This was totally outlandish and implausible and SO MUCH FUN.

I loved the writing style, it turned what could have been a ludicrous revenge story into an almost fairytale. Everything about it just worked.

This book surprised me in many ways. It was BLOODY and it was BRILLIANT. Can I just say BLOODY BRILLIANT? I applaud the execution of the references to Shakespeare's Macbeth!

I admit that I wasn't a fan of the author's previous novel but Foul is Fair, in my opinion, was more than what I expected. The writing style just fits the mood of the story and the voice of the character. I don't know what else to say that the premise had not already mentioned. Just note that it was MESSED UP. BUT WOW I ENJOY HOW MESSY IT WAS.

I'm a sucker for a complex revenge plot, and I'm also a sucker for Shakespeare, so Foul is Fair was one of my most anticipated reads. This story reframes Macbeth in the modern age, focusing on Jade, our Lady Macbeth, and her quest to kill the high school royalty who wronged her.

Content warning for rape/sexual assault, as it is a central catalyst in the story, though it is handled well and never lingered on in detail or visited in any light except for the trauma Jade is experiencing. After rich boys from the local private school assault Jade at a party, she reinvents herself with her coven (this book's Three Witches) in order to infiltrate their inner circle. As part of the plan, she romances Mack, the noblest member of the group, to gain his help in destroying the group from the inside.

Foul is Fair reframes Macbeth so the central story elements are present, but take on an entirely new light with Jade/Lady Macbeth at the forefront. The thriller-style execution kept me on the edge of my seat, but still retained enough of Shakespeare to feel like a brilliant homage.

I loved that Jade was an unapologetically angry, unapologetically vengeful protagonist. It was satisfying to see a woman get to be angry about her trauma with the support of her friends and family. Like many male revenge stories, Jade's desire and justification for revenge is never questioned, nor is her violence abhorred by the people who care about her. If you're looking for a female revenge fantasy, this is truly grade-A content.

The epitome of the wronged girl's revenge fantasy.

Honestly this story was freaking fantastic. This is a story of not only revenge, vengeance, perseverance, and indomitable self-confidence; this is a story of iron-clad friendship, of never letting your focus waver, of setting out on a course and seeing it through to the end, no matter what. Once I'd finished this novel all I could think was "This is a story for all the books where the girl is isolated, condemned, ostrasized, mocked, ridiculed, and just plainly not believed. This is a story for all the books where the guy(s) get away with everything. This is a story for all the books where the girl's life falls apart while nothing in the man's changes."

I loved every second of this book. I finished it in three days, and it would've been even sooner if not for work. This was a totally unique and original piece of fiction that completely satisfied me. I loved how brutal Jade was. She was absolutely unforgiving and unrepentant. She's the kind of anti-hero I want to read more about. And even better, her friends were behind her one thousand percent. They never tried to stop her or make her second-guess herself. They reality-checked her a few times, but otherwise they were completely behind her. That kind of friendship is so rare and so awesome to see.

I've only said this about one other ARC (Red, White, & Royal Blue) out of the dozens and dozens of ARCs I've received over the years: I absolutely want to / will buy a physical print copy of "Foul is Fair" when it's released. This is the book to turn to when you feel like some characters didn't get what they deserved. This is the book to turn to when you're feeling vengeful and hardcore. Phenomenal job!

Oh my goodness this book. I wasn't expecting anything like this. But it was captivating to read. The heroine is one of the strongest characters I've ever read about. She suffers so greatly and yet she fights throughout the entire story to take back what has been stolen from her. And I'm just shook in the best freaking way!

This one didn't work for me. This is a story about a girl who gets raped at a party by a group of boys at a different school and she takes revenge on them. Which I get....but I really had to suspend my belief for this. I have a hard time needing to suspend belief on a contemporary book, which is supposed to be relatable and believable. I had a hard time with the fact that she told her parents she was raped and they didn't react, at all. In fact, they were absent. I had a hard time with her showing up at this school in disguise and literally took over as a popular "queen" within 6 hours. I also had a hard time with her convincing someone else to kill all of his friends. Without much fight or conflict. It was just unbelievable to the point where I didn't enjoy it. Also, a ton of cursing. Which doesn't normally bother me, but this was excessive when it's for teens. Just not the book for me.

