Reviews tagging 'Suicide attempt'

Foul Is Fair by Hannah Capin

17 reviews

jamiers_in_ws's review against another edition

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Drug use, and Suicide attempt

amygraceanderson's review

dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Please check triggers before you read this book, it deals with sexual assault (off page) suicide attempts and PTSD to name but a few. 

I’m a sucker for a good female rage story, I’m also a sucker for sapphic unrequited love and brutal revenge plots that show hell hath no fury! 

This is a retelling centering loosely the characters and plot of Macbeth by Shakespeare. One of my favourite of Shakespeare's  women features in this play. It follows the story of Jade (our lady Macbeth) and her three friends (the witches) as they plot the take down of 4 boys who assaulted her at a party. The plot also follows the descent into madness for the central figures, the liberation of oppressed women within the orbit of these boys and just downright badassery throughout. 

The references to Shakespeare’s work are seamlessly interwoven into the story with mild quotations and showcasing the power of the women within the play rather than their roles as support for their male counterparts or as corruptive forces to the men in charge. 

I enjoyed the representation within the book and how the many aspects of womanhood, victim, and survivor were showcased. Including the character of Piper who acts as the enabler of atrocities to save herself. The conversations centred around privilege and rape culture I felt was incredibly powerful. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt and Violence

Moderate: Sexual assault, Rape, and Classism

Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Injury/Injury detail, Gaslighting, Bullying, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Drug abuse, and Deadnaming

ghostlyprince's review

dark emotional tense medium-paced

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

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Sexual violence, Toxic friendship, Blood, Bullying, Death, Alcohol, Child death, Toxic relationship, Sexual assault, Suicide attempt, Body shaming, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Suicide, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Abandonment, Car accident, Addiction, Panic attacks/disorders, and Infidelity

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Deadnaming, Drug use, and Hate crime

dani_dragon's review against another edition

dark sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

Very good. Many references to Macbeth and it’s written in an interesting fashion. I loved it. If you want a good revenge book with wicked main characters this is the book for you. Check trigger warnings though!

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual assault, Transphobia, Violence, Sexual violence, and Suicide attempt

grrrlbrarian's review against another edition

challenging dark tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

I really enjoyed this - it had just enough Macbeth references to be satisfying for someone who knows the play, without completely losing someone who doesn’t. I love a female revenge plot and especially loved seeing it transferred to the YA setting du jour, private school. I appreciated that Capin really leaned into how unhinged Shakespeare plots often are.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Blood, Death, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Sexism, Self harm, Rape, Violence, Murder, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Sexual content and Drug use

Minor: Transphobia, Bullying, and Adult/minor relationship

holliesarah's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Death, Murder, Self harm, and Suicide attempt

familywithbooks's review

dark fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No

4.0

 I can remember the day I received the email from a publisher (@wednesdaybooks) - having worked with them on new releases in the YA genre, they had sent me many amazing reads. This one was different from the books I normally read, as it was classified as a YA thriller. There was violence, off-the-page-SA, and did I mention violence? I didn't know if I was strong enough to read it at the time. It was February 2020, and my family was so sick at the time (we all know what happened next). So the book sat on the shelf.

When I went to the library with my son, I had to pass through the YA section. I just happened to catch this book sitting on the shelf, and I remembered having it as an ARC. I checked it out (I love a physical book vs ebook option!) and dove in.

Foul is Fair is a modern retelling of Macbeth. On the night of her 16th birthday, Elle attends a party with her friends where she is SA. With the help of her friends, she plots revenge by transferring to their school, rising to power and taking them out one by one. There’s a lot of blood, a lot of violence (not gory or graphic but still there) and a lot of emotions repressed as the plot continues.

If you are looking for sympathetic characters and a completely realistic plot, then this might not be the book for you. But knowing all this, I still found myself quickly turning the pages to see what would happen next. Watching the structure of Macbeth mix with Heathers and Cruel Intentions was very interesting to me!

This was a fast read that I could have read in one sitting (my kids prevent me from doing that anymore!) 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Violence and Sexual assault

Minor: Suicide attempt

janneke2302's review against another edition

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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Suicide attempt, Sexual assault, Blood, Rape, and Violence

robynnnx's review

dark fast-paced

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

3.0

i don’t even understand what i’ve just read. i’m not sure i enjoyed it and yet i couldn’t stop reading, so i’m conflicted. i understand the reasons behind why Jade did everything she did and i give her the credit for the lengths she was willing to go but… it was so extreme. i just don’t think i got it like i was supposed to.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Self harm, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Murder

kaplanlk0086's review

dark fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual assault and Suicide attempt

Minor: Transphobia, Bullying, and Emotional abuse