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Если бы мы были злодеями
В день, когда Оливер выходит из тюрьмы, его уже ожидают. Детектив Колборн хочет знать правду, и спустя десять лет Оливер готов ее открыть.
В то время он был одним из семи студентов-шекспироведов в академии Деллехера, в месте, где царит дух извращенных амбиций и нечеловеческой конкуренции. В этом уединенном мире горящих каминов и книг в кожаных обложках Оливер и его друзья играют роли не только на сцене, но и за ее пределами: герой, злодей, тиран, соблазнительница, инженю и массовка.
Однако на финальном году обучения здоровое соперничество перерастает в кровавое. Вечер одного спектакля переворачивает жизнь молодых актеров с ног на голову. Наутро каждому из студентов предстоит взглянуть в лицо своей личной трагедии и сыграть главную роль своей жизни: убедить в невиновности полицию, друг друга и самих себя.
В то время он был одним из семи студентов-шекспироведов в академии Деллехера, в месте, где царит дух извращенных амбиций и нечеловеческой конкуренции. В этом уединенном мире горящих каминов и книг в кожаных обложках Оливер и его друзья играют роли не только на сцене, но и за ее пределами: герой, злодей, тиран, соблазнительница, инженю и массовка.
Однако на финальном году обучения здоровое соперничество перерастает в кровавое. Вечер одного спектакля переворачивает жизнь молодых актеров с ног на голову. Наутро каждому из студентов предстоит взглянуть в лицо своей личной трагедии и сыграть главную роль своей жизни: убедить в невиновности полицию, друг друга и самих себя.
480 pages, Hardcover
First published April 11, 2017
29565 people are currently reading
826277 people want to read
About the author
M.L. Rio
6 books9,941 followersM. L. Rio is an author, but before she was an author she was an actor, and before she was an actor she was just a word nerd whose best friends were books. She holds a master's degree in Shakespeare Studies from King's College London and Shakespeare's Globe and a PhD in English from the University of Maryland, College Park.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 75,308 reviews
June 26, 2025
Ugh. This is so fucking frustrating. If We Were Villains had the potential to be truly awesome and it ended up being a complete and utter clusterfuck. The Bard would not be happy ... or maybe he would, if I recall the plot of As You Like It correctly. M.L. Rio's debut novel seems to rival its ridiculousness of plot and lacklustre characterisation. But just because Willie Shakes would've liked it ... doesn't mean I have to. ;)
No, but for real, this book started out great. It is separated into five acts (duh), the first two of which are pretty solid. In the prologue, we learn that Oliver Marks is released from jail. He is finally willing to confront his past and tell the truth of what really happened ten years ago. He recounts the events to the detective Colborne. Personally, I was not a fan of the prologue sections that introduced each act, since they pulled me out of the story ... and who really needs this shitty frame story anyways? But moving on, in the first act, we jump immediately into the swing of things. Oliver is one of seven young Shakespearean actors at Dellecher, a place of keen ambition and fierce competition. It is their fourth and final year, and things quickly turn ugly.
I was immediately sucked into the story. I am a sucker for campus settings, so that was probably it. But overall, I really enjoyed being introduced to all of the characters. Sure, they seemed more like stereotypes than real people, but I loved that the stakes were so high. Like, these bitches really delivered when it came to the drama and tension. I loved their bickering, their fights, and overall, the tense and borderline aggressive atmosphere that seemed to have surrounded them.
Nonetheless, even early on, I was quite annoyed by their pretentiousness. I get that Shakespeare is great and all, but you really don't have to quote him 24/7. Moreover, these bitches were really over the top, like, e.g. when Meredith is forced to confront her fears in class, she basically says that she likes being hot but fears at the same time that no one will take her seriously due to her good looks. So far, so good. Let's take a look at what then ensues: Oliver “didn’t know where to look”, Filippa “looked slightly nauseous”, Wren “sat with one hand over her mouth” … I mean can these bitches chill? It ain’t that deep. I never took drama class but if all the peeps there are so unruffled by something as banal as a woman’s insecurities, then sign me the fuck out.
I was able to look past a lot of the cheesy and over the top moments because I really truly wanted to have a good time reading this. I was ready for something light, maybe even a little silly. And the first two acts really delivered. Even though it was kinda cheap, I liked how the plot of If We Were Villains was actually reminiscent of the plot of the Shakespeare plays at the center of the story. Their performance of Macbeth had me on the edge of my seat. It was so thrilling. I loved experiencing a play I like so much through the eyes of these misfits. Also, Alexander as Hecate is everything.
On top of that, I really appreciate how Richard was set up. His presence was so daunting and evil, it took me no time to want to see his head roll. Rio did an excellent job at showing his abusive behaviour toward his peers and how he was the disrupter of peace within the group. At times, I was lowkey afraid of him, not gonna lie. However, I would've liked for his character to be explored a little further. Rio never really showed why Richard was the way he was. What was his fucking problem? Why was he so angry the whole time? Given the fact, that he has been friends with these people for over three years and has formed close bonds to them, I found it weird that the shift in his character between their third and fourth year was never elaborated on. But again, lacklustre characterisation seems to be M.L. Rio's thing. No tea, no shade.
But these are the only (somewhat) positive things I have to say about this book: it's very accessible from the get go, the characters are easy to love (and hate) and the building climax to the inevitable murder is thrilling. Sadly, this is also where the downfall of this novel lies. For someone who has a masters in Shakespeare Studies, M.L. Rio sure as hell doesn't know how to structure her novel/play properly. If there is one thing she should've learned by studying Shakespeare so meticulously, it is that you do not place the murder in the second act, especially if that's the only big upset of the whole plot.
After the second act, it seemed like Rio had shot all her powder and the remaining three acts just fizzled out with no real incentive and excitement. I was convinced that this couldn't be it. The mystery behind the murder was so predictable, it is a joke that it was dragged out for three acts. Her characterisation was so bad, that one quickly stopped rooting for her characters due to how laughable they became. Rio sacrificed authenticity to move the plot in the direction she wanted. The complete disregard of consistency when it came to her character's personality and actions is baffling to me.
On top of that, I am really frustrated as to why something that started off so promising as this book quickly turned into the biggest trope fest I have ever seen? Oliver's relationship to Meredith was so fucking unnecessary, I cannot even. His love for James was palpable from the start. At first, you're trying to sell him to me as this naive underdog, and all of a sudden he's fucking the hottest chick in school?
Oliver's family situation was also the weirdest shit I've ever read, the whole episode of him visiting home during the holidays was so .... words truly fail me. Why did his younger sister suffer from an ED? And why was it belittled by him? I literally don't get why we needed that in this story? It served no purpose at all.
