I haven’t been doing a great job keeping up on writing book reviews for a few weeks, so this one is very overdue! But I received an eARC of Foul is Fair by Hannah Capin from Wednesday Books and NetGalley. Why am I not surprised that the publishers of Courtney Summers have given us another kickass girl-centred revenge plot? This time it’s loosely based on Macbeth, but even if you aren’t aware of or don’t care for the Shakespearean allusions, it’s still a captivating story of violence and revenge. For the first chapter or so, I was nervous I would end up hating it—Capin’s style is definitely distinctive here—but eventually I surrendered myself to the prose.

Content warnings for the book/discussion in this review: rape/sexual assault, violence/murder, scene that depicts transphobic bullying.

Elle and her friends crash a prep school party, and several of the popular boys at that school target Elle for rape. She responds to this by transforming into Jade, an avenging queen of a coven of witches—Mads, Summer, and Jenny—who together will bring down this group of boys in the bloodiest fashion possible. Jade transfers to the prep school and rises through the popularity ranks, courting an up-and-coming golden boy—Mack—and plotting murder.

One’s enjoyment of this book will depend greatly, as I intimated above, on how one feels about the prose style. Capin’s description and dialogue are lyrical in a way that probably is a nod to the story’s dramatic origins. Narration itself is sparse, exposition even more so. Although nominally told from Jade’s point of view, the only real glimpses into her mind we are allowed involve her thoughts on her revenge plot. We learn remarkably little about Jade as a person, because for the duration we’re entangled with her, she is a creature consumed by her need for revenge. Other exposition is delivered almost like an afterthought.

Honestly, though? In any other book I probably would have ripped this choice apart. I love novels because I love straightforward prose. That might make me boring, but it’s a subjective aesthetic! So take this for the high praise coming from me that it is when I say Capin makes this style work for me. Similarly, I reserve the label “cinematic” for very few books, because I don’t visualize when I read. Foul is Fair is undeniably cinematic. The pacing and expository style make me think of those movies where you start off having no idea what the hell is going on, but there’s a lot of flashy and glittery costumes and perfect white teeth and teens drinking, and eventually you grasp the plot. Again, I don’t normally enjoy those movies, but something tells me I could enjoy that kind of movie if it were Foul is Fair.

This really is a horror story, when you get right down to it. It’s a horror story where we’re on the side of the monster. It’s so interesting, because almost certainly that wasn’t Shakespeare’s intent when he wrote Macbeth, yet Capin has managed to take that kernel of an idea and turn it into this sympathetic murder plot, and I really like it! Morality is really ancillary here to Jade’s need to punish the boys for what they did. She doesn’t just kill them: she nefariously manipulates another person into doing the work for her in brutal and fantastic fashion. And it’s very hard to look away—yet I kept finding myself taking breaks because I was just so exhausted by the intensity!

Also, given my newly out status, it behoves me to mention: trans character! I appreciate how Capin almost casually drops in the fact that Mads is trans without making too big of a deal. There is a flashback that depicts some bullying Mads experiences after coming out in middle school, which I assume is meant to demonstrate Jade’s fierce and violent loyalty to her coven. However, I really do like that Capin doesn’t reveal Mads’ deadname even though Jade certainly knows it—there is no reason for Jade to share that with us. She just says “Mads’ deadname” wherever necessary, and it works very well.

I don’t want to spoil the ending, but I will say that Foul is Fair maintains its pace and adrenaline throughout the book. I was not disappointed.

Wednesday Books reached out to me a little while back to participate in the Foul is Fair blog tour and I was very excited to be working with them again! This book is what I would describe as Heathers meets Macbeth, in the best ways possible. It's very graphic and gets very dark at times, so it's definitely not for certain groups of people. Also good to note that this book has a hefty trigger warning at the start because it deals with issues like sexual assault, transphobia, violence and more. So, if you are planning to pick this book up, make sure you read that warning and heed anything that may not be safe for you to read!

It’s safe to say I loved this book. This was a fantastic blend of the classic Shakespearean Macbeth plot but mixed in with Heathers vibes. It’s not a spoiler to say that this book is filled with death. That’s pretty much implied by the mixture of these two sources of inspiration, but at the heart, this book is about revenge.

