Told in a memoir style of telling, The Furies captures what it's like to be fifteen again. To want to fit in, to idolize the classmates that seem untouchable. It is a story of friendship and loss and obsession and darkness.
Violet is the new girl at Elm Hollow, arriving after a terrible car wreck killed her younger sister and her father, and sent her mother spiraling into an unending stupor of drunkeness in an attempt to cope with her loss. Neglected by her mother, Violet quickly latches onto her three new friends, Robin, Alex, and Grace. Her three new friends have secrets of their own though, and Violet is quickly sucked into a world where she doesn't even recognize herself.
After being accepted into Anabelle's (Violet's art teacher) secret advanced art class, Violet's bond with Robin grows until the two become seemingly inseparable. In Violet's mind at least. Robin, however, is an enigma, never seeming to need Robin, but letting her tag along anyway. Robin introduces Violet to the world of drugs and college parties.
The Furies isn't a typical teenage angst story, although it is a little in line with the 2003 movie Thirteen. The absent mother, preoccupied with her own life, the new friends who do whatever they want, the drugs, the older boys. It's easy to see Violet heading down a less-than-desirable path, but those who try to help are quickly shoved away by Violet herself. Her new group of friends are keeping secrets that Violet can't quite needle out of them - what happened to Emily Frost? Why will Grace not tell anyone else that her father beats her? What really happened to Tom after the Furies ritual? Just how much does Nikki the busybody know? What happened to the girl on the swing?
The Furies is an angsty read, not for the faint of heart, but it also felt relatable, albeit a little far-fetched at some points. It was interesting to watch the change from Violet of the beginning, to Violet at the end (I didn't see the ending coming at least). Watching as she made choices that don't seem to align with who she describes herself as, and reading her reflections as she tells the story from her adult perspective. Overall I quite enjoyed the book, and liked the integration of the magic rituals. It was easy to see why Robin, in particular, was fascinated by these rituals, and I enjoyed both Robin and Violet as characters.

In the grand style of the film The Craft, this book follows a young woman who is enrolled in a private high school after the tragic death of her father and sister in a car accident. She is taken in by a new group of friends, but also by a professor that endeavors to teach these young women the truth of their school - witchcraft. There is murder, mystery, intrigue and very well-written characters. The story didn't drag even a bit and I found myself sneaking away to read it when I should have been up to other things. It was definitely a fast but fun read and I would recommend it to anyone looking for something spooky as we start to head towards the fall season.

I really wanted to like this book but for me (personally) it had too much of a bunch of other books/movies in it. I normally enjoy books like this, so maybe I have just been reading too many of the same thing? Maybe if I had read this at a later time, I would have enjoyed it more.

The Furies is the latest in a genre I like to call "secret society murder mysteries" and it it is a very well-done addition. This is a dark and disturbing book that explores the highs and lows of female friendships, the power and danger of exclusive cliques, the corruption that lives in everyone and the allure of allowing that corruption to be unleashed. Decay is a major theme of this novel, as is the push-pull between the oppression and strength of women, although that theme gets less attention due to the overwhelming focus on corruption.

For fans of The Secret History, Special Topics in Calamity Physics, The Basic Eight, and the movie The Craft. This is a dark and thrilling ride into the mind of a woman who survived membership in a secret society - barely - and a cautionary coming of age tale. It's dark, it's gritty, it's morally reprehensible, and it's a fascinating read.

This was an advanced copy from netgalley - thank you

This is not my usual genre at all - and I'm not ashamed to say the cover drew me. This is an absolute belter !!!

I've not read anything by the author before but I certainly shall in future

Who hasn't experienced teenage angst, toxic friendship and all that goes with it? Certainly took me back to me teenage years !

This is DARK !!! It is beautifully written, gripping. It kept me on the edge of my seat throughout. I couldn't put it down

Can't recommend this highly enough !!

An expensive private school meets The Craft- that should tell you pretty much everything about the plot. It is very well written, sometimes almost too much so for the actions and emotions of a group of teenage girls. It does capture the angst I remember as a teen and the longing to belong but at times the character’s expression of their emotions seem almost a too flowery. And the ending, well, does this expensive school not keep records?

I honestly finished this book more confused than when I began it. It seems like a very “The Craft”-esque story, but it is much deeper than that. It’s also very bourgeois, with a literary mountain of pseudo-profound metaphors and deep allegory. I finished the book unsure of who to root for, as I didn’t like the characters. I really wanted to like Violet, but her perpetuation of the secretive nonsense that she endured truly confused me. As of right now, I am extremely torn on this book and author; al least from this single reading of this particular book. I plan on rereading to see if my opinion clarifies with another time through. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for my free ARC in return for my honest opinion!

