Where do I even begin? Let's start with five deliciously bloody stars given to Hannah Capin's thrilling revenge fantasy novel Foul is Fair! My English major soul fainted when I found out it's a modern retelling of William Shakespeare's tragedy, Macbeth. Every sentence in Foul is Fair stole the breath from lungs. I could feel power radiating off Hannah Capin's words as she crafted a story for every girl who ever wanted revenge.

This book is written for the girls who have had enough. Golden boys beware: something wicked this way comes.

Jade and her friends Jenny, Mads, and Summer rule their glittering LA circle. Untouchable, they have the kind of power other girls only dream of. Every party is theirs and the world is at their feet. Until the night of Jade's sweet sixteen, when they crash a St. Andrew’s Prep party. The night the golden boys choose Jade as their next target.

They picked the wrong girl.

Sworn to vengeance after what they did to her, Jade transfers to St. Andrew’s Prep. She plots to destroy each boy, one by one. She'll take their power, their lives, and their control of the prep school's hierarchy. And she and her coven have the perfect way in: a boy named Mack, whose ambition could turn deadly.

Foul is Fair has prose so whimsical and manic I could feel the blood boil deep within my veins with rage from short sentences that felt like Jade stabbed a shiny knife in my heart. Or perhaps I should say she used a defibrillator because I've never felt more alive reading a book than I have reading Foul is Fair.

Hannah Capin makes evil thoughts look breathtakingly beautiful. After Jade is drugged and raped on her sixteenth birthday at the St. Andrew's Prep party, she becomes something more as she says, "I'm the huntress and she's the kill and she knows it now, too late to do anything....I am exactly the wrong way to be a victim." Jade develops an alternate personality: one that seeks vengeance of the murderous kind.

"You picked the wrong girl."

Readers watch as Jade morphs into this beautifully powerful and manipulative creature and they will love her for it. Her coven consists of Summer, Mads, and Jenny and they are right by Jade's side aiding her revenge plots. I love them even more as she describes them: "My beautiful coven. My flock, but instead of starlings they're falcons with wings that turn the whole sky dark." Jade instantly forgives them for leaving her alone at the St. Andrew's party because she needs their help even when she says she doesn't need anybody. I love her coven even more for being Jade's accomplices.

The courageous way Jade faces the people who sought to ruin her, body and soul, is refreshing. She had enough courage to stand up for the old Jade and all the girls like her by getting close to her enemies and watching their kingdom crumble from the inside. I especially love when Jade says, "It's a ruined kingdom that we rule but I wouldn't have it any other way." As a side note, I HAVE to tell you that the theme song for Foul is Fair is Royals by Lorde. I'm over here jamming to this song as I write this review and imagining a St. Andrew's prep music video featuring Jade standing under the Virgin Mary statue in the front hall surrounded by the flock-girls and all the people she's about to destroy.

Capin did a wonderful job making me feel shocked the entire book. At one point I was jittery, rubbing my hands together smiling over Jade's murderous rage but towards the middle of the book I was incredibly nervous and hoping she would stop this vendetta because it had gotten so far out of control. However, Capin is always there to remind you that Duncan, Duffy, Banks, Malcolm, Connor, and Piper had no remorse for what they did to Jade and what they did to other girls before her and the outcome of this tragic tale was inevitable but I would be a fool to reveal it to you now. You'll just have to go read it for yourself!

There's a lesson delicately wrapped up for us on a silver platter in Foul is Fair. Hannah Capin really focuses on the people who know enough of what is going on but do nothing to stop it. Seeing something bad happen right before your eyes and choosing to let it happen is the true evil in this story. Our choices to not help a girl who has been given a date rape drug, or someone being harassed on public transportation, it's negligent and it will lead to our downfall as the human race.

I'm going to let you in on a secret: I am extremely afraid of "innocent" bystanders. Those people that see bad things happen and do absolutely nothing. This immense fear takes over me even if I'm safe and cozy in my home, snuggled up with a book. A lot of bad things happen to good people and it's statistically proven that no one is going to help them. The thought terrifies me.

