Description
About the Author
Yamile (sha-MEE-lay) Saied Mendez is a futbol-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. Mendez 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.
Reviews
One of BuzzFeed's Must-Read YA Books of 2020
"An engrossing #OwnVoices novel."
-PopSugar
"In this stirring novel by Argentine American author Mendez, 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
"Weaving rich cultural specifics and electric energy into her prose, Mendez 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
"[A] high-energy #OwnVoices novel . . . Written in a relatable first-person perspective."
-Booklist
"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
"In Furia, Saied Mendez captures both the breathless beauty of futbol and the depth of its political power. Sports intersect with gender, class, race, and identities around the world, and there's still so much ground to be covered in telling the stories that live at these intersections. This novel is a thoughtful, vibrant addition. Camila shows readers that they can have it all, even if it's not exactly as they planned it. She insists girls have every right to dream, to want, to live, and it is a pleasure to watch this character do all three things with love and fury in equal measure."
-Chicago Review of Books
"A feminist story of pursuing your dreams . . . An engrossing story about using your talent and pursuing your goals with messages about gender equality and the complexities of love. Highly recommend for people who enjoy powerful #ownvoices stories."
-YA Books Central
Awards
Winner of Pura Belpre Award (Author) 2021.
Book Information
ISBN 9781643751894
Author Yamile Saied Mendez
Format Paperback
Page Count 368
Imprint Algonquin Young Readers
Publisher Workman Publishing
Weight(grams) 320g
Dimensions(mm) 208mm * 138mm * 26mm