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brianne_k's review
3.0
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy. This did not affect my rating.
*2.5/5*
Elle and her friends Mads, Jenny, and Summer are queens of their L.A. social circle. They’re rich and pretty. Elle celebrates her sweet sixteen by crashing a prep school party. That’s the night her entire life changes. She is roofied and raped. Her and her friends (aka her coven) are sworn to revenge. They will do anything for each other (“They are mine and I am theirs”), including to help plan and orchestrate murder.
Elle becomes Jade and transfers to St. Andrews Prep. She enmeshes herself with the group (who all either let this happen or participated in it…) Jade quickly gets accepted into the group and seduces Mack, a teammate of the golden boys of St. Andrews. Jade is a master puppeteer with Mack, just pulling all the right strings to get him to do her bidding. One by one, they start to fall. Jade is actually diabolical. She never waivers or hesitates. She savours it right up until the very last page.
The writing was a little too flowery for me. It was super dark, but I found myself getting taken out of the story because the writing was just a little too over the top for me. Also, it was a little hard to believe the ages of the characters.
This book was compulsively readable, wanting to know who was the next to go down and how it was going to happen. It was dark and twisted and disturbing in the best way, verging and almost toppling over the edge of being too much.
As a Macbeth retelling, I think the author nailed it. I loved the Coven, and want to read more about them.
“Fair is Foul, Foul is Fair."
*2.5/5*
Elle and her friends Mads, Jenny, and Summer are queens of their L.A. social circle. They’re rich and pretty. Elle celebrates her sweet sixteen by crashing a prep school party. That’s the night her entire life changes. She is roofied and raped. Her and her friends (aka her coven) are sworn to revenge. They will do anything for each other (“They are mine and I am theirs”), including to help plan and orchestrate murder.
Elle becomes Jade and transfers to St. Andrews Prep. She enmeshes herself with the group (who all either let this happen or participated in it…) Jade quickly gets accepted into the group and seduces Mack, a teammate of the golden boys of St. Andrews. Jade is a master puppeteer with Mack, just pulling all the right strings to get him to do her bidding. One by one, they start to fall. Jade is actually diabolical. She never waivers or hesitates. She savours it right up until the very last page.
The writing was a little too flowery for me. It was super dark, but I found myself getting taken out of the story because the writing was just a little too over the top for me. Also, it was a little hard to believe the ages of the characters.
This book was compulsively readable, wanting to know who was the next to go down and how it was going to happen. It was dark and twisted and disturbing in the best way, verging and almost toppling over the edge of being too much.
As a Macbeth retelling, I think the author nailed it. I loved the Coven, and want to read more about them.
“Fair is Foul, Foul is Fair."
heyitsmeg777's review
5.0
Elizabeth Jade Khanjara isn't a victim. Or a survivor. She's an... Avenger.
After getting sexually assaulted by some preppy school boys from a neighboring academy during her sweet sixteen, Jade transfers to their school and shakes up the social status there as well as taking down each person that hurt her.One by one. The revenge plot itself is successful and I admit it was a delicious plot that left me satisfied. While I would not be able to do what Jade did, her cunning plan and using people ( like mac) as her pawn to deliver her plan is crazy.Jade seems like the perfect villain amd at the same time, she truly proves that she IS an avenger. The ending was a bit disappointing and while i wish it could be better, the story truly wraps you in with a meticulous and dangerous revenge plan that truly pushes the plot forward.
After getting sexually assaulted by some preppy school boys from a neighboring academy during her sweet sixteen, Jade transfers to their school and shakes up the social status there as well as taking down each person that hurt her.One by one. The revenge plot itself is successful and I admit it was a delicious plot that left me satisfied. While I would not be able to do what Jade did, her cunning plan and using people ( like mac) as her pawn to deliver her plan is crazy.Jade seems like the perfect villain amd at the same time, she truly proves that she IS an avenger. The ending was a bit disappointing and while i wish it could be better, the story truly wraps you in with a meticulous and dangerous revenge plan that truly pushes the plot forward.
holdenkillfield's review
4.0
The dedication of this book (For every girl who wants revenge) screams volumes. I like that it does not end in a period as I believe it signifies that revenge is not one and done and that it is a continued cycle of a lifetime for every instance that one has felt from childhood into adulthood. I connected and related to this visceral story of rage against the injustices of public violence perpetuated by men and enjoyed the intensity of Elle and her coven. This retelling of Macbeth was well done, especially highlighting the psychological torture of all the characters and providing the female characters with all the traits of strength, ambition, and rage that traditional Shakespeare plays would deem them as unstable, shrews, and weak. Elle and her coven are none of those things and this story is not only empowering but a cautionary tale of when you pick the wrong girl.
laurenkara's review
5.0
holy
SHIT
i don't even know what to say rn ??? JUST GOD THE WRITING??? it was so poetic and jilted and i want to drown in it!!!!!! this book is so important???? i'll try and be more coherent soon but omg i loved this so so much! it's definitely not an easy read, it's dark and twisted and unapologetic but it's a book we need.
thank you netgalley & the publishers for providing me a copy with this book in exchange for an honest review
cw: rape (off page/flashbacks), suicide, transphobia (challenged), violence, death -- for a more detailed list: https://www.hannahcapin.com/foulisfair
SHIT
i don't even know what to say rn ??? JUST GOD THE WRITING??? it was so poetic and jilted and i want to drown in it!!!!!! this book is so important???? i'll try and be more coherent soon but omg i loved this so so much! it's definitely not an easy read, it's dark and twisted and unapologetic but it's a book we need.
thank you netgalley & the publishers for providing me a copy with this book in exchange for an honest review
cw: rape (off page/flashbacks), suicide, transphobia (challenged), violence, death -- for a more detailed list: https://www.hannahcapin.com/foulisfair
indigoivee's review
5.0
Holy fuck.