And it should terrify you, too.

Sending all my love and appreciation to Wednesday Books for inviting me to be a part of the Foul is Fair blog tour and granting me early access to read this book in exchange for an honest review and promotional activities!! I had a blast.

I wasn't a fan of this one. I wish I could say that I loved it but I didn't. I found a hard time connected with the story.

3.5 Stars

I’m a little late to the party on this one and didn’t get around to reading it before its Pub Day. But as I always say: better late than pregnant never. For those of you who don’t dip your toes in the Young Adult pond, Foul is Fair is what would happen if Macbeth had a baby with Kill Bill and Heathers. The result??? How very *wink*.

The story here is one of revenge after Elle goes to a party in order to celebrate her Sweet 16, is violated and comes out reborn as Jade. For those of you who are squeamish, please note no graphic details are provided and all atrocities happen off screen. That’s not to say this is a book for everyone. Those of you who would be triggered should be well aware this isn’t for you. The same goes for the writing. You’ll know right away if you are going to hate it.

This was a huuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuge winner amongst my friends. I think I need to admit straight up revenge stories just aren’t my jam. And when a shoutout to an old fave like Heathers is added to the marketing campaign I can’t help but hope for a bit of dark humor. This was a solid first experience for me with this author, but maybe my hopes were set a bit too high. I think I need to check out her first book – a high school version of Henry VIII and his six wives.

ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, NetGalley!

Foul is Fair
By Hannah Capin
5/5

TW: Rape, Murder, Suicide, Underage Drinking and Sex--this is a revenge fantasy to the extreme so protect your mental health!

I adored this book. There is an angry, feminist harpy within me that calls for the blood of entitled males like the cast of men in this novel, and watching them fall was like an exorcism, a pure moment of catharsis that was filled with power, rage, and justice. This book is a bloody and chilling retelling of Macbeth from the point of view of Lady Macbeth, if she were a 16 year old rich girl who was brutally gang raped at a party on her sixteenth birthday by a group of Lacrosse players from the local Catholic school. Utterly chilling I tell you!

The bulk of the story is the systematic takedown of all involved by our girl and her closest friends, her "coven." There is nothing remotely good about any of them excepting their unflinching loyalty.

They are killers and manipulators. They toy with people and hurt people. They don't usually get their hands dirty--they are the sort of girls who can get others to do what they want, even kill, even die. Most of the time, I would not be able to care about them if I found any of them in another setting, but because of what happened, I was cheering them on.

The book itself is written totally from the perspective of our somewhat unreliable protagonist, Elle-Jade. She's unreliable because she was drugged that night and part of the draw of the novel, the can't-put-it-down factor, is the lingering mystery of why gave her the drink. The discerning reader may guess, but I was left at least vaguely uncertain if I was correct until the big reveal.

The style of the writing is intriguing. In the best possible way, it reminds me of slam poetry. It is thoughts and actions and emotions all spewed out onto the page. I found it utterly readable but it is most definitely a style--and one not everyone may like. Reading it felt like an expression of trauma. It was beautiful but chaotic and broken. I could hardly put it down.

Another great aspect of the book is representation in the major characters. Our Elle-Jade is a POC. Her very best friend is transgender. Her other two best friends are lesbians or bi. There is a lot of representation from their group. The students from the Catholic school are by comparison, a homogeneous group of straight white guys and their girlfriends. However, the socio-economic distinctions are almost non-existent. These are rich, rich kids. They have yachts and mansions. They wear designer clothes, drink the best booze money can buy, and throw parties that cost more than my monthly rent. They are privileged.

The Coven themselves will appeal to fans of Maas' Thirteen. They are strong antiheroes and their wickedness is what brings justice. They are the furies. I loved their bond and their loyalty, even when it was strained. They are literally friends to help you bury a body, and I love that.

