#so now I gotta rework this logistic

[izzyspussy]

ohh, Friendly Fire?

This is one of the ones that hasn't changed much since the last time it was on the list for this game. I'm not going to repeat post the snippet I posted last time, but to sum up: it's an RPF fic about Shane Madej really being a demon (but not a Christian demon) and he really did take over ownership of Goat Man's Bridge when they were there because the Goat Man in question was not there to dispute his claim - which he was aware of because he and Goat Man a.k.a. thee Baphomet are actually old buds. Later, Baphomet shows up at the office to give Shane some shit and get their bridge back, but assumes from all the Shane-is-a-demon jokes that The Truth is an open secret and as such unintentionally "outs" him to Ryan.

It's been kind of on the back burner for a while because I started it back when the boys were still at Buzzfeed, so the setting and, like, logistics and stuff are all really outdated now and I kind of want to update it. Additionally, I've not been as much into Watcher content as I used to be lately. But I'm trying to get back into it now (no, not out of spite at all, what an absurd thing to think haha). Anyway. So I kinda gotta rework some things and figure out how I can fit that plotline into the new setting.

[bookwyrminspiration]

haha no logistics of science and how the world works, don't stop me from writing that cool scene you're so sexy haha

[thebookrat]

TRIGGER WARNING: Sexual assault, violence, domestic abuse.

I've been talking about Foul is Fair in some capacity or another, online and off, for months now. And nearly every time, the words I've used to describe it have been sharp: it "routinely gives me chills with just how razor-sharp it is" or it's "prose balanced on a knife's edge." I've talked about a writing style that cuts, that eviscerates, that pierces that's well-honed. It is brutal, and ruthless, and devastating, and so, so sharp. Foul is Fair gives a fresh, clever, feminist take on Macbeth that still works perfectly on its own, without having read Macbeth. I don't think it's a coincidence that the fact that it's a retelling isn't even mentioned in the synopsis; it's not necessary to know, to be familiar with, but if you are, ooh, boy, does it add layers to the story! I was consistently surprised how well Capin reworked the plot of Macbeth and made it fit a modern revenge story without feeling forced. Everything has different significance, Macbeth's "ambitions" and Lady Macbeth's bloodlust, it all means something else, but it all slots so neatly together it's like it was meant to be. That Elle and her "coven" would ruthlessly pick off the privileged boys who drugged and gang-raped her is prime revenge fantasy territory, but the way the relentless drive of Macbeth lends itself to the goal is serendipitous.

And though it is a bloody, brutal book, at its heart it's the story of a girl who's hurting, and Capin doesn't forget that. Though yes, it may be unrealistic for the coven and Elle to orchestrate murders so effortlessly and in such a short period of time, it lends an immediacy to the story, and to Elle's pain — the bruises from her assault haven't even faded. Her pain and her anger (and her coven's, for her) is a live, raw nerve-ending. While some readers may find it hard to willingly suspend their disbelief (and their morality; gotta suspend that a bit, too) that, not only does Elle manage to accomplish all she does, but that no one recognizes her after so recent an assault, I think most readers will ignore the logistics in favor of cheering Elle on in her quest for vengeance. I think some readers will be put off by the "on-stage" violence (and the satisfaction Elle takes in seeing her dark will done, and the general confrontationalness of the pain and horror that permeates the book. Still other readers may be put off by a sense that the book is over-written or purple-prosy. It is highly stylized, but for me, that was one of it's draws, and not a detraction, but YMMV. But for those it works for, those who like dark, dark books and relentless, risk-it-all revenge tales, or even just really clever retellings of classics, I don't think you can get much better than Foul is Fair. On par with the ruthlessness and relentlessness and unflinchingness of Sadie, which is also put out by Wednesday Books, so I think they've got us covered in the 'uber-dark, fed-up teen girls who are ready to burn the world to the ground' market. And I'm here for it.

As I said, I've been talking about this one for awhile, and I think I'll be talking about it for awhile more to come. This is the type of book to stick with you (I literally had dreams about it), and the type to make for one hell of a group read/discussion book. ABOUT THE BOOK:

Foul Is Fair by Hannah Capin Contemporary Thriller, Literary Retelling, 336 pages Published February 18th 2020 by Wednesday Books

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.

Hannah Capin lives in Tidewater Virginia. She holds degrees from the Indiana University School of Music and Columbia University. When she isn't working on her next book, you'll find her sailing, singing, or scheming with her friends. She is the author of THE DEAD QUEENS CLUB and FOUL IS FAIR

via The Book Rat