A review by conspystery
The Furies by Natalie Haynes

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

The Furies is a fascinating exploration of justice through the lens of crime, teaching, and Greek tragedy-- an unorthodox mix from the start. I enjoyed it; the writing itself wasn’t standout exceptional, but it did have a subtle quality of authenticity in its emotional depictions of Alex’s trauma and the suppression of grief, as well as giving a unique voice to Mel’s character throughout her journal entries. The contrast between Alex’s sections and Mel’s sections was a lot of fun from a narrative standpoint, too, especially as the ominous foreshadowing creeps in more and more through the book. 

For me, the plot of The Furies was not its main draw, rather the depth of the main characters that kept me engaged in the end-- some of the story (and especially Alex’s own personal backstory)  itself felt a little contrived and flat at points as it folded outwards. There were some pacing issues, too, between the different sections of the book. In the case of the backstory, I feel like a lot of the events were written as a somewhat one-dimensional justification for Alex’s character. Mel’s backstory is much the same in that regard. Ultimately, though, it works if you engage The Furies as a tragedy more than a crime novel. On that note, the weaving in of the various Greek tragedies with the plot is phenomenal, and it lends itself to the examination of tragedy as genre. I loved all the little moments of reflection between the Greek plays Alex teaches and the lives of the characters; those elements give a tiny hint of literary fiction to the novel, or at least I feel like they do, and I loved it. 

Overall, The Furies is intriguing both in its mystery elements and in its exploration of tragedy, catharsis, revenge, and justice. And obsession, of course. The slow spiral into obsession coats the narrative in the best, most quietly horrifying way, and it suits the story, writing, and especially the characters near-perfectly. Despite a few minor pacing issues and some slightly contrived narrative beats, I really liked this book. I'd recommend it especially for fans of Hag-seed by Margaret Atwood and The Walls Around Us by Nova Ren Suma.
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