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.

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.

Foul is Fair is a bloody, thrilling revenge fantasy for the girls who have had enough. Golden boys beware: something wicked this way comes.

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!

I give this one ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ – it was a fast read that I could have read in one sitting (my kids make sure I can’t do that anymore!)

Out now! Thank you to Wednesday Books for providing a free copy via NetGalley for review. All opinions are my own!