The Furies kept me up half the night reading.

Teenage Violet transfers to a private girl's school after a family tragedy. Desperate to make friends, she falls in with the first girls that show her attention. When those girls turn out to have some dark secrets, Violet has to decide if she can live with the consequences of staying in the group.

The writing in this book is beautiful. It is well edited and the story flows naturally. The author writes flawed characters very well. I could almost feel my own long-past teenage angst.

There is violence, adult language and adult situations in this book. If that bothers you, this won't be your cup of tea. If you're looking for a happy ending, you're not going to find it here.

If you like emotionally complex female characters, twisty plots, and dark fiction, you'll love The Furies.

A good book for the younger crowed, as it is YA. Author has a clever way of writing at times which helped keep my attention. Although this is not a usual pick for me it wasn't difficult for me to get through, I definitely recommend it for the younger readers.

from my review on instagram @brettlikesbooks:

a secret society of girls engage in dark, dangerous rituals, revenge, and rebellion + toxic friendships, twisted tale

"At least when girls hurt each other, we're clever about it..."

thanks to @stmartinspress and @netgalley for providing me with this digital copy

After a tragic accident killing her father and baby sister, Violet becomes isolated, leaving school and separating herself from her grieving mother. Violet is offered the chance for a fresh start at Elm Hollow Academy, an all-girls school where she can get back on track. Violet finds herself befriended by an eccentric and troubled group of young women, who share her interest in the occult. The girls help her to get accepted into a secret course, taught by the alluring and enigmatic Annabel, who explores the dark history of their campus and its connection to 17th century witch trials. The girls, fascinated by the idea of rituals and the potential to harness magical abilities, delve into the practices of an ancient text. Violet discovers that there was another member of the group, Emily Frost, a young woman who mysteriously disappeared and has an uncanny resemblance to Violet. Desperate to fit in, Violet soon finds herself in over her head, participating in acts that quickly get out of control, and uncertain who can be trusted. When their secrets are threated, the girls devise a plan but Violet can’t help but wonder if she will take the fall.

The Furies is a dark coming of age novel, a haunting tale of fate, revenge, murder, and the occult. The novel opens with the discovery of a body and then takes the POV of Violet, now an adult, as she reexamines her memories and the events leading to this moment. When reading the plot synopsis for this novel, I was expecting something along the lines of the movie The Craft but this is much darker in nature. The novel has content that may be problematic for some readers and covers topics including: sex, rape, drug use, abuse, violent acts, and murder. I am typically drawn to books about witchcraft so this immediately captured my attention. Although I really liked this novel I didn’t love it. One of the problems I had was that the author uses a very descriptive language throughout the novel. At some points I felt this was done beautifully and captured both setting and the emotional state of the character (The description of the body, Violets revenge plot using Andy, etc.) while other times it just felt overdone and a bit tedious to get through. Maybe it just felt more literary than I was expecting but that doesn’t mean that others won’t love it. Overall I did enjoy the novel and found it disturbing and wicked; practically a descent into madness.

Me, reading the blub: "In 1998, a sixteen-year-old girl is found dead. . . . led by alluring and mysterious art teacher . . . the school founder's "academic" interest with the occult . . ."

Wait, murder, boarding school, and occult? Shut up and give me this book. Now.

Like others, I came in with the expectations that I was going to get "The Craft" feels. And it did. I was brought right back to my teenage angst and I soaked it all up. From the way it was written, I believe the target audience is nostalgic adults rather than the YA-crowd. If you're looking for 'floof' (as I call it), this isn't quite that, but it is still fun and engaging.

Thank you to Katie Lowe, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for allowing me access to this book. As always, all opinions are my own.

The Furies is one of those books that makes you fall in love with reading all over again. Beautifully written, enticingly told, it is a story that makes you lose yourself in it in a childish sort of surrender. At times overwrought in its descriptions (there are many ‘sickly sweet and cloying’ smells throughout), it is this precisely these details that heavy atmosphere that lingered over me far after I had finished the book.

The book is narrated by Violet Taylor, now an adult, looking back at her sixteen-year-old self. After an accident kills her father and sister, and leaves her mother lost in the past, Violet is admitted to the elite Elm Hollow Academy. There she meets the people who will change her life — Robin, the alluring girl who seemingly has it all, and her two friends, Alex and Grace, as well as Annabel, the school’s art teacher. To both her surprise and delight, Violet becomes part of Annabel’s advanced class. Meeting late at night and comprising only of the four girls, the class explores myth and literature, the friendships, loves, furies, and vengeances of women widely discussed in the context of the Greeks. Heady with a newfound sense of belonging, Violet becomes tangled in Robin’s web of life — her friendships, relationships, and memories of Emily Frost, Robin’s last best friend. The mystery and fallout of Emily’s disappearance hang over Violet’s exploration of her new life.