Elle is a deeply hurt girl, and she channels all of her energy into the blinding rage she feels after being sexually assaulted at a high school party. The characters all feel kind of caricature-like, mainly because it’s fairly easy to see that they are embodying the tropes provided in the source materials. I had a couple of funny epiphanies while reading about where the Heathers comparisons come in… but I don’t want to ruin those for you. It was fun and frightening and a little disturbing to read about everything Elle does. But in the end, I would definitely recommend this book to someone who loves Macbeth or Heathers (or both). I’ve never read a YA book quite like this, and you may not have either. Go check it out!

Thank you for the opportunity to read this. I will be posting a full review to Goodreads, Amazon, and Instagram.

I am uncomfortable rating this because I am not someone who has ever been sexually assaulted. That being said, I did not like the route the characters in this book took to get revenge for the main characters rape.

The main character Jade had such a distinct voice. I really enjoyed the dark and violent descriptions we got from her point of view. Her way of seeing the world was super fascinating. Driven by revenge she totally went the distance and I loved every minute of it. She didn't shy away from her revenge plan or eventually change her mind like many other stories I've read. She stayed the same pretty much from the beginning. Even though she had major flaws as a person she was still a character I could root for. She was vain, ruthless, and a little psychotic, but all of it was highly enteratining. Her ability to read people well enough to get them to do what she wants was a lot of fun. I do wish I'd gotten to know more about her before her need for revenge took over her entire life. I really appreciated how supportive her parents were.

Despite Jades relationship with her close group of friends feeling codependent at times, I still liked how she could depend on them for anything. I love the whole Im the type of friend who will help you hide a dead body. Each girl had their own personality and backstory. I don't know if Jennys character was needed since she didnt add much to the story, but I didnt actually mind her unlike Summer who I found too pushy. Mads was the type of friend to see through your bullshit and call you out on it, but will have your back no matter what. I connected the most with Lilia, the queen bee at Jades new school. Some of the characters actions didnt always feel realistic, but maybe that's because they just weren't something I could relate to. The characters still felt real enough for me to picture them as individual people though.

This story was definitely more plot than character driven. It was dark twisted blood bath and I had a whole lot of fun reading it. The gripping plot filled with one murder after another kept me engaged from start to finish. I loved all the scheming and how the main character planned out her revenge. She took her time and played with her targets, inflicting as much damange as possible before killing them off. I do wish I hadnt seen the twist coming from a mile away. Maybe a little less forshadowing or more misleading would have helped. I also think an epilogue after everything was said and done would have been nice, but I don't mind open ended conclusions. Im glad the story focused on the revenge portion over describing the sexual assault. It happens right at the beginning, but it isnt shown in detail. The flasbacks still had an emotional punch without being graphic.

The story takes place at a rich catholic private high school. The life of the rich and spoiled gave this a gossip girl vibe, but with a shit ton of murder. The mention of coven in the summary had me believing this was going to have more magic than it actually did. I think the girls turn into birds at some point, but Im not sure if it was just in the main characters mind or if it was some kind of symbolism. I loved the message that trauma doesn't have to change someone. They can take that power away from their abuser and be like I wont let you break me or turn me into something I wasn't already. It just really resonated with me personally. I would recommend this if you love revenge stories where the main character doesnt have a change of heart, but actually rips their enemies to shreds.

I was extremely lucky to receive a digital ARC of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This in no way affected my opinion of the book or the content of this review.

I don't even know how to go about reviewing this book. I definitely didn't like it, but I don't know if anyone could "like" this book - they might love the girl power, or girls getting violent, bloody revenge against disgusting rapists, but I don't think anyone will read this and say "Wow, that was a fun and happy story that I enjoyed reading."

But it's more than "this book wasn't fun to read." I had trouble getting into this book because it was all over the place. It was realistic, but the writing was so over-the-top and sometimes lyrical, sometimes bleeding purple, that it was difficult to take it seriously sometimes.

This book was also a wonderful example of female revenge and rage , but also bordering on misogynistic? Protagonist Jade judged every girl that wasn't her friend, and she was the kind of mean girl I am SO tired of seeing in media - they don't seem powerful and in love with their friends & themselves, they're just needlessly cruel because they're rich and beautiful. It's hard to cheer them on when it comes to rightful anger and revenge when Jade thought so little of innocent and inconsequential people as well.

