Some stories have the power to suck you in from the very first time you lay your eyes on the pages; The Furies opens with a dead girl on a swing, so it’s clear from the get go we are dealing with something dark and delicious here.
The Furies by Katie Lowe
Genres: Thriller, Young Adult
Published: 2nd May, 2019 (expected)
Goodreads
Series: N/A
Rating: 4
Violet is returning home, back to the sleepy coastal town which holds so many memories.
In 1998, after a tragic accident claimed the lives of her father and sister, she joins Elm Hollow Academy, a private girlsβ school with an unpleasant history of 17th century witch trials.
There she is drawn to Robin, Grace, Alex and their charismatic teacher, Annabel; she is invited to join them in their advanced study group.
There they learn about art, literature and the grisly history of the school. Though Annabel claims her classes arenβt related to ancient rites and rituals, she warns them off the topic, describing it as little more than mythology. However, the more the girls learn, the more they start to believe that magic is real, and that together they can harness it.
But when the body of a former member of the society is found on campus nine months after the she disappeared, fingers are pointed at those closest to her. Leading Violet to wonder whether she can trust her friends, teachers, or even herself.
Set in 1998, The Furies tells the story of Violet, Robin, Alex and Grace, four teenage girls who have a taste for witchcraft. They all go to Elm Hollow Academy (if that’s not a creepy enough name, I don’t know what is), an all girl’s school, famous for being founded by a woman who was later executed for being a witch. Was she really one? Or was she an innocent victim, so much like other women during that time?
Back in 1998 I was the same age as these girls, and guess what. I was super into all things witchy. I had a ton of books on the occult, spells, mythology, and was secretly hoping witches are actually real. What a trip down memory lane this was! The girls however are way more advanced than I ever could have dreamed of. They attend super secret meetings with Annabelle, the odd art teacher, and even practice some of the dubious rituals they found in those old books to exact revenge on those who wronged them. Do these work? Well, you tell me!
I was lost and mesmerized, as the the events unfolded; chill crept down my spine and the subtle creaking noises in the house took on a sinister, hidden meaning. But not all evil is coming from the spirit world. Some are very, very real. Bullies, manipulative people who bring out the worst in you, push you to do things you never wanted to do are way worse and their numbers are plenty at Elm Hollow.
While the author got quite heavy handed on the atmosphere and the creepy vibes, the four girls seemed a bit superficial, including Violet, our narrator. They are surrounded by people, and yet, the school somehow felt empty. For me this didn’t take away from the enjoyment however; I was carried away with all the doom and gloom just fine, and found the stories about the tragic Greek heroines absolutely fascinating.
A beautifully written, haunting novel, The Furies puts a disturbing twist on teenage friendships. After school clubs will never feel the same again!
I received a copy from the publisher via NetGalley, but the opinions are my own.
Oooooo π As someone whose fave film back in the day was The Craft I really NEED THIS BOOK π It was already on my wishlist and now I want it even more π
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Mkay, so i had to look up that movie, and then the realization hit me… i watched that movie to death π I didn’t know this was the original title, cuz i’ve never actually seen it in english π
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Ha π I wanted to LIVE in that movie! And okay Skeet Ulrich might have been a teeny tiny part of the reason why… But it was mostly the girls and all the witchy stuff I swear π
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I LOVED The Craft, too!!!
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We should totally start our own coven and invoke Manon together π
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YES!!!! xD
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Yes, i’m in π
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Wow this sounds like a fantastic book, and very haunting! Tempted to read it…
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Oh, i think you should give it a try! Very good atmosphere and i loved the writing style a lot. So dark and lovely. π
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Wonderful review, Norrie! I loved how you connected to the book through your own teenage years. I love a good haunting read and will have to check this out. β₯οΈ
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Squee π I hope you’ll like it too if you decide to read it!
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Awesome review! If I didn’t follow your blog, I don’t think I would have ever heard of half of these books. π
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Aw, thank you π
I find out about most books from blogs as well. Kinda makes me wonder how i used to pick books before blog times. I don’t actually remember…
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I think a lot of browsing and chance was involved back then. π
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Fabulous review. Very happy with what I heard you say about this book, I can’t wait to dive in my own copy!
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Hope you’ll enjoy it too as much as i did!
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I’ve been wondering about this book, thanks for such a great review! It definitely sounds like my kind of readπ
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Oh yay π
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Scary review, Norrie!
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Haha, thank you! π
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Great review, Norrie! I will have to check this one out. Sounds like one we would like. I am glad to see it was a good one for you!
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Thank you! Hope you’ll enjoy it too!
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Ahhhh! This looks so cool and creepy! I love all the witchy things (especially after reading about witches in school) and I am definitely intrigued by this book!
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It was really cool β€ π
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I guess this book is being launched this week as many are speaking about it Norrie! So all about mood and gloom and doom right? LOL Excellent review!
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It is very much a mood book, indeed π Haha, thank you π
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A touch of horror with witchcraft? And 4 girls are always trouble, at that age, right? π Sounds like the atmosphere was perfect even if the characters lacked a little.
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Yes, it was more about the atmosphere thing, which is something i always appreciate π
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Sounds super creepy!
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Oh it was! π Loved it.
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Witchcraft and tragic Greek heroines??? Sold. Thanks for doing a review! I hadn’t heard of it otherwise!
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Oh, i’m happy π
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Wonderful review!
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Thank you! β€
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I just got this one to review yesterday, and I CAN’T WAIT to read it. I loved The Craft, too.
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Oooo, i hop you’ll enjoy it too! β€
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I really do like the sound of the creepy vibes and the atmosphere in this book. And I was into witchy things back in the 90s too π Great review!!
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I’m getting the sense that 90s were a witchy decade π
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I’d seen this advertised but wasn’t too sure if I would like it or even really what it was about but thanks to your review it’s now on my TBR.
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Oh, nice π Hope you’ll like it too!
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Great review! This sounds really good. I love witchy stuff like this. π
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Thank you π
Right up your alley then π
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Pretty cool that you could relate a lot with what’s going on in this one, even if it goes a bit further than what you dared venture into yourself! π Awesome review, Norrie!
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Haha, yes, these girls are defo more hardcore than 16 year old me π
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Elm Hollow Academy is definitely a spooky name. I still haven’t given up hope that witchcraft is real lol. Sounds like a wonderfully dark book. Nice review, Norrie. π
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Oh, man. If witchcraft ever becomes a legit job, i’m so applying!
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Same!! π
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Great review, Norrie. I like how the book reminded you of your teen interest in witches. This sounds like a captivating read. The school and the art teacher add a creepy vibe to it.
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Oh yes, quite creepy i’d say! π
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