This is a situation where I should have judged the book by its cover, rather than the marketing buzz about Macbeth. It's not the fault of the author that I went in expecting something heady and brilliant like Dorothy Dunnett's King Hereafter, but got something way, way different.

That cover suggests id-tastic comic-bookish angry female, and that's what you get. This is a revenge tale, beginning with gang rape. So there's that. Ordinarily I would have dropped the book as soon as I saw that coming, but it was a NetGalley release, and the implied contract is you read the book before responding as a swap for getting it free.

There's revenge. And more revenge. Lots of teenage killing right and left. After a while I began to skim. Those who like the book equivalent of screaming blood-metal will enjoy it--a quick glance shows a metric butt ton of reviews before the book is even out--but it was too one-note for me, the characters two-dimensional.

But for mainlining id crack, it's pedal to the metal.

"Elle and her friends Mads, Jenny, 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 Elle’s sweet sixteen, when they crash a St. Andrew’s Prep party. The night the golden boys choose Elle as their next target.

They picked the wrong girl.

Sworn to vengeance, Elle transfers to St. Andrew’s. 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."

When I heard that this was a Macbeth retelling, I was immediately hooked, and while it took me embarrassingly long to pick this up after getting approved on Netgalley (thank you to Wednesday Books), it was worth it. It's got all of the things I love about Macbeth: the manipulation, the murders, and the thrill. Elle is the counterpart to Lady Macbeth, and she convinces Mack to be this story's Macbeth. Because it's a thriller, there isn't a lot to say about character development, but the characters were engaging and well-adapted from their Macbeth counterparts. This book does a wonderful job of commenting on rape culture and the way that society supports so-called "golden boys." If you like Macbeth, and you enjoy thrillers, I highly recommend picking this up.

If you like books such as The Female of the Species or The Black Coats, you will love this book. It's like those, but on steroids. Completely over the top, impossible, dramatic action throughout the entire book. This was a very fast, very entertaining, very satisfying revenge fantasy gone wild.

No, it is not realistic, but that's not really the point of the book. It has been described as Macbeth meets Kill Bill, and I fully agree with that description.

The writing is excellent, the characters are diverse and well written, the plot is... crazy. In the absolute best way.

Lots of TWs, which the author writes on the very first page of the book, and which I believe are handled very well.

I highly recommend this if you want to lose yourself in a wildly fantastical feminist revenge fantasy. And really, who doesn't want/need that every now and then?

This book was truly a WILD ride from start to finish, and I was here for it every step of the way. It's dark, twisted, wicked, empowering, and so beautifully written. I was hooked from the very first page all the way until the end.

It was definitely unlike any other book I've read before and such a nice switch up. My only tiny issue with this one is that the ending felt a tad bit rushed, but it wasn't anything that would totally ruin the reading experience.

Also, kudos to the author and publisher for including a trigger warning page!

When I got the invite to review Foul is Fair, I almost turned it down. I had read the blurb and didn’t feel that pull I get when I read blurbs. But something called to me and I decided to ignore the fact that I didn’t love the blurb and accept the invite. I am so glad that I did because this book was AMAZING!!! I got invested in Jade’s quest for revenge.

The plotline for Foul is Fair was lightning fast, and the flow of the book was just as fast. I had zero issues following the plotline. I loved it!!

I loved Jade in this book. She was determined to get her revenge at any cost. That included transferring schools, befriending her attackers, dating the only one who didn’t participate, and executing her plan. She was pure fire during those scenes, and when she persuaded Mack to help, OMG!!! I did not doubt that her plan was going to succeed.

Jade’s attackers were scum. I never go as far as to say that I hate book characters, but these I did. I was triumphant with Jade after each death. They deserved everything that was done to them and then some.

I have read reviews where Foul is Fair has been compared to Hamlet. I wholeheartedly agree with those. I also see a story about taking your life back after a devastating attack. I see a story where the need for revenge surpasses everything.

The end of Foul is Fair was nothing short of amazing. All I have to say is that what Jade did to the last two boys was too lenient. I wish that there was a leap in the future. I wanted to see what happened to Jade, her friends, and Mack.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

This book is sheer eloquence and rage. It's stunning and beautifully spiteful. When Jade is attacked at a party she decides that the rapists must die.

I’m not a fan of the book’s cover (something about the colours just throws me off). But that’s the only downside.

