Book: Furia
Author: Yamile Saied Mendez
Rating: 4 Out of 5 Stars

I would like to thank the publisher, Algonquin Young Readers, for providing me with an ARC. I am teaming up with them to celebrate Furia’s paperback release, which is good news for you if want to pick this one up now. Furia is already out in hardcover.

I must say that I ended up enjoying this one a lot more than I thought I would. Sports books can go either way with me. I will love one and end up not caring for the next. I happened to enjoy this title. I think what made this one stand out from other soccer stories I’ve read was the fresh setting and characters. Unlike so many other sports books that I’ve read, this one takes place in Argentina. We follow our main character, Camila, as she seeks out her dream of becoming a professional player. However, she must keep all of this a secret because her family may not approve. Her life gets even more difficult when her old boyfriend, a soccer superstar, comes back to town and her feelings grow even more confused.

So, when Camila’s team makes it to the qualifiers, she believes that this is her chance to shine. She believes that now, she will have her chance to shine and make all of her dreams come true. Her goal is to make it to a professional team and this will put her in the spotlight. However, this journey is not about to be an easy one for her. Her parents have no idea about the team. She has to keep it a secret because they do not want her to play. Her father is abusive and blames all of his misfortunes in life on his family. He also has a rather nasty temper, which his family receives the end of. Then, there’s the matter of her mother’s desire for her to go to med school. Add onto that Diego, the old flame, and famous boyfriend has come back into the picture, leaving her with very confusing feelings. it’s just a lot going on for her. However, I thought she handled it with grace and elegance. I mean, we don’t for a second stop believing that she is a teenager. However, she handles it with a sense of maturity for her age.

We see her forced to make some very difficult and hard choices. Many times, she has to pick between her dream, family, and first love. She has to deal with telling her family about what is going on-even though we know that they will not approve for one second. She has to decide what is the most important for her and it makes everything all that much more difficult. As the book goes on, we see her come to terms with that it’s okay to put oneself before others. It’s okay to go after what you want without feeling guilty about it. It’s your life and you are the one who gets to decide how to live it. I think that this character growth and understanding is what is at the core of this book. This sense of knowing oneself and knowing what you want and going after it is what this book as all about.

I just find it really amazing that we have someone so young with a clear goal in mind and is not afraid to go after it-no matter what the cost.

Anyway, I did have a great time with this one and I am looking forward to more from this author. I think that even if you are not a fan of sports, you will take something away from this one.

This book is now out in hardcover and will be released in paperback on February 15, 2022.

Youtube: https://youtu.be/Gv8xaBAT6fo

I love fútbol so I was excited for Furia. This was a powerful YA with Camila/Furia as a strong lead. Her dream to play soccer professionally is one she'll fight for. Furia explores Camila's journey to make her dreams happen, even when forces are trying to keep her down.

CW: racism, domestic abuse, misogyny

Ohhhh Furia's story makes me both rage with anger at the patriarchy and jump for joy at the hope that exists in so many girls around the world. Furia lives in a world of poverty and domestic abuse. She is a girl with a brain and a dream. Her family places so much pressure on her to become successful to "save" them from their troubles and offer her little to no support for her dreams.

There are so many dramatic telenovela-esque moments that left me hardcore rolling my eyes, but I took it with a grain of salt that Camila was a teenager and culturally there is a lot more emotion amongst her and those around her than I am used to in my day to day life. The writing was a little over-flowery at times for my taste with lots of unnecessary metaphors, but again I tried to think of the story as glimpsing into this young girl's diary and that helped when I grew annoyed with it.

I appreciated Camila's drive to be who she wanted and fight for her dreams amidst everyone trying to bring her out of the clouds and tell her that her dreams were unattainable. Too many times women are told you can't have it all, and that's complete nonsense. It will take work, discipline and perhaps some sacrifices along the way but you can have it all. It does take a supportive network around you though and boy were Camila's friends and family frustrating. Roxana and Diego really irked me because their friendships seemed very conditional.

I listened to this one on audiobook via the new Netgalley shelf, and was really impressed with the narrator. I appreciated that she had the appropriate accent and sometimes pronounced the words differently than I might, it made Furia more real to me.

There was real hope in this story and lots of education about the culture of Argentina and life of a mixed BIPOC girl who's trying to be something more than just someone's wife.

Thanks to Netgalley for an ALC in exchange for my honest opinion.

4.5 stars Books this great always seem so rushed in the end. So good. So different.

This was a beautiful book about the power of dreams, resilience, family, and the family you choose. It's not just a coming-of-age story about an Argentinian female soccer star, no; this touches on familial abuse, societal expectations, misogyny, and sexism. Throw in a strong female MC with a passion for soccer AND for breaking the cycle of expectations in her patriarchal world and you've got a fantastic story.

I rarely pick up contemporaries, especially about football, but this book really blew me away. You could see the passion behind this book, both for the game but also for the culture and people of Argentina. A beautiful coming of age story which I would recommend for anyone.

Thank you to NetGalley for the arc.

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book for so many reasons. The main character was great, the story was interesting, and there were so many worthwhile discussions to have with teens in a book club setting. Highly recommend for 8th grade and up!

