If We Were Villains
Ratings449
Average rating4
If We Were Villains opens with the main protagonist, Oliver Marks, just about to leave prison after serving a 10 year sentence for murder. The detective who put him there is about to retire, and asks him for answers - did he really do it? What actually happened 10 years ago?
The novel follows a group of theater students at an elite arts college. It is darkly atmospheric, and they don't seem to just act out Shakespeare, they live it, completely immersing themselves at times. Like any tightly woven group of friends, the relationships are complex; family, friends, lovers, enemies. Loyalty, obsession, consequences. These people seem to love each other and ruin each other all at the same time. And of course, you can't have Shakespeare without tragedy, can you? This book is half mystery and half literary homage.
Did I like it? I suspect that if I had been a theatre kid, I would have. It was masterfully written, and I was interested enough in the story to stick to the end to find out ‘who dun it' and see if my suspicions were correct. Although, I will ‘WHAT?!' to that ending? I need at least one more chapter! That WAS an entirely unexpected reveal.
But in the end, it's probably not one I'll keep on my bookshelf. As always though, that's because the atmosphere and setting just weren't to my particular tastes. On a technical and artistic level, I believe this is a very good book, and I suspect it will have a very appreciative audience.
This book kept me hungry the whole way through and ended with a true bang. As a Shakespeare scholar, I appreciate the level of attention given to the original texts. Honestly, this was terribly well-crafted and I will likely read it again to see the things I didn't see the first time.
I enjoyed aspects of this book, but it definitely did not live up to the hype.
downgraded to one star coz this book was a big bore and i ended up hating it more
3.5/5 ⭐
For someone who is new to dark academia/ murder mystery, this book shocked me. A lot of the characters were flat and one-dimensional to me. Especially Meredith. Her only personality traits according to the author are hot, sexy, and curvy. I'm shocked this author isn't a man based on how Meredith is written. The pretentious quoting of Shakespeare every other sentence got really annoying really fast. Also, why did we need to quote entire scenes of the plays? I skimmed over most of those parts. Maybe Shakespeare nerds would like it but I found it obnoxious.
Es gab Stellen, wo ich das Buch nicht mehr weglegen konnte ( das Ende und die Zeit direkt um Richards Tod), aber die meiste Zeit war ich gelangweilt.
Das Ende war aber unglaublich, also ein Rating Punkt höher.
Slow starting, but then it picked up. Oliver really developed, although, as we only had his perspective, we missed a lot of the other characters' changes.
An ambiguous ending and a very strange middle part definitely took away my enjoyment.
Me gustó mucho la forma que tuvo la autora de contar la historia por actos como si fuera una obra de teatro y las pequeñas escenas de la actualidad al principio de cada uno.
El formato de los diálogos que mezcla diálogos normales con diálogos de teatro me resultó innovador y ayuda a enterarte quién es quién mientras actúan que hablando de eso, me sentía como un espectador más viéndolos a ellos en el escenario
Amé a cada uno de los personajes (a ti no, Richard), con todo lo malo y con todo lo bueno. Por muy actores que sean siguen siendo personas con sus propios problemas y sentimientos y creo que la autora ha sabido reflejar esa faceta humana en sus personajes. Mis favoritos han acabado siendo Filippa y Oliver. Seguido de Colborne. De este último me habría gustado que hubiera tenido un poco más de desarrollo o que nos hubiera contado un poco más. Aunque decían que Filippa es imperturbable, es una persona que se preocupa y quiere mucho a los suyos y es capaz de cualquier cosa y Oliver... Qué decir.
Se confirmaron mis sospechas iniciales de quién fue el culpable pero a lo largo de los actos me lo he replanteado varias veces y no esperaba que acabase de ese modo.
A lo largo del libro he tenido la sensación de estar leyendo una obra de teatro.
4.5!
What a banger. I was putting this off for the longest time waiting for the fall aka dark academia season and it did not disappoint. Though with how sunny and green The Netherlands is rn, maybe a bit too early. Would read it in November time if I could.
BUT THAT ASIDE!!!
