I have already purchased this book for use in the classroom. The protagonist is a perspective long overlooked, marginalized, and erased; and the story is moving and compelling, relatable and in the end, uplifting and affirming. I haven't used it with students yet (COVID) but I've been seeing it spoken about on English educators' websites since publication.

Set in Rosario, Argentina, Camila wants nothing more than to be a soccer star. However, there are obstacles in her way, including those who believe Camila shouldn't be spending her time chasing this dream since most of them see this as a "man's sport". Rightly so, that doesn't deter Camila and neither does the abuse she suffers from her father. She knows that it is her dream and she will do whatever she can to attain it. Furia is a great read about having the odds stacked against you and finding a way to persevere.

I enjoyed reading Furia. First because it gave me a realistic glimpse into the life of a young Argentinian, her struggles with what we would consider an antiquated patriarchal society, and the more familiar family and romantic struggles of teens everywhere. And secondly, because the writing was so fresh. I enjoyed the authentic smattering of Argentinian phrases and colloquialism. They were just enough to feel like you were visiting another country without being so much that I needed a translator to follow the story. I love the main character's determination even through her challenges. For many young women the first step to knowing what we want out of life is first identifying what we know we don't want. La Furia reveals her character and the strengths and weaknesses of the people most important to her through this process. Lovely book.

I really enjoyed this one very much! I loved seeing a new perspective into football and I feel so many young teens could relate a lot to this story!

Despite knowing that I am not exactly the books audience, I thoroughly enjoyed the story of Furia. Furia made for a complex character in a coming of age story not often told. I wholeheartedly believe that we need more books like it for young women to read, be inspired by, and see themselves in.

The first half of this book really dragged for me. I did not feel like I was invested in the characters' lives and dreams and struggled to stay engaged with the narrative. HOWEVER, the second half of the story was amazing. As Camila comes into her own and the reader learns more about her background with Diego, her family & home life, and the passion she feels for futbol and determination she has to make it on her own, for herself, I was finally drawn in. Camila's mother, while feeling like a flat character at the beginning of the book, emerged as an important part of her life and motivation, which I loved. The exploration of the constant sexism and misogyny that women and young girls face in Argentina was well done, and shown as a motivator in Camila's live without being heavy-handed.

Furia by Yamile Saied Mendez is a fantastic book about a girl who wants to pursue her dream of playing soccer despite her parents' forbidding her to do so. This powerful book is a must-read for any young women who need to be inspired to live their dreams, regardless of expectations.

https://www.tiktok.com/@srmsllc/video/6933231517195947270?lang=en&is_copy_url=1&is_from_webapp=v2

I really enjoyed this book. It's not often to have a female protagonist in a sports fiction story. Her problems and her solutions were relatable for teen girls. The story gave an honest glimpse into the breaking free of family traditions and expectations that many face today.

If I had read this book when I was thirteen, who would I be now?

In a story about a girl who loves to play soccer, Mendez exposes the continued oppression of women in Argentina, from the violence and murder of young girls to domestic violence to the unequal opportunities in sports. Camila, aka la Furia, is a formidable protagonist . She i, a young woman who embraces her desires and passions, whether it be futbol or Diego, her childhood love now world famous. As she is forced to decide how fare she will go for her dream, Camila finds the courage to stop lying. In truth, her friends and family rally around her and even when she loses, Camila/la Furia breaks through barriers, ending cycles of abuse and discrimination.

Camila is a teenager in Argentina that dreams of becoming a soccer star. Her family is conservative and does not believe she should spend her time playing, so she lives two lives - one of a dutiful daughter; the other, an excellent soccer player.

This book was clearly written by someone who has a love and respect for the sport. The soccer parts are exciting and you really feel like you're watching Camila play. Camila is a wonderful complex character and you will definitely be rooting for her all the way.

I was really excited to get my hands on this one, but I'm sad to say that I didn't enjoy it nearly as much as I thought I would.