For spoilery details about the ending, lingering questions, my playlist, and more, check out my blog!
https://inkstainsanddust.wordpress.com

What a ride this was! I don’t really know what I was expecting when I went into this one and I think I enjoyed it that much more because of that reason! This story is weird and violent and suspenseful and I would watch the crap out of this if it were a TV show!

I really wanted to like this book. A novel about a girl taking revenge against her assaulters, inspired by Macbeth sounds utterly engrossing. And it definitely should have been. The storyline itself is interesting, and if I were to describe the way the novel unfolds from beginning to end to a friend, it would sound incredibly intriguing, thrilling, and interesting. However, reading the book itself was a slog and the well-crafted plot couldn’t make up for the so-so writing and lack of characterization.

I get the writing style that the author was going for her - sparse and startling, without much description or dwelling on the thoughts and emotions of the characters. I’ve seen this style pulled off well before, but it just didn’t work for me for this book. There were phrases and sentences that stuck out to me as being very striking and well-written, but it felt like there was no flow to the writing, just short staccato bursts of dialogue and bare-bones descriptions.

My biggest gripe with Foul is Fair and the one-dimensional characters. Every character in this book could be described with two adjectives, and it would cover their character from beginning to end. Jade/Elle is vengeful and sharp-edged. Mack is sweet but complacent with his friends’ crimes. Jade’s four friends (Mads, Jenny, Summer and Lilia) are completely interchangeable. There is no growth or development, even in the case of one character who theoretically underwent a huge transformation. I could get over the fact that none of these characters would exist in the real world, but at least make them fully-formed in this revenge fantasy setting.

Lastly, there are a couple things I didn't care for in the way the book handles sexual assault/rape. First, the crime is never reported, even though Jade tells her parents. Second, Jade looks down on the therapy that's offered after her assault, deeming it for the weak. Lastly, the phrase "they picked the wrong girl" is a refrain in this book, and it rubs me the wrong way. It gives me the sense that Jade is shaming other victims of sexual assault that didn't murder their assaulters.

All that being said, if you’re just in the mood for a manically plotted revenge fantasy and don’t give a hoot about well-crafted characterization, feel free to enjoy this wild ride. I've also heard good things about the authors' debut book, The Dead Queens Club.

This was a very intense read about a very serious subject: rape.

Elle, now Jade for most of the book, and her three best friends are the LA It-girls. Rich parents, living in Mansions and partying it up at 16years old.
Until the night everything changes and revenge begins.

It’s a modern retelling of William Shakespeare’s Macbeth. The first person narrative by Jade is to the point, not much extra story and no character development as everybody’s life ends within 6 days of begin of the book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ebook copy in exchange for an honest review.

A modern day retelling of Macbeth. Beautifully written. Paints a vivid picture. 4 stars! I found multiple color themes running throughout.

I had absolutely no expectations going into this book, but, hot damn, it was good. A group of teenage girls, one of who is seeking revenge on a group of teenage boys. At first, I wasn't sure I wanted to keep reading, but I'm so glad I did. Even if you haven't experienced what the main character did, I think all of us have wanted revenge and retribution at some cost. And Capin wrote this very well. It kept me hooked, and I wanted these girls to get their justice. Great read!


4/5 Stars

Plot: 4/5
Characters: 4.5/5
Writing: 5/5

Foul is Fair was a dark tale inspired by Macbeth about revenge after sexual assault and about survivors taking power into their own hands. It a was a raw, raging and visceral read.

On the night of Elizabeth Jade Khanjara’s sweet sixteen, she crashed a St. Andrew’s Prep party with her closest friends- Mads, Jenny and Summer. She became the target of a group of rich, privileged ‘golden boys’ who drugged then sexually assaulted/ raped her, thinking she wouldn’t remember, that they’d get away with it like they always did. But not this time. Because, although Jade’s memory of what happened was fragmented she remembered enough and she and her coven of friends swore to take every single person involved down.