I didn't hate this book, but I really don't think I liked it. There are also so many triggers that it's ridiculous, and I don't know if the people who need this most (survivors of sexual assault) will be able to handle it, but at least there's a revenge adventure out there for them if they can handle it.

This book is definitely a new favorite of mine!

Hannah Capin's distinct writing style really emphasized the grotesquely beautiful nature of the story. The prose flowed so well and I found myself completely absorbed into the book. The characters are compelling, the betrayals cut deep, and the story itself is so empowering to read as a woman.

Words cannot describe how much I loved this, and I've definitely been recommending it to all my friends ever since.

I usually love a good retelling, so I was excited to read this modern-day version of Macbeth (one of my favorite Shakespeare plays). Elle and her friends attend a party thrown by some of the most popular boys at a local prep school - where Elle is assaulted by a group of boys who feel entitled to take what they want without a second thought or any remorse. Elle isn't going to let them get away with this, however. She's going to exact her revenge meticulously, picking the boys off one by one.

I really liked the idea of the storyline, but found the execution to be a bit over-the-top and unrealistic. I feel like the author could have found other ways for Elle to get her "revenge" that might have been more believable, and at times I found the writing style to be just a bit too...different for my taste. It had a very dreamlike quality to it - if, in the end, we found that it had all been a fantasy, I might have liked it a bit better. As is, it just didn't totally work for me.

This one was DARK! Seriously unbelievable plot with so much hatred and murder. The big issue for me was this definitely didn't feel like a YA book (I would not let my young teenager read this).

The plot was interesting, a girl taking revenge on the boys who raped her. Everyone who was involved needs to pay and not in the traditional way of going to the authorities, but by taking it to your own hands and killing everyone. Not only does she do it, she does it with help and what seems without anyone understanding what is happening.

The writing was so different, but so lovely. It kept me hooked and kept me going. I really enjoyed that. The descriptions, the feelings - they just jumped off the page. The character seemed very strong willed and purposeful.

However, that't where the good ends. I didn't find this relatable in any way. The rich families living a life of luxury, calling out "call my lawyer" whenever someone asks a question about the events. Being able to manipulate as these kids did, noone from adults being the wiser. Death being as common as the drinking parties. The parents allowing it, even though they knew of what was happening. All of that just seemed was there for the plot to be better and not closer to reality.

The big reason for this not feeling like a YA is the Triggers - there's a lot of discussion of murder, bloody and gory scenes, rape, attempted suicide, actual murder. All of that seems like a lot for a younger mind to process especially in one book filled with so much hate and contempt.

Many thanks to Wednesday Books & Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

Macbeth meets Mean Girls...only significantly more bloody? Sign me up. I'm not a big fan of Shakespeare, but I love diving into modern retellings. In fact, I really didn't know anything about Macbeth except for the quote "What's done is done." As I would make my way through Foul is Fair, I would read the synopsis of Macbeth to see how the story matched up to the original and found it to be an interesting reading experience.

I love a good vengeance story because it's a fictional way to deal with the injustices people face in the real world. It was exciting to see how true this would stay to the original story while carving its own path in 2020. The beginning of this story drew me in with the sharp writing style and aggressive characters. It was dark and edgy, something lovers of Sadie by Courtney Summers would likely enjoy.

My main issue with this story was the repetitive nature of the storytelling. Many lines were repeated so endlessly it started making the story feel tedious. There were certainly parts I needed to skim just to get to the next point of action. I definitely felt this story could have been cut down a bit or edited a little more to make the story as action-packed and exciting as it could have been.

Overall, Foul is Fair was very dark and at times entertaining, but in the end, it was overshadowed by the length and tiresome storytelling. Unfortunately, I can't pull out much more of a reaction to this book to share in a review. I wish the book had inspired me more but it was just another lackluster book to add to my list.

I didn't really connect with this book like I was hoping I would. It was good at times but slow and felt like there needed to be more.

The tone of this book made it really hard for me to read. I made it about 10-15% and DNFd it. I was really excited about it, but the way it started off just didn't work for me personally. I have seen quite a few positive reviews on Goodreads which shows to me this just isn't the right fit for my reading tastes. Just a sad case of...it's me, not you.

