One of Buzzfeed’s “30 Books by
Latinx Authors We Can’t Wait
to Read in 2020!”
“In this stirring novel by Argentine American author Méndez, passion for sports and personal growth intersect in Camila’s powerful, feminist first-person narrative about her experiences as an ambitious athlete, a teenager deeply in love, the daughter of an abusive father at the point of taking charge of her own life, and a young woman finding her voice in a deeply sexist, patriarchal society… A riveting coming-of-age story.”
—Kirkus
Reviews, Starred Review
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 her talents can take her. In her wildest dreams, she’d get an athletic scholarship to a North American university, but the path ahead won’t be easy. Her parents, who don’t know about her passion, wouldn’t allow a girl to play fútbol—and she needs their permission to go any farther.
Meanwhile, the boy she once loved, Diego, is not only back in town, but has also become an international star, playing in Italy for the renowned team Juventus. Things aren’t the same as when he left: Camila has her own fútbol ambitions now, and La Furia cannot be denied.
As her life
becomes more complicated, she is forced to face her secrets and make her way in
a world with no place for the dreams and passion of a girl like her.
Filled with the authentic details and textures of day-to-day life in Argentina, heart-soaring romance, and breathless action, FURIA is the riveting, radiant story of one girl’s struggle to rise above the expectations her family and society have for her.
THOUGHTS/REVIEW:
There is nothing more I enjoy reading than a powerful #OWNVOICES novel about a young woman who is able to rise above societal expectations to navigate her own path to adulthood. This book was written in a first person narrative that was completely relatable that many young adults and many readers will find themselves immersed within this amazing story of strength, resilience, coming-of-age, in a society that is deeply patriarchal and sexist.
Camilla is an obedient daughter at home under her abusive father and a brother who is rising soccer star. In the field and in futbol, Camilla is knows as LA FURIA - she is an amazing talent and a powerhouse! With this talent her doors open to many opportunities and one of which is a chance for an athletic scholarship in North America.
Mendez wrote this fantastic novel with the delightful details of everyday life in Argentina. I myself was immersed into Camila's life, her struggles, her secrets, dreams and passion - the unfairness, and what she had to do to rise above it all. This book brought tears to my eyes as I see how certain societies still think women as a second class citizens and not given all the opportunities and chances. This was truly a powerful read that resonated and stayed with me long after I finished reading. I highly recommend this fantastic book.
AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT:
Yamile (sha-MEE-lay) Saied Méndez is a fútbol-obsessed Argentine American who loves meteor showers, summer, astrology, and pizza. She lives in Utah with her Puerto Rican husband and their five kids, two adorable dogs, and one majestic cat. An inaugural Walter Dean Myers Grant recipient, she’s a graduate of Voices of Our Nations (VONA) and the MFA program in Writing for Children and Young Adults at Vermont College of Fine Arts. Méndez is also part of Las Musas, the first collective of women and nonbinary Latinx middle grade and young adult authors. Furia is her first novel for young adult readers.
Born and raised in Rosario, Argentina, the cradle of the some of the world’s greatest soccer players, Yamile Saied Méndez was destined to fall in love with the sport. Social conventions made it impossible for girls to play at home, but Yamile followed Argentinian fútbol religiously even after emigrating to the United States, celebrating from afar the advancements that led to the 2018 professionalism of soccer for girls. Now, in her first novel for YA readers, Méndez makes her triumphant return to Rosario and to her fútbol-obsessed origins with FURIA
Always a voracious reader, as a child Méndez taught herself English with a Spanish/English dictionary, and at the age of nineteen she emigrated to the United States to pursue a degree at Brigham Young University. “Although FURIA isn’t an autobiographical novel, a lot of the events in the book are based on my own life and experiences,” she explains. “I always wanted to be a professional fútbol player, which was impossible at the time. Instead, I became a student of the sport. I’ve followed the developments in Argentine society and fútbol throughout my years of (self) exile from my country, and a conversation about feminine fútbol is impossible without including the fight of the feminist movement in Argentina throughout our history. FURIA is a love letter to my city, and I hope that readers will fall in love with Rosario and fútbol.” A graduate of Voices of Our Nations (VONA) and the Vermont College of Fine Arts MFA, Méndez is also a founding member of Las Musas, a marketing collective of women and non-binary Latinx children’s authors. She has coached and managed multiple youth soccer teams, and she lives in Utah with her Puerto Rican husband and their five kids, two dogs, and one cat.
Furia
By Yamile Saied Méndez
Algonquin Young Readers
Publication Date: September 15, 2020 | ISBN: 9781616209919
$17.95 | 368 pages
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