Also, why are the people praising the ending of this book for how romantic it is the same people who condemn Sam Pepper for his 'Killing Best Friend Prank' ... can't relate. It's both messed up. In general, the whole reason behind Oliver being in jail in the first place makes no fucking sense at all. Ugh, Romeo and Juliet, my ass. I am over the sacrificial lamb trope.
And lastly, to those advertising this book as being for true Shakespeare lovers. CANNOT RELATE. I am not saying that Rio doesn't know her shit when it comes to Shakespeare, but she clearly didn't display that knowledge in If We Were Villains. She chose the most obvious and popular Shakespeare plays (Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet, Julius Caesar, etc.), and thus none of her plot points were surprising. The quotes she chose are so basic, it's really quite sad when you think of the deepness and richness of Shakespeare's complete work. This feels like yet another attempt to make Shakespeare appealing to the masses, which is fine, don't get me wrong, but this is definitely more a book for the casual Shakespeare reader, rather than the Shakespeare fanatic.
No, but for real, this book started out great. It is separated into five acts (duh), the first two of which are pretty solid. In the prologue, we learn that Oliver Marks is released from jail. He is finally willing to confront his past and tell the truth of what really happened ten years ago. He recounts the events to the detective Colborne. Personally, I was not a fan of the prologue sections that introduced each act, since they pulled me out of the story ... and who really needs this shitty frame story anyways? But moving on, in the first act, we jump immediately into the swing of things. Oliver is one of seven young Shakespearean actors at Dellecher, a place of keen ambition and fierce competition. It is their fourth and final year, and things quickly turn ugly.
I was immediately sucked into the story. I am a sucker for campus settings, so that was probably it. But overall, I really enjoyed being introduced to all of the characters. Sure, they seemed more like stereotypes than real people, but I loved that the stakes were so high. Like, these bitches really delivered when it came to the drama and tension. I loved their bickering, their fights, and overall, the tense and borderline aggressive atmosphere that seemed to have surrounded them.
Nonetheless, even early on, I was quite annoyed by their pretentiousness. I get that Shakespeare is great and all, but you really don't have to quote him 24/7. Moreover, these bitches were really over the top, like, e.g. when Meredith is forced to confront her fears in class, she basically says that she likes being hot but fears at the same time that no one will take her seriously due to her good looks. So far, so good. Let's take a look at what then ensues: Oliver “didn’t know where to look”, Filippa “looked slightly nauseous”, Wren “sat with one hand over her mouth” … I mean can these bitches chill? It ain’t that deep. I never took drama class but if all the peeps there are so unruffled by something as banal as a woman’s insecurities, then sign me the fuck out.
I was able to look past a lot of the cheesy and over the top moments because I really truly wanted to have a good time reading this. I was ready for something light, maybe even a little silly. And the first two acts really delivered. Even though it was kinda cheap, I liked how the plot of If We Were Villains was actually reminiscent of the plot of the Shakespeare plays at the center of the story. Their performance of Macbeth had me on the edge of my seat. It was so thrilling. I loved experiencing a play I like so much through the eyes of these misfits. Also, Alexander as Hecate is everything.
On top of that, I really appreciate how Richard was set up. His presence was so daunting and evil, it took me no time to want to see his head roll. Rio did an excellent job at showing his abusive behaviour toward his peers and how he was the disrupter of peace within the group. At times, I was lowkey afraid of him, not gonna lie. However, I would've liked for his character to be explored a little further. Rio never really showed why Richard was the way he was. What was his fucking problem? Why was he so angry the whole time? Given the fact, that he has been friends with these people for over three years and has formed close bonds to them, I found it weird that the shift in his character between their third and fourth year was never elaborated on. But again, lacklustre characterisation seems to be M.L. Rio's thing. No tea, no shade.
But these are the only (somewhat) positive things I have to say about this book: it's very accessible from the get go, the characters are easy to love (and hate) and the building climax to the inevitable murder is thrilling. Sadly, this is also where the downfall of this novel lies. For someone who has a masters in Shakespeare Studies, M.L. Rio sure as hell doesn't know how to structure her novel/play properly. If there is one thing she should've learned by studying Shakespeare so meticulously, it is that you do not place the murder in the second act, especially if that's the only big upset of the whole plot.
After the second act, it seemed like Rio had shot all her powder and the remaining three acts just fizzled out with no real incentive and excitement. I was convinced that this couldn't be it. The mystery behind the murder was so predictable, it is a joke that it was dragged out for three acts. Her characterisation was so bad, that one quickly stopped rooting for her characters due to how laughable they became. Rio sacrificed authenticity to move the plot in the direction she wanted. The complete disregard of consistency when it came to her character's personality and actions is baffling to me.
On top of that, I am really frustrated as to why something that started off so promising as this book quickly turned into the biggest trope fest I have ever seen? Oliver's relationship to Meredith was so fucking unnecessary, I cannot even. His love for James was palpable from the start. At first, you're trying to sell him to me as this naive underdog, and all of a sudden he's fucking the hottest chick in school?
Oliver's family situation was also the weirdest shit I've ever read, the whole episode of him visiting home during the holidays was so .... words truly fail me. Why did his younger sister suffer from an ED? And why was it belittled by him? I literally don't get why we needed that in this story? It served no purpose at all.
Also, why are the people praising the ending of this book for how romantic it is the same people who condemn Sam Pepper for his 'Killing Best Friend Prank' ... can't relate. It's both messed up. In general, the whole reason behind Oliver being in jail in the first place makes no fucking sense at all. Ugh, Romeo and Juliet, my ass. I am over the sacrificial lamb trope.
And lastly, to those advertising this book as being for true Shakespeare lovers. CANNOT RELATE. I am not saying that Rio doesn't know her shit when it comes to Shakespeare, but she clearly didn't display that knowledge in If We Were Villains. She chose the most obvious and popular Shakespeare plays (Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet, Julius Caesar, etc.), and thus none of her plot points were surprising. The quotes she chose are so basic, it's really quite sad when you think of the deepness and richness of Shakespeare's complete work. This feels like yet another attempt to make Shakespeare appealing to the masses, which is fine, don't get me wrong, but this is definitely more a book for the casual Shakespeare reader, rather than the Shakespeare fanatic.
October 19, 2023
When you read the synopsis for this book, you will likely hear a voice saying, “Oh, this sounds interesting! Let's give it a shot.” And I’m here to tell you right now—that’s the devil talking.
Don't let my 5-star rating fool you. I hate this book so much I can't bear it. I tore through it, but I feel like it tore through me. That ending grabbed an invisible dagger and twisted it between my ribs. Fuck you, book. You are literally a bound bundle of dead tree. How dare you.
Anyways.