I was so invested in the book its crazy. It's one of the books that had no plot but vibes. Or rather, predictable plot, but vibes. As a high school theatre kid, I loved the Shakespeare setting and just reading a book about theatrical acting, while still keeping the with the campus/student setting!!
Well, this did not meet my expectations. Starting this book I felt like this might be a 5 star, but I quickly noticed it would not be the case.
Pacing is very off in my opinion and characters have little development. Characters are only described in their physical aspects and characters such as Richard and Meridith have little to offer besides being handsome people.
The plot of the book was also very predictable in my opinion. The storyline does not move in ages and suddenly explodes in the 5th chapter.
The ending also left me baffled and wasn't really realistic in my opinion. The last chapter felt really rushed. Disappointed writing this.
Um dos melhores livros que eu já li. A ressaca, quando o terminei, foi intensa.
É um livro lento, slow burn, que vai dando informação nova à medida que a história progride.
Eu gostaria de escrever uma review que fizesse justiça a este livro, mas, sempre que verdadeiramente gosto de um livro, é-me difícil pôr os sentimentos em palavras.
A relação do Oliver com o James, ou até mesmo a controversa relação do Oliver com a Meredith... e o Richard. A evolução das relações dos personagens entre eles, na verdade. A forma como somos conduzidos e levados a questionar todos os personagens, inclusive o próprio protagonista.
Este livro é abismal. A escrita, a história, os personagens. Fiquei agarrada do princípio ao fim. As reviravoltas, as pequenas pistas escondidas, as relações entre os personagens. Fantástico.
Cheesy ending, women are only portrayed as sexual/virgin types, kind of misogynistic. The ending is kind of rushed and unrealistic which throws you off the story. I don't know, I was expecting much more taking into account the hype this book got.
what the fuck that was so good. what the FUCK? i will be talking about this constantly for a week idk. something about me and characters called james..
Oh I loved the ending! Thank you, M. L. Rio, for not leaving me hanging with only a tragic ending. I needed that. What a brilliant Act V.
I wanted more queer than there was throughout ALL of it. I honestly thought they were gonna hit me with the plausible deniability of any Shakespeare play right up until the kiss on stage. Thank fucking god they didn't.
Filippa is MVP, hands down. The only sane of the bunch of them, and deeply relatable. Had this been The Secret History, Filippa would have been the main character lmao.
I might change my mind on the rating after sitting with it a while but ?!?!?
I genuinely almost dnf'd this after 100 pages but I stuck with it when it had flashes of being a book I really enjoyed. It picked up, then slowed a bit, but then the last act I was on the edge of my seat.
stupid theatre kids
I was completely blown away by this book that delved into the world of star-crossed lovers and the captivating allure of Gothic architecture. The way it portrayed the intricate details and created an enchanting atmosphere was nothing short of magical. It truly evoked a sense of deep longing and tragic emotions. Even though I hadn't explored Shakespeare's works before, the author's storytelling skills made it accessible and relatable, even for someone like me with limited literary knowledge.
What truly amazed me was the author's incredible use of colours to bring each scene to life. The descriptions of ‘impetuous reds', ‘pea green', ‘metallic purple', and the melancholic yet glowing ‘dull autumnal yellow' were absolutely breathtaking. These vivid hues not only painted a vivid picture but also resonated with the profound emotions in the story. It was a remarkable experience as the author carefully selected words to convey poignant feelings and create a sensitive connection with the reader.
Undoubtedly, the author is a masterful writer who has the ability to capture tragic emotions in a respectful and profound way. Their storytelling left a lasting impact on me, and I aspire to develop my own skills, perhaps through the medium of a paintbrush, to create visual narratives that can captivate and enchant others in a similar manner.
If I could give 5 thousand stars, I'd do it. This book is everything I asked for in a book for the past few years.
Very reminiscent of the Dead Poets Society: it's all fun and games in the beginning and then BOOM ✨depression✨
5 stars
i just finished this and i have so many thoughts, i'll come back here later to write about it, because i have so much to say about this book
I loved this book so much! Seriously, I will be recommending it widely, especially to a certain dramatic demographic. I went into this cold, with no understanding of what was to come, and I believe that was a terrific stroke of luck. Now I suggest everyone do that.