TWs: Please be aware that this book is about rape and the trauma of sexual assault, and that it's going to be mentioned in my review. Please make sure to read a full list of warnings before you read this book. You can find them here: https://www.hannahcapin.com/foulisfair  

I love this book so much that I really don't have the right words to describe it. Foul is Fair is the vicious, merciless revenge book of my dreams, and I loved every second and every line in it. It's a retelling of Macbeth, and it keeps the heart of the story while giving it a fresh, feminist take.

Foul is Fair is told from the perspective of Jade, who plays the role of Lady Macbeth in this retelling, as she seeks revenge on the boys who sexually assaulted her at a party. I hadn't realized that this was a Macbeth retelling when I picked it up, I hadn't actually seen anyone say it was, so I had just assumed the title had borrowed the famous Shakespearean line until I was a few chapters in, which was a fun surprise. I liked the plot of Macbeth, but found myself really frustrated with it's execution and how it blamed the women in the story for Macbeth's downfall. In contrast, Foul is Fair lets Lady Macbeth and the Weird Sisters take their share of the blame, without subverting their roles in the story. The women are the ones running the show, and the golden boys from St. Andrew's are just along for the brief ride, before they get what they deserve.

I adored Jade. She was angry and cunning, while still being vulnerable and loyal. I loved her relationships with the rest of her "coven": Jenny, Summer and Mads. The four girls had an unbreakable bond, they had each other's back no matter what and did literally anything for each other. I appreciated that they were all just as vicious as Jade too, rather than trying to use them to offset her sharp edges, Capin had them support her by being just as ruthless.

Capin wrote Foul is Fair in an unusual manner. There are jagged, broken sentences framed by em dashes, and macabre descriptions of almost anything, like the sky. She really captures not only the anger Jade has at the world and the boys who assaulted her, but her pain and loss. Jade isn't the type of character to dwell on her pain, and by painting more gruesome imagery it conveys her actual feelings, and helps to maintain the dark atmosphere of the original Macbeth. I really liked how the sexual assault was handled, it was actively on Jade's mind, rather than something to be ignored until it was needed. Not having the assault written out explicitly in it's own chapter was an excellent choice too, in my opinion. It was a good reminder that Jade was the one controlling the rest of the situations while her avoidance of remembering everything played a key role in showing the reader her personality.

If you're looking for a book with a shamelessly angry woman as the main character, a retelling of Macbeth or something to replace what you thought Promising Young Woman, this is the book for you. It's beautifully written and is such an excellent take on a rape survivor's story. As I stated at the beginning, just please remember to look up trigger warnings before you read. I believe the finished copy has a warning at the front, before the story begins, and you can find a detailed version from the author, linked at the start of my review.

Thanks @netgalley for the gifted ebook! // Hey there everyone. I'm honestly just out of things to say today. I've got nothing clever to write. The world is a mess right now and my brain is too full with the news of it all. I'm trying to make a dent in my netgalley reads so I can atleast feel like I'm accomplishing something and to keep my mind occupied. I was excited for Foul is Fair but I don't think I was in the right headspace to read it right now. It's a YA feminist revenge tale that I would normally be super into but the story felt so unbelievable and it just kept getting more and more unrealistic as it went on. It was an okay book so I gave it three stars but it's not a book I would necessarily recommend. -- ♡M.

FOUL IS FAIR | CAPIN

SYNOPSIS: 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. Foul is Fair is a bloody, thrilling revenge fantasy for the girls who have had enough. Golden boys beware: something wicked this way comes.

#deweyrating: ⭐⭐⭐

Very dark book, but you will definitely be rooting for the "bad girls!" After Jade is assaulted at a party, she and her friends get revenge on the boys who did it. The writing and plot are phenomenal and I couldn't put it down..

2.5 stars
Definitely an interesting ride considering its a Shakespeare retelling of Macbeth. Because of this reason, I think the writing is all too choppy and it’s almost like reading a play... but its supposed to be a book.. so you don’t really get to immerse yourself in the writing as much.

I do think I would’ve dnf’d this if I stopped at the 10% mark, but because I pushed through to 50% last night, it made reading this and finishing it all the quicker. Like I said in my update, this is STUPID quick to read and the chapters move quickly. I think the idea was definitely there, but the writing style was not it for me.

I did get more and more invested in our characters, but not remotely enough to like any of them

Warning this book has claws.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

Utterly unflinching and vicious Foul is Fair, was an excellent ride.

This is wicked revenge, and its glorious.