If you ever wondered what a crossover between Heathers and Kill Bill with a Macbeth edge to it would look like, then you’ll understand what sort of book Foul is Fair aims to be. It’s the ultimate revenge fantasy. It’s bloody and violent in the best ways possible. It’s a feminist manifesto of a girl who wants to show the golden boys who raped her that they simply fucked with the wrong girl.

Just like I Spit on Your Grave, you can’t help but cheer Jade on her mission to destroy the boys of St. Andrews. You’ll want their blood just as much as Jade does. But beneath all the blood and gore stands a book that displays the horror of rape and exalts the strong bonds of female friendships. You don’t need a boyfriend when your friends will help you devise a plan to destroy the boys who did you wrong.

The prose is violent, aggressive, and unapologetic, as it should be. I loved every second of this bloody thrilling ride. There aren’t enough heart emojis in the world for me to properly explain how much I loved this book. It really spoke to my black vindictive heart. I’m sure Jade and I would be buds.

I know they see it –
for just a second –
–our fangs and our claws.

If you’re going to read just one book in 2020, then make sure to make this be the one. It’s raw and cuts you the bone, but you’ll be better off afterwards.

(Thank you NetGalley for this preview copy in exchange for an honest review.)
Guys, I tried. I really, really tried. But after making it through 73% I had to give up.
Look, if a girl who is gang-raped wants to exact revenge against those who hurt her à la Macbeth style, who am I to judge? But damn did this book get tedious. I know I’m in the minority but lines like:
“I say, This color. Know what it’s called? She shakes her head: No. I say, REVENGE. She says, Good girl. Kill him.”
had my eyes rolling in their sockets,
Or this: and then everyone, every charmed St Andrew’s Prepper is cheering for us and I know they see it—for just a second——our fangs and our claws.“
Thank you, next.
Look, I’m in the minority, everyone else is raving about this book. It wasn’t my thing and that’s okay.
If you like absurd dramatics, girls constantly telling each other how pretty and f*cked up they are, and murdering teen rapists, then you will love this book.
Side note, her parents are totally okay with her killing people!! Sorry, what???

Very Dark and gritty. Think Shakespeare MacBeth mix with American Horror Story mix with Mean Girls and you have Foul is Fair.

When Elle attends a party with her group of girls called the Coven she is roofied and raped by a gang of boys. So she plots to seek revenge on everyone who is involved by killing them one by one. Trigger warnings for Sexual assault, rape culture, violence and language.

I did not know what I was getting myself into when I picked up this ARC. It's not something i usually pick up to read so the writing and the story telling was definitely different from my usual reads. Just wasnt for me. Thank you St Martin's Press and Netgalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest opinion.

Foul is Fair is a book that can cut you. It's got all the sharp edges to do so. It's a story of revenge, of friendship, of even sacrifice. I loved that at every step of her plan, Jade wasn't sacrificing her "innocence." that she wasn't a soft girl who turned mean. She was born mean and god fucking help those boys who thought they could take something from her. She got her revenge in such satisfying cold ways. I was rooting for her every step of the way. The writing definitely was the most engaging part of this book, as it left me gasping for the next chapter. Adored this.

This book is a wild and insane ride, I had no idea what I was getting into.

Elle and her friends go to the party of a boy who attends another school, she expected to have fun but what she got will have her plotting deadly revenge.

The story is unapologetically dark and wicked. It is supposed to be the retelling of Shakespeare's Lady MacBeth but I haven't read that book, so I don't know how faithful it is to it. I find the idea of a well-plotted revenge entertaining as long as the story and the characters are believable, in this case I found the timeline too rushed for the events to be plausible.

Overall, the book is a fun ride, more of a revenge fantasy than a fully, realistic plot.

ARC provided by Publisher via Netgalley

Well...wow. Just wow.

I started feeling uncomfortable shortly after I started reading. I am all for revenge, but this book took it a bit too far. However, I kept reading.

The other reviews are spot on by saying that this book is reminiscent of Heathers and Cruel Intentions. It is a dark book. Dark. Filled with revenge and murderous intentions and evil plotting. I really liked the hint of something otherworldly that was lurking in the shadows.

I know that this is a work of fiction, but it seemed like situations and people were too easily manipulated. Not to mention that the main character lived in a town for 16 years and no one could dig up any information on her history? It's not like she just moved into town...You would think that someone would know something that would put a little hitch into her plans. And also...where were the parents of all these kids?!?!

Also, where did she find three other friends who are just like her? Dang!

