Foul Is Fair by Hannah Capin (review)

When sixteen-year-old Elle Khanjara is roofied and raped by four wealthy prep-school boys at a party, she doesn’t go to the police; she plots murderous revenge. Now in disguise as new student Jade, and with the help of her three closest friends, she insinuates herself into the boys’ circle and kills them off one by one. Bent on full retribution, Jade manipulates the downfall for not just those guilty of rape but also anyone who facilitated the crime and anyone who kept quiet afterwards, including the honorable but flawed Mack, whose love for Jade ultimately makes him her most tragic victim. With its stark, bitter, but still lyrical language, this violent revenge fantasy reads less like prose and more like a spoken-word poetry performance that turns Macbeth’s wife and witches into avenging angels. While at times overwrought, Jade’s narrative voice keeps tight focus on her motivating rage, even as her relationship with Mack complicates things. Meanwhile, Jade’s relationship with her self-described coven, including transgender Mads and lesbian Summer, celebrates the we-protect-our-own solidarity of young women who eschew likability for power. No knowledge of Shakespeare is needed for readers to lose themselves in this tale of a survivor’s vengeance; still, savvy readers, tipped off by the title or the names of Jade’s targets, will appreciate the depth that familiarity with the source material brings to this dark, fraught retelling.