I'd read anything Hannah Capin writes going forward.

Foul is Fair was a loose retelling of Shakespeare's Macbeth. What happened was at times unbelievable and terrible and evil and yet, there were redeeming qualities and a good story in there, such that I couldn't put it down! This revenge fantasy definitely shows that all is fair in love and war, and Elle has decided this is war!

What a beauty of a book, this book screams and rages it's message for all to hear. It's not a book to be taken lightly, anyone interested in reading really must make themselves aware of all the trigger and content warnings because this is a dark novel.
A story of revenge that isn't for the light hearted.

First of all, I want to be clear that this book has a huge list of trigger warnings. The author provides a full list.

With that being said, I felt this was an amazing book. It was stylistically, a really interesting book. The way it's written is very raw and present, and almost flow of consciousness.

This book has everything I love in a book. A trans main character, women who unleash righteous vengeance, and most of all men who don’t get away with their crime.
I remember finishing this book and feeling so many emotions that it was finished. I wasn’t quite sure how it would end, and I felt like I was right there with the characters, anxiously waiting for each of their plans to unfold. I was rooting for them the whole time. 
You should, provided the book and it’s triggers is something you can handle, read this book. It’s powerful and punchy in all the best ways. It digs in like little thorns and you keep turning it over in your mind even months after you read it.

I loved reading this book! Mix Kill Bill with Macbeth and you get Foul is Fair. It is a story of revenge, and it is served really well in the story. The author has an amazing style of writing and I loved how Elle gets even with those who wronged her. Overall, this was a great book to read, and I enjoyed it a lot!

This book was well written and enjoyable enough, but I'm more into realism and fantasy isn't something I generally go for. So I didn't particularly enjoy this book but I know that's because of my own personal tastes. I have recommended this to quite a few people who I know would enjoy it as there are tons of people who do enjoy this type of book, but I am just not one of them.

⁣The writing in Foul is Fair is very atmospheric and gave the story a poetic feel. It was a little difficult to get into at first, but I hit my stride around 20% of the way through and from then on it was smooth sailing and I was immersed in the story. It was melodramatic, but in an almost...fun way, despite the darkness of the story. And trust me, the story was pretty dark! ⁣⁣
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The main character was absolutely fascinating and I loved reading from her point of view. Seeing her revenge was incredibly satisfying and I loved seeing what she’d do next at every twist. ⁣⁣
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My one complaint is that it did feel a little campy for me at times, but it wasn’t too major and I’m sure a lot of people will enjoy this aspect of the book. Also, I mentioned before that this book was dark - definitely check out the content warnings in the beginning and on the author’s website before reading if you are concerned. ⁣⁣
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Overall, it was a very interesting story, and one I think the YA audience will enjoy very much.

One of my favorite reads so far this year! I've gone around recommending it to just about everyone I know.

If Cruel Summer was your favorite Lover song, this book is for you. Capin’s writing is truly devastating, so prepare to have your physical or virtual highlighter run dry and your hands to sting from turning the pages too quickly. Violent, vengeful, and heavy in a way that will weigh on your mind in the best way long after you’ve finished, FOUL IS FAIR is a masterpiece that demands your attention.

Foul is Fair is the feminist revenge story of my dreams. Dark, brutal, and cathartic. Before you go any further – there are serious trigger and content warnings – the author has put them on her website and I suggest you please read those first, if you need to, and stay safe my friends and fellow survivors.

Jade was excited to celebrate turning sixteen with her best friends, they crashed a neighboring prep school party…the boys there picked the wrong girl.

For me, as a survivor, I found this book very cathartic, and as Jade struggles to heal, she is not a victim, she also realizes these boys have hurt too many and their time is over. She will ruin them no matter the cost.

Golden boys beware.

This book is unapologetic and I loved every page. It was a whirlwind of revenge all bundled up neatly with the most lyrical prose and imagery. I can predict that the narrative style might not be for everyone, but listening to the audiobook made it sound like a well crafted song, it was so perfectly read and timed. I could feel the emotions and the depth and the narrator was perfect for these words. It was truly a listening experience and I really want everyone to read this book.

Foul is Fair was full of delicious prose that I could taste and I love that it’s a Macbeth retelling but it also felt a little like Heathers meets Jawbreaker too, yet set more modern and so much more bloody. The body count is more like a Tarantino film. If you read and loved other revenge books like The Female of the Species by Mindy McGinnis and Sadie by Courtney Summers, than I want you to read Foul is Fair, but know in advance this book makes no apologies for murdering those who are complicit in hurting girls.

