The premise sounded interesting. It seemed like a contemporary retelling of MacBeth. However, it was a hard read for me. There were many graphic images that made me uncomfortable.

Less than 5 stars because there were multiple times in the book where metaphors, similes and the like, distracted from the book instead of adding to it. There were too many times where I could barely tell what was going on because of so many dramatic and "fancy" ways of saying something simple.)
The ultimate YA Femme Fatale.!
Why is this so good?! and perfect?! The ending was everything I needed. The entire book was everything I needed! It reminds me of movies such as I Spit On Your Grave or A Promising Young Woman.!
I love that this book and author are so unapologetic about seeking revenge. Letting revenge be more than just a fantasy.

Foul is Fair is a modern, refreshing retelling on Macbeth that will make you want to cut all your hair off (think Mia Wallace in Pulp Fiction) and kill a man. This book oozes sweet vengeance in such a badass way that, even though you know what Elle is doing is terrible, you still can’t help rooting for her to the very end. She’s a spitfire, a hellion, a goddamn sorceress, and watching her weave her way through these boys’ lives is utterly fascinating.

The subject of this story is extremely heavy: Elle goes to a party one night where she is raped by four boys from another school. But Elle isn’t like the other victims; Elle wants to extract revenge on the boys who tried to ruin her life, and she has the means and power to do it. If you know the story of Macbeth, you can probably guess where this is going. If you’re like me and aren’t familiar with Shakespeare’s works, you’re in for an insanely wild ride.

There were, admittedly, times I felt a little overwhelmed by all of the characters, as we’re introduced to everyone very early on and all at once. It was hard to keep track of who was supposed to be dating who, who was second-in-command, etc. Truthfully it only really got easier once the body count in this book started to rise, but I was also okay with that because it showed how disposable these other characters were to Elle. She was truly the main character and shining star of this story.

I absolutely loved the way this story was written. The prose is gorgeous without being pretentious or confusing. Elle’s first person perspective gives us all of these eerie, beautiful lines like, “[My parents] want me to be a doctor. I want to be the queen” or “I am a queen in a golden crown and a dress the color of blood, holding death in my hands” or “she is life, but I am death.”

I loved all the references to royalty in this story, giving it a true homage to the story its reimagining. One couple is the king and queen of the school, with their friends patiently waiting for them to be knocked off their pedestal and for it to be their turn. There are lines like, “We were […] wearing our shiny new crowns before anyone else knew a monarchy was coming. We were glossy red-lipped victory.”

Foul is Fair is a haunting, surreal story about a girl who refuses to be silenced, who refuses to become a victim. Elle rises from the ashes of her old self and creates a maddening, gore-filled story that has us giving her a screaming, standing ovation.

Such a unique, accessible spin on the classic Macbeth. Teaching at an all girl high school, my students would have loved to read this modern day rendition of revenge and greed. One of my favorite reads of the year!

Due to the author's weird anti IP stance, I will not be reading this this novel. Author's who write Intellectual Property based novels are just as valid and deserving as authors who don't. Also this book is literally based on Shakespeare so that's pretty pot calling the kettle black.

DNF AT 22%. Unfortunately I could not get into this book. I found myself not paying attention and wondering who was who because I kept forgetting all their names. So many characters, lots of boring repetition, so much silly drama. This book wasn't for me.

This book was like a hard punch that takes time to recover. Going by the reviews, I thought it would be a simple revenge story. But OH.MY.GOD. The writing was so amazing and this was an intense, bloody, gore-filled and crazy story that left me haunting for days. I have never read Macbeth but I knew the basic and this feminist retelling of Macbeth blew me away. INTENSE is definitely the word to describe this book. It is twisted but leaves you feeling...powerful?! The main theme of the story is sexual assault, rape culture, and violence and this book dealt with these in a pretty hard way. So please read this when you are in the right mind to do so because it soon becomes dark.

Elle goes to a party with her three best friends on her sixteenth birthday but the golden boys of another school, known as St. Andrews Prep, choose her as their next conquest. But she denies being a victim. She and her friends plan to take revenge, for her rape, on their own and stops at nothing. They aim to destroy them all. I couldn't stop wondering how unwaveringly supportive Elle's friends were. That group of girls themselves were horrible but their friendship was something unchallenging. They believed in Jade (Elle) and her murderous revenge plan and supported her at every step.

This is not for everyone, as all won't be able to suspend their beliefs to read about a group of girls set for murderous revenge. Because girls can't be that cruel right? But why not? Look at the world today, all that is happening to girls. Why can't this be a reality? Of course, in reality, to imagine such a story would be catastrophic, but again, I can't help myself but feel how privileged men are.

This is a story of taking things into your own hands when you know that even the justice system will fail you. How many rape accusers get the punishment they deserve? And how many cases don't backfire and blame the women instead? How many of those women are still alive, not eaten up by fear and trauma? Foul is Fair takes justice into its own hands and deliver revenge by not letting go the men of that crime unpunished.

