeable, and honestly I think that was on purpose. They all have an unhealthy dependence on each other and many other flaws which create tension in the relationships, but don’t seem to break them.

Violet is our main character and the new girl in school. She has a traumatic past after losing her dad and sister, and her mother has checked out. Pairing this trauma with high school insecurities and low self-esteem makes her the perfect addition to the secret society. Violet’s the kind of girl that doesn’t make her own decicisions and her change throughout the book is both unfuriating (because why is she being so dumb) but then you realise it’s real – this is how teenagers genuinely act because of their self-esteem.

Robin is the leader of the school group and has an aura of confidence which draws people to her, including Violet. She’s an interesting character because there’s always a sense that you can’t quite trust anything she says – but Violet (our POV) of course always does. Robin is our first introduction to the darkness that lies within teenage girls and it’s both thrilling and terrifying.

Whilst Robin and Violet seem like fleshed out characters, I found Alex and Grace to move in and out of the book a lot. Whilst they were a group of four, they often paired off which left Alex and Grace to have a storyline of revenge but not much outside of the immediate plot. Whilst (as far as I know) there weren’t secret witch societies and murders at my own all girls school, the relationships I read between all 4 girls felt very reminiscent of people I already know. This meant they felt very real.

Katie Lowe’s writing style is beautiful throughout the book, and it draws you into wanting to know what will happen next. But the writing also horrifies you (and has many dark turns) which makes you want to throw the book down and run in the opposite direction. If you like dark topics, this is probably a good book for you, if not I wouldn’t recommend. The trigger warnings include murder, animal sacrifice, rape and drug abuse.

The book does slow down quite a bit in the middle. There’s a touch of mean girl high school drama, which can get a bit old – but it does create a tension which leads into the more interesting end section. The book as a whole is very slow burn psychological thriller, but I wouldn’t say it’s a murder mystery (which some people have tagged it as). There’s really limited exploration of the death at the start of the book, and it acts more of a catalyst to the story rather than a goal.

I also found the world building could have been better. It’s meant to be set in a rural coastal town, which has an elite all girls school and also a college nearby. I couldn’t really picture any of the areas we visit, except the clocktower. Although this was a typical spooky clock tower, my brain may have filled in the gaps for it.

Despite the flaws, the ending left me wanting more. The book as a whole was an enjoyable read and there were still questions left open to interpretation at the end. So, I’m excited to see what else Lowe comes out with.

Positives of The Furies
True to life relationships
Enticing story
Negatives of The Furies
Poor world building

I received an eARC of this book last fall. I've picked it up and put it down numerous times since then. The premise sounds good. It starts out with a mysterious death of a teenage girl found on near an all girls' school. One year earlier, Violet, joins the school and wants to find a sense of belonging. She makes friends with Robin, Grace, and Alex, who are part of an advanced study group lead by one of their teachers. The study the school's history taking a special interest in the witch trials. Her friends become engrossed in seeking power through witchcraft. Sounds similar to the 90's movie, The Craft.

I found the book hard to follow at times. It just felt choppy- some events were overly described and other events were just over and done with suddenly. I felt like it jumped around and didn't have a great flow. It overall had a dark tone with characters that were hard to care for. I don't think I was the right person for this book, but others might be if they really loved the dark parts of The Craft movie.

Through no fault of the author, Katie Lowe, I just didnt find The Furies to my taste. I think it was due mostly to the character profiles. I wanted to find some redeeming qualities I could attach to the girls, but I just didnt like them. That made it difficult for me to settle into the story and care about the outcome. The story was interesting and there were several twists and turns. I wanted more layered characters and more character growth.
I received my copy through NetGalley under no obligation.

Keeping my review simple. I loved the movie The Craft when I was younger, and when I saw this cover I couldn't help but feel like I'd love this book. I did. I appreciated the plot, the Author's writing style, and the way she pulled me in. It was the perfect Halloween read! I cannot wait to read more from Katie Lowe.

This one was hard to get into and I thought it really could have used some further editing. that said, if you like books about teenagers, I think Lowe does a decent job of illustrating how circumstances and high emotion can swirl into bad situations with unforeseen consequences. Interesting read.

Typical YA novel with a paranormal witchcraft undertone.

Thank you St Martins press via NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

This sounds juvenile and not for me, unfortunately, everything feels strange and unsatisfying and already-read, at the same time. No, I don’t recommend it.

Mark my words this book is going to be a huge hit for this author. This is an exceptional thriller.

I really don't want to discuss the plot because I want everyone to discover this story on their own terms. It's intricate. It's breathtaking. It's heart-pumping. It's shiver inducing. It's everything I could ever ask for in this genre. I started this book yesterday morning and tore through 75% without even realizing it. I was completely riveted to the pages.

