A macabre and twisted tale of what happens when a plot to avenge a crime, is taken to its extreme. Elle/Jade is given a spiked drink at a party and is brutally attacked by a group of high school boys. She is determined to exact her revenge in the darkest way possible. She changes her appearance and works to infiltrate the group, with her ultimate goal to pick them all off, one by one, until she is the only one left standing. With shades of Macbeth and the Witches of Eastwick, this is a very dark read, and not one for those sensitive of disposition. Whilst there was not really one likeable character in this book, it was a compelling and addictive read, and one that packs a punch.

To celebrate Elle's sixteenth her and her girl gang decide to crash a party but their night takes a serious turn when a group of boys drug and rape Elle. She's determined not to become a victim so her and her gang vow revenge, and from there Elle becomes Jade.

I loved the concept of this novel but unfortunately the execution didn't totally work for me. The storyline was vengeful, violent and OTT which I loved! I was a big fan of our four main girls, I think they had a great connection and it was interesting to see just how far they were willing to go for one another.

I think one big problem here though is that the storyline is a bit too far out and unbelievable. While I don't usually mind books where I have to suspend my disbelief here I just found it a bit too much. I also wasn't a huge fan of the writing style, it was just a bit too scattered for me.

A fun read but unfortunately not as thrilling and memorable as i'd been anticipating.

This is a tale of manipulation and revenge after a teenage girl is raped. There is an almost surrealist tone to the writing and none of the characters are likeable. Sorry, but I did not enjoy it.

A mad horrific rollercoaster of a slasher - trashy as hell, totally unbelievable but I loved it. Unashamedly, brutally murdering her rapists, Elle is a character in a book that seems somehow fitting for 2020.

I should probably start this review by telling you that I could not put this book down. I was absolutely hooked all the way through - I just had to know what dark and twisty thing was going to come next. But woah was it creepy! The story was so disturbing and I found it really hard to know who to root for. Obviously I didn't want to root for the St. Andrews people as they were despicable but then rooting for Jade felt wrong too because she was technically a serial killer. It was completely disturbing and yet I loved it. I cannot wait to see what Hannah Capin writes next!

Thank you Penguin Random House and Netgalley for the review copy!

Girl power! Wow, what an incredible story of revenge. I enjoyed this book so much more than I thought I would. I love the coven, what an amazing bunch, they really care for each other and would do anything to protect one another. Jade is a force to be reckoned with, such a fierce character who knows what she wants and won't let anyone stand in her way. Watching Jade grow stronger and seeing how smart each of her plans were as she carried out revenge was powerful.

I love a book with a strong, stop at nothing, lead. Particularly when that lead is giving those who betray her what they deserve! Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for an ARC egalley.

I am a total sucker for books like this – about the way women and girls are treated, the way they’re supposed to behave, the abuse they’re supposed to take and keep quiet about. And also, the revenge aspect of it. So, from the blurb alone, I was invested.

Capin’s writing style is very unique, in that it is poetic and lyrical, but also quite impersonal. Written through first person from Jade’s perspective, some of the writing seems quite removed from her point of view. I don’t mean that in a negative way, it was just quite different. This is partly because there are times in the novel when we hear about things Jade isn’t involved in – she tells us about the actions of her three best friends, the coven, who carry out deeds on her behalf and those bits are almost, but not quite, told in third person. It’s very clever the way Capin manages to pull this off, and some of the scenes reminded me of Good Girls Lie by T. J. Ellison, in the way it was written.

There were also some aspects of this book that were somewhat unrealistic. Now don’t get me wrong, I know that because of the culture we live in, because of sexism, the patriarchy, elitism, and a whole host of other things, high school boys can start turning into entitled, pampered, narcissist guys quite young. And that this then plays into them being manipulative, violent, abusive men. I know that for there to be men out there like Donald Trump and Harvey Weinsten, men in power with no respect for women, and that men out there who stalk, harrass, rape, murder women because they don’t do what they want, then those seeds must be planted when the men are young. I just… don’t know how realistic it is to have a whole school seemingly somewhat aware of what these boys are up to, and to not do or say anything. How many girls would hear what these guys are saying and still be their friends, be their girlfriends, not tell someone about it? I know that obviously this does exist, and it didn’t take anything away from how amaazing this book it, but it did make me sit back a couple of times and make me think about.