I was so intrigued going into this novel because the plot sounded right up my alley but ultimately it felt all over the place: it felt like a bunch of subplots rolled together to the point where I was unsure at times what the novel was 100% about (I knew what the overall message was, but I didn't know which event was supposed to serve as the climax as multiple pivotal events took place at different points). While all the subplots discussed important "hard-hitting" topics, it became overbearing - I think that the novel would've benefitted from a more streamlined sequence of events. For lack of a better phrase: less is more!

I found it really hard to care about Camila and her story at times. I wanted to root for her, but I felt such a strong disconnect from the plot that I wasn't really intrigued by her story. It was really great seeing her come into her own and beat the odds by the end of the novel, but I didn't feel as much gratification from it as I expected. That being said, I feel the same way about all of the supporting characters - I felt "meh" about them all: even her father and Diego! I wish we got to know them all a bit more, they all felt one-dimensional to me.

I was just left wanting a lot more. :(

content warnings: domestic abuse, misogyny/sexism, adult/minor relationship, infidelity, mention of murder, allusion to rape and child death

Furia was a breath of fresh air! A contemporary novel following Argentinian Camila Hassan, set in Rosario, Argentina, displaying the reality of living in a Latin American country all while including a sports plot. I had a fantastic time reading this novel and seeing Camila chase after her dream so ambitiously. It was so unfortunate to see how Camila was treated in her every day life and how she had to hide that which she's so passionate about.

One of the biggest relationships highlighted in this book was the romance/friendship between Diego and Camila. Diego was a much needed escape after all that Camila has gone through, and it made me burst with happiness to see Camila carefree with someone else. Diego is a character that embodies all the success that comes when one works hard enough, no matter where we come from. I definitely noticed a "savior complex" with this character, what with wanting to save Camila from all that haunts her, but that added a level of complexity to his character.

The themes of feminism in this book, I loved! I loved the conversation surrounding "women create the space" and how that manifested itself time and time again throughout the read.

If there is one thing I would say is: I wanted more! Especially with so many conflicts and themes being addressed, I just wish we had more time to explore/develop them. But overall, a fantastic read!

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<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-style-default"><p>𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘥𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘸𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘧𝘶𝘴𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘰𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘴𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘸𝘯. - r.h. sin&nbsp;</p></blockquote>
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"Furia" is the story of Camila Hassan, a soccer prodigy that lives in Rosario, Argentina. As the only daughter of a misogynistic father, Camila is forced to hide her dreams of playing soccer from her parents, who hope she will become a doctor or marry rich to help them escape poverty.

Méndez’s #OwnVoices book is everything I could ever want in a YA Novel. This author tackles feminism, the fragile male ego, domestic and mental abuse, and what life can be like for women and abandoned children in a violent and impoverished country in the Global South. And, not to mention, Méndez’s book has a "friends to lovers" romance, a sports plotline, and involves social commentary on what it means to be a woman in a culture that runs on machismo.

Earning the nickname, “La Furia,” from admirers for her prowess on the soccer field, Camila is sure that she can help save her family if given a chance. When her childhood friend, Diego, comes home from playing pro-soccer overseas, she is forced to choose between her desire to be independent and play the sport she loves or yield to her family and Diego’s wishes for her.

Méndez navigates multiple plot lines and character development with finesse and manages to ask the bigger question of what happens in society if women are not protected and allowed to live full lives? This book has a little something for all readers.

Furia is one of those books that objectively has very little wrong with it, yet I'm not sure what to say about it because I just didn't connect with it in the way I hoped.

This book does a lot of things well. Set in Argentina, our main character Camila has to push back against misogyny left and right to be able to do what she loves, which is play football (or soccer, or whatever you want to call it). The family dynamics and Camila's direct interactions with her surroundings were the two things about it that did manage to truly grip me.

The rest of it, however... I just didn't care that much. I found the romance in this incredibly tiresome, in part because the love interest is a pro footballer and the bitter side of me just does not give two hoots about that whole subculture. As someone who grew up basically down the street from a stadium, I can say I don't like the sport, I can't stand the fans, and the whole celebrity side to it is just snort-worthy to me. Yea I'll watch the occasional world cup game, but that's about it.