Thank you to NetGalley and publishing company for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

While the book was eloquently written, the subject just wasn’t my cup of tea.
Teenage girls with major problems, involved in witchcraft and drugs, can’t be a good thing. I was ready for this story to be over a hundred pages before it ended.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the review copy of The Furies by Katie Lowe.
This is a real written story of a community and private girls school with a dark history tied to the witch trials. The reader is left questioning everything in the book. Is it witchcraft or coincidence? A spell or tragedy? A curse or homicide?
In the end, I found this to be a giant bummer of a book. Every character was miserable and trapped. There was no glee in their crimes or passion in their relationships. They were like the poppets they used for spells. Lifeless and dull and waiting to be used for dark purposes. There is one scene late in the book where they argued about who had a better sense and humor and I wanted to shout “none of you do! I’ve been with you for 16 chapters and didn’t chuckle or crack a smile once”.
I recommend this for anyone that enjoys teenage girls being monstrous to each other with no regrets and a lot of unanswered questions.

5 "vicious, intelligent, sensual" stars !!!

A warm thank you to GR friend Elaine M. whose wonderful review led me to this gem of a debut novel. Thanks also to PinkAmy who had a verydifferent experience of this book than my own but also enticed me to read this book pronto.

I was then fortunate to find this book on Netgalley and want to thank them, the author and St. Martin's Press for an e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

I was blown away by this first novel by Ms. Katie Lowe. The book explores the darkness that lies within teenage girls in an insightful, respectful yet extremely frightening way. We are taken to coastal England to a decaying and dull coastal town. There we meet Violet, languishing in grief over the death of her father and baby sister and neglected by her increasingly depressed and alcoholic mother. She is given a scholarship as a day student to a prestigious all-girls arts school and she falls into a trio of girls that wreak havoc on others, each other and themselves through violence, psychological sabotage and figurative (possibly literal) witchcraft. Nobody is safe from them particularly boys and men that lumber along and do them wrong.

The writing is neo-gothic, ornate, descriptive and highly sensual. You are able to see, hear, smell and taste what is happening often in very disturbing and revolting ways. The horror in this novel is deep, frightening and extremely realistic in the depiction of adolescent girl dynamics and psychologies. I was of then left holding my breath as I did not want these evil girl fumes entering my being. The tie in to local history and the mythic Greek furies is extremely well done and plausible. The mysteries are extremely well-executed and multi-layered.

If you enjoyed Eileen by Moshfeigh, See What I have Done by Schmidt or Dark Rooms by Anolik then you must add this to your reading list.

I cannot rave enough about this one. Fanfuckingtastic !

I will read any and all dark academia stories, but I've found there's a distinct lack of women-led dark academia. This is a good start!

Overall I really enjoyed THE FURIES, I devoured it in a day and a half, but I do wish there was a little more about the occult. Is there or isn't there magical realism? Etc.



Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Oh, this was so good! The emphasis on female friendships, obsession, darkness, power, and the strength in female rage was so invigorating, and the plot and characters were equally compelling. I greatly enjoyed this novel!

I received an advance digital copy of this book from the author, publisher and Netgalley.com. Thanks to all for the opportunity to read and review. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

The Furies is the amazing combination of Heathers, The Craft and all of your favorite teen coming of age, playing with powers they don' t understand movies in literary form. It's brooding atmosphere filled with angry little girls is palpable. It's as dark as it is engaging.

5 out of 5 stars. Recommended reading.

We're in the late 90's when Violet joins an all-girls boarding school only to find herself in a study group.. but it's definitely not maths they're working on.

Five girls start to learn more and more about the dark history of the school and eventually start practicing witchcraft.
The power of magic is intoxicating for Violet's new friends, and she find herself in a dangerous place.

An intriguing read that touches on magic, friendship, and murder. The complicated relationships among young women are a theme throughout the story, and the dash of magic leaves you occasionally wondering if what is occurring in the story is truly happening or is a figment of the imagination of girls who believe in their power.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this book. A full review will be posted on Amazon and Goodreads

Thinking back on finally getting this book I have to say that while it wasn’t a bad book, it was never the first one that I was thinking about picking up. Based on the description I thought that it was something that I’d love and for someone who reads books so regularly when it takes months to read something it’s just not great.

I didn’t resonate with any of the characters and the story was kind of convoluted.

It was sort of a crossover between Twilight and Heathers ... I felt that the storyline had so much potential but the plot slipped away until some aspects of it bordered on the ludicrous.

Young adult book based in an a girls boarding school - dark, supernatural thriller which grips you from the first page.