Ooo this book was something else haha, this was a retelling of Macbeth but for the new generation giving me full on vibes of heathers, mean girls, riverdale and a few other shows. This was a revenge filled and violent book.

Very dark retelling with characters that lots of people may dislike and some people may like, but for me this book was an okay book, in the middle ground as it was enjoyable but I wasn’t blown away by.

Going back onto my earlier point the characters for me I just couldn’t connect with unfortunately and I felt some of the characters were a little over the top/cheesy but that’s just my own opinion.

It’s a very unique book though I will say that :)

Thank you to Netgalley and publishers for sending me a copy of this book and I’m on the blog tour for this too

I’m going into this review feeling very conflicted about this book. Based on the synopsis, I was hooked. I The only thing I might love more than a good retelling is a revenge plot. Seems like a recipe for success. But this didn’t quite hit the mark for me. ALSO: SUPER TRIGGER WARNINGS ! the author has a great page that details all of the content that may be a trigger to readers, and it can be found HERE. I think this page is a great resource and should be viewed by everyone prior to reading this book or reviews. (I would love to see this from more authors!) Okay, just wanted to make that very clear from the start.

The way this book is written was hard for me to get past at first, and typically I don’t have an issue with POV’s, prose, or writing styles, but this one was odd for me. Once I was past that and was comfortable with it, I realized VERY quickly that to get through this book I would have to completely suspend my disbelief and try to just accept things, no matter how COMPLETELY UNBELIEVABLE they are. They become so far reaching that it gets TOUGH.

This book is dark, surreal, over the top, sardonic, and violent. It’s easy to say all of that, but it’s hard to express other things that kept me reading, like the strong bonds of female friendships that do shine through. It’s harder to describe the feelings one doesn’t want to admit they have. The author uses so many beautiful words to describe the pain and fear and sometimes it felt like she was describing emotions I didn’t even have a name for, but I could feel what the words were meant to convey.

The other thing that kept me reading was the fact that the content (rape, abuse, suicide, ect…) is all a very real part of our lives, especially for teens, whether in private or in social settings. That left me with the need to see how the story played out and how the author planned to wrap up all of the crazy things that happened. And I did like how it all ended, the ending was good!

This book does have a place in our world right now due to rape culture and the need to not feel like a victim. But at the same time, I wouldn’t want anyone taking away any ideas from this book on how to deal with that kind of trauma. On the other hand, I could see how this book might also get sympathizers who may have been through some of these experiences, and for some people, reading about things we have been through is cathartic and makes you feel not so alone. I am torn on this book, but I think it will be loved by many and hated by just as many, as anything with such controversial and sensitive topics does. But the author did not shy away from her words and goals, and I have respect for that.

What a freaking whirlwind! I don’t think there was anything that could have prepared me for my reading of Foul is Fair! I absolutely knew going into it that this was going to be all about a group of girls vengefully taking back the main character, Elle’s, power after she is sexually assaulted by a group of boys from another prep school...BUT DAMN, Elle pulls no punches! She is 100% here for vengeance the whole way through, no matter the consequences.

There is an element of surreality to this book that occasionally had me questioning some elements, but in the end, I could not resist cheering Elle on as she took down every single boy who erred in trying to make her powerless that night. She is a master manipulator and her group of friends are loyal to a fault, together they make up a team that no one can stand in the way of, and the boys at St. Andrews prep quickly find out they made a huge mistake.

I loved this story for its absolute badass cheer factor, it’s willingness to pull no punches and leave no one standing, but also its ability to show Elle’s trauma and vulnerability even when she was at her most powerful. This story packs a huge punch and it’s not always an easy read, but I enjoyed it immensely and sometimes you just need to see shitty people (and characters) get the punishment they deserve!

I received an electronic ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

3.5/5

Daaaammnnnnn. All the women in this book are terrifying. And I. LOVE. It.

Foul is Fair by Hannah Capin is a book about revenge, anger, justice and yes, even love. Elizabeth Jade Khanjara isn’t the first girl to be blinded by dazzling-smile boys during a party. Isn’t this first to be chosen by boys who live without consequences. But after the night they chose her, she vows she will be the last. And consequences will be had.

Jade is one of the most bad-ass girls I have had the pleasure of reading about. Her coven, her best friends, though, are truly my favourite. They remind me of my friends. The ones I would kill and die for. Their undying love and belonging to each other is the core of this book. The power of women who protect women.

