Foul is Fair | Book Review | Fiction No Chaser

Standalone | 336 Pages | 2020

Foul is Fair at a Glance

Overall Rating: ★★★★★
Heroine: That show Revenge has nothing on her
Dude: A murderous cinnamon roll
Steaminess: nope
Brutality: Hahahahahahahaha

Pairs Well With

Apparently Bitter almonds

Review

Serious TW on this book. Rape, suicide, murder, drug abuse, alcohol abuse, emotional abuse, physical abuse, abuse of a trans girl. Basically, if you have a trigger… it is likely in here.

Holy wow.

I mean…WOW.

It has been over ten years since I read Macbeth and a tiny part of me wishes that I had read it again prior to picking up this book, but another part of me loves that Foul is Fair can now live in my heart totally apart from the play. While I love a good retelling, I don’t know that I have seen one done this well. Ever. I honestly had no idea who would survive. Which was awesome, but made me nervous the entire time.

It takes place in LA with a backdrop of sunshine, convertibles, money and murder. Elle has a very good reason to get vengeance on the St. Andrews prep lacrosse team, so she and her three best friends concoct a plot to ruin them. It’s every girl’s revenge dream come true. They plot and plan and execute it perfectly.

Honestly, I’m terrified of these girls. The Slytherin in me couldn’t hang with them and I will admit that. I don’t have their follow-through.

After the night that changed her life, Elle enrolls in St. Andrews and becomes Jade to her new classmates. She is instantly accepted by the queen of the school because Elle is a queen herself. She won’t accept less than that. Her plan is to ruin them from the inside, so she becomes friends with all of the people who harmed her. What happens then, well… I don’t want to ruin it for you.

There is chaos. There is death. There is revenge. But at what cost?

Throughout my read, I had to set aside this book multiple times. It was so intense at times that I had to give myself a break. Is it captivating? Absolutely. But even my dark little heart had to disengage and say “Wow. This is messed up.” a few times. I was constantly wondering how true to the original story this would stay, in terms of plot and deaths and I was really satisfied with the outcome. Even though my heart still hurts a little for reasons I can’t explain.

The writing was captivating, the plot insane. Overall execution? JUST READ IT. But prepare yourself.

Have you read Foul is Fair? Let me know what you thought in the comments!