It seemed like a good story to me, although at first I thought that the development was going to come a little more and extend from Rosario.
The concept that he proposes of breaking the tradition of his ancestors, of not being in relationship with the "winning" boy, seems really meaningless to me (to say the least), although it does show part of the rude and violent reality that is lived in Argentina.

Camila is struggling with living the life that society in her hometown in Argentina expect her to live—marriage, babies, obedience—and the life that she wants to live—soccer, college abroad, independence. She has not even told her parents that she has been playing soccer for years behind their backs knowing that they would never allow her, a girl, play a sport. To make matters worse, her community worships her older brother and her childhood friend Diego, who have fulfilled the dream she cannot even admit she wants for herself; to become a professional soccer player. Will her family stand in the way of her dreams just because she is a girl?
Yamile Saied Méndez has written a thought provoking young adult novel. While many purport that the world is now a postfeminism society, the author writes a fictional example of how society can hold back the ambitions of youths because of preconceived notions of gender norms. I enjoyed this realistic portrayal of a young woman struggling figure out what she wants in life.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
#OwnVoices #Furia #NetGalley

Well that was a powerful story about female strength and self determination.
Camila leads a 'double life'. At home, she's the perfect daughter. And on the field, she's a powerhouse.
This book was incredible from start to finish, and it is definitely one that I can see myself rereading - the mark of a good book to me!

I thoroughly enjoyed Furia and found that the family dynamics were realistic and poinantly portrayed. Unfortunately, we do not have a large Latinx population in our district, but I do recommend it to those who do.

.This story is very well done, and Mendez does an excellent job of blending the excitement of the soccer scenes, romance, and family conflict. Teens 13 and up will enjoy this story that is relatable for many. I recommend this book to any library.

Being completely honest here, I forgot I had requested this book a long time ago and when looking for a book featuring sports for a reading challenge, this novel appeared and I decided to give it a go. I 100% percent regret not reading this book when it came out and not buzzing it up because this story is amazing! Let's start with the fact that the whole story is based in Rosario (Argentina) which feels pretty familiar already, and it follows a teenage girl that plays soccer which is AMAZING!

I loved the representation in this novel and how great Furia as a main character is, following her dreams despite what society and her family tells her and achieving so many great things. At the same time, this book deals with some pretty heavy topics such as domestic abuse, sexism and mysogeny which are themes so present in the Latin America society, and the way the author handled them was fabulous.

I highly highly recommend this book. Please read it!

Set in contemporary Argentina, Camila is seventeen years old and is known as La Furia, or the fury. She was to become a professional soccer player. However, her parents are not supportive of her dream, even though her older brother is a professional player. She lies to her parents and player in a tournament where she hopes she will be scouted. While trying to juggle that, her love interest Diego moved back home after playing for an Italian team. He is determined to win her heart, but Camila must decided what she want for her life first.

I could not put this book down! The story grabs hold of the reader and won't let go...I was invested from beginning to end, and I found myself feeling an entire range of emotions as I experienced this story. I would highly recommend this title to anyone, but as a former ESL teacher, I definitely think that multilingual learners, immigrants, and those who have ever felt out of place will relate to her story and empathize with the challenges she experienced as she was pulled by her family, her culture, and her own desires for her future. Love, love, love this book!

2.5 stars

It was fine, OK. Plot-wise, I seemed like a typical YA novel. My favorite part about it was that it took place in Argentina and it explored that country’s culture and the following your dream aspect was pretty realistic (although I think Camila’s mom would have noticed if her daughter was playing soccer for a year, especially with how often she seems to get injured).

Even though it wasn’t for me, I can see why people like this book and it was great to see the Argentinian culture, especially in the eyes of a teen. I would recommend teens to pick it up. This book could really speak to many teens.

Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this book for review.

Powerfully written and heartfelt, Furia will challenge and inspire readers.
Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for the opportunity to read and review this title. All opinions and mistakes are my own.

Don't hesitate - just read this book! It's unlike anything I've read before. The love story is different. The action is different. The city is different. It was just such a breath of fresh air in what's been quite a year of pandemic doom reading. Furia, or Camila, is a powerhouse on the soccer pitch and off. I love how deeply rooted in Argentina this book is. I don't recall a YA book I've ready being set in Argentina, and it was described so well, it felt like you were there - for better (the love of football) or worse (the missing girls). This book digs deep into what it means to be a female, especially in cultures where women are expected to be in the home or at least not do the things the men do. Women are disposable but Camila fights that with everything she's got - for herself, for her mother, for her friends, for young girls she's never even met. She's given no freebies and works for everything, which in the end, pays off - luck + hard work = success. You feel her pain when she loses matches or the boy she loves, but you understand the sacrifices she makes in the pit of your soul - and you never stop rooting for her. I loved this story so much, I couldn't put it down. It was a three hour, one sitting read for me, and I will be seeking out anything else I can from the author.

This is an incredible story about a girl facing the challenges of double standards in her culture. The sports element makes it even more appealing to certain readers. Powerful and moving.

Camila is the type of child that we should all aspire to "Furia." We should all have that fire in the belly that propels us to move past all the trials and tribulations that we face. This book left me cheering for her and the fire that she had to achieve even though her mother tried to turn her from her dreams. This is a book so worthy of a book club. It has so many topics that can be delved into deeply.

I truly enjoyed this book.

Loved this book! Couldn't put it down - sports, romance, domestic violence, diversity. It had it all. Great read.