Problem is, this is a good 70% of the story. And so while I appreciated Camila's drive, and the background she has to struggle free from, I didn't feel that spark of excitement at any point. However, I'm aware this is very much a personal thing, and I can't hold that against the book. It is what it is, and I should've guessed.

I was sent an eARC from Colored Pages blog tour in exchange for an honest review :)

well, this is such a masterpiece

I had to come to write this on the computer because I cannot believe what I just read. It's based in my home country, in a city I've never been to but it looked like it was just my own city of how well characterized it was. And also the people, its actions and all the problems they were facing looked like so much my own sometimes it made me stop reading for a few moments to gather my wits and remember that some of those things happened in the real world as well :O

and Camila... what can I say? I loved her, her fierceness, her will to help others and pursue her dreams at the same time, she is so strong in a way that kinda made me feel inspired by her. Her story was agonizing sometimes because of every single comment she received because "she was a girl playing soccer" and how she didn't let anyone tell her otherwise... I loved her so much. And the love interest was nice sometimes, there were others I just wanted to punch him.

The ending left me so satisfied and filled with hope, it was such a wild ride in a genre I'm not used to reading but it was amazing and refreshing. I really hope more people read this baby and it gets translated because it truly deserves it!

I don't know what's up with me and sports books lately, but I've read multiple this month already and I'm all sports out. I'm the opposite of a sports fan, in fact, I kinda hate them, but I refuse to let that hinder my rating of this book. So, please know that futbol is an huge part and main theme of this book and you may not like it if you're like me.

What I liked:
-Camila. She is a badass main character and I loved her. She is tenacious and strong willed and thoughtful.
-politics: I think the way Argentinian politics were woven in to bring awareness to violence against women and violence perpetrated by men was incredibly important. Some moments were difficult to listen to, but I think it worked with the story.

I do think the men in this story get way too much on page time. Between her brother, dad, and boyfriend, they take up entirely too much space and I could've done without it.

However, seeing Camila grow and learn that she is worthy of love and respect and deserves to follow her own goals and dreams was a great message. Please give me all the books with girls who learn they don't need a man and who are able to see their own worth beyond the love of a man.

CW: murder, violence against women, domestic abuse, slut-shaming, body-shaming, cheating

This was a great YA novel and I'm so glad Reese Witherspoon chose it as a book club pick! This book is definitely for older teenagers, as there are heavy themes such as sex and abuse. I really loved the feeling of being in Argentina and relating to Camila's struggles of choosing her dreams over what's expected of her.

Furia was such a solid read! This book was about a regular teenage girl with a pretty regular dream - to become a soccer star - but the story managed to be way above average despite these things. But the story of Furia isn't completely normal: Our protagonist has to fight to be recognized in her country because she is a girl playing what is seen as a "man's sport." The excitement in this story never faltered, Camila was SO fierce and lovable, and the fact that this book is set in Argentina was something I've never seen before. The romance was great, too. I was biting my nails hoping that the focus Camila put on her love interest wouldn't ruin her soccer dreams, and I'm sure everyone else was in the same boat. Fortunately, I thought things turned out okay and that the ending was extremely satisfying.

I recommend Furia to every #ownvoices fan, even if you don't enjoy watching soccer.

This is an excellent YA #ownvoices novel!
Camila, a seventeen year old girl from Argentina, dreams of playing soccer professionally.. She hides her love of soccer from her pressuring mother and abusive father. All she wants is to live a life that is hers. .She must navigate the expectations of her family and society. The writing and plotting of this book is excellent -- a simply wonderful read!

Never have I seen a YA book with this kind of rep- strong female main character, sports plot, latinx rep? It’s everything own voices readers have been needing. This was a fun quick read with likeable characters. The plot, although praised a sentence ago, was lacking in keeping me interested but this doesn’t mean it would be perfectly suited for other readers. Can’t wait to see what this author brings in the future, definitely someone to keep an eye out.