Parents' Guide to

Furia

By Mary Cosola, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 13+

Argentinian teen's exciting fight to reach her soccer dream.

Book Yamile Saied Méndez Coming of Age 2020
Furia Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this book.

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age 13+

Based on 1 parent review

Jeanne W.
Jeanne W. Parent of 10 and 12-year-old
May 16, 2021
age 13+

Pursuing your dreams in a complex world

I really liked this book. The coming of age story feels real and the obstacles and world Camilla lives in rang true. There is definitely romance and some making out. Unplanned pregnancies are a part of Camilla's world. Gender norms are a strong theme and the restrictions and limited expectations put on the lives of women are explored. Great themes about working hard for your dreams and staying true to yourself when you have many competing pressures and expectations to balance. The domestic violence and casual harassment faced by characters is chilling. I love a story where a POC teen gets to be the heroine of her own story. I'd probably wait to recommend this to my daughter until about 14 as romance doesn't hold her interest yet.

This title has:

Educational value
Great messages
Great role models
Too much violence
Too much sex
1 person found this helpful.
See all 1 parent review

What's the Story?

FURIA is the story a girl in Argentina who dreams of playing soccer professionally. In the oppressively male-dominated culture of her Rosario barrio, Camila Hassan finds her joy and freedom on the soccer pitch. She can't tell anyone other than her best friend that's she's on a team because her parents forbid her from playing, but the more her team wins, the harder it is to keep the secret. And the team's becoming a force to be reckoned with, largely due to her intense, skillful play. Camila's home life is rough. Her father is an abusive bully, her brother is struggling to rise in the local soccer league, and her mom is emotionally beaten down by years of verbal abuse. Diego, her brother's best friend, complicates matters when he visits home from playing professionally in Europe and pursues a relationship with her. She can't see a way to make the relationship work with him playing halfway around the world and her pursuing her dream of playing professionally in America. The secrets and stress begin to take their toll on her. She knows at some point she has to live her life in the open, but who can she trust to help her?

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (1 ):
Kids say (3 ):

This story of a strong, resilient girl pursuing her dream of playing professional soccer is equal parts moving and exciting. In Furia, author Yamile Saied Méndez brings the game alive while creating indelible characters. Camila's a smart, hardworking girl, but her story shows how women struggle to have it all or are forced to make hard personal choices men often aren't asked to make. In keeping her soccer playing a secret, Camila is dampening down an important part of who she is. She starts to understand her mother better and sees what a lifetime of living under the expectations of others can do to a person. In this way, she grows tremendously as a character.

Méndez does an excellent job of balancing the excitement of the soccer scenes with the romance and family conflict storylines. It never feels like she's trying to cram in too much. The pace is perfect, and Camila's an engaging narrator the reader will be rooting for the whole way through.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how the Argentinian barrio setting of Furia affects the story. Do you like stories that show what it's like to live in another country or culture? Do you feel like you learn more about what other people go through in their lives?

  • Camila has to hide much of her life from her family. Do you think she could have found a way from the start to tell her family about her soccer team or about dating? Or do you think in her case it's better to keep those secrets?

  • Do you have any activities you'll sacrifice everything for? Do you think that kind of passion and drive is a blessing or a curse?

Book Details

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