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mari1532's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I listened to this audiobook with Libby through my library.
Brief Summary: Camila Hassen's dream is to become a professional soccer player. If her team can win the upcoming woman's soccer competition she might be able to obtain an athletic scholarship to play soccer in the United States before turning professional. However, in Rosario, Argentina professional soccer is something only men can hope to achieve. As Camila tries to reach her dream and break down societal barriers she also has to navigate typical teenage milestones.
Thoughts: I enjoyed this book. Méndez captured the essence of the teenage experience on the page. Camila was such a lovely character. She can experience her first love without losing herself or her dreams in the orbit of the boy she loves. The pride and joy she experiences on the field as La Furia is infectious and I loved seeing her gain confidence in her innate talent and how she shares that with those around her throughout the book.
Camila's relationship with her mother was my favourite part of the book. Realizing that your parents are only people is something that often comes along in the teenage years and how Camila comes to better understand her mother throughout the book and how her mother comes to understand her was beautiful to read.
I wish there was a little more of Camila and her friends on the page. Roxana does pop up throughout the book and the dynamics of their relationship is an excellent description of teenage girls, but there were a few times that Roxana felt a little too in the background. Also, it felt like Camila's relationships with her teammates were not explored in as much detail. It would have been nice to see the girls together a bit more off the field.
A heartwarming and emotional read. I would recommend it.
Brief Summary: Camila Hassen's dream is to become a professional soccer player. If her team can win the upcoming woman's soccer competition she might be able to obtain an athletic scholarship to play soccer in the United States before turning professional. However, in Rosario, Argentina professional soccer is something only men can hope to achieve. As Camila tries to reach her dream and break down societal barriers she also has to navigate typical teenage milestones.
Thoughts: I enjoyed this book. Méndez captured the essence of the teenage experience on the page. Camila was such a lovely character. She can experience her first love without losing herself or her dreams in the orbit of the boy she loves. The pride and joy she experiences on the field as La Furia is infectious and I loved seeing her gain confidence in her innate talent and how she shares that with those around her throughout the book.
Camila's relationship with her mother was my favourite part of the book. Realizing that your parents are only people is something that often comes along in the teenage years and how Camila comes to better understand her mother throughout the book and how her mother comes to understand her was beautiful to read.
I wish there was a little more of Camila and her friends on the page. Roxana does pop up throughout the book and the dynamics of their relationship is an excellent description of teenage girls, but there were a few times that Roxana felt a little too in the background. Also, it felt like Camila's relationships with her teammates were not explored in as much detail. It would have been nice to see the girls together a bit more off the field.
A heartwarming and emotional read. I would recommend it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Bullying, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Misogyny, Sexism, Blood, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Grief
Minor: Kidnapping and Murder
year23's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I loved the last half of the book, there was more futbol, more exploration of the challenges Camila is facing (family, relationships, career dreams), all while shedding light on the day-to-day for women in Argentina.
It is terrifying to see the trend of missing women show up in multiple countries, though not surprising. Having recently read more about Argentina's history, it was interesting to see the ways things have shifted (in positive ways), though still lag behind in others. This story feels, at its heart, a love letter to these women (those still here and those not), celebrating their continued dreams and ambitions, pursuing them even at risk to their lives and agency.
This is a profoundly hopeful story, even as oppression and other horrors are detailed here. Do check the content warnings (only one scene).
Do recommend it - it's a slow burn, as it spends too much time on the romantic relationship with Diego for the first half. But once he leaves, the story opens up and it's definitely worth your time.
It is terrifying to see the trend of missing women show up in multiple countries, though not surprising. Having recently read more about Argentina's history, it was interesting to see the ways things have shifted (in positive ways), though still lag behind in others. This story feels, at its heart, a love letter to these women (those still here and those not), celebrating their continued dreams and ambitions, pursuing them even at risk to their lives and agency.
This is a profoundly hopeful story, even as oppression and other horrors are detailed here. Do check the content warnings (only one scene).