I want to spend a second just shouting out ‘the coven’, Jade’s set of best friends from her previous school who are at her beck and call. They go out of their way to make sure that Jade is supported and go about her outrageous plan, drive all over the place for her, do whatever she wants, and their friendship all seems so genuine and full of deep rooted love for each other.

Again, this plan that Jade creates is just as outlandish as the guys’ behaviour I talked about before. How many teenagers are actually up for murder? Even if you think someone deserved it? But, again, it works. Within the world of the book, it doesn’t seem (too) farfetched, it doesn’t make you feel like it doesn’t belong. At least it didn’t with me.

I had so much fun reading Foul is Fair, and I really enjoyed a lot of the themes it covered and how it tackled them. I will DEFINITELY be keeping Hannah Capin on my watch list for her next book!

5 out of 5 stars for a wild ride of a novel.

I've never seen an advert for a book that included both positive and negative reviews. When I saw it thought, 'that's badass', and I was right on.
This book was empowering, insane, indulgent and, again, badass! Do you really need to know any more? Read this if you've ever been underestimated or used. Read this if you're a badass or know someone who is. This was the ULTIMATE feminist read. Trust me, it will make you grin maniacally ;)

Reading Foul is Fair was a savage pleasure. It was "twisted", bloodthirsty, raw, and clearly fuelled by a righteous anger. Jade and her coven were perfect and loyal and strong and definitely #goals as far as support and love for one another goes anyway, the murder maybe not so much.

Jade's story is also brilliantly written, Capin's style is quite different; both staccato and lyrical somehow but I loved it immediately. I also loved the leitmotifs of red, gold, and wings throughout the story, it was incredibly evocative. I saw the final truth coming from quite a way off but that did nothing to lessen the heartbreak I felt on Jade's behalf which I think just goes to show how capable Capin is as a writer.

Thank you NetGalley for the chance to read a book I will be thinking about for a long time.

It took me a little while to start enjoying Foul Is Fair and appreciate the author's writing style. Initially, I wasn't sure if I'd finish it but I'm glad I persevered. I enjoyed it and Jade is a very special character. Foul Is Fair is a stark reminder of how endemic rape culture is in society and I fully backed Jade's plans as she plotted the demise of the golden boys. This book is wild, ruthless and unapologetic. Jade probably isn't the kind of person we imagine when we think of rape and sexual assault victims. She isn't a victim at all, nor is she a survivor. What do sexual assault victims even look like? How should they process their trauma and what does healing look like for them? These are some of the questions I grappled with as I read the book. As well as being entertaining and hard to put down, Foul Is Fair encouraged me to think carefully about my preconceptions and views around sexual assault and rape. I love what Hannah Capin did with this story.

Huge thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for providing me with an advance digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

Link to my full review: https://tenelleottleymatthew.com/2020/01/book-review-foul-is-fair-by-hannah-capin/

An excellent book about revenge and taking back the power from those that try to steal it from you.

After Elle's drink is spiked at a party on her 16th birthday, she vows revenge on those involved. With the help of her coven, she does just that, one person at a time.

Capin has a real skill as she has you cheering for characters to be murdered as well as making you understand Elle's trauma without naming exactly what happened or providing too much detail. This book may be triggering to some due to the sensitive subject matter however my takeaway from the book was that it is an extremely empowering read.

I thoroughly recommend this book to anyone and everyone.