If We Were Villains is the story of a tightly knit group of seven lyric-mad Shakespearean thespians who seem to prefer each other’s company to anyone else’s, thereby offending the rest of the world. But as these things so often go, something dark and sinister soon sews hatred in them, and wedges its way between them. The friendship, once beautiful, begins to hold something worth fearing. At some point, our merry band of thespians become less friends and more things for each other to hit.
Then, almost inevitably: a murder. Now, ten years later, detective Colborne feels every choice he’d made, every action he took that fatal night, as a weight he carries with him. There are so many versions of the story, so many neat distillations of what had happened. Only one person can say which one was true.
Oliver Marks keeps many secrets with sharp edges. Now, no longer prison-bound, with the realization that there is no darkness Detective Colborne can send him to rival what he endured already, Oliver is ready to put the last spectre of the past where it belongs. But for one last time, his brain is revisiting those old haunts, dredging up those years again, churning them to the surface to be rewound and replayed, remembering. And the truth surges back with a vengeance.
If We Were Villains lured me in, like a fish to a hook, by appealing to my dark academia loving heart. Shakespearian aesthetics, academic setting, homoeroticism, a secret society whose members communicate (pretentiously) through literary quotes, characters doing morally dubious things at odd hours, a devastating murder, and M.L. Rio has set the scene for an exhilarating, unsettling, and devastating thriller. In short, I was never going to surface from this story with my emotions intact.
If We Were Villains has a deep pull. Rio makes it impossible not to be consumed by this story, not to fall in love with each of these characters, with the encompassing attraction of a group of friends who have made ruins of each other, and the tragic intoxicating chemistry of two lovers who held each other in plain sight of the world, though their bodies remained forever separate. It’s impossible not to feel caught up in the webs she creates: in the thorny tangle of guilt, frustration, and longing, the rivalry, the blurred lines between love and hate, the fractured loyalties and determined single-minded violent obsessions that can never end well for most but make for one hell of a story for the ones who survive to tell it.
This is truly a page-turner in every sense: the intricate plot turnings, the meticulous character work, and the staggering narrative revelations all make for the kind of book that sucks you in for hours at a time. Once the shocks started, it was impossible for me to put this book down. Throughout, I couldn’t shake the horrible feeling that I was being played, that all the actors were stepping onto the stage but no one had ever bothered to give me a script. I was still grasping at the small things I hoped might tell a different story when the ending happened. And oh my god. There was literally a moment where I had to stop reading just so I could think. If you've read this book, you know the moment I'm talking about, and you too have probably tried to make your mind accept the (im)possibility of it because as terrible as imagining what happened might be, it was better than living in this current reality of not-fucking-knowing.
In conclusion, I am once again appalled that I'm not part of a tight-knit group of morally bankrupt Shakespeare devotees who sport an unhealthy obsession with aesthetics and together try to cover up a murder one of them committed. Where’s MY dark-academia main-character moment?
❗️SPOILERY SECTION❗️
I know everyone who’s read this book is having a hard time right now and I’m here to say: what the FUCK.
I love Oliver and James SO MUCH and they deserved so much more time together. Definitely more than a fleeting kiss shared on a Shakespeare scene before one of them is torn away to a ten-years prison sentence because he took the fall for the man he loves (the only romantic gesture that matters). The fact that Oliver only got to realize that he was actually in love with James while in PRISON? Rio, you are so sick for this. Also, imagine thinking for six fucking years that the love of your life has forgotten about you and moved on because they stopped visiting you in prison, when in reality they’ve… FAKED their death. That's right. If anyone tries to pry away from me the fact that James is somewhere waiting for Oliver to find him, it could only be from my cold, dead hands, and you’d catch these hands from the grave! If you don't believe me, please read this fanfic because it's the only true ending that we all deserved. It might not be *officially* canon but goddammit, it's canon in MY HEART: what is woven into the lives of others by helloearthlings.
Don't let my 5-star rating fool you. I hate this book so much I can't bear it. I tore through it, but I feel like it tore through me. That ending grabbed an invisible dagger and twisted it between my ribs. Fuck you, book. You are literally a bound bundle of dead tree. How dare you.
Anyways.
If We Were Villains is the story of a tightly knit group of seven lyric-mad Shakespearean thespians who seem to prefer each other’s company to anyone else’s, thereby offending the rest of the world. But as these things so often go, something dark and sinister soon sews hatred in them, and wedges its way between them. The friendship, once beautiful, begins to hold something worth fearing. At some point, our merry band of thespians become less friends and more things for each other to hit.
Then, almost inevitably: a murder. Now, ten years later, detective Colborne feels every choice he’d made, every action he took that fatal night, as a weight he carries with him. There are so many versions of the story, so many neat distillations of what had happened. Only one person can say which one was true.
Oliver Marks keeps many secrets with sharp edges. Now, no longer prison-bound, with the realization that there is no darkness Detective Colborne can send him to rival what he endured already, Oliver is ready to put the last spectre of the past where it belongs. But for one last time, his brain is revisiting those old haunts, dredging up those years again, churning them to the surface to be rewound and replayed, remembering. And the truth surges back with a vengeance.
“Do you blame Shakespeare for any of it?”
The question is so unlikely, so nonsensical coming from such a sensible man, that I can’t suppress a smile. “I blame him for all of it,” I say.
If We Were Villains lured me in, like a fish to a hook, by appealing to my dark academia loving heart. Shakespearian aesthetics, academic setting, homoeroticism, a secret society whose members communicate (pretentiously) through literary quotes, characters doing morally dubious things at odd hours, a devastating murder, and M.L. Rio has set the scene for an exhilarating, unsettling, and devastating thriller. In short, I was never going to surface from this story with my emotions intact.
If We Were Villains has a deep pull. Rio makes it impossible not to be consumed by this story, not to fall in love with each of these characters, with the encompassing attraction of a group of friends who have made ruins of each other, and the tragic intoxicating chemistry of two lovers who held each other in plain sight of the world, though their bodies remained forever separate. It’s impossible not to feel caught up in the webs she creates: in the thorny tangle of guilt, frustration, and longing, the rivalry, the blurred lines between love and hate, the fractured loyalties and determined single-minded violent obsessions that can never end well for most but make for one hell of a story for the ones who survive to tell it.
This is truly a page-turner in every sense: the intricate plot turnings, the meticulous character work, and the staggering narrative revelations all make for the kind of book that sucks you in for hours at a time. Once the shocks started, it was impossible for me to put this book down. Throughout, I couldn’t shake the horrible feeling that I was being played, that all the actors were stepping onto the stage but no one had ever bothered to give me a script. I was still grasping at the small things I hoped might tell a different story when the ending happened. And oh my god. There was literally a moment where I had to stop reading just so I could think. If you've read this book, you know the moment I'm talking about, and you too have probably tried to make your mind accept the (im)possibility of it because as terrible as imagining what happened might be, it was better than living in this current reality of not-fucking-knowing.
