This one was a bit half and half for me. There were things I enjoyed and things I did not but I still became totally engrossed in reading it especially when events speeded up in the later chapters.

I found the main characters to be a mixed bunch. Violet desperately needed to learn the word 'no' and Robin was just awful. Grace and Alex appeared to be more mature but they also had hidden depths! Much of the book was about girls being mean to girls which was a bit obvious and unpleasant. I also thought the sex scenes were forced into the action and did not need to be there at all.

On the other hand the story itself was great! It was tense, it was spooky and frequently very blood thirsty. Once we started to get down to who the murderer really was it became edge of the seat stuff and then we discovered what the prologue was all about! Very clever. The author leaves the ending open for readers to draw their own conclusions - was it magic or was it murder? I do not usually like open ended books but in this case I had a very definite opinion of my own and was comfortable with it:)

My thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This novel didn't seem all that original to me but instead read like a YA version of The Secret History. That's not necessarily a bad thing depending on what you're looking for. If you like reading about toxic female friendships, nasty teens and boarding schools, this is for you.

I was expecting to like this book a lot but it fell extremely flat for me. No character development, loose ends everywhere. Not for me.

Definitely a nice mashup of Mean Girls and The Craft with some murder mixed in. I think it will appeal to a lot of readers at my library, so I'll be purchasing several copies. Thank you so much!

I really wanted to like this book. The storyline was good. Who doesn’t try to fit in? I found it hard to connect with the characters

The Furies is haunting, evocative and sits in your head, that underlying sense of menace and anticipation resonates throughout.

Violet desperately wants friendship, even as she tells herself she doesn’t need it, so when she is befriended by the enigmatic and edgy Robin and drawn into a circle of secrets and lies, she will do anything to protect it. Darkness and obsession, fatal ties and dangerous magic make for an utter page turner of a literary novel, with some beautiful writing and intelligent layered nuance.

The Furies is both observational and insightful, as Violet tells the tale of this fascinating group, of both love and hate, random happiness and sudden horror. Katie Lowe uses cutting edge prose to draw the reader into Violet’s world then doesn’t allow you to look away, it is utterly gripping from the vivid opening to the melancholy finish.
Absolutely excellent.

The main reason why this book interested me was the comparison to The Secret History and The Girls -- both of which I enjoyed. The paranormal/witchcraft element admittedly isn't for me, so I struggled to get through this one and ultimately gave up.

Thank you to NetGalley, Katie Lowe and St. Martin's Press for this ARC.

I could not get into this book. The premise is good, but the story was just meh for me.

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Not entirely sure how to write a review of this book. On the one hand, it delved deep into human relationships and how twisted they can be, and how dark and damaged people can become. It was vivid and complex in its portrayal of broken people doing breaking things to other broken people. In that way disgustingly and exceedingly successful. On the other hand, though, not a single character was likable. I couldn't root for any. Even the one that the author kind of made me want to cheer for... yeah, well, she ripped that little bit of redeemable quality right out of the character.

I'm still not quite sure if the supernatural part was real or not, and I both hate and love that about the book. Almost everything about this book was lukewarm (beyond the depths of dis-likability of the main characters) or left unsure or hanging.

Mostly, there was one twist I didn't expect (and if there wasn't actually any supernatural, then it wasn't a twist at all) and that, coupled with how well the author managed to make complex, deep characters, left me with a middle of the road, "liked it" three stars.

Great plot & character development. Slow to start but definitely worth finishing. Would recommend to others who would enjoy it.

The title and blurb for this book lead me to believe this would be a book about witches. However, the magical element was left to the readers to decide. I would describe this book as a statement on women, their anger, and what they can accomplish when focused.

"The deadly sins are just that - our furies turning fate, which in turn begets fury at our fallen condition"

The setting is a private school and focuses on 4 teens taking an "advanced" off the books class with the Art teacher, Annabel. They study mythology, especially Medea.

"And I'll teach them all I know, all my predecessors have known - the power of angry women, the fates we hold and furies we possess. I'll let them stretch their wings and claw at the eyes of those who stare; teach them to burn with righteous fire and cleanse the world with learning."