The Furies has been compared to The Secret History, and while I still haven’t found a book that stands against Donna Tartt’s, the reference is well deserved. Some suspension of disbelief is required, but Katie Lowe has given me what I’d hoped to find in Carol Goodman’s The Lake of Dead Languages, and the friendships are somewhat reminiscent of those in A Great and Terrible Beauty. Blending academia, suspense, and the phantasmic fury of female friendships, The Furies will haunt you to the end and beyond. Be sure to check it out in October — and a huge thank you to NetGalley for providing an advance copy!

A group of girls at a private boarding school known to be a site of witch trials. There is an "advanced class" taught by one of the teachers. She tries to persuade the girls that hey clash isn't about rituals, just mythology. Violet, the newest member, doesn't know what she's getting into. She's manipulated by Robin-who has a fascination with trying to bring The Furies- ancient witches about to help do harm to guys who do the girls wrong.
The girls do unspeakable things and Violet never stands up for herself. I kept waiting for her to step up and do something, but she never did.
I was expecting more of a witchy vibe and witchy rituals in this book than I got.
Thanks to Jordan and St. Martin's Press for this early copy on Netgalley.

I feel like this book had a lot of potential. It had a good storyline but it fell a little flat for me. It got very redundant but the parts that weren't were pretty good.

***Thank you to NetGalley for providing me a complimentary copy of THE FURIES by Katie Lowe in exchange for my honest review.***

A year after the death of her father and sister, Violet enrolls at an exclusive English girls’ school with a history dating back to witchcraft. Toxic friendships. Ancient rituals. Mythology. Magic. Supernatural? The power of suggestion?

THE FURIES has one of the best covers I’ve seen in recent memory. The cover alone should sell thousands of copies. That alone made me want to read the book. From the blurb I assumed the book was YA. The intro felt more like literary fiction. From chapter one on, I wasn’t certain what genre I was reading. I don’t believe books need to fall into specific categories, but classification sets my expectations. If I’m in the mood for a YA book, I usually don’t want to be ensconced in literary fiction. I’m not looking for a light humorous book when I read literary fiction. I know that other readers are less anal.

I had a hard time connecting to Violet. I wanted to know more about who she was before the accident, what her family was like etc. I wanted to feel some emotion in and about her and see some personality.

THE FURIES gave me neither for whom I could root or a plot/mystery I was engaged in enough to care about the conclusion. I didn’t feel much of a payoff. If THE FURIES wasn’t an ARC, I would not have finished.

I do think THE FURIES will have a niche of readers, perhaps even a larger group of fans, who will enjoy the book very much.

I was really hoping for a vaguely literary retelling of The Craft, all cool powerful girls who are inherently themselves until the one with the crazy eyes and angry teeth takes things too far and things get weird. What I got instead was a dripping wet tale of the occasionally remarkable, likely coincidental, and inexplicably dull. The main character is boring, her friendships, to whatever extent they exist, are based wholly on convenience, and the tension is about as thick as the air atop Everest.

2 stars--it was OK. Warnings for sexual assault.

The good: This book is set in a girls' school, which I love, and includes a small secret society of students that study women in Classic literature. Awesome! It has a touch of the supernatural, and the overall theme--unstable, witchy teenage girls getting revenge on the (mostly) men who wronged them--is fascinating. Also, this is a quick read.

The bad: If you want to read about girls' toxic friendships, Megan Abbott does it better. If you're interested in students doing creepy Greek rituals, nothing tops The Secret History. In other words, this felt derivative. Also, it bothered me that there were no consequences for any of the actions in this book--no one even feels particularly bad about some pretty awful things they do. (Being vague to avoid spoilers!) There's no real police or school investigation, despite multiple mysterious deaths. It was harder to suspend my disbelief over this than over the supernatural elements! And what happened to the (view spoiler)? That also really bothers me.

I received this review copy from the publisher on NetGalley. Thanks for the opportunity to read and review; I appreciate it!

I love a good boarding school book. Add in a mystery and I’m hooked. This novel, however, leaned a little too much towards horror for my tastes and the plot was simplistic.

I've seen The Craft. I didn't need to read it... This wasn't at all what the blurb led me to expect. I might have been alright with it if the description had reflected the content more accurately - there's nothing wrong with it, it reads well enough it just wasn't what I would normally choose or was expecting. As a result I went into it with different expectations and was frustrated from the get go and it never came back from that for me...