Review of Foul is Fair

Lately I’ve been surprised when judging a book by the cover and this was another example. This book was intense and different – read more in my review of Foul Is Fair!

Foul is Fair by Hannah Capin. To be published on February 18 2020 by Wednesday Books. Thanks to the publisher for proving an advance copy for review.

Synopsis from Goodreads: 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. 

Review of Foul is Fair

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Just an FYI to start: the premise of this book centers around revenge for a sexual assault. The assault happens very early in the story and is not described in great detail.

Foul is Fair was a different kind of story and I always appreciate that. It’s not the typical YA “issue” contemporary, character-driven and centered around feelings. It’s plot-driven and almost theatrical, a fast-burning fire fueled by raw emotion.

What I liked:
The writing. I liked the choppy sharpness of it and thought it fit the whole vibe of the book. 

The brashness of Jade, the main character. In this I was reminded a little of Exit, Pursued by a Bear (which also deals with sexual assault and is Shakespeare-related) in that both make the point that there is no “right” way to be a survivor of sexual assault. From the moment she realizes she’s been assaulted, Jade is fiery ball of pure rage. 

It took me a while to figure out that Foul is Fair is a Macbeth retelling. (Perhaps the title and characters called Duncan, Duffy, Banks and Mac should have clued me in.) I haven’t read Macbeth for a while and the plot isn’t exactly the same, but there is a “coven” and a woman who spurs a man to murder.

What I struggled with:

While this was contemporary YA, I wouldn’t call it “realistic” fiction. In tone it almost reminded me of a Greek tragedy: each character plays a part and stays essentially the same. Jade is almost a personification of anger and the desire for revenge, a character seeking catharsis.

The other thing that was odd to me is though there is great diversity among the characters in terms of ethnicity and sexual orientation and gender expression, all seem similar in their flawlessness. Each one is rich and beautiful and privileged and confident. They all had different (and intersectional) identities yet also felt like different variations of the same person, each one perfect yet amoral.

Like a Shakespearean tragedy, this was gripping, intense, and bloody. If you enjoy retellings and/or revenge stories, definitely give Foul is Fair a try.