The Furies

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Title :

The Furies / Katie Lowe.

Title:

The Furies

Author:

Lowe, Katie, 1987-

Format:

Books

Physical Description:

358 pages ; 22 cm

Edition:

First U.S. edition.

ISBN:

9781250297891

Production / Publication Information:

New York : St. Martin's Press, 2019.

Summary:

In 1990s England, at an elite boarding school connected to seventeenth-century witch trials, troubled sixteen-year-old Violet is drawn into a circle of friends dabbling in witchcraft to avenge wrongs done to them.

Language:

English

Geographic Term:

England -- Fiction.

Subject Term:

Paranormal fiction.

Revenge -- Fiction.

Boarding schools -- Fiction.

Schools -- Fiction.

Friendship -- Fiction.

Murder -- Fiction.

Witchcraft -- Fiction.

Holds: Copies:

Available:*

Material Type	Library	Call Number	Item Barcode	Location
Book	Searching... North Andover - Stevens Memorial Library	F LOWE	31478010133495	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Boxford Town Library	FIC LOWE	32115002075362	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Chelmsford Public Library	FIC/LOWE	31480011304794	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Dunstable Free Public Library	LOW	32118001007436	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Georgetown Peabody Library	FIC LOWE	32120001287075	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Hamilton-Wenham Public Library	FIC LOWE	30470001763548	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Haverhill Public Library	FIC/LOWE K	31479006788417	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Lawrence Public Library	FIC LOW	31549004782685	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Littleton - Reuben Hoar Library	F LOWE, K	39965002165651	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Lowell - Pollard Memorial Library	FIC LOWE	31481005414599	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Newbury Town Library	LOW	32127001229593	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Newburyport Public Library	FIC LOWE K	32128003806669	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Tewksbury Public Library	FICTION LOWE	32132003169318	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Westford - J.V. Fletcher Library	F LOWE	31990004823733	Searching... Unknown

Bound With These Titles

On Order

Summary

This page-turning, harrowing debut is the story of a girl trying to fit in, whose obsessive new friends and desperation to belong leads her to places she'd never imagined...dark, dangerous, and possibly even violent.