I was so looking forward to read this book.
Strong female characters? Yay!
Macbeth retelling? Heck yeah!
And I was so, so disappointed.
It's not a bad book, but...
Well, it's just not good?
It was too unrealistic for me. Everything, the whole grand plan, it was just so unrealistic.
The other thing, the characters. As much as I felt so sorry for Elle/Jade, I didn't really like her or her friends at all. They were all so... empty. All of them.
The book was well written, but it took me ages to really get into it. Sometimes I felt like the author tried too much and sometimes the main characters sounded so pretentious. It didn't buy me at all.
Sadly, I can't say that I enjoyed this book.

The subject on the promo email for this described it as “Feminist, man-hating filth”, which was honestly enough for me to be intrigued!

This is described as a ‘revenge fantasy’ which is pretty spot on. After being assaulted at a house party Jade seeks revenge on the group of boys responsible.

A word of warning, this gets dark. When the synopsis says she “gets bloody satisfaction” that’s an understatement.

I’m not quite sure how to feel about Jade’s actions, because there’s no denying she takes things to a seriously dark place. What she does isn’t particularly ‘right’ but at the same time what the boys did was completely unforgivable. You find yourself disgusted with what Jade is doing, but also supporting her in it!

This was an incredibly dark and powerful read.

(I’ve also just discovered Hannah Capin’s debut was a Henry VIII retelling and I’m all for that!)

I’ll admit that I think the cover was my main motive for requesting this pitch-black YA bloodfest. NetGalley pitched it as ‘a razor sharp revenge thriller for the #MeToo generation’ which is definitely an accurate overview. However, I definitely wasn’t prepared for what I got.

Jade Khanjara and her three best friends Jenny, Summer and Mads rule the LA social scene and decide how every night ends. Except one night, when squad members of St Andrew’s Prep Varsity lacrosse team spike Jade’s drink and brutally attack her. The ‘coven’ take things into their own taloned hands and when revenge tastes this sweet, not a single innocent soul is getting out alive…

Jade and her girls are FIERCE. I can’t express that too strongly (hence the caps!). They will stop at absolutely nothing to exact revenge on dangerous predators and their allies. They’re so cold and unfeeling that my eyebrows migrated to my hairline for most of my reading experience. I couldn’t decide whether they were human or witches of an actual coven -sometimes they even seemed vampiric. Perhaps Capin purposefully kept this ambiguous so that readers can decide for themselves what’s really going on.

If the girls are intended to be entirely human, Jade’s parents’ blind eyes and even encouragement of their daughter’s unspeakable behaviour is incredibly unrealistic. They aren’t featured very often but I was a little confused in the instances that they were. I couldn’t quite wrap my head around the family dynamics, which feel quite chilly and devoid of emotion. So I suppose the explanation that they are some kind of supernatural being fits!

There are moments where we get glimpses of Jade’s true hidden vulnerability. She insists so violently that showing and feeling emotion is a weakness that it almost feels fake. The fact that her freezing cold demeanour is maintained throughout the book suggests that she really is this evil, twisted personality but there’s something about it that just feels a bit off to me. Like there is a different frightened girl inside that unfortunately we never get to see properly. I’d have definitely been able to relate to her more, had I seen more of the softness that I can vaguely read in the subtext.
Mack’s character broke my heart a little until the very end, when the truth about his role in the attack came out. He has the air of someone who has been an outsider his whole life with ambitions to be loved and admired by everyone. I don’t know whether he genuinely loved Jade or whether he just saw her murder mission as his ticket to the ‘crown’ but he had an innocence about him that I definitely didn’t see through. I think Jade was genuinely beginning to love him too, as I could almost see the conflict within her. Their relationship is possibly the most darkly complex I’ve ever read in a YA book, so kudos to Capin for that!

The language and writing style is a love letter to Shakespearean tragedies. It’s littered with dramatic imagery and poetic turns of phrase and the fact it’s a not-so-loose retelling of Macbeth isn’t a well-kept secret. Capin has borrowed character names such as Duncan, Malcolm, Duffy (Macduff), Banks (Banquo), Mack (Macbeth) and Porter. There are also themes of revenge, guilt and ambition as well as an alarmingly blatant reference to the Scottish play when Jade is scrubbing blood off of her hands. Of course, Jenny, Summer and Mads and their eerie prophesies represent the three witches too. The title is also taken from the line ‘foul is fair and fair is foul’, meaning that what appears to be good may not always be so and vice versa -a recurring motif in the novel.

