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BLOW ME AWAY, MY GOD! And now I need to give Macbeth a re-read. Holy hell. I will 100% be using this with students, there are so many interesting ways to do it!!!

Recommended: YES
For those who are not faint of heart, for an incredible parallel to Macbeth that still retains it's own integrity, for darkness and viciousness in many forms, for complexities of vengeance and fate and evil

Thoughts:
I'd been avoiding this book. Frankly, I was judging it by the cover, because tbh the bight bold colors and Chiller-esque font made it seem really unimpressive and childish to me. Then I finally read the description, which included a trigger warning that it dealt with rape and the emotional consequences. I didn't realize it had such a dark side, and that's actually what drew me in. I didn't realize it would actually be such a parallel to Macbeth until I was a chapter in and meeting our wide crew of characters.

The language: vague yet beautiful. It's almost poetic, which is a nice match to the story (play) it's inspired by. Sometimes you're not sure what's real and what's figurative, and that uncertainty works so well with the story to make it hard to trust your narrator. It's a very powerful technique, and draws the story down so deep.

The ending: I wasn't sure how that would play out, and oh my god. Just.... oh my god. ♥

Thanks to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for a free copy in exchange for an honest review. ( )

A reread. While I loved all of the references to MACBETH, it was sometimes difficult to take the journey with the hero in this novel. Why? Well, the hero is a sociopath for one, and even though she‘s justified in what she does, it makes for a blood-gripping ride. I couldn‘t put it down, but I didn‘t walk away with any human-condition idea to make me a better person. Reading it felt like being on a 100-mile-an-hour rollercoaster. Then, once you get off, your whole body is wobbly; you stumble over to the trash can, throw up, then want to do it again. Maybe. #aahliterature ( )

CW: Sexual assault after being drugged. Described self harm. Vicious and fully described revenge killings. Mental Health (Trauma after rape). Suicide.

you have to be brilliant.
you have to be patient.

make your rage fight for you. it’s your greatest gift.
we learn to fight with our sabres and our claws. with schemes and patience.

with rage.

Well let me categorically say that I don’t condone revenge.

Luckily it was on such a ridiculous and implausible scale that I could enjoy this for the fictional scenario that it was. Therefore, I found it disturbingly and deliciously thrilling to see these vile beings get their comeuppance delivered to them in such a dramatic fashion. Dramatic is the key word. Just remember when you are reading this that it’s a Shakespeare re-imagining. This means that whilst the writing may seem overdone in its lyrical darkness and the author’s liberal use of repetition seems a bit over the top, it is in keeping with the tone set by Shakespeare in 'Macbeth'. It is after all, a dark play about betrayal, manipulation, madness and murder. The coven's evil machinations leave no doubt that they are master manipulators bent on 'righteous' revenge.

Be warned, the ‘out damn spot’ moment was actually quite harrowing as Elle relives her attack and struggles with the torment and guilt over her sinister actions. I strongly suggest reading the content warnings.

I’m not going to forget this twisted revenge book in a hurry and am quite frankly, a little shooketh.

What’s done, cannot be undone. ( )

This was a modern day Shakespearean trashed, with some of today’s crazy teen shows mixed in. The Craft, Riverdale, Sabrina and toss in Macbeth with a side of crazy. There were a few times I did get lost due to the writing style, but I pushed through. ( )

"They picked the wrong girl." Did they ever! Elizabeth Jade Khanjara, or Elle as she prefers to be called, and her best friends Jenny, Summer, and Mads, are untouchable - until Elle's sweet sixteen when she is gang raped at a party. Instead of going into hiding, she vows revenge. She cuts her hair, dyes it black (the exact shade is called "revenge"), changes the name she goes by to her middle name, Jade, and enrolls at the high school the boys attend. She and her friends then put their plan into action, and the school is never going to be the same.

This was a hard book to read at times, I'm not gonna lie. It was harsh and raw and dealt with some very real issues. Yes, the revenge went way too far, but you kind of get why they go the route they do. It's a revenge fantasy, pure and simple.

4/5 stars.

I received a copy of this book free of charge through NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion. ( )