Jade (our Lady Macbeth) didn’t want to be a victim or a survivor, she wanted to be an avenger. She was fierce and there would be consequences for anyone who crossed her or her friends. Her way of dealing with what happened to her was completely detaching herself from who she was before. She changed her name, dyed her hair ‘revenge black’ and became a new person, filled with rage. She targeted everyone involved- including the people who gave her the drink, who guarded the door, who stood by and did nothing- and transferred to St. Andrews Prep. Mack (our Macbeth) seemed to be the only member of their group who wasn’t involved and she exploited and amplified his hesitant ambition to pit them all against each other, manipulate their fears and make them meet their ends.

As a character, Jade was brutal. She revelled in exacting her revenge and wielding her power and she didn’t hold back. Her coven of friends were equally brutal and extremely loyal to one another. I liked their tight-knit friendship, how they could trust each other completely. In terms of Macbeth, they were like the witches, spreading toil and trouble and lurking in the background to ensure everything went to plan. The ‘golden boys’ were all on the lacrosse team and observed a strict ranking. Duncan was their ‘king’ and they were all abhorrent human beings, raping and assaulting girls at parties because they knew there would be no consequences for them- until Jade came along.

The writing style in the novel was unlike anything else I’ve ever encountered. It was disjointed, uncompromising and razor-sharp– at times extremely dramatic. I loved it and I think it worked really well with the story but I do think there will be some people who find it an odd and confusing style to follow, it’s just a matter of taste.

The reason I dropped a star was that many parts of the book were very unrealistic. In real life, I don’t think Jade’s plan would have worked out how it did in the novel. For example, the way Mack fell in love with her after a day or so and soon enough was willing to kill for her was very unconvincing.

I think the novel aimed to be as dramatic and vicious as possible to make a statement. Because while murder is never the answer, perpetrators of assault/ rape shouldn’t be allowed to escape justice, survivors and victims need to feel empowered not let down by the authorities. Another thing I liked was the message that there’s no right way of being a survivor and the people around Jade like her friends and parents were very supportive.

In conclusion, Foul is Fair was a ruthless tale about revenge, with social commentary on rape culture that made for a gripping read.

Macbeth has long been one of my favourite Shakespeare plays, ever since I first read it in seventh grade and got to play Macbeth in Act 3 of the play. The fact that this book is a modern retelling of Macbeth, but from the viewpoint of Jade, aka Lady Macbeth.

I loved how this book was translated into the modern world, with the revenge fantasy of Jade after she is drugged and raped at a party of a nearby prep school. She vows to get revenge on the boys that did this to her. I could recognize the similarities between the source material and this novel and I enjoyed when I saw a line or scene and how they related.

Unfortunately I just didn't really love the story itself. I didn't find myself connecting to any of the characters and just didn't fall in love the way that I hoped that I would. The writing style wasn't my favourite and I wish that I liked it more.

This was my first book by the author and I really enjoyed it. It took me a while to get into it. I tried physically read this book like 3 times before the release date but for some reasons I couldn't! Anyways I haven't read Macbeth yet so I can't tell u how acurate the retelling is. But I feel like it was really good.
Overall rating: 3.5/5 stars

Foul Is Fair is a book about revenge. About revenge from a girl that gets raped by a group of presumptuous boys that can do what they want because noone is going to stop them. It’s about a girl that fights back with the help pf her friends instead of breaking. This book is full of dark themes, blood and violence. It’s twisted and messy (both good and bad). It’s like nothing I’ve read before. And I still don’t know how to put my thoughts in order. I’m in no way able to write a coherent text. But I can still write a neat list about the things I enjoyed and the things I disliked.

