Reviews tagging 'Violence'

Foul Is Fair by Hannah Capin

20 reviews

nykolereads's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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janneke2302's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I loved this book. I didn't know I needed it, but it was exactly what I wanted to read. The writing felt magical and the book made me want to keep reading continuously. It's been a long time since I was able to finish a book in a single day. This was absolutely amazing. I love how it made me twist my own ideals of what is good and evil. Everyone in the book did terrible things and yet I still loved them

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girlonbooks's review

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dark tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

⚰️⚰️⚰️⚰️⚰️ Five stars (as rated in the coffins that are literally piling on top of one another by the end of this book)

Elle and her friends are more than just besties; they're The Coven. And no one fucks with The Coven. On the night of Elle's sixteenth birthday, The Coven is closer than ever. Dressed to kill and with their sights set on crashing a party thrown by the St. Andrews Prep Lacrosse Team, The Coven feels absolutely untouchable. That is until the St. Andrews boys corners Elle the way they've cornered countless girls before her. In the aftermath of her assault, The Coven vows revenge. Reeling from her trauma, Elle transforms herself; she is now Jade and Jade has one mission; take those St. Andrew's perverts down once and for all. And she'll use one of their very own to do it.

“We'll be the witches they don't believe in until it's too late."

This book reads like Shakespeare was trying to get featured on an Olivia Rodrigo album and I mean that in the absolute best possible way. 💀 Y'all, this is the full sociopath Macbeth retelling I didn't know I needed. If you like slasher flicks, read R.L Stine as a kid or enjoy when sexual predators get absolutely wrecked by their own karma (👍🏻) then this book is a spooky season must!

✨ Read this book because: the MC is relatable in that depraved AF way that we all felt on some level in our teen years, the ending is satisfying as hell and rife with poetic Shakespearean-style justice ...

✨ Content warnings for this book: sexual assault, sexual violence, alcohol, death, violence, gore, murder, drowning, car accident, medical stuff, drug use, sex, trauma, PTSD, transphobia

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lou13st's review

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challenging dark mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Content Warnings

getbrekked's review

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dark tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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heytherekaity's review

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adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Content Warnings

alexandriakay_'s review

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emotional tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Fucking loved this. I mean a Macbeth retelling? Perfection

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betweentheshelves's review

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dark tense fast-paced

Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

First of all, the cover for this book doesn't at all represent the story. At least, in my opinion. I actually put off reading this book for so long because I didn't like the cover. It deserves a better cover!

This is a loose retelling of Macbeth, as Elle and her coven target the golden boys from Saint Andrews after Elle is raped. I'm all for a revenge story, and I would relate this to something like Sadie by Courtney Summers or Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn. However, I wanted more from the character development side. Elle doesn't change a whole lot throughout the book, and her coven doesn't change a whole lot either. Adding more of this would have made the story even stronger.

There is good representation in this book, though. One of Elle's best friends is trans, and her coven is pretty diverse, racially. The plot is fast-paced, and if you read for plot, this will definitely be one for you!

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s_brina's review

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dark emotional inspiring tense fast-paced

Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

Content Warnings

azrah786's review

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3.5

[This review can also be found on my BLOG]

**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.

"In the mirror I’m something from a 2AM movie about Catholic schoolgirl vampires. Revenge-black hair, short and sharp; a face that says she’ll pull you to the dark side and you’ll love every second of it."

Capin’s writing was definitely what I enjoyed the most. The pros 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.

"We laugh again, but there's something in it that isn't a laugh at all - something like a scream instead, hollow and full. It dies but the echo doesn't."

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

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