Alex Michaelides, a New York Times bestselling author, visited campus for his new book tour Wednesday evening. 

“The Fury” is a thriller novel set on an island in Greece, where the owner has invited her closest friends for Easter. Elliot, one of the attendees, who narrates the countless twists and turns. The group finds itself trapped on the island, and, through a battle of wits, a death occurs.

Michaelides said this book brought self-growth and knowledge to his life since the process was so different from his other books. For his previous books “The Silent Patient”  and “The Maidens,“ he knew the plot extensively before sitting down to write the book, but with “The Fury,” the plot came to him as he went. Michaelides said the book wasn’t in first person originally, but he decided to change it while walking on the beach and reciting the opening lines to himself. 

He said he thought this book challenged him as a writer, and he sought more enjoyment in the plot-making process than he had previously, even though it took longer to perfect.  

Michaelides said he feels that mental health can benefit from reading. 

“I think [reading is] really good because it allows you to inhabit someone else’s mind, you know, and I think that’s a hugely important thing to be able to experience what life is like for another person,” Michaelides said. “I think it breeds empathy.”

Quail Ridge Books, a local bookstore in Raleigh, helped organize this event. Its main goal is to promote new books, literacy and independent businesses. Free tickets were available to NC State students on a first come, first serve basis.

Kate Vogler, a first-year in exploratory studies, attended the event and is a fan of Michaelides’ writing. She said she enjoys finding a deeper meaning in the books she reads, even if it’s for leisure. 

“The structure of his writing is just so enamoring — the way he speaks to the reader through his writing is just insane,” Vogler said. “And the use of Greek mythology and Greek drama, tragedy, etc. and how he incorporates that into a story, but not so obvious, just makes the reader sit on the edge of their seat and want to read more and more. It’s kind of addicting.”

After the program, Michaelides took questions from the audience about things such as future writing plans and whether he sees himself in his characters. Afterwards, he sat at a table to sign and personalize books for those who purchased one. 

Rachel Kershner, a second-year studying business administration and international studies, said she was ecstatic about hearing from Michaelides. 

“Usually within the first 100 pages, I can know the ending,” Kershner said. “That’s how I am with a lot of mysteries, [but] this one [I] did not see it coming any way, shape or form. It caught me so off guard, and I loved that about his writing.”

Kershner said while typical nonfiction reading assignments are necessary for learning, students should read fiction as well in their free time.

“I really like reading fiction because I can tell I get lost in the story,” Kershner said. “I’m not so focused on the details and trying to remember the dates or the names or whatever it is, I feel like I could just get lost in the story and kind of just enjoy it for myself.” 

In his past, Michaelides was a screenwriter, but he said he didn’t find enjoyment in the process and outcomes of his work, so he decided to pursue another path. He has a history working in a psychiatric unit, which he said influenced his writing greatly. 

He said writing comes easier at first if you write what you know, which is why he wrote about a therapist in his first novel, “The Silent Patient.” Finding a niche in life can be difficult, but Michaelides said you should trust the process. 

“Just follow your heart; I think it’s a simple answer,” Michaelides said. “Yeah, things didn’t work out for me until I started doing stuff that I really loved.”

Vogler said attending events like this one can help someone gain a better understanding of the author and their experience writing the book, which adds to the experience of reading it. 

“Just getting to know the author of the book, [seeing] him in person gives you a whole new perspective as to why he wrote it,” Vogler said. “Like what drew him to write about XYZ and stuff like that, and after something really compelling that most people should experience.”

To find more events like this one, visit NC State University Libraries’ events page or the Quail Ridge Books website.