“But that is how a tragedy like ours or King Lear breaks your heart—by making you believe that the ending might still be happy, until the very last minute.”
In conclusion, I am once again appalled that I'm not part of a tight-knit group of morally bankrupt Shakespeare devotees who sport an unhealthy obsession with aesthetics and together try to cover up a murder one of them committed. Where’s MY dark-academia main-character moment?
Actors are by nature volatile—alchemic creatures composed of incendiary elements, emotion and ego and envy. Heat them up, stir them together, and sometimes you get gold. Sometimes disaster.
❗️SPOILERY SECTION❗️
I know everyone who’s read this book is having a hard time right now and I’m here to say: what the FUCK.
I love Oliver and James SO MUCH and they deserved so much more time together. Definitely more than a fleeting kiss shared on a Shakespeare scene before one of them is torn away to a ten-years prison sentence because he took the fall for the man he loves (the only romantic gesture that matters). The fact that Oliver only got to realize that he was actually in love with James while in PRISON? Rio, you are so sick for this. Also, imagine thinking for six fucking years that the love of your life has forgotten about you and moved on because they stopped visiting you in prison, when in reality they’ve… FAKED their death. That's right. If anyone tries to pry away from me the fact that James is somewhere waiting for Oliver to find him, it could only be from my cold, dead hands, and you’d catch these hands from the grave! If you don't believe me, please read this fanfic because it's the only true ending that we all deserved. It might not be *officially* canon but goddammit, it's canon in MY HEART: what is woven into the lives of others by helloearthlings.
March 24, 2022
You can justify anything, if you do it poetically enough.
this is going to be one of my favorite books of the year... almost definitely. I’m saying that now on January 26th because I want you all to know. I genuinely cannot remember the last time I found myself so utterly engaged in a book.
Okay, so this is a drama set at a Shakespeare theater, in which a group of theater actors accidentally kill a man and deal with the fallout. Yay! Fun happy stuff. As the plays continue, their roles within this drama shift and switch, ironically mirroring their respective development, and they accidentally get way too involved in several plays as they are occuring.
Dark academia is actually such a compelling and amazing genre to me, always, but Shakespearean drama is perhaps the best dark academia pick out there. We have moral intrigue!! long soliloquys!! everyone knows who he is, but he still has plenty of speeches no one knows!! gay subtext used to its best degree!!
We cracked up. But we didn't really shatter until we came back together again.
The seven lead characters each fit into well-known archetypes:
→Oliver - the lacking-type boy.
→James - the good guy.
→Alexander - the villain.
→Meredith - the sexpot.
→Wren - the ingenue.
→Phillipa - the lacking-type girl. bi. I have no proof but definitely bi.
→Richard - the dick himself.
The degree to which the character dynamics affect this plot is just so so amazing. There is a genuine actual love triangle, as in every branch has some weird tension. (Actually, I don’t know how to make a love dynamic of this friend circle. Help them.)
I don’t really know how to describe what made this book so completely enthralling. This isn’t a book focused on plot twists; I figured out most of the plot points here, actually, aside from a couple mini reveals. Yet every plot point, whether guessed or not, is satisfying, placed perfectly and used perfectly. This is a Shakespearean tragedy and on some level, we know how it ends. But it is completely impossible to get off the tracks.
“But that is how a tragedy like ours or King Lear breaks your heart—by making you believe that the ending might still be happy, until the very last minute.”
And you know what, this book would have been a five no matter how it ended, but the ending made me screech out loud. So there’s that.
I want to thank Chaima, Melanie, and Aleksandra for encouraging me to read this, because honestly... dear god.
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June 23, 2023
— 5 stars ✰
“when did we become such terrible people?”
“maybe we’ve always been terrible”
i don’t even know where to begin. head empty. just pain. this book was everything i thought it wouldn’t be. and it consumed me in the best way possible, i don’t think i can ever move on from this masterpiece. the foreshadowing in this book is utterly crazy.
seven friends, bound by the same passion. for years they’ve played the same type of roles. but as the casting changes, so did their lives.
“i couldn’t help feeling that the balance
of power had somehow shifted”
the author did an incredibly amazing job to write multi-layered characters. their development and depth was so mesmerizing and i couldn’t help but be amazed by the foreshadowing of each characters fate.
“people always forget about filippa.
and later they always wish they hadn’t”
this book took my by surprise and had me hooked til the ending. act one may have been a bit slow but as the plot started rolling, so did my insides because by the end of the book i felt sick and nauseous all the same.
i can’t even pin point what’s so captivating about this book. i guess it’s about the characters and the foreshadowing here. most “plot twists” i already guessed beforehand so i wasn’t really that surprised but in return i was more shocked with the ending itself.
i honestly just want to reread the book just so i can find all the easter eggs hidden behind the passages that i didn’t get the first time reading it. i just know that they’re more to be found.
this book altered by brain chemistry, crying throwing up, no one talk to me for 7 business days because i need to process this ending 🤧
“his whole world is falling apart & once he realizes he can’t stop it or fix it or change it, there’s only one thing left to do”
—
rtc, i am unwell 🤧🤧
like maya would say, currently staring at my wall and thinking
—
BR with like 13 people?💀😭 wish us luck
“when did we become such terrible people?”
“maybe we’ve always been terrible”
i don’t even know where to begin. head empty. just pain. this book was everything i thought it wouldn’t be. and it consumed me in the best way possible, i don’t think i can ever move on from this masterpiece. the foreshadowing in this book is utterly crazy.
seven friends, bound by the same passion. for years they’ve played the same type of roles. but as the casting changes, so did their lives.
“i couldn’t help feeling that the balance
of power had somehow shifted”
the author did an incredibly amazing job to write multi-layered characters. their development and depth was so mesmerizing and i couldn’t help but be amazed by the foreshadowing of each characters fate.
“people always forget about filippa.
and later they always wish they hadn’t”
this book took my by surprise and had me hooked til the ending. act one may have been a bit slow but as the plot started rolling, so did my insides because by the end of the book i felt sick and nauseous all the same.
i can’t even pin point what’s so captivating about this book. i guess it’s about the characters and the foreshadowing here. most “plot twists” i already guessed beforehand so i wasn’t really that surprised but in return i was more shocked with the ending itself.
i honestly just want to reread the book just so i can find all the easter eggs hidden behind the passages that i didn’t get the first time reading it. i just know that they’re more to be found.
this book altered by brain chemistry, crying throwing up, no one talk to me for 7 business days because i need to process this ending 🤧
“his whole world is falling apart & once he realizes he can’t stop it or fix it or change it, there’s only one thing left to do”
—
rtc, i am unwell 🤧🤧
like maya would say, currently staring at my wall and thinking
—
BR with like 13 people?💀😭 wish us luck
January 18, 2024
Just got word - there's a new set of the coolest possible things you can be.