I thought it was such a clever idea to inject contemporary issues such as date rape and feminism into a centuries-old tale. It also managed to highlight how revenge, ambition and social politics are timeless and universal. Whether you’re a 17th century Scottish general or a 21st century LA teenager, everyone is subject to the same passions, lies and downfalls.

Despite the copious amounts of drama and murder, I found it quite a tough read and I definitely didn’t fly through it. It may have been because I just couldn’t attach myself to any of the characters properly due to a lack of warmth, which I personally need to really like someone. Of course, as a woman I was on board with the girls’ revenge mission but I couldn’t help feeling that perhaps murder wasn’t the most realistic manifestation of it. Unless of course, it is actually a very dark fantasy novel, in which case it’s a work of true genius.

Hii bookworms!! Happy publication day to ‘Foul is Fair’ by @tldaaollf and an added thank you to @netgalley and @penguinteen / @penguinrandomhouse for the chance to review an advanced copy! ⁣
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TW: sexual assault, PTSD, murder and revenge. ⁣
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FOUL IS FAIR BY @tldaaollf ⁣
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SYNOPSIS: 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.⁣
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𝗢𝗩𝗘𝗥𝗔𝗟𝗟 𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚: 5/5 STARS ⁣
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𝗙𝗔𝗩𝗢𝗨𝗥𝗜𝗧𝗘 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗥𝗔𝗖𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗦: The coven! ⁣
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𝗟𝗘𝗔𝗦𝗧 𝗙𝗔𝗩𝗢𝗨𝗥𝗜𝗧𝗘 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗥𝗔𝗖𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗦: The St. Andrews boys but particularly Duncan.⁣
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𝗙𝗔𝗩𝗢𝗨𝗥𝗜𝗧𝗘 𝗔𝗦𝗣𝗘𝗖𝗧𝗦: So, this book a feminist re-telling of Macbeth set in modern times. If that doesn’t hook you then I really don’t know what else will. This book is filled to the brim with redemption, with ruthless women taking back their respect, and the epic battle against sexual assault. The characters are complex and even though the story isn’t quite as long, you soon feel a part of Jade’s massacre. The story unfolds beautifully, where you’re enraptured the entire time. I also fell in love with Hannah Capin’s writing style; it felt so unique and intriguing. ⁣
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𝗦𝗛𝗜𝗣𝗦: Honestly, forget relationships, this book is a champion for strong female friendships and the idea of women sticking up for one another and not allowing silence or money or power or privilege stand in their way. ⁣
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𝗥𝗘𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗠𝗘𝗡𝗗𝗘𝗗 𝗙𝗢𝗥: readers looking for one of the most phenomenal books on female empowerment.

Foul is Fair is a slick and bloody update of William Shakespeare's Macbeth. A girl is raped at a party, and she vows revenge on the group of Alpha male schoolboys who made it happen. Jade, the protagonist, chooses a boy as a patsy. The plan works fast, and the boys come to enjoyably nasty ends, aided and abetted by Jade's coven of witchy helpers. Jade begins to fall for her patsy as the book reaches its' climax, but there us no stopping the plan. There will be blood, and lots of it. For any teenage young woman that's ever been treated badly, this is the book for you.

**I was provided with an ARC through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review**

On her 16th birthday Elizabeth Jade Khanjara and her 3 best friends set out to party the night away however, her night doesn't go as planned. Drink spiked, body bruised and memory hazed - Elle plots to get revenge on those who attacked her. In a world where people with "dazzling smiles" and well-lined pockets can get away with anything and everything, Elle isn't going to let them.

Foul is Fair is a modern-day teen retelling of Macbeth that doesn't pull its punches. I’ll straight up say that this book is DARK and very violent. I’d advise checking out the content warnings on the author’s website before picking it up as there are some very triggering and graphic scenes.