The Furies by Katie Lowe
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📚 Violet is the new girl at Elm Hollow Academy; the new girl who bares a striking resemblance to Emily, a missing girl from the very same school. When Emily's old friends befriend Violet, she steps in and practically becomes her. Hanging out with Robin, Grace, and Alex is only the beginning. She starts working with the dean and taking classes from a certain professor who are both connected to the rich history the private school holds...a history rich with witchcraft. The girls decide to dapple into this same world when they feel wronged, and soon, the furies within take over.
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📚 I really, really, REALLY wanted to like this book, but unfortunately it just didn't meet my expectations. I wanted something reminiscent of The Craft, a story that drew me in from the start and made me feel connected to these girls and their ventures into the realm of witchcraft. While it did capture my attention with the very first melancholy scene, it took way too long to get to any other significant event. Also, I simply could not connect with any of the characters or feel supportive of the choices they made. The girls were toxic to each other, immature, and dare I say...unlikeable. I wasn't rooting for any of them. 😔
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📚 HOWEVER, it does look like I am in the minority here. By all means, give it a try and see for yourself. It may turn out to be a fantastic read for you!

I tried and tried to read this book, I wanted to like it
young girls getting revenge - I wanted to invest in it
I was unable to get into it, I could not grab onto a character and feel her
I was unable to finish this book.

Violet's life is about to change, again. She has already gone through tragedy. Her father and seven year old sister were killed in a tragic car wreck. Her mother is now just a shell of herself, living off wine.
Violet decides to enter a prestigious girls academy called Elm Hollows.
She is about to embark on a journey she is not prepared for. With violence, death, drugs, alcohol, secret societies, and murder. How will she cope?
A twisty, turny novel that has it all. Definitely keeps your attention!!

I'm so sad I didn't enjoyed this. After all, it seems like it's having everything I love from YA: elite school, co-dependent cliques, and secret society. And yet, all the characters are unlikeable and the plot felt convoluted. The writing also tries too hard to be lyrical, but it ended up made me uninterested with the story.

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Beyond amazing I enjoyed this book so very much. The characters and storyline were fantastic. The ending I did not see coming Could not put down nor did I want to.

I was very excited to read this book as the synopsis sounded promising. Girls gone bad. Toxic friendships. A secret society. It started out fairly slow and I honestly had a difficult time finishing it. It’s a promising storyline however the characters lacked depth and I feel like the story didn’t resonate well. It had a “The Craft” vibe to it but was a far reach for me.

I struggled with this book for a bit. I couldn’t seem to stay interested. The characters were not very likable and I struggled with their decisions. I’m not sure exactly what it was that I couldn’t connect with as I normally like witch stories. It did seem well written though.

After the death of her father and younger sister Violet steps on the campus of Elm Hollow Academy, an all-girl’s boarding school on the outskirts of a sleepy coastal town. This is her fresh start, her chance to begin again in the wake of tragedy, leave her demons behind. Bright but a little strange, uncertain and desperate to fit in, she soon finds herself invited to an advanced study group, led by her alluring and mysterious art teacher, Annabel.

Violet is thrilled to be a part of the secret study group, along with Robin, Grace, and Alex. Even if it is a bit weird that Robin’s last best friend, Emily, is missing and seems to have looked a lot like Violet. Annabel’s teachings of ancient rites, art, mythology, and town history are fascinating to most of the group, who each have people/situations in their lives that make them feel powerless. What if they could have the kind of power The Furies in Annabel’s teachings do? As the girls being to experience the heady feeling of being in control over the negatives in their lives, they start going further and further into acts that might be their undoing.

All in all, the characters were pretty well described but left me feeling disconnected from them. The book also had a lot of parts that could have easily been left out, and parts that could have really been developed to enrich the storyline. It mainly felt like teenage angst without feeling and a bit of murder thrown in.

I received an ARC from NetGalley, and am sharing my honest opinion of this book. 2 1/2 stars would be my actual rating.

I had high hopes for this book based on the description, but I feel unsatisfied with it once I was finished. The novel is very bogged down by references to art and art theory that are hard to follow if you don't have a background in art. The characters are written well, but I couldn't connect with any of them. The author, however, has a knack for descriptions and setting an atmospheric tone.