Do recommend it - it's a slow burn, as it spends too much time on the romantic relationship with Diego for the first half. But once he leaves, the story opens up and it's definitely worth your time.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexism, and Kidnapping
leahkarge's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Sexism, Violence, Blood, Medical content, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child death, Infidelity, Medical content, Kidnapping, and Murder
Minor: Abortion and Pregnancy
therainbowshelf's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
I picked this up to finish one of my 2022 reading challenges. Sports stories aren't necessarily my jam otherwise. Yamile does an excellent job representing Camila's sports aspirations and how those clash with mysogeny in the culture around her, as well as her developing romance. Content warnings for mysogeny, abusive father, and murdered or missing girls.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Misogyny, Physical abuse, and Sexism
Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Kidnapping, and Murder
Missing or murdered girlsbeautifulpaxielreads's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Lies have short legs.
What a big-hearted roar of a novel this is.
In Furia, Yamile Saied Méndez skilfully and explosively explores the intersection between misogyny and football (soccer as we know it in Australia, fútbol in Spanish) that exists in Argentina.
On the pitch playing for her women's team, Camila is the fearless, brilliant "La Furia". Off the pitch, however, life is a bit more complicated. As well as the very real threat she faces just by walking home after dark, she has to deal with her overbearing, bullying father, her kind but cynical mother, and her elder brother Pablo, whose career in the professional men's league feels like a shadow she can't escape from under.
Then there's Diego, her childhood sweetheart - who has returned home for a visit after a dazzling career and international fame at the Juventus club in Italy. Now that he's back, he wants to pick up where he and Camila left off - but does she feel the same?
I'll confess that at first, I had a hard time getting into this one. There are a lot of Spanish words and phrases sprinkled throughout Furia, and I constantly felt the need to go and look up anything I didn't understand. But after a while, I let this urge go (mostly) and my reading experience was so much better for it.
I learned so much from reading this book. Firstly, I had no idea how multicultural Argentina was - Camila herself is of mixed Palestinian, Spanish, and Eastern European heritage (much like the author herself), and other characters are of Chinese and Indian ethnicity - and there are probably others which I don't remember. And the sense of place you get - as well as the Spanish language intermixing that I already mentioned - is really well done.
I had heard that gender-based violence (and murder) is a huge problem across Latin America (as it is in many other parts of the world), and it is in depicting this issue (and the attitudes enabling it) that Saied Méndez really excels. From casual misogyny to systemic, from domestic violence to
Diego was a sweetheart, and the way Saied Méndez writes him, it is easy to see why Camila
Furia is a novel that wears its heart on the sleeve of a fútbol jersey - and that's a good thing.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Child death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Violence, Kidnapping, and Murder
Moderate: Sexual violence, Medical content, and Pregnancy
Minor: Lesbophobia
This book deals with heavy topics such as femicide and violence against women and in some scenes graphically. There is one strong scene of domestic violence whereaharper's review against another edition
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse
Moderate: Kidnapping and Abandonment
Minor: Murder
mads1706's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, and Physical abuse
Minor: Violence and Kidnapping
alabiblioheck's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Physical abuse
Minor: Death, Kidnapping, Murder, and Gaslighting
cozylifewithabby's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
This book was amazing. Although it delt with difficult subjects like poverty, murder, sexism, and domestic abuse our main character is spirited Camila, a young adult, who might not always make the right decisions, but tries to stay true to herself and achieve her dreams of being a futbolella (female soccer player)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Sexism, and Murder
Moderate: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, and Kidnapping
zombiezami's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I'm not that into sports, but I found this book to be quite beautiful. I loved getting to know more about Argentine culture and the Ni Una Menos movement.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Sexism, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Child death, Death, Blood, Medical content, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Ableism, Animal cruelty, Bullying, Homophobia, Infidelity, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Kidnapping, Abortion, Murder, and Pregnancy