Rating: 3.5/5⭐️⁣
Rationale: Overall this was a quick YA read with a strong feminist story; but with it being such a niche “Shakespearian retelling”, I hesitate to recommend it broadly.⁣
⁣
𝗪𝐡𝐨 𝐈’𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐭𝐨: someone who is both a Shakespeare fan and a feminist, or someone who is looking for an abstract story that champions revenge. This book is marketed as “a retelling of Macbeth for the Me Too era” and the team who worked on that tagline really hit the nail on the head.⁣
⁣
𝗪𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞𝐝: I felt motivated to read SparkNotes prior to the book to refresh myself on the story of Macbeth and I highly recommend that strategy to anyone who is not familiar with Shakespeare, because it really added to my enjoyment of the book. Drawing all of the parallels and spotting the similarities was a fun, atypical aspect of this book that kept me engaged throughout. I’d also like to commend the author for her thoughtful content warnings at the beginning of the novel—the book was inclusive of LGBTQ+ narrative and addressed those themes with the utmost respect.⁣
⁣
𝗪𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐝𝐢𝐝𝐧’𝐭 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞: This book was a bit abstract and had fantasy/imaginary aspects that didn’t appeal to my personal tastes (e.g. the narrator referring to her coven, or to spreading her wings and “flying” over a scene). I think I’m too literal of a reader to enjoy that writing style.

I read this in one seating, wanting to continue on after I finished each chapter. I love the writing and the pace, but I'm sad that I really didn't care for any of the characters. When I thought I was close to catching character feelings it slipped away fast. I can't say that I was surprised on how everything played out, I guessed a 'twist' of sorts around 20% in and wasn't really surprised about how it all ended. It was good though and something I would definitely read again because I really did love the writing style and how fast paced it was. I will definitely read more from this author.

Imagine combining a Macbeth retelling with all the dramatics of teenage revenge film. I did not immediately fall as hard into this book, but once I really gave myself over to the writing style I read it as fast I could. This is dark, and there is a trigger warning here that should not be ignored. Following an act of violence, Jade and her coven/best friends set revenge against a group of privileged boys and they do not hesitate. This book is violent in a way that young women are rarely allowed to be violent. Jade's choice powers this novel and her voice pushed me through each chapters until I was at the end and sad to say goodbye to her. When I was reading, all I could wish is that this book had existed as a movie that I could watch while I was getting through high school and being forced to sit through man-centered story after man-centered story. It's completely feminist and dark and I enjoyed it, but please, please please read the trigger warning.

Thank you so much NetGalley, and St Martin's Press. This book was kick ass! I mean really kick ass!! Although yes, there is a trigger warning here as it does deal with rape.
I was reminded of twisted version of The Legend of Billie Jean mashed in with a little Heathers and that this book!

I absolutely loved this feminist Macbeth retelling! I’m a sucker for a revenge plot and evil people getting what they deserve. This story is pretty much Mean Girls meets Heathers. Jade and her “coven” plan to murder the boys who raped her at a party. This story is dark and twisted and may not be for everyone, but I was totally here for it. TW: sexual assault, rape, murder, ptsd, self harm.
ARC received by NetGalley and Wednesday books for honest review. Thank you!

This book was crazy and not for everyone. A lot f bombs and disturbing behaviors. 16-year-old Elle got gang raped and she is looking for revenge. Unfortunately, we hear stories like that in real life, and how quietly everything is swapped under the carpet. Interesting style and fast action.

*I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for a fair review.

If there is one thing I can say about this book, it’s that it’s definitely over the top, it was almost too much. This is a very triggering book, so this might not be for everyone, there is a trigger warning at the beginning of the book, so keep that in mind.

