Furia

 

By Yamile Saied Méndez

 

 

Publisher : Algonquin Young Readers

Language : English

Hardcover : 368 pages

ISBN-10 : 1616209917

ISBN-13 : 978-1616209919

 

 

A REESE WITHERSPOON x HELLO SUNSHINE BOOK CLUB YA PICK

Recipient of the 2021 Pura Belpré Young Adult Author Medal

 

One of BuzzFeed's Must-Read YA Books of 2020

A Best Book of the Year: Cosmopolitan * Kirkus Reviews * SheReads * New York Public Library

 

 

A powerful contemporary YA for fans of The Poet X and I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter set in Argentina, about a rising soccer star who must put everything on the line—even her blooming love story—to follow her dreams.

 

In Rosario, Argentina, Camila Hassan lives a double life.

 

At home, she is a careful daughter, living within her mother’s narrow expectations, in her rising-soccer-star brother’s shadow, and under the abusive rule of her short-tempered father.

 

On the field, she is La Furia, a powerhouse of skill and talent. When her team qualifies for the South American tournament, Camila gets the chance to see just how far those talents can take her. In her wildest dreams, she’d get an athletic scholarship to a North American university.

 

But the path ahead isn’t easy. Her parents don’t know about her passion. They wouldn’t allow a girl to play fútbol—and she needs their permission to go any farther. And the boy she once loved is back in town. Since he left, Diego has become an international star, playing in Italy for the renowned team Juventus. Camila doesn’t have time to be distracted by her feelings for him. Things aren’t the same as when he left: she has her own passions and ambitions now, and La Furia cannot be denied. As her life becomes more complicated, Camila is forced to face her secrets and make her way in a world with no place for the dreams and ambition of a girl like her.

 

Filled with authentic details and the textures of day-to-day life in Argentina, heart-soaring romance, and breathless action on the pitch, Furia is the story of a girl’s journey to make her life her own.

 

 

Review

 

 

"A riveting coming-of-age story.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

 

"Weaving rich cultural specifics and electric energy into her prose, Méndez crafts a dynamic, feminist narrative that commands attention from the very first line. At its core, this novel is a full-hearted love letter to Argentina and “incorrigible girls” everywhere, emboldening readers to stand up for themselves and chase the dreams they hold dear." —Publishers Weekly, starred review

  

"With a mix of Spanish words, vivid dialogue, and rich description, Mendez paints a realistic image of a young woman battling to become herself against the odds . . . A powerful and realistic novel.”

—School Library Journal