Reviews
Disclaimer: I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to Fantastic Flying Book Club, Edelweiss, and David Finkling Books for this free copy. All quotes in this review are taken from the Advanced Reader Copy and may change in final publication. I won’t lie: the title of “Furious Thing” intrigued me almost as much as the cover. This was really because I don’t know how many times in my life I have been furious about things happening either to me, around me, or to someone that can’t stop it, and I’ve been shamed for being angry. This emotion that everyone feels and should feel at least a few times in our lives is so universally looked down upon, especially when it’s someone that identities as female. I don’t know how many times I’ve heard “you’re too pretty to be angry” or some other bullshit comment like that and I just instantly get even more angry. Then to have someone tell you that bad things happen because of you being around and because of your anger? Like… I don’t know that has always bothered me. I get having to manage your anger, and not physically causing harm when you’re angry, but just a blanket statement of you’re bad because you’re angry is not okay. Don’t call someone a monster because they are angry. Find out what is making them so angry and help them fix whatever is in their life or help them understand why they can’t fix it. I feel like this is why this book hit a certain spot in my heart. Society like to dictate how women and girls have to behave in order to be respected or treated like human beings. How is this okay? Why can’t Lexi be angry? Why can’t her family help her navigate through her feelings, help her figure out why she is angry, and be okay with her trying to work through that? Why is she not considered “good” because she’s angry? Why does she have to feel like she is a monster from her own damn step-father? Why doesn’t her mom tell her that he’s wrong? Why doesn’t her mom tell HIM that he’s wrong? Once, there was a girl who group up wicked. I definitely want to hear what you think about this book, and how you would handle this situation if you were Lexi. What kind of emotions would you have reading this novel, and what would you do if you were able to interact with Lexi in some capacity? Let me know.
*I WAS PROVIDED A PHYSICAL ARC FROM THE PUBLISHER IN RETURN FOR MY HONEST REVIEW. THIS DOESN'T AFFECT MY OPINION* There's a feeling that's evoked when you read a book so pushed by emotions and action that it just sucks the life out of you and that feeling is: numbness. There was nothing left in me for a reaction after finishing this book, and maybe it's because I finished it in less than twelve hours? 😅 FURIOUS THING is a book that needs to be addressed quickly. First things first, this book centers on the problems and effects of mental abuse by a parent. But in this book, it's not just one parent that's inflicting this abuse, it's both. And I know, for some others who've read this book or will read it soon, that they'll disagree with me on that front. But the reality is that both of this main characters are imperfect, and they inflicted harm on her so badly that she became furious. Lexi reacts in more ways than one; she'll throw things out or through windows, trash rooms, or run her mouth so dry that there's nothing left but simmering rage. And I feel that her reactions were well justified, even if they were a little over the top. Lexi's mom is a victim, yes. Her fiancé puts her down whenever things don't go exactly as he wants them, and she takes it as she believes she should: in complete and total submission. Because of this, Lexi is left to cause disturbances whenever he acts out if only to take the heat so her mom doesn't have to. This is why I say that Lexi is mentally abused by both of her parents. Her mom allows this to happen. She leaves her daughter in a house with a man who is dangerous to her children, and to me, that is the worst kind of neglect you can bestow upon a child. Not to mention, John (her mom's fiancé) goes out of his way to beat down on Lexi as much as possible, and when he finds himself out of steam, he's faking the role as the victim. It really sickened me to see this pushed upon not just Lexi, but her little sister and John's son too. Speaking of John's son... Lexi has the biggest crush on him. And oof. I think those feels have yet to recover. I've never really been on for that trope of step-siblings (even if they aren't yet step-siblings) falling in love. It's always kind of weirded me out when brought about in books, but with the way Downham brought it to light in her book, it made it seem different almost. Lexi really relied on her relationship with her step-brother, and I really felt that that was her relief. That that was her way out of the home she was stuck in. I mean, it is what started off this book, so it had to really develop throughout for it to keep the book going. And the way it was dealt with in the end made me really feel for our MC because it's never easy when one falls for someone and has to deal with the consequences. All in all, this book really stole my breath away. There were so many things touched upon and addressed, that it really all fell in a way that was acceptable in the end. Plus, it was an added bonus to escape from the lands of the USA for a little bit, as most books are now centered in. For that, I rate this book 4.5 stars. I look forward to what Downham releases next, and I'm excited to see the other reviews and thoughts on this book.
