Furia - Yamile Saied Méndez - ★★★

AUTHOR: Yamile Saied Méndez

GENRE: YA Contemporary Fiction

PUBLICATION DATE: September 15, 2020

RATING: 3 stars.

Furia is a debut YA novel by Yamile Saied Mendez. It tells the story of Camila Hassan, a seventeen year old from Argentina who wants to be a footballer. Coming from a family of an abusive father, a suppressed mother and a popular brother, Camilla turns into the fierce "la Furia" on the football ground. Her talent is doubtless; her circumstances are what she had to conquer in order to fulfill her dreams.

I had heard much about this book but after completing it, I'm left with mixed feelings. Camilla is a confusing character. I have seen reviews saying that this book is about female empowerment and that Camilla is a role model for young girls. To a certain extent, I would agree with that sentiment. She is strong, talented and determined, and has a pretty clear idea of where she wants to be. However, I didn't connect with the methods she uses to reach her goals, especially by constantly lying not just to her parents but almost every person in her life. Also, I found her relationship with Diego inconsistent. The writing constantly swings between "I love Diego" and "I can't be with Diego" and after a point, it becomes irritating. I wish the novel hadn't focused so much time on the romance; it took away from the beauty of the story.

The sports-related struggles of the characters are written beautifully. You can actually empathise with the efforts and struggles of the players. The mismatch between the opportunities available to male and female sportspersons is also wonderfully depicted. Furthermore, the day-to-day problems of people in Argentina are expressed in an authentic manner. But the familial problems are dull in comparison and very predictable. Overall, it is a decent one-time read.

I heard the audiobook as narrated by Sol Madariaga. She expresses herself pretty well. The accent is a bit strong so while that added to the authenticity, it also made it a little difficult to understand the native words. But overall, it was a nice audiobook to hear.

I received an advance review copy of the book for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.