WHAT I LIKED:
» Girl Power. This book is full of girl power. Mostly coming from Jade and her circle of best friends (lovingly called the coven). They’d do anything for one another (and do it) and would never let each other down. They don’t ask, they simply trust. And every single one of them is an individual source of power. I just LOVE powerful girls!
» Diversity – at least of some kind. I don’t want to label this book as a great source of diverse representation, but there are some diverse characters portrayed and I enjoyed this very much (though at least the golden boys of St. Andrew’s look all the same in my head).
» Scheming. Jade is a mastermind when it comes to scheming her revenge. She plots with an intense hatred but still keeps a cool head about it. Every eventuality is planned out. Every movement of everyone. The timing. At some points it feels like Jade is able to bend the nature and her surroundings as well, just so that everything goes as planned. And she is incredibly manipulative when it comes to executing her plans. It’s honestly remarkable how good Jade is at this.
» Darkness. I loved how dark the book was. Not concerning the topics (which are extremely dark), but how there was always a dark flow underneath it all. It would be wrong to say that it highlighted the important parts, but that’s exactly what the darkness did.
» Content and Trigger Warnings. I cannot stress this enough! I appreciate every single author that puts content and trigger warnings in their books. Every. Single. One. You can find a list of the warnings below!

WHAT I DISLIKED:
» The Style. I had some major problems with the writing style of the author. Some metaphors were too much for me and it took me quite some time to get into the writing style and until I figured out the flow of everything.
» Unrealistic parts. I’m not saying that the whole plot of the book is completely unrealistic and that none of this would happen outside of a book. The world is too fucked up for that. But some parts of the story just didn’t feel right for me. I won’t say anything so I don’t soil the book, but there were scenes that just didn’t sit right with me.
» Handling of the topics. I know, I know. This book is about revenge. That’s the whole point of the story and I don’t want to undermine that. And I am most definitely not saying, that the author didn’t handle the topics well. But I feel like Jade as the protagonists could’ve handled the situation better. Or at least different. I get that she wants revenge for what was done to her – completely understandable. But I just wish that she wouldn’t have been so dismissive when it came to reporting. I understand thtat if she’d done this, the whole plot wouldn’t have made any sense. But maybe not every reader likes this kind of display.

trigger warnings: sexual assault (not depicted), rape culture, violence, abusive relationship, suicide attempt, transphobic bullying (for more information visit the author’s content advisory page)

“Because they’re innocent, innocent, innocent as long as they tell themselves they are. As long as they can tell themselves we’ll remember and she won’t. Because to them it isn’t real and it isn’t wrong and that little whore with the jade-green eyes would never come for them.
Because that little whore with the jade-green eyes is no one at all.
Because she’s just a girl, alone and trapped and powerless with their hands locked over her mouth-
– and they’re the golden boys today and the whole world tomorrow.”

Sorry for the long quote, but I really wanted to start with it because it contains perfectly the essence of the book.
Foul Is Fair is a book about revenge, it’s about taking back power that men try to pry from us, it’s about a woman who won’t be a victim and takes justice in her own hands.
It’s about rich boys who thinks they have the world at their feet, and people that are too afraid to say otherwise.
It’s a war cry.
It’s talons ripping through boys' skins.
It’s claws scratching patriarchy’s face.

The story is really fast-paced, dark and violent. The reader follows Jade homicidal plan to destroy one by one the boys who raped her. She infiltrates their school, their group and makes the golden boy fall in love with her in order to make him kill them all.
The tone of the book is lyrical but the words are very colloquial and this creates a dualism that the reader needs to get used to. I have to admit that I had an hard time with that. But in the second half of the book, I found myself transported by the rhythm and unable to tear myself away from it.

The story is not the most realistic one, and it’s often over the top BUT it’s powerful and raw. I think that Hannah Capin consciously exaggerated various scenes and elements to make her message clearer. Besides, Macbeth was not very realistic, as well.

“Fair is foul, and foul is fair”

Foul is Fair is a modern retelling of Shakespeare’s Macbeth, mixed with Riverdale & Mean Girls. All of it basically screams Hollywood. It certainly would make a good movie, albeit an implausible one.
At the beginning of the book, I had an hard time, not only due to the writing style, but also for the implausibility of certain scenes (sometimes it felt like I was reading a Charlie’s Angels movie script).
Moreover, the swift and lyrical rhythm of the writing style has made the story very fast-paced but, unfortunately, has also rendered nearly impossible for the author to write deep characters. In fact, from the protagonist, to her coven & the doomed boys the characters stays all really cliché throughout the novel.