Small details aside, this book is entertaining and chilling. Although I think it could use a darker cover!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book.

I really enjoyed a great many things about this book. Characters were fleshed out and the plot was well spaced. Some of the secondary storylines could've used a bit more page space but all in all an enjoyable read!

I have read Macbeth before and was thrilled to see that Capin (whose debut novel I really enjoyed) was tackling a retelling of the story for a YA audience. As the description suggests, it does read as a violent, Kill-Bill-esque version of the story with a more diverse cast of characters (and I'm all for more diversity, especially in YA). Capin also does a nice job conveying the trauma that sexual assault leaves on its victims. (Watch for a surprisingly tender moment between Jade and her parents regarding this.) I appreciated the TWs at the beginning; however, both the violence and the plot required a lot of suspension of disbelief.

As one reviewer pointed out, Macbeth involves a woman psychologically and emotionally influencing her husband to murder his peers, but it happens over a sustained period of time. In this retelling, Jade manages to accomplish the same thing over one or two weeks, all with little-to-no interference from adults or parents. Additionally, while Capin's writing is poetic and devastating, I could have used more character development and enrichment.

In short: this is pure, unadulterated revenge fantasy, if that's what you're looking for. It might resonate more with teens (though hopefully they won't emulate the main characters).

I couldn’t relate to any of the characters in this book and found the plot hard to follow. The writing style, while distinctive, didn’t improve the book for me. While the initial impetus for the action in the book - the drugged, gang-rape of the main character, could be a perfect set-up for introspection and character analysis, this book contained none of that. The exaggerated mean-girl references only make this a less appealing book for teen readers in my eyes. This one is just not for me.

I didn't know much about Foul is Fair until going into it, but after reading this, I can definitely see this similarities to Macbeth. This revenge-plot retelling follows Elle, a high school girl who experiences sexual assault at a party and teams up with her best friends to enact revenge on the boys who did so.

Whilst I do see the merit of a modern-day Macbeth retelling, and found the storytelling magnetic, I sit a little bit on the fence about using sexual assault as the topic. With such an important issue, I would be worried about the impacts of a novel that might motivate unhealthy reactions and behaviours. Especially as a YA title. That said, the author provides a full and accessible trigger warning list, in which the triggers of rape, violence and revenge are noted. Using the warnings, readers would know going into the novel what to expect, and I think that's commendable.

All in all, if you are aware of what the novel contains going into it, and that it is a Macbeth retelling, I think you might really enjoy this extremely dramatic, rollercoaster of a novel. It sure does have a way of keeping you hooked, and the characters are interesting and well developed.

This book was an absolute treat. I greatly enjoyed the characters and the story line. When you have friends like these you definitely won't have enemies.

Elle isn't one to take things lightly. When she is wronged at a party one night, she swears to have vengeance on those responsible. Vengeance that you may think as simple pranks or rumors, but you have yet to come to know these girls. They play a little bit rougher than that.

A story that will have you waiting to see what these four will do next, Four is Fair is packed with enough revenge to keep you racing for the end.

If Heathers, Mean Girls, Macbeth and the Craft had a lovechild, the result would be Hannah Capin's Foul is Fair. The novel is a ruthless, burn-it-all-and-play-in-the-ashes vengeance thrill ride that goes over the top in all of the best possible ways.

Elle, Mads, Summer, and Jenny are the glittering, untouchable mean girl coven of their LA world. No one dares to cross them - until the girls decide to crash a party thrown by the prestigious St. Andrews Prep kids to celebrate Elle's sixteenth birthday and the St. Andrews lacrosse golden boys choose Elle as their next target.

Elle changes her appearance, changes her name to Jade and transfers to St. Andrews, where she sets out to infiltrate and systematically destroy the king of the school and the other boys who targeted her with the help of her coven and ambitious St. Andrews boy Mack, who just might be next in line to rule the school if the other guys are out of the way.

Capin's writing is lyrical and enthralling and Foul is Fair can be described in the same way you would describe its heroine Jade - gorgeous, enchanting, dark and vicious.

I'm just going to come out and say it. I loved this book and I'm not sorry about it.. It's unapologetic and murdery and dark and I felt empowered when reading it. The voice sucked me in and I stayed for the revenge plot, and cheered at the inclusion of a gender non-confirming character. I'm going to throw this book at so many people on Instagram.

A quick read. Mystery. Not one of my favorites.
A younger reader, under 60, might find this fun. Women and their issues.