I’ve seen there have been a lot of positive reviews that have been coming out from people who enjoyed everything this book had to offer. I think I’m going to have somewhat of an unpopular opinion on this book, I just don’t think that it was a book for me, I didn’t connect with the characters the way I wish I wanted to. I can recognize that this was a well written and unique book, and I can see why others may have enjoyed it, it just wasn’t for me.

This is not a book for the faint of heart. This one is all sharp edges. The pages are blades and the words are poison. It is a blood soaked revenge tale that is relentless, uncomfortable at times (most of the times) but also shamefully entertaining. It can read a little disjointed but I think it was purposefully done that way. Definitely feeling those Shakespearean vibes and a more contemporary Heathers/Cruel Intentions (on steroids...and maybe like bath salts too lol). It's amped up and bloodthirsty and venomous. Maybe a bit too over the top but mostly in an enjoyable way. I'd like to read more by this author in the future.

That you St Martin's Press and Net Galley for the chance to review this arc. Where do I start with this book? It was a book about revenge (trigger: rape, murder, children), massive bloody ruthless revenge. And I get it, sort of. However, rather than rooting for the main character, I found myself hung up on the moral question of "two wrongs don't make a right." I get that sexual assault is horrendous and more people seem to get away with it in society, but I couldn't get on board with the fact that multiple murders were justified. Compound that with the fact that we are talking about 16-year olds, and I was just disturbed. In fact these teenagers seem to be the least-monitored group I've ever heard of. Compound THAT with the juvenile handling of murder scenes - "oh I'll just casually walk in there and put my hands all over the near-dead corpse, and sleep with the murder weapon in my bedroom, wipe off some accidental blood droppings, wear a shirt that had blood on it (that I washed off in the sink so it's ok) the next morning in front the detectives, and STILL not get caught" made the plot line completely unbelievable. By the end of the book, I was left with the feeling that I was GLAD she got caught, not that she exacted her revenge. And I was struck that this girl had some serious mental issues, NOT that she was a victim of a terrible crime.

Macbeth meets Kill Bill in this crazy intense retelling featuring badass witches and murderous women. If you're looking for a revenge story with a satisfying ending, here is your next read!

I received this book for review through an eARC from NetGalley as well as a physical galley from the publisher.

First and foremost, as a trigger/content warning, if you have a history or are sensitive to materials containing abuse/assault/sexual assault - please be careful reading this. The main character is brutally assaulted and the images she remembers can be very detailed and gruesome. It was hard for me to read at some points and triggered feelings/emotions from my own past that I was not looking to experience nor did I want to open up about.

Besides that, if we are looking at this book solely as a Macbeth meets Kill Bill retelling - holy hell this book is great! Our MC is her own mix of witch and Lady Macbeth with her coven not too far behind. Her clever plans to get back at the boys who wronged her leaves you speechless - 1) at how brilliant some of the ideas are and 2) badass she is.

Most (if not all) of Jade's motivation in this book is revenge and while it was a bit much at the beginning, it soon opened up into a conversation about victims and how they deal with what they've been through, which was a good thing to start mentioning. While I'm sure going after those who have wronged you is a great motivator, it was a little repetitive and kind of boring as that was the ONLY motivator. Jade is a fleshed out character, but I didn't just want to hear "revenge" going through her brain but more of a focus on the other things that may have motivated her.

One thing I loved about this book was the fact that the other characters, such as Mack or Duncan, clearly relate to their Macbeth counterparts and it's really interesting how the author so easily mixed these roles into a teenage school hierarchy. It was also cool to read the similar plot progression and events translate from the play to this story, with its own twists of course.

One thing I did have an issue with was timeline. One plot point is getting Macbeth with Lady Macbeth, which happens in a day. And the entire book events occur in two weeks, which honestly isn't a lot of time. The intricate plan Jade/Elle comes up with is not something that a 16 year old girl could come up with in one day nor execute in less than two weeks. I wish the story had taken a bit more time and spanned it a bit farther than what we got. Maybe a month or two instead of two weeks?

