Review By Kayleigh
I adored this effervescent and fierce novel about women’s determination.
Favourite Quote:
“Scars fade, Lila. They get less noticeable, and in time you forget they’re even there. They become a part of you; eventually, you can’t remember what you looked like without them.”
Book Synopsis:
Lila Crayne is America’s sweetheart: she’s generous and kind, gorgeous and magnetic. She and her fiancé, visionary filmmaker Kurt Royall, have settled into a stunning new West Village apartment and are set to begin filming their feminist adaptation of Fitzgerald’s Tender Is the Night.
To prepare for the leading role, Lila begins working with charming and accomplished therapist Jonah Gabriel to dig into the trauma of her past. Soon, Lila’s impeccably manicured life begins to unravel on the therapy couch—and Jonah is just the man to pick up the pieces. But everyone has a secret, and no one is quite who they seem.
A twisty, thought-provoking novel of construction and deconstruction in conversation with the works of F. Scott Fitzgerald and told through the lens of the film industry, Sweet Fury is an incisive and bold critique of America’s deep-rooted misogyny. With this novel, Bischoff examines the narratives we tell ourselves, and what happens when we co-opt others into those stories; and she probes the blurred lines between victim and perpetrator and the true meaning of justice.
Review:
This book! As a first read of 2025, it was an excellent way to start the year off with a triumph. Part literary exploration of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s canon and our modern relationships with excess, glamour and its underlying darkness, part morally grey characters, unreliable narrators and a suspenseful plot, this book will draw you in and devour you.
Told between narratives from Lila Crayne’s point of view, both past and present, and therapy log notes by her therapist, Jonah, Sweet Fury dives into Lila’s rise to fame and the steps she took to get there. It also looks into the games people play to win: lovers, money, success and how far we will go to reason with ourselves that we deserve the win.
There is obviously a lot of Fitzgerald influence in the story: from the literal adaptation of Tender is the Night to the cast of characters in Lila’s life and their obsession with their roles in the world. If you’ve read some of his work, you’ll recognize the easter eggs scattered throughout. You don’t have to be a Fitzgerald expert by any means to enjoy the book (side note, you should read Tender is the Night because it’s excellent). Sash’s writing is gorgeous and lyrical and enthralling. You’ll feel like you’re partly in a Fitzgerald novel, and partly watching a movie. Her voice and character development are terrific, and her writing made a book that tackled some pretty big and serious topics easy to read. I couldn’t put it down.
Lila is a complicated and mutli-layered main character and I enjoyed trying to figure her out throughout the story. She’s smart, savvy and filled with a burning female rage. Without giving anything away, Lila’s devious plans for revenge on those who have wronged her in the past is fantastic.
This is a debut story from Sash, and I can’t wait for her to publish more. She is a talent to watch.
Thank you, Simon and Schuster Canada for the ARC in return for an honest review.