Foul is Fair is pretty dark but the writing reads like a classic and will leave you mesmerised. This story is not for everyone but if you do decide to read it, keep an eye on the content warnings.

Unfortunately, I had to DNF this title, as I could not get into the writing style and I knew it would not be fair for me to continue reading it knowing I would not like it. I think the concept has a lot of potential, so if the writing style is up your alley I definitely think it would be worth it to pick up!

Not a fan. It seemed more problematic than helpful, as the main character relishes hurting other people, and I don't mean just her attackers.

Foul is Fair was a refreshing twist on Macbeth.  The story reminded me so much of the movie Heathers.  The dark satire of the writing and characters.  Although there are trigger topics (sex, sexual assault) I’m glad that it wasn’t discussed in graphic detail.  The main characters Elle, Mads, Jenny and Summer are the party girls looking for a good time.  They decide to crash a party and after an assault takes place the crew decides to right the wrong and starts a revenge spree.  I must say that some of the scenes were a tad bit violent for me, but that aside I thought the story was well written and I liked the underlying messages that were implored on the reader.  The subject of bullying, drinking, assault and peer pressure are real life issues that should be talked about freely, I think the author really made you think with this book.

I gave this book a second chance after having to put it down, and unfortunately, my thoughts are the same. I could not get into the writing. I love retellings, and with the heavy topics discussed in this book, I was hoping it'd be more poignant. THank you, NetGalley for the chance to review it.

DNF. Thank you NetGalley and Publisher for this early copy! I decided to not keep reading this one, it was not for me. Thanks!

I really did not see Foul is Fair by Hannah Capin coming.  It was so good but in a completely unexpected way.  Well unexpected for me that is.  I love a good anti-hero, and Jade is exactly everything I love.  

Foul is Fair by Hannah Capin is smart, funny, dark, twisty, gripping, and highly entertaining.

This book was terrible. None of the characters were likable or someone you would route for. The whole revenge plot line was just ridiculous and sets a bad example for people who are going through or who have gone through what Jade did at the beginning of the book. It is unrealistic that all of these characters would do whatever she tells them especially considering they just met her. Her original three friends are just as bad as her and have no redeeming qualities. They are all pretty similar personality wise to Jade. Although it does imply that one of her friends is trans and another is a lesbian or possibly Bi. However, it hardly seems like good representation considering how despicable every character in this book is.

The writing style was irritating when a conversation was happenng. Each character was say something and it would be followed by that characters name and then said (i.e. Jade said, Summer said, etc).

It was also supposed to be a retelling of Macbeth but honestly if I hadn't read other people's reviews that said so I wouldn't have made that connection at all.

I never like to give bad reviews, but sometimes I just can't help it. There wasn't much about this book that I liked. The content and storyline was so far out of my comfort zone that it took everything I had to finish the book. I did not like anything about the characters and they along with the story just upset me. It was a very dark subject matter that I would have rather not read. Since I was given this title for an honest review, I finished the book, where if it hadn't been for that I probably would have given up very early on. Thank you, NetGalley for the eARC.

content warnings for sexual assault, rape culture, abuse and attempted suicide (handily these are listed in the book, but they bear repeating.)

this was a gritty, addictive title centering around female agency and reclaiming your girl power. i believe this is a retelling of sorts of macbeth, and it holds true in its darkness and despair and the themes of power and guilt. the storyline and characters are engaging, if a little predictable at times, and the female relationships in this book are what make it so special and compulsively readable. the writing is beautiful and poetic and weaves a captivating tale of revenge. i definitely enjoyed this one!

What an absolute gut punch of a book. Intense, heartbreaking, and even though I shouldn't, I cheered on Jade and her coven. The Macbeth references are clever too, as well too heavy handed or caught up in fitting the plot to the play. Just a powerhouse.

2.5 Stars

I think for me, this one gets filed under beautiful writing and a great story, but just not for me! Or at least, not for me right now. For a late 2020 read (I'm so sorry it has taken so long for me to read this, but you know, 2020!) it was a bit too much. But I can't even say how grateful I am for the detailed content warnings. They were absolutely appreciated and it really helped to prepare me for reading. I can absolutely see why there are so many great reviews and ratings for this book, and I might even come back to it one day when I can fully appreciate it because there are a lot of really good things about this book! I'm so glad I had the opportunity to read it!

What a book. I could not put this down once I picked it up. It's a glorious Macbeth retelling that just revels in the blood it spills. It does lose steam about 2/3 of the way through, but that doesn't stop it from going all out at the end.

I received an advance digital copy of this book from the author, St. Martin's Press and NetGalley.com.  Thanks to all for the opportunity to read and review. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Foul is Fair is, in a word, dark.  Revenge and anger run fast and deep in this story.  These girls are fierce and are not messing around.  There are scenes of assault in the book that might be disturbing to readers.

5 out of 5 stars.  Excellent read.