Foul Is Fair

Foul is Fair

By:  Hannah Capin

Book Quote:

“I am exactly the wrong way to be a victim.” 

Booktalk:

Library Cat Rating:  😺 

Review:
     Over the course of one night, Elizabeth Jade Khanjara, Elle, to her friends, is stripped of perfection and power when the "golden boys" of the St. Andrew's Prep Lacrosse Team select her as their next victim.  Readers of this novel never meet Elle though, for the story starts following her sexual assault as she transforms into a new woman known simply as Jade.  Jade is not a victim.  Jade will get revenge.  With her closest friends, Jade begins to plot the downfall of all the boys who dared prey upon her and other innocent girls.  The first step, transfer to St. Andrew's Prep.  Second step, win over one of their own.  For this, Jade will try to capture the heart and mind of the seemingly innocent Mac and manipulate him into helping her bring his teammates down one by one.  As the tables turn and the golden boys begin to fall one by one, no one at St. Andrew's Prep knows who they can trust and several begin to question their sanity.  There's no stopping Jade as her thirst for vengeance demands satisfaction in the downfall of every last boy who tried to make her their victim.  The only question is will Jade and her friends emerge from their own plan unscathed.

    VERDICT Foul is Fair caught my eye when I saw a promotion that pitched it as a modern retelling of Shakespeare's Macbeth.  While there are parallels in some of the names and deeds, Hannah Capin has created a truly unique story casting Jade as our Lady Macbeth stand-in and central character. One of my greatest struggles as a reader of this novel was the fact that I never felt emotionally engaged with any of the characters.  I was horrified by the flashbacks of Jade's assault, but Jade, as well as all of the secondary characters, lacked a certain amount of depth that prevented any real emotional investment on my part as a reader.  None the less, Capin spins a fast paced tale of revenge that will keep readers going until the very end.

Citation:

Capin, Hannah.  (2019).  Foul is Fair.  New York, NY:  Wednesday Books.  

Annotation:
Jade Khanjara seeks revenge on her attackers after she is the victim of a violent sexual assault.  With the support of her closest friends (her coven), Jade hatches a plan to cut down and destroy the once untouchable "golden boys" by manipulating one of their own.  

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Extras:

Check out author Hannah Capin's webpage here.

William Shakespeare penned the original Macbeth which you can read on the Folger Shakespeare Library's webpage while exploring other additional resources here.

Shakespeare's Macbeth, Act 1 performed at the
Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Family Theater in 2007.