The lead protagonist is just as, or do I say even more ruthless and zealous than her Shakespearean equivalent, Lady Macbeth. Hell bent on her quest for vengeance, she in no way makes herself a likeable character. I usually find myself struggling to stay invested in a story when this is the case but I was keen to see this book through to the end.

Capin’s writing was definitely what I enjoyed the most. The prose for the most part had a poetic and Shakespearean-esque feel to it, adding just enough melodrama to both enhance the setting and fit the protagonist’s voice. The short snappy chapters meant the timeline of the story more or less matched that of the play. As someone who studied Macbeth back at school the various parallels and references to the original were great to follow. Though I also liked how the 3 witches were given the roles of the 3 best friends in this version, ever loyal and ever protective of their power-hungry queen.

Now this book has some pretty unrealistic elements so won’t be everyone’s cup of tea. However, what deserves credit is how within the narrative Capin very honestly sheds light on issues such as sexual assault and rape culture and the impacts they can have.

All in all this was a unique story and I feel it would do well if adapted for the screen.
Final Rating - 3.5/5 Stars

My thanks to Penguin Random House U.K. for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘Foul Is Fair’ by Hannah Capin in exchange for an honest review.

Elizabeth (Elle) Jade Khanjara and her three best friends rule their glittering LA circle. On Elle’s sixteenth birthday they decide to crash an exclusive party held by students of St.Andrews Prep. However, the night takes a sinister turn when four boys spike Elle’s drink and rape her.

Certain that the entitled boys backed up by family lawyers will face no consequences, Elle doesn’t report the attack and reinvents herself as Jade. Together with her friends, dubbed the Coven, she seeks bloody vengeance. Only their deaths will satisfy her.

This YA novel was deemed as “perfect for fans of ‘Killing Eve’ and Tarantino” and that certainly describes me; ‘Kill Bill’ ranks among my favourite films. Add to this ‘Foul is Fair’ is loosely based on ‘MacBeth’. Yet I found that it just didn’t work for me.

So while the premise intrigued me and there were sections that I enjoyed, I found the over-the-top, melodramatic aspects of the plot were hard to accept. The decision to kill not only the rapists but others who Jade considered enablers seemed extreme. It reminded me of the kind of spoof slasher series, such as ‘Scream Queens’ or ‘AHS’, yet without any of their black humour/satire.

I did give it my best though on first try I set it aside and really wondered whether to read on or abandon. I took a break and returned to the beginning and read through. I did appreciate the nods to the Scottish play throughout but it just never came together for me.

Perhaps my mindset is too much in synch with detectives like SVU’s Olivia Benson to not welcome such a bloody revenge over conviction and incarceration. It’s never easy to give a thumbs down.

It seems that I am clearly in the minority by not embracing this novel enthusiastically. Obviously it is the sort of novel that comes with trigger warnings, even though the rape itself is not depicted given that Jade is its narrator and can’t remember the details due to being drugged.

Overall, it was too angry and bleak a novel for my taste.

When 16-year-old Elle's drink is spiked and she is attacked at a party by 4 boys, she reinvents herself as Jade, enrols in the school her attackers attend, and proceeds to take her bloody revenge.

It's an intriguing plot line in the day of #MeToo, a time when a girl can be attacked by multiple assailants and yet the narrative focuses on her behaviour and her reputation. I liked that it was loosely based on Macbeth, I thought that came through quite strongly, and there are shades of Heathers as some other reviewers have mentioned. None of the characters were particularly likeable but that seems to have been the intent. What I didn't like so much was the way it was written. It had so much potential as a very dark and twisty book, but the language came across (to me) as rather pretentious and I felt that this detracted from book's impact. Overall it was an intriguing read but one that I came away from slightly disappointed.

TW: sexual assault, violence, murder, suicide.

Thanks to NetGalley and publishers, Penguin Random House UK, for the opportunity to read an ARC.