I don’t usually read contemporary books, especially dark, heavy, revenge-full ones, but I’m glad I gave this one a go.
It was also strange reading about a society of privileged, rich people because somewhere in the world, a community exists like this. Where money and reputation rules.

Capin’s writing was really interesting and captivating. Though I did find it a bit confusing sometimes. Her writing is delicious though and I ate it all up hungrily.
She had a way of making you feel like Jade, like the world had wronged you and you’re just putting things back to right, and I felt all the more powerful for it.
I’m fortunate that I’ve never had to go through what Jade experienced. And I feel dumb even saying that I’m fortunate enough, as if I’m “lucky”, because this thing happens much too often that it’s inevitable you will know someone who has suffered sexual assault of any degree. And I love Capin for giving girls (and boys and everything between and beyond) back some of that power that should never have been stolen from us in the first place.

Thank you Capin for this book full of strength and fierceness and power.

This powerful and lyrical book by Capin takes on the culture of toxic masculinity through protagonist Jade and her coven of equally strong female friends. This book tackles complex themes of sexual assault woven in a revenge narrative.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.

Foul is Fair, written by Hannah Capin, will push your boundaries, it certainly pushed mine in many ways. This story is savagely dark, ruthless at times but also shows the vulnerable side of young women and highlights the fantastic bond that women can have with each other. Vengeance is the central theme and is woven into every part of this story. Dark, manipulative revenge propels this book and keeps the reader on the proverbial cliff edge, wondering what will happen next. It did take me a while to gain my reading stride, the writing style being a mixture of prose and poetry. I found this style of writing a bit wordy and distracting at times, but it certainly added an artistic visual picture of what was going on in the book. I liked that the story is told using part dialogue from all the characters and part inner monologue from the main character Elle/Jade. I felt that it gave an authentic voice to all the characters.


The story is over the top and hugely exaggerated, but maybe it needed to be like that to highlight the real-world issues and taboos this book throws at the reader. Foul is Fair delves into some very dark subject matter, including, but not limited to, sexual assault, peer pressure, bullying, physical violence, substance abuse including drinking, and marijuana use, and other types of substance use. All set within the halls of the hierarchies of high school.
(This is the link for content advisory page from Hannah Capin http://hannahcapin.com/foulisfair)

Without going into too much of the story, Elle and her “coven,” which includes her three best friends, Mads, Jenny, and Summer, crash a St. Andrews party on Elle’s sixteenth birthday.

“Tonight Jenny and Summer and Mads and me, we’re four sirens…”

That night everything changes for Elle, the night she becomes Jade. These group of girls is so tightly bound together that they will do absolutely anything for each other, and I do mean anything. I do like that the author did not make these girls perfect. These girls are spoiled, rich, and intitled and, at times, are not the most admirable group of girls.

“…how to make boys think we want them, so then they want us, too. How to make them do anything we say.”

Now on to the most horrid evil group of boys on the planet. These boys, too, are rich, spoiled, and entitled. However, what makes them extremely dangerous is they know that no matter what they do, they are above the law. And their influential, affluent families will do anything they have to do to protect them.

“Duncan. Duffy. Connor. Banks. Four boys from the room with the white sheets and the spinning lights…”

Unfortunately, these boys didn’t recognize the storm they created that one fateful night. But they all came to realize that they picked the wrong girl.

Foul is Fair is a gritty unapologetic revenge story that will keep you turning the pages. This book is a fantasy portrayal of what a girl is willing to do when everything is taken away from her. I will say that this book is not for everyone, but I enjoyed it and would recommend it.

** Please note the quotes in my review are subject to change once the book is published**


*** I kindly received this galley by way of NetGalley/publisher/author. I was not contacted, asked, or required to leave a review. I received no compensation, financial or otherwise. I have voluntarily read this book, and this review is my honest opinion. ***

This book was fine. I enjoyed it more than The Dead Queens Club but it still wasn’t something that I’d ever read again or purchase.

Although it was an extremely hard book to read at times, and I understand why it's not for everybody, I think it's an import book to read, especially if it makes you uncomfortable or angry. It's one of those books which deserves to be read by everybody who can handle the trigger warnings.