1) very into Shakespeare (can quote at length in casual conversation)
2) unbearably pretentious
3) complicit in a murder with your group of friends
You might think that the coolest things you can be might include traditional things, like "in possession of a motorcycle" or "a New York-based artist with family money" or "on some sort of high school athletic team / squad designated to cheer on said team."
But you'd be wrong.
Dark academia knocks all of those things out of the water.
I loved this book very much, as I love anything that even slightly reminds me of The Secret History, and anything that invests me insanely in a set of annoying (at best) or criminal (at worst) characters, and anything with a plot so twisty and intense that it makes my heart beat faster, and anything whose ending I dread (even as I found the book less and less interesting as it went on).
This is not a perfect book, but books with all of those traits are in short supply. And far be it from me to turn away any dark academia options.
Beggars can't be choosers.
Bottom line: Tell me any book that can help me relive the high of this one for even a second.
---------------
pre-review
my heartbeat has been elevated for like...3 straight hours.
and that is very unusual because i do not work out.
review to come / 4.5 stars
---------------
tbr review
WAY behind on my dark academia quotas. i'm going to lose my Allowed To Be Pretentious And Everyone Finds It Charming badge
1) very into Shakespeare (can quote at length in casual conversation)
2) unbearably pretentious
3) complicit in a murder with your group of friends
You might think that the coolest things you can be might include traditional things, like "in possession of a motorcycle" or "a New York-based artist with family money" or "on some sort of high school athletic team / squad designated to cheer on said team."
But you'd be wrong.
Dark academia knocks all of those things out of the water.
I loved this book very much, as I love anything that even slightly reminds me of The Secret History, and anything that invests me insanely in a set of annoying (at best) or criminal (at worst) characters, and anything with a plot so twisty and intense that it makes my heart beat faster, and anything whose ending I dread (even as I found the book less and less interesting as it went on).
This is not a perfect book, but books with all of those traits are in short supply. And far be it from me to turn away any dark academia options.
Beggars can't be choosers.
Bottom line: Tell me any book that can help me relive the high of this one for even a second.
---------------
pre-review
my heartbeat has been elevated for like...3 straight hours.
and that is very unusual because i do not work out.
review to come / 4.5 stars
---------------
tbr review
WAY behind on my dark academia quotas. i'm going to lose my Allowed To Be Pretentious And Everyone Finds It Charming badge
March 8, 2022
yet another reread and its good to know that dark academia is still my preferred aesthetic.
____________________________________
this book! this book! my kingdom for this book!
this is absolutely sensational, a true work of brilliance. i am so enamoured by this story and everything it has to offer. its quite clever and beyond invigorating - the type of book that fully immerses you whilst reading it.
the passion which radiates throughout this story makes me feel so in love with shakespeare and his words (and i honestly never considered myself a fan). the way in which these students dedicate their lives to studying him is almost romantic, in a way. how they integrate his language into their own interactions, making their own lives a work of poetry in the process, is very inspiring.
and because of that, i would say the characters are the main focus for me. yes, there is a mystery/thriller element that surrounds the students, but i feel like that takes a backseat to what are phenomenal characters, the boys in particular. i became so enthralled with their lives, how they orbited one another, and just their day-to-day routines.
and i should have known not to get so attached, as this story follows the form of a true shakespearean tragedy. so as i closed the final page, i found myself wistfully thinking that parting is such sweet sorrow.
↠ 5 stars
____________________________________
this book! this book! my kingdom for this book!
this is absolutely sensational, a true work of brilliance. i am so enamoured by this story and everything it has to offer. its quite clever and beyond invigorating - the type of book that fully immerses you whilst reading it.
the passion which radiates throughout this story makes me feel so in love with shakespeare and his words (and i honestly never considered myself a fan). the way in which these students dedicate their lives to studying him is almost romantic, in a way. how they integrate his language into their own interactions, making their own lives a work of poetry in the process, is very inspiring.
and because of that, i would say the characters are the main focus for me. yes, there is a mystery/thriller element that surrounds the students, but i feel like that takes a backseat to what are phenomenal characters, the boys in particular. i became so enthralled with their lives, how they orbited one another, and just their day-to-day routines.
and i should have known not to get so attached, as this story follows the form of a true shakespearean tragedy. so as i closed the final page, i found myself wistfully thinking that parting is such sweet sorrow.
↠ 5 stars
February 27, 2024
i am going to break my silence and speak my truth:
this is the secret history for dummies with annoying theater majors and you can't convince me otherwise.
if you're gonna very blatantly rip off what i consider one of the best novels ever written, at least do a good job of it. also, coming from someone who loves shakespeare to the point where she took four shakespeare courses during college, holy fuck were they unbearably annoying.
it's like off brand the secret history meets glee.
it had no nuance, no subtlety, nothing between the lines. it was basically a horrible caricature of the secret history. donna tartt, i'm so sorry that you got compared to this.
this is the secret history for dummies with annoying theater majors and you can't convince me otherwise.
if you're gonna very blatantly rip off what i consider one of the best novels ever written, at least do a good job of it. also, coming from someone who loves shakespeare to the point where she took four shakespeare courses during college, holy fuck were they unbearably annoying.
it's like off brand the secret history meets glee.
it had no nuance, no subtlety, nothing between the lines. it was basically a horrible caricature of the secret history. donna tartt, i'm so sorry that you got compared to this.
October 19, 2023
3🌟
I think this book is super fun, twisty, and dark if you're looking for that vibe then you should pick up this book
Unfortunately I think I rated this book a little lower because of how heavily this book is inspired by shakespeare and the impact was lost on me since I know nothing about any of his work.
I ended up looking up on reddit what the purpose of it all was and I feel that if I already had that knowledge then it would've def hit the way it was supposed to but it just unfortunately did not.
However, I did love the ending and spent over an hour on Reddit pondering what the ending meant and now I need a novella pls
I think this book is super fun, twisty, and dark if you're looking for that vibe then you should pick up this book
Unfortunately I think I rated this book a little lower because of how heavily this book is inspired by shakespeare and the impact was lost on me since I know nothing about any of his work.
I ended up looking up on reddit what the purpose of it all was and I feel that if I already had that knowledge then it would've def hit the way it was supposed to but it just unfortunately did not.
However, I did love the ending and spent over an hour on Reddit pondering what the ending meant and now I need a novella pls
August 1, 2019
Uhm.. this was boring?
And maybe I'm uncultured or whatever but my god all of those Shakespeare quotes annoyed the hell out of me.
I didn't care for any of the characters, I didn't care for the plot and I didn't care who the murderer was (and if we're being honest, there wasn't even really a mystery here. I don't know if some stuff was supposed to be shocking or not, but it definitely was not thrilling)
I was bored out of my mind.