After a traumatic event, Jade and her friends plot revenge against everyone responsible. Jade transfers to St. Andrews in order to complete her plans.
Foul Is Fair has nice prose and an interesting plot. Jade and Mads have a strong relationship. Though they weren’t shown much, I liked the portrayal of the girls’ parents.

Though I like the book, I found the pacing rushed. It would’ve been a smoother read if Jade’s plan took months as opposed to a week.

Additionally, for a book centered on women’s power, the narrative is often derisive of other girls besides Jade and her friends. Jade views other girls at St. Andrews as passive and vapid “flock girls” and “starlings.” Jenny and Summer lacked depth, and Summer seemed more antagonistic then supportive of Jade.

I don’t think I’ll read this novel again, but it was an enjoyable read.

This was a full ride and I couldn't even finish it.

I originally got this book as an ARC because it did sound interesting especially being inspired by the BARD himself. I attempted to read it before February and failed. Then I saw there was an audiobook so I attempted that way as well but this book is just not for me.

I could not get into the characters or the story as I was listening to it. I didn't care about the main girls because they all seem pretty horrible as female characters go and the way the words translated from the page to an audio format just did not work for me.

I really enjoyed this book. I love retellings of any sort and Macbeth is one of my favorite Shakespearean plays. The fact that the POV is from Lady Macbeth makes it extra fascinating. I always wanted to know more from her side of things. I really recommend this!

I had higher hopes for this one since it is a Macbeth retelling but something about the writing style wasn't for me. It felt like a book I would maybe enjoy more if I read a second time to get more in the flow of the writing. I enjoyed the general plot and revenge is always a good thing to read about.

Foul is Fair was such a whirlwind of a book! I loved the killer female revenge aspect of the entire thing! I was so impressed that these girls were willing to go to such lengths to take revenge for their friend who was raped, but it really did make me wonder why none of their parents were ever concerned by how absent they all are from their homes.

The first thing I want to talk about in this book review is the trigger warnings that need to be included in this book if they haven't been already.

Rape, Sexual Assault, Abuse, Violence, and Murder.

The main focus of this book was getting revenge for rape at a party in the next town over. Our main character, Elle is set on making them pay. While I give the author props for writing about such a difficult topic I have to say that the way it went down in this book wasn't a good way. I'm actually concerned about the idea's that it might give younger children that read this book. As adults, we know how to handle topics like this and know what we should and shouldn't do. Planing to murder people for sexual assault isn't the right way. Elle had the ability to do things the correct way and go to the police with the evidence but she was too stuck on this crazy idea that she wants to destroy every single one of them. She doesn't handle anything the right or correct way and it really bothered me.

This book was supposed to a retelling of Macbeth but I haven't read that play and I couldn't see how it was a retelling of it.

The character's in this book were very flat and all of them, I mean all of them need some serious counseling and I'm not just talking about Elle. Her friends that go along with her crazy ideas and even encourage her into continuing her plan need some serious help. What on earth makes them act on their rage like this. I know this book was a work of fiction but damn if it's not distributing. I didn't really like any of the characters in this book. I didn't understand their actions or their reasoning behind what they did. I feel like the author wanted this book to be a very girl power kind of book but I wish it could have been done without the murder. The only characters that I thought that the author did really well was Elle's father and mother, I liked that they were very supportive and that Elle felt comfortable to tell them that it actually happened. I just wish so badly that the parents would have done more to stop the crazy madness that unfolded by their daughters doing.

If your looking for a realistic contemporary this book is not for you. I had so many issues while reading this book. While this book is set in our world it definitely doesn't go buy today's rules or standards in society. Elle was just able to change schools at the drop of a hat. She didn't even have to wait or anything. She even went to this new school with a totally different name which we all know would never be able to happen. She's not under any witness protection or anything so there would be no way for her to go buy a different name. I really didn't like how it seemed like no one at this new school was actually doing what they were supposed to be doing. There's like no school work ever. I also really disliked how the main character's relationship happened in like a day and they were already head over heels in love with each other. With that being said this book was a very quick read, I finished it in just a few hours.

This book definitely has some mean girl vibes if you're looking for that in a book but I took a chance of reading this book while I have previously dnf another book by this author. Personally, I believe that this book just wasn't for me and that if you like retellings of Macbeth and truly a book that's more fiction than reality this book would be for you. It's got some raging girl power but with the trigger warnings this book is not for everyone and I wouldn't recommend it for a younger audience.