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A review by katykelly
Foul Is Fair by Hannah Capin
5.0
Stunning - deliciously dark, dangerous and Shakespearean.
Appearances can be deceiving... if you didn't know before starting that this was a modern take on Macbeth, it would become apparent before long.
This is NOT for the faint-hearted, or for anyone expecting a light teen romance. You could not read anything further from that description. While it just about shys away from deeply graphic content, know from the off that this contains scenes of rape, violence, murder. And it's absolutely brilliantly done.
Elle is about as resilient, resourceful and razor-sharp as they come. After she and her friends crash a 'prep school' party on her sixteenth birthday and she is badly assaulted, she and her 'coven' immediately swear revenge. With their assistance, Elle switches schools and begins using her wiles and charms to infiltrate the popular group, intent on splitting loyalties, sowing distrust and rancour. She is going to make sure every last one of them pays for what they did.
And it's just delicious. While nobody in real life will condone this sort of amoral amoral payback, it's cathartic and satisfying to watch Shakespeare's dark story play out among the privileged, entitled teens of St Andrew's.
I didn't feel that any of Elle's coven really stood out as a character in their own right - they are the witches, with Elle taking centre stage as the duplicitous Lady Macbeth, manipulating behind the scenes. None of her opponents at St Andrew's are anywhere near as well-drawn or interesting. Elle is brutal. She is beautiful and knows how to use this. She is sly, scheming, smart and never less than sympathetic. You cheer her on.
Highly entertaining in its dark humour and intentions. Get your Shakespeare fix here. Not for younger teens really, I would recommend to age 14 and above. And adults - you'll love it.
With thanks to Netgalley for providing an advance reading copy.
Appearances can be deceiving... if you didn't know before starting that this was a modern take on Macbeth, it would become apparent before long.
This is NOT for the faint-hearted, or for anyone expecting a light teen romance. You could not read anything further from that description. While it just about shys away from deeply graphic content, know from the off that this contains scenes of rape, violence, murder. And it's absolutely brilliantly done.
Elle is about as resilient, resourceful and razor-sharp as they come. After she and her friends crash a 'prep school' party on her sixteenth birthday and she is badly assaulted, she and her 'coven' immediately swear revenge. With their assistance, Elle switches schools and begins using her wiles and charms to infiltrate the popular group, intent on splitting loyalties, sowing distrust and rancour. She is going to make sure every last one of them pays for what they did.
And it's just delicious. While nobody in real life will condone this sort of amoral amoral payback, it's cathartic and satisfying to watch Shakespeare's dark story play out among the privileged, entitled teens of St Andrew's.
I didn't feel that any of Elle's coven really stood out as a character in their own right - they are the witches, with Elle taking centre stage as the duplicitous Lady Macbeth, manipulating behind the scenes. None of her opponents at St Andrew's are anywhere near as well-drawn or interesting. Elle is brutal. She is beautiful and knows how to use this. She is sly, scheming, smart and never less than sympathetic. You cheer her on.
Highly entertaining in its dark humour and intentions. Get your Shakespeare fix here. Not for younger teens really, I would recommend to age 14 and above. And adults - you'll love it.
With thanks to Netgalley for providing an advance reading copy.