(And what's with those weird comments Oliver made about his sisters eating disorder??)
And maybe I'm uncultured or whatever but my god all of those Shakespeare quotes annoyed the hell out of me.
I didn't care for any of the characters, I didn't care for the plot and I didn't care who the murderer was (and if we're being honest, there wasn't even really a mystery here. I don't know if some stuff was supposed to be shocking or not, but it definitely was not thrilling)
I was bored out of my mind.
(And what's with those weird comments Oliver made about his sisters eating disorder??)
September 25, 2019
As someone who’s not familiar with theatre plays, I still enjoyed reading this book regardless. I’m sure theatre lovers will pick up all the nuances and appreciate it more, but it’s a fun ride with all the murder and melodrama, and I could still tell that much of the narrative mirrored plays that the characters were performing and quoting. There was a lot of building tension and intrigue throughout the story, though I felt the plot twist and the murder’s identity were predictable.
Read
June 28, 2019here’s my review:
1) not gay enough 😡😴
2) author put me through so much hetero sex and for WHAT
3) this is why i steer clear of white theatre kids
1) not gay enough 😡😴
2) author put me through so much hetero sex and for WHAT
3) this is why i steer clear of white theatre kids
July 30, 2024
this is my comfort book and it's not even a little bit comforting
October 22, 2025
i hate every single person who told me to read this book. "it would be fun!" fuck no
September 13, 2022
“Oh, is all forgot?” I ask. “All school days’ friendship, childhood innocence?”
“We’ll never forget it,” she says. “That’s the worst part.”
I AM BROKEN
“We’ll never forget it,” she says. “That’s the worst part.”
I AM BROKEN
January 3, 2024
it should’ve been a lot gayer
November 1, 2023
I am UNWELL.
February 11, 2024
5/5 ⭐
Full review on my Blog: The Dacian She-Wolf 🐺
I can’t even express how upset I am to see how underrated this book is. Like, how the fuck??
This is such a good book; I’ve been obsessed with it for at least a week straight and even though I felt the urge to devour it, I didn’t want it to end so fast so I had to slow down and enjoy. You know what happened when I did that? I truly enjoyed it.
If We Were Villains is part of this dark academia aesthetics that has a soothing place in my heart. So, of course, I fell in love with it.
I mean, how couldn’t I? I am a natural-born drama queen, I feed on theatrical stuff like this, do you expect me not to fell in love with a bunch of college kids aspiring to become actors?
You are terrible wrong if your answer was yes. Because I delight in drama. (Telenovelas might have a say to that but uhm, who can say for sure?)
This book is a mystery-crime story and it debuts in the life of seven theatre students after one of them dies (quite tragically).
I honestly can feel the pertinence of this group. They really look like real-life people whom you might get acquainted with at some point in life. I love their dynamics as a group, but I have different feelings for each of them.
- Oliver is one of my favourites and, it seems, the protagonist of the book; he’s always the sidekick, always the nice guy with a good heart; always loyal; he could do anything for those whom he loves; and he does; how could one not love him?
- James is another favourite of mine; he’s always the good guy, the hero, the one with a noble heart; he’s definitely a Prince Charming and honestly, my heart just melts for him; but even the best of people have their demons talking in their ears and James is honestly fighting his demons – desperately;
- Filippa is the only one of the three girls of the group whom I actually love; she’s always seen as the extra – she is too volatile to fit into a category so that gives her the ability to play many roles, on- and offstage; Beware of the ones who seldom speak because they are the ones who held many secrets and truths;
- Alexander is a freakshow really, a junkhead and definitely the villain of the story, but he might be the one you’ll go to when you want to forget about your worries; he exudes this calmness that you cannot grasp, but you definitely need in life;
- Wren is such a weird character, it was a bit hard for me to love her; I liked her enough but there was something unpleasant about her that I just couldn’t place and so I have no developed opinion about her; she seems, somehow, too unstable, fragile; the ingénue of the group maybe;
- Meredith is definitely the temptress, the femme fatale; she’s the she-devil of the story, tempting everyone with her perfect figure like she’s some sort of sexual goddess walking on Earth amongst mortals; I, for once, didn’t like her almost at all; even though I sometimes felt sorry for her, I only saw her as being fake first of all to herself and then to the other around her; I wanted to like her, but I couldn’t, she was lying to herself and she only played with the others to make herself feel better;
- Richard is the tyrant and the only character that I truly despised from the beginning; no matter how talented you are, what a promising rising star you might be, if you’re not a decent human being, then you’re nothing; and Richard is absolutely disgusting as a day-to-day person and I couldn’t like him in any way.
From the moment six of them discover the body of the seventh, an unforgiving road leading to self-depreciation opens up before all of them. They slowly start to degrade, both morally and physically. They become unsettled and cold. They have to make decisions that might alter their lives forever. They start making decisions no one has to make in life.
This book is terribly deep if you really pay attention to everything that’s happening. It warns you about abuse, about obsession, about death and about the decisions we can make avoid certain situations; it is about what love looks like – it might be a friend, it might be a sister, it might be loyalty, in the end.
This book talks about love, either desperate, hopeless, mad or even platonic love. Impossible love. It talks about sacrifice and whatever it is that leads one to do it. It talks about the fine line that stands between real and not real in the life of troubled, artistic and wild souls.
This book is beautiful. Like, truly beautiful. And if you got a chance to read it, then read it with your mind and heart open, not only with your eyes. Because there is so much more to it than simply words.
In the end, it doesn’t matter you enjoy the drama, because everything turns into a careful tragic masterpiece with no chance of changing its ending.
I honestly fell in love with this. You might too.
Full review on my Blog: The Dacian She-Wolf 🐺
“We felt all the passions of the characters we played as if they were our own. But a character’s emotions don’t cancel out the actor’s – instead you feel both at once.”
I can’t even express how upset I am to see how underrated this book is. Like, how the fuck??
This is such a good book; I’ve been obsessed with it for at least a week straight and even though I felt the urge to devour it, I didn’t want it to end so fast so I had to slow down and enjoy. You know what happened when I did that? I truly enjoyed it.
If We Were Villains is part of this dark academia aesthetics that has a soothing place in my heart. So, of course, I fell in love with it.
I mean, how couldn’t I? I am a natural-born drama queen, I feed on theatrical stuff like this, do you expect me not to fell in love with a bunch of college kids aspiring to become actors?
You are terrible wrong if your answer was yes. Because I delight in drama. (Telenovelas might have a say to that but uhm, who can say for sure?)
This book is a mystery-crime story and it debuts in the life of seven theatre students after one of them dies (quite tragically).
I honestly can feel the pertinence of this group. They really look like real-life people whom you might get acquainted with at some point in life. I love their dynamics as a group, but I have different feelings for each of them.