"Fans of Greer Macallister, Paula Hawkins, and Janelle Brown will devour Violet's journey." -- Booklist

~~~

In 1998, a sixteen-year-old girl is found dead.

She's posed on a swing on her boarding school's property, dressed all in white, with no known cause of death. Whispers and rumors swirl, with no answers. But there are a few who know what happened; there is one girl who will never forget.

One year earlier: a new student, Violet, steps on the campus of Elm Hollow Academy, an all-girl's boarding school on the outskirts of a sleepy coastal town. This is her fresh start, her chance to begin again in the wake of tragedy, leave her demons behind. Bright but a little strange, uncertain and desperate to fit in, she soon finds herself invited to an advanced study group, led by her alluring and mysterious art teacher, Annabel.

There, with three other girls--Alex, Grace, and Robin--the five of them delve into the school's long-buried grim history: of Greek and Celtic legends; of the school founder's "academic" interest in the occult; of gruesome 17th century witch trials. Annabel does her best to convince the girls that her classes aren't related to ancient rites and rituals, and that they are just history and mythology. But the more she tries to warn the girls off the topic, the more they are drawn to it, and the possibility that they can harness magic for themselves.

Violet quickly finds herself wrapped up in this heady new world of lawless power--except she is needled by the disappearance of a former member of the group, one with whom Violet shares an uncanny resemblance. As her friends' actions take a turn for the darker and spiral out of control, she begins to wonder who she can trust, all the while becoming more deeply entangled. How far will these young girls go to protect one another...or to destroy one another?

Reviews (4)

Publisher's Weekly Review

Lowe's powerful and atmospheric debut features a troubled young woman who becomes entangled in witchcraft and murder at a private British all-girls school. Soon after starting at Elm Hollow Academy, teen Violet Taylor falls in with Alex, Grace, and their chain-smoking, impossibly cool ringleader, Robin, and begins drinking, shoplifting, and taking drugs. She especially bonds with Robin and joins an exclusive study group where the girls explore the "great women of art and literature," including the rumors that Elm Hollow's founder was a powerful witch. After Violet is sexually assaulted , she and her friends perform a dark revenge ritual involving animal sacrifice. When the brutalized body of student Emily Frost, who was missing for months, is found in the elm in Elm Hollow's courtyard, the girls pin her murder on the dean, leading to further shocking violence. Lowe's sinuous prose weaves a disturbing tale of friendship, obsession, and revenge, and readers must decide whether Violet is a trustworthy narrator. Those who thrill to dark coming-of-age tales with a dash of the uncanny will find much to enjoy. Agent: Juliet Mushens, Caskie Mushens. (Oct.)

Kirkus Review

Four troubled teenagers study witchcraft, female rage, and revenge at a private girls high school on the outskirts of a seaside town in Britain.When 16-year-old Emily Frost is found dead at Elm Hollow Academy, new girl Violet Taylor is thrilled to get a look at the body, which is clad in white and seated upright on a swing with its eyes open. At school, Violet and her three friends, Robin, Alex, and Grace, become the favorites of arts instructor Annabel, who adds classic stories of revengeful women throughout the ages to their secret lessons. Robin introduces Violet to shoplifting, marijuana, drugs, wine, and Tom, a university student. Tom rapes Violet, propelling the four girls into a ritualistic act intended to harm him. Dark woods, dead flowers, candles, a church graveyard, knives, a stolen vial of deadly nightshade, and other well-chosen details weave a subtle, persistent, and unmistakable creepiness into Violet's story. When the dean of students, Matthew Holmsworth, makes Violet his private research assistant, she discovers what he believes really happened to Emily. Violence, betrayal, and abandonment result. Violet is then forced to choose what kind of girl she is going to be and figure out how far she'll go to make sure "the cruel and rotten bliss" of her obsessive friendship with Robin never ends.Murder and witchcraft mix with a heady cocktail of drugs, booze, and revenge in this elegant, pitch-perfect coming-of-age story. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Booklist Review

With its neo-Gothic architecture, imposing bell tower, and tucked-away location, Elm Hollow Academy has long inspired rumors. Centuries ago, witch trials took place on the school grounds, and more than one faculty member has been interested in the study of the supernatural, both practical and academic. New student Violet, 16, falls under the school's spell immediately. She befriends a peculiarly close-knit group of girls, prone to whispering in the hallways and holding secret meetings. Violet soon learns that the girls share a dark secret and is drawn into their orbit after supplying some secrets of her own. Lowe's dark, suspenseful debut combines the teenage sisterhood of The Craft and Emma Cline's The Girls (2016) with the violent schoolyard vengeance of Heathers. Poetic, lurid prose captures the girls' teenage self-possession, while a heady swirl of adolescent hormones, drugs, and alcohol adds a layer of distortion to the plot. The pacing swings between languid and rapid fire, adding to the off-balance feel of Elm Hollow. Fans of Greer Macallister, Paula Hawkins, and Janelle Brown will devour Violet's journey.--Stephanie Turza Copyright 2010 Booklist

Library Journal Review

DEBUT With a history of burning "witches" at the stake and rumors of men dying by the dozens for harming women, mystical Elm Hollow Academy's art teacher forms a secret society of four art students to discuss feminism and culture. Violet, still reeling from the sudden loss of her father and younger sister, is the newest recruit, who immediately forms an unhealthy strong bond with the vivacious and drug-obsessed Robin, who is emotionally unstable after her best friend Emily was murdered. Violet and Robin decide to dabble in magic to seek revenge for those who have wronged them, and soon multiple men are found dead. One final question remains: Were the deaths the result of witchcraft, bloodthirst, or coincidence? VERDICT Drugs, sex, magic, and murder infuse this quick-paced read that will entertain teen and adult readers alike, weaving multiple layers of deception. While the characters are not quite fully developed, the relationship dynamics help form a solid story.--Chelsie Harris, San Diego Cty. Lib.