Furia

Amazing book, took me right home. It explains the complexity of gender in futbol and in society, specifically in Argentina; without missing the thrill in the story. The way she describes moments, feelings, situations, is mesmerizing. I loved it!

I highly recommend this book............

It’s been a long time since I’ve read YA contemporary, but I’m so glad I read this book! Furia is an empowering story of family, friendship, and first love. Camila is a character who doesn’t ask for sympathy, but she deserves it all the same. Born into a dysfunctional family in a poor neighborhood in Rosario, Argentina, Camila dreams of doing the impossible: being a successful futbolera and going to play in the US. Her verbally/emotionally abusive father presents a clear obstacle in following these dreams, and to make things harder, her first love, the famous international soccer player Diego comes back home for a week and she remembers all the feelings she had for him the last time she saw him. He could save her from her family’s vicious cycle, but ruin her dreams. What—or who—will she choose?This story is written with a strong, relatable voice and it presents the people, culture, and locale of Rosario in sound, smell, and colors that made me feel like I was there. The struggle of this one girl, presented with Argentina as the backdrop, showcases the struggles that every girl in Argentina faces to this day—and Camila faces those challenges with a courage and faith that is awe-inspiring and that earn her the name of Furia. Everyone should read this book, but especially young girls. It shows that we can breaks out of bad cycles and accomplish our dreams**Spoilers** below:The ending warmed my heart in the way a book hasn’t in a while. I loved seeing Camila not only achieve her external goal of getting to the US and playing futbol there, but she also accomplished her internal goal of breaking the terrible cycle her family was in. These two goals combined were so empowering to me.

Camilla is a teenager living in Argentina, who dreams of being a fútbolera, but her parents would never support her dream. Camilla sneaks around and plays fútbol anyways. Earning the name Furia on the field. She also must decided if fútbol or love is more important to her.I enjoyed this book even though I’m not a fan of fútbol. There was enough other material that the book still kept me interested. I also really enjoy reading books set in different locations, so I could learn about what their customs and ideas are like compared to the US. I would recommend this book even if you aren’t into fútbol just to learn about what it is like to be a girl growing up in Argentina.

Furia, by Yamile Saied Méndez, is an inspiring book about a young teenage girl growing up in Argentina. Camila, the main character, secretly plays soccer in an all-girls league because her parents, but especially her father, would never let her play because they think soccer is a mans sport. This is set forth by the fact that her older brother, Pablo, is on his way of becoming a famous soccer player. I heard the first chapter of this book by an author reading in the BYU English Reading Series class and fell in love with the story. It draws you in with a fiery spirit of equal rights and Argentinian culture, but overlays serious tones of domestic abuse in a way that is subtle but striking. Méndez also adds in elements of young love versus pursuing careers, the struggles of a poor family and getting an education, and many other intertwining ideas that make this book not only an amazing read, but gives the reader meaningful messages and ideas. The choice that Camila has to make at the end of the book between her love, Diego, who is a hot shot soccer player, and her soccer career, brings all her struggles and conflicts together in a single decision. What I loved the most about this book was the story that Méndez writes is not just a nice story about a young girl that comes from a humble beginning to be a star. It tells a story instead of what obstacles Camila had to overcome in her journey and dream of becoming more than what the world has defined her as.