- Oliver is one of my favourites and, it seems, the protagonist of the book; he’s always the sidekick, always the nice guy with a good heart; always loyal; he could do anything for those whom he loves; and he does; how could one not love him?
- James is another favourite of mine; he’s always the good guy, the hero, the one with a noble heart; he’s definitely a Prince Charming and honestly, my heart just melts for him; but even the best of people have their demons talking in their ears and James is honestly fighting his demons – desperately;
“Instead he was handsome the way you think of the devil as handsome – forbiddingly so.”
- Filippa is the only one of the three girls of the group whom I actually love; she’s always seen as the extra – she is too volatile to fit into a category so that gives her the ability to play many roles, on- and offstage; Beware of the ones who seldom speak because they are the ones who held many secrets and truths;
- Alexander is a freakshow really, a junkhead and definitely the villain of the story, but he might be the one you’ll go to when you want to forget about your worries; he exudes this calmness that you cannot grasp, but you definitely need in life;
- Wren is such a weird character, it was a bit hard for me to love her; I liked her enough but there was something unpleasant about her that I just couldn’t place and so I have no developed opinion about her; she seems, somehow, too unstable, fragile; the ingénue of the group maybe;
- Meredith is definitely the temptress, the femme fatale; she’s the she-devil of the story, tempting everyone with her perfect figure like she’s some sort of sexual goddess walking on Earth amongst mortals; I, for once, didn’t like her almost at all; even though I sometimes felt sorry for her, I only saw her as being fake first of all to herself and then to the other around her; I wanted to like her, but I couldn’t, she was lying to herself and she only played with the others to make herself feel better;
- Richard is the tyrant and the only character that I truly despised from the beginning; no matter how talented you are, what a promising rising star you might be, if you’re not a decent human being, then you’re nothing; and Richard is absolutely disgusting as a day-to-day person and I couldn’t like him in any way.
“Actors are by nature volatile—alchemic creatures composed of incendiary elements, emotion and ego and envy. Heat them up, stir them together, and sometimes you get gold. Sometimes disaster.”
From the moment six of them discover the body of the seventh, an unforgiving road leading to self-depreciation opens up before all of them. They slowly start to degrade, both morally and physically. They become unsettled and cold. They have to make decisions that might alter their lives forever. They start making decisions no one has to make in life.
This book is terribly deep if you really pay attention to everything that’s happening. It warns you about abuse, about obsession, about death and about the decisions we can make avoid certain situations; it is about what love looks like – it might be a friend, it might be a sister, it might be loyalty, in the end.
This book talks about love, either desperate, hopeless, mad or even platonic love. Impossible love. It talks about sacrifice and whatever it is that leads one to do it. It talks about the fine line that stands between real and not real in the life of troubled, artistic and wild souls.
This book is beautiful. Like, truly beautiful. And if you got a chance to read it, then read it with your mind and heart open, not only with your eyes. Because there is so much more to it than simply words.
In the end, it doesn’t matter you enjoy the drama, because everything turns into a careful tragic masterpiece with no chance of changing its ending.
I honestly fell in love with this. You might too.
“But that is how a tragedy like ours or King Lear breaks your heart – by making you believe that the ending might still be happy, until the very last minute.”
October 2, 2023
Jesus Christ. Where do I start?
I guess I’ll begin by saying that I don’t give books a 1 star rating often.
I think what makes me angry more than anything is that this book has been praised in this community by so many who have seemed to turn a blind eye to the blatant slut-shaming and sexism that seems to pop up relentlessly.
I’ve seen few female characters written more poorly than Meredith. In the beginning of the story, all of the classmates are asked to share their biggest insecurities. Merediths is that she doesn’t want to just be seen as beautiful, sexy- she doesn’t want her body to cause people to overlook her personality and intelligence.
ALL THE AUTHOR DID was comment on her body, any time the poor girl appears, speaks or moves! Literally every. time. the. poor. girl. appears. It’s all about how sexy and irresistible she is. The author reduces her down to her looks, her sex appeal, how she uses her body to get what she wants. Apparently that’s all she’s good for. Personality? Feelings? What are those? She’s slut shamed multiple times (at one point our main character Oliver states that they’ve all called her a slut at some point in time) as are others (Oliver’s sister makes a comment about how she was the only girl at a party not wearing lingerie, bringing back the good old ‘I’m not like other girls’ trope).
Don’t even get me started on the absolute shambles of an attempt at LGBT representation!
What I was most surprised and disappointed by was that this was written by a woman.
If you liked this book, great. I really wanted to. I skimmed the last 120 pages.
I guess I’ll begin by saying that I don’t give books a 1 star rating often.
I think what makes me angry more than anything is that this book has been praised in this community by so many who have seemed to turn a blind eye to the blatant slut-shaming and sexism that seems to pop up relentlessly.
I’ve seen few female characters written more poorly than Meredith. In the beginning of the story, all of the classmates are asked to share their biggest insecurities. Merediths is that she doesn’t want to just be seen as beautiful, sexy- she doesn’t want her body to cause people to overlook her personality and intelligence.
ALL THE AUTHOR DID was comment on her body, any time the poor girl appears, speaks or moves! Literally every. time. the. poor. girl. appears. It’s all about how sexy and irresistible she is. The author reduces her down to her looks, her sex appeal, how she uses her body to get what she wants. Apparently that’s all she’s good for. Personality? Feelings? What are those? She’s slut shamed multiple times (at one point our main character Oliver states that they’ve all called her a slut at some point in time) as are others (Oliver’s sister makes a comment about how she was the only girl at a party not wearing lingerie, bringing back the good old ‘I’m not like other girls’ trope).
Don’t even get me started on the absolute shambles of an attempt at LGBT representation!
What I was most surprised and disappointed by was that this was written by a woman.
If you liked this book, great. I really wanted to. I skimmed the last 120 pages.
November 17, 2025
“The real sky was enormous overhead, making our mirrors and twinkling stage lights seem ridiculous- Man’s futile attempt to imitate God”
“Which of us could say we were more sinned against than sinning? We were so easily manipulated - confusion made a masterpiece of us.”
“The sky was clear and quiet, stars peering curiously down at us from a wide dome of indigo. The water, too, was still, and I thought, what liars they are, the sky and the water. Still and calm and clear, like everything was fine. It wasn’t fine, and really, it never would be again.”
October 4, 2021
I haven't read a single Shakespeare play... yet I enjoyed this quite a bit!
Strong dark academia vibes (think The Secret History by Donna Tartt), great audiobook.
Strong dark academia vibes (think The Secret History by Donna Tartt), great audiobook.
April 3, 2024
Slayed!!!