Times two.
Jade is a fucking icon, a legend and my all-time hero. The way she refused to let what happened to her ruin her life and instead channel all that anger and hatred into revenge to ruin their lives was absolutely insane in the best way. There were so many great elements in this novel that I felt were so perfectly depicted and touched on that I was left speechless for the most part, turning each page for more. The drama? The angst? The retribution? The undying sisterhood? The romance? The betrayal? It was everything and so much more.
Because I fucking devoured Miss Hannah Capin’s previous book, I just had to read this one too. The way I inhaled every word of this magnificently written and plot-encompassing book in less than 24 hours was because it had me in a tight chokehold till the bitter end. Wow. Everyone needs to read this fucking wonderful feminist and women’s-voice retelling of Macbeth. It made me not only appreciate classics but women’s literature even more.
Favourite quote: ““Luck’s a whore. She fucks us all eventually.””
Times two.
Jade is a fucking icon, a legend and my all-time hero. The way she refused to let what happened to her ruin her life and instead channel all that anger and hatred into revenge to ruin their lives was absolutely insane in the best way. There were so many great elements in this novel that I felt were so perfectly depicted and touched on that I was left speechless for the most part, turning each page for more. The drama? The angst? The retribution? The undying sisterhood? The romance? The betrayal? It was everything and so much more.
Because I fucking devoured Miss Hannah Capin’s previous book, I just had to read this one too. The way I inhaled every word of this magnificently written and plot-encompassing book in less than 24 hours was because it had me in a tight chokehold till the bitter end. Wow. Everyone needs to read this fucking wonderful feminist and women’s-voice retelling of Macbeth. It made me not only appreciate classics but women’s literature even more.
Favourite quote: ““Luck’s a whore. She fucks us all eventually.””
oliviarose_xox's review against another edition
2.0
Not too sure how I feel about this one. While I did enjoy the story to a degree I found it rather hard to like or sympathise with any of the characters. Reading a rather dark themed book is hard when 'insta contour' is mentioned and brings you right out of it.
jessicatina94's review
2.0
The premise of this book really caught my attention which is of course what made me pick this up in the first place.
I was overall disappointed with what I read, the writing style is very unusual. The main character ‘Jade’, flicks between past and present almost within the same sentence. The language and dialogue between the characters is at times incredibly boring and lacks any common sense. Seriously, is that what 16 year old rich, pretentious kids are actually like to each other?
And I also can’t quite believe that all these murders are taking place and WHERE ARE THE PARENTS also THE TEACHERS DON’T CARE.... nobody seems to even interview Jade, even though the murders started happening literally ONE DAY after she starts at St Andrews.
Maybe I am just completely lacking imagination, but everything just seemed extremely unbelievable considering the highly sensitive topic from which this book begins; there are 16 year olds driving around murdering each other and nobody gives a hoot.
And whilst I am talking about the topic (TW: sexual abuse, drugs, alcohol, murder, bullying, self harm), promoting that a 16 year old girl would not report this horrific incident to the police, even after she has told her apparently loving parents is just outrageous. THE PARENTS SHOULD HAVE DEALT WITH THIS WITH A LOT MORE SENSITIVITY. I pray that no young person (honestly people of any age) read this book and come to the conclusion that not reporting a sexual/ physical assault is okay, because literally every character in this book seemed to turn a blind eye to the assaults that were taking place and no one took what happened Jade seriously.
Anyway, some parts were fun but overall I was glad to finish it (and I only did that because I’d paid money for this book).
I’m going to go read some 5 star reviews and see what I’m missing....
I was overall disappointed with what I read, the writing style is very unusual. The main character ‘Jade’, flicks between past and present almost within the same sentence. The language and dialogue between the characters is at times incredibly boring and lacks any common sense. Seriously, is that what 16 year old rich, pretentious kids are actually like to each other?
And I also can’t quite believe that all these murders are taking place and WHERE ARE THE PARENTS also THE TEACHERS DON’T CARE.... nobody seems to even interview Jade, even though the murders started happening literally ONE DAY after she starts at St Andrews.
Maybe I am just completely lacking imagination, but everything just seemed extremely unbelievable considering the highly sensitive topic from which this book begins; there are 16 year olds driving around murdering each other and nobody gives a hoot.
And whilst I am talking about the topic (TW: sexual abuse, drugs, alcohol, murder, bullying, self harm), promoting that a 16 year old girl would not report this horrific incident to the police, even after she has told her apparently loving parents is just outrageous. THE PARENTS SHOULD HAVE DEALT WITH THIS WITH A LOT MORE SENSITIVITY. I pray that no young person (honestly people of any age) read this book and come to the conclusion that not reporting a sexual/ physical assault is okay, because literally every character in this book seemed to turn a blind eye to the assaults that were taking place and no one took what happened Jade seriously.
Anyway, some parts were fun but overall I was glad to finish it (and I only did that because I’d paid money for this book).
I’m going to go read some 5 star reviews and see what I’m missing....
samrushingbooks's review
4.0
Whew, this book was intense. I didn't necessarily like the ruthless, manipulative, and violent revenge-filled main character, but then again, I was never exactly a fan of Lady Macbeth either. But there was just something so completely compelling about this book. Even when I didn't like so many of the characters, I just couldn't put the story down. It was so easy to read 100 pages in a sitting.
li22ie's review
challenging
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75