“We’ll be the witches they don’t believe in until it’s too late.”

All in all, the message and strange, lyrical style saved this book making it a powerful metaphor of revenge and empowerment.

Elle and her coven - Mads, Jenny, and Summer - are the epitome of cool at their private LA school. To celebrate Elle's 16th birthday, they crash a St. Andrew's Prep party where the golden boys of the lacrosse team assault Elle. She vows revenge and changes her identity to Jade. With the support of her coven, she transfers to St. Andrew's and works to destroy the boys who picked the wrong girl.
As Lady Macbeth, Jade ruthlessly plots the downfall and destruction of the St. Andrew's golden boys - Duncan, Duffy, Connor, and Banks. Mads, Jenny, and Summer are Jade's Weird Sisters and they support all of her machinations to take the boys down. These girls would do anything for each other and Capin stresses their unbreakable bond.
I'm not going to lie - there have been several 2020 releases that I was incredibly hyped for to only end up disappointed. I loved Capin's debut The Dead Queens Club (if someone from the CW or Hulu is reading this, please turn it into a TV show) and hoped I would equally appreciate Foul is Fair. It is not always an easy book to read given the subject matter but Capin expertly shows how golden white, wealthy boys are inherently protected by the systems that enable their power and predation. Jade's revenge is, sadly, one of fantasy for so many girls and women. At times, Foul is Fair moves too quickly but that's the point - Jade cannot rest or start to feel whole again under she gets her revenge.
Many reviews I've read highlight that Jade and her coven are not very likable; they're the prettiest girls and are too-cool-for-school. They remind me so much of the characters I watched growing up on Laguna Beach or The Hills; how are these teens real people? The Foul is Fair girls are fiction but exemplify the pressures teens face today: to be the prettiest, coolest, smartest, etc, etc. Never would I ever go through high school again. Irrespective of their relatability, the coven demonstrates the depths of their friendship and the lengths Summer, Mads, and Jenny will go to help Jade as they are literally accessories to murder. I think Capin's take on #MeToo should be disseminated widely to high school and college age readers. Not only does it seek to give courage to readers who have been Jade or are friends of Jade, but Foul is Fair also shines light on abusive relationships, women who perpetuate the patriarchy at the expense of other women, and believing women. Jade and the coven are unapologetic and unforgiving.

Content Warnings: At the beginning of the ARC, Capin gives content warnings and the link to more detailed information about them on her website. With regards to content warnings, I am a firm believer that knowledge is power. I wish more publishing houses would follow Capin's example.

Wow this book is dark and twisted. Foul is Fair is quite the revenge novel. This is not for the faint of heart. It is also sort of fun in a late eighties early 90’s girl power movie. The story is not super complicated, a teenage girl is sexually assaulted at a party and the girl and her friends plot to kill all the boys involved. The plot moves very quickly but there are a lot of unbelievable things that happened in this book. Like for example insta-obsession.

Foul is Fair attacks the male gaze. It flips the tables, giving women the power to control and manipulate. All of which I loved. This book is violent and scary and certainly is not for everyone. I liked that Elle/Jade was strong and vengeful. One thing I didn’t like was the coven. I understand the purpose of them, Jade needed accomplices. But they didn’t really add much to the story, other than questioning Jade. This did sort of take away from the girl power vibe I was getting.

Overall, I really liked this book. But I want to reiterate this isn’t for everyone and while it is young adult, I would only recommend this for the mature young adult readers.

I think this one is a real underrated 2020 YA release. Powerful and feminist, I really enjoyed reading Foul is Fair. This book didn't pull punches, and wasn't afraid to make some bold points. I didn't always love the pacing, but I felt invested in the plot and enjoyed most of the characters.

3.5

This book was craaazy!

So, the story is a retelling of Macbeth, and if you know anything about the play, you know that first and foremost, it’s a tragedy. And if you know anything about Shakespeare tragedies, you know that usually at least like four people die. Macbeth is no different. Pretty much all the characters die in this one.