Overall, I loved the idea of this book but a little "eh" on the execution. The writing was gorgeous but I wanted more out of the "retelling" and more development out of the characters. I understand how hard it is to make characters you're trying to recreate also emulate who they are recreated from, but I wasn't 100% satisfied. I would give this book a 3.5//5 stars solely for time line issues, slightly underdeveloped plot, and the gang rape plot line.

Thank you to Wednesday Books for sending me an early copy for review and for asking me to take part in the blog tour for this title!

DNF @ 24%

This book just really was not for me. It took me 5 days to read 80 pages and that is no where near my usual pace, so I could tell that there was no use in me finishing it. I could definitely see tons of people enjoying this, I was just not one of those people, unfortunately.

Foul is Fair follows Jude and her three best friends as they plot murderous revenge against the boys that raped her. It's a retelling of Macbeth as well. While I did find the concept interesting, to me, the execution was lacking. I found myself constantly confused over which character was which, what they looked like, and how to distinguish them from each other. I never fully understood what was going on either.

Overall, I just found the writing to be cryptic, and I therefore had no investment in the story, and especially not in the characters.

I really enjoyed this book!
I definitely had to suspend all disbelief and just enjoy it for what it was: a revenge plot to the extreme.

I love how Capin wrote the characters. No one was an extra it seemed as though everyone mattered. I do wish I got to know more about Mads personal life though. but that is alright she wasn't that central to the theme.

I definitely understand that revenge killing is wrong and should never be done, but I do have to commend the main characters for thinking out such a complex plot.

This book tackles difficult topics like rape and drugging and how people get away with it.

It really made me think: what would you do if you knew the person who assaulted you would get off scott free?

This book was out of my typical comfort zone and I am glad i still read it.
4.5 stars

Honestly, this book just didn't work for me. I couldn't finish it. The writing style wasn't for me and I just didn't get what was going on half the time.

This was a wild, twisty rollercoaster that I loved every moment of.

CW: rape, murder

Sixteen-year-old Elle goes to a party with her girlfriends--Jenny, Summer, Mads--where she is raped by a crew of boys. The rape itself isn't explicit, though we learn of the moments leading up to it and vague descriptions of it. What is more important is instead the aftermath, when Elle changes her identity to Jade and transfers to the school her rapists attend to tear them down in vengeance.

If the title doesn't tip you off, this is a loose Macbeth retelling? inspired story? that is all twisted around and told from the perspective of a Lady Macbeth stand-in. Elle/Jade is Lady Macbeth, her best friends the "coven" (they literally use that word) of witches that Macbeth encounters and that prophesied his rise and fall. At the school Jade transfers to, there is the golden king Duncan, Duffy, Connor, Banks, Malcolm, Mack, and Porter. I'm sure some of those names sound familiar.

There are so many elements of this story that I absolutely loved. The Macbeth-inspired elements were obviously one, as Macbeth is one of my favourite Shakespearean plays. I loved the little nods, such as the names, the coven and the prophecy they make, even some of the dialogue and lines used.

There was also so much girl love--Jade has such a strong relationship with her coven, who all support her (even if there is some inevitable questions and some arguments) in her attempt to get revenge on everyone responsible for her rape. We see how Jade has supported each of her girlfriends in the past, and how they've all bonded over injustice and getting their own kind of revenge. Mads is also trans, and I really liked the handling of her transition because it's so easily accepted by everyone (as it should be!).

Finally, the unreliable narrator and the quest for revenge itself was quite good. It was highly fast-paced and I tore through most of the book in one day, simply because I needed to know what Jade would do next.

The ending was quite excellent for its final reveal and how Jade embraces what consequences might come from her actions. She is a vengeful creature who will stop at nothing to see her victims tore down--and dead.