Even knowing that and expecting characters to fall like flies, Foul is Fair was wild. Content warnings galore.

The book follows Jade, who, after being assaulted by a very distinct group of prep school assholes, exacts her revenge. In the most Shakespearean way possible.

I have to say, it’s glorious. Jade and her coven are complete, take no prisoners, armed to the teeth with wit and revenge badasses.

But the book is also kinda tough.

The characters kind of reminded me of Gossip Girl? Which, if you’re anything like me, you found to be addictively infuriating. So that’s a pro, I suppose. Although, while I’m on the subject of characters, I will say my con: some of the characters kind of blended together. They served their purpose, but it was hard to get a real character reading off of them. I’m thinking mostly of the boys: Duncan, Macduff, Banquo... and whomever the hell Connor was supposed to represent, if anyone.

Everything about this book is pretty solid. The writing, the plot, etc. But there were a few things that just weren’t for me. Idk. Maybe psychopath teenagers isn’t my thing. The pacing also felt super rushed. The assault happened and then like a week later, everyone’s dead. Maybe a week and a half. Not long at all. Some details also felt really convenient, but I won’t go into that much. No spoilers here.

Anyway, despite all the things that made me not completely love this book, I know it’s gotten plenty of rave reviews. So I suggest forming your own opinion! Recommended for badass bitches seeing revenge.

DNF @ 55%

Getting the trigger warnings out of the way: The book is about sexual assault and although it doesn't really happen on page and is not described explicitly it is very much present throughout. Jade will also often flash back to things the boys said to her as it was happening so if that is something that will bother you then probably give this a pass.

I like the concept for this book but the execution was all over the place, and I think the writing style is ultimately what made me not be able to finish it. The writing style isn't necessarily bad but this book is definitely like reading one of those prose-poetry books except instead of a few nice short poems it's literally over 300 pages of weird choppy dialogue and descriptions and it gets old very fast. I would definitely recommend looking at a sample of this if you are buying it online or reading the first few chapters if you are getting it in a store to see what you're getting into.

My other big problem, as I've seen several other reviews mention, is that I had to suspend way too much disbelief here for a contemporary novel. I mean she literally tells her parents she got raped and there is almost no reaction from them or involvement from them at all. She goes to this new school and takes over as head popular girl in like three hours and apparently also no one recognizes her from before because she cut her hair or something. She meets this random guy is like 'hey can you kill your friends for me, they totally deserve it' and he's just like 'lol sure'. None of this tracks.

Also none of the characters except Jade, Mack, and Duncan have any sort of personality. Jade's three friends are basically interchangeable, as are the popular girl clique and the sports boys group. Characters kept doing things and I would try to be like 'ok is that the one that did this before or this' and could not remember at all. I'm honestly not sure what this book even spent its page space doing because it wasn't building plot or characterization.

Also, and this is just a personal pet peeve, but I hated all the ~I put on my makeup and did my hair and it was my warpaint~ stuff and it was EVERYWHERE. I have nothing against anyone who likes to do their hair or makeup in real life but I hate this idea of 'oh I'll give it to the patriarchy by [spins wheel] conforming to their ridiculous beauty standards!' that is so prevalent now. I guess it kind of works here since she is going 'undercover' but there is a lot of talk about how they did this kind of thing before to 'control' boys etc.

And I know it's a Macbeth retelling so I guess you have to have 'Mack' there, but I just don't understand why Jade and her friends did not go after Duncan and his friends themselves. I mean I guess to remove themselves slightly from the situation, but it was so unbelievable that he would be involved that way and if this was supposed to be a revenge fantasy I think it would have been better for Jade to be getting that revenge more directly herself. Anyway, I think there was probably a good novella in here somewhere, but it got lost somewhere along the way.

Invited by publicist to blog tour, participated in author Q&A: https://yabooksdaily.wordpress.com/2020/02/12/blog-tour-foul-is-fair-by-hannah-capin-qa/