November 2, 2021
Character in book: eloquently quoting lines of *relatable* Shakespeare to my face-
Me: YOU DOTH QUOTE TOO MUCH BITCH, please shut the fuck up!!!
If anyone quoted more than five lines of Shakespeare to my face in every single conversation they've had with me.....you can bet it can definitely end in tragedy!!!!
This was literally: The Secret History VS If We Were Villains, and obviously for me, the former wins with a BIG SLAP across the face against IWWV. I think on its bare bones, there wasn't much substance following the fact after we learn who was killed...which was pretty predictable in every sense. And murderer(s)? Equally pinned down. Call me a wizardry thriller enthusiast, I don't know but the fact that this was basically a lighter thriller and even more less mysterious counterpart than that of its successor before it- The Secret History....kind of ruined it for me I suppose.
I would have to agree that this was waaayyy more accessible to the wider audience and less of pretentious of a read, which ironically, had more self awareness of its vast pretentiousness.
You can watch our live show about the book here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsdEn...
3 STARS
Twitter | Bookstagram | Youtube |
Me: YOU DOTH QUOTE TOO MUCH BITCH, please shut the fuck up!!!
If anyone quoted more than five lines of Shakespeare to my face in every single conversation they've had with me.....you can bet it can definitely end in tragedy!!!!
This was literally: The Secret History VS If We Were Villains, and obviously for me, the former wins with a BIG SLAP across the face against IWWV. I think on its bare bones, there wasn't much substance following the fact after we learn who was killed...which was pretty predictable in every sense. And murderer(s)? Equally pinned down. Call me a wizardry thriller enthusiast, I don't know but the fact that this was basically a lighter thriller and even more less mysterious counterpart than that of its successor before it- The Secret History....kind of ruined it for me I suppose.
I would have to agree that this was waaayyy more accessible to the wider audience and less of pretentious of a read, which ironically, had more self awareness of its vast pretentiousness.
You can watch our live show about the book here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsdEn...
3 STARS
Twitter | Bookstagram | Youtube |
January 2, 2024
How the fuck am I ever going to recover from this
November 5, 2018
“You can justify anything if you do it poetically enough.”
This book is so haunting, so atmospheric, so gripping, and so perfect. And If you, too, love The Secret History by Donna Tartt then I recommend this book with every single bone in my body. Also, this is such a love letter to Shakespeare and all his work, so if you appreciate that I think you’ll also fall so head over heels for this story. I’m honestly not sure what I expected going into If We Were Villains, but it is now one of my favorite books of all time.
This story follows seven very pretentious theater students, going to a very prestigious and private college. They moved to Ohio to go to the university from all over the world, but they really made a found family with each other, while all living in what they call the Castle on campus. But one night their life completely changes when they all come together on a decision that alters their fate.
“Nothing mattered much after that morning. Our two souls—if not all six—were forfeit.”
➽ Richard - has a bad temper and is the “mean” one.
➽ Meredith - Richard’s girlfriend, and the “sexy vixen” type.
➽ Filippa - The “cool” one, in my opinion. Mysterious home life. My second favorite.
➽ Alexander - Gay, grew up in foster care, and I believe is Latinx. Yet, is the “stoner” one.
➽ Wren - Richard’s cousin, and “the girl next-door” type.
➽ James - The best actor and our main protagonist’s roommate. I’d say the “popular” one.
➽ Oliver - Our main protagonist, who is nice, and who is sweet, and who just wants to keep the peace between his group of friends. Also, Oliver is totally pansexual and no one can change my mind on this.
“My infatuation […] transcended any notion of gender.”
Oliver is for sure the main character, and this book starts out with him getting out of prison ten years after the events of that frightful night. And he is finally telling the story of what actually happened. This book is also broken up in five acts, but we get to see the events of what really happened that night, a decade ago, and we get to see the ramifications of how that altered everyone’s lives in present day.
“How tremendous the agony of unmade decisions.”
And each act, to me, really highlights a different Shakespearean play, that really sets the tone for what is unfolding in that act. From A Midsummer Night's Dream, to Julius Caesar, to King Lear, to Romeo and Juliet, to so many more; the honoring, appreciation, and celebration are all there and it truly makes for a read like no other. This book is a love letter to theater. And this book is structured so perfectly, written so expertly, that I really think that R.L. Rio crafted something beyond genius.
“It’s easier now to be Romeo, or Macbeth, or Brutus, or Edmund. Someone else.”
Friends, I feel like this is a book that won’t be for everyone, but if it is for you then you will love it with the sum of your being. This was perfection for me, and completely made my October this year. If you’re looking for something haunting, and thrilling, and so very atmospheric, then please give If We Were Villains a try. And that last line? It is going to haunt me forever with its beautiful perfection.
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Content and trigger warnings for: death, murder, physical abuse, slut shaming, a transphobic comment, a onetime use of the slur for Romani people, a homophobic comment, drug overdose, PTSD depiction, depression depiction, suicide, self-harm, and mention of an eating disorder (and a poor taste comment about it).
Buddy read for #FridayFrightAThon which I co-hosted with Amy @ A Court of Crowns and Quills, Jen @ Pinot and Pages, & Chelsea @ Chelsea Palmer! 👻
October 14, 2023
no, i do not understand Shakespeare at all and yes, i do want to make this book my entire personality. 🖤
if we were villains is a masterpiece crafted from the worst and deepest of our human afflictions. slowly watching each character spiral downward due to their own desire, secrets, heartache, and passion was so painful. it was also beautiful, in a devastating way.
the fact that this is a debut novel is astounding. m.l. rio’s writing will definitely not be for everyone, but i personally couldn’t turn the pages fast enough. i ate this up like it was my last meal.
i want to be the cool girl who walks around with a worn, annotated copy of this book. i’m taking a pen to the text and doing some research next time i read this. ✍🏻
✨ here’s some advice if you are intimidated by this book like i was: (i literally put this book off for years.)✨
• go into this knowing that it will take some brainpower — it is not a light, fast-paced read. this book is difficult in many ways (including the writing style and the content.)
• set the mood with candles, coffee/tea, blankets, and take advantage of the gloomy/cold fall weather. this book will demand all of your attention, so get comfy and focused. (it helps that this book is set in autumn & winter)
• don’t be afraid to skim the Shakespeare quotes (of which there are MANY) if you don’t understand them. don’t get too caught up if you’re confused… you’ll start to understand the scenes through context. :)
• it's okay to press pause and try again later if you're not liking this one. as a mood reader, i had to be in the perfect mood for this book or it wouldn’t have hit the same.
• please don’t be afraid to hate this book. disliking this book is not a reflection of your intelligence or ability as a reader. this book is not for everyone
it's safe to say i love this book with my entire being. reading dark academia in autumn is a special kind of literary drug. 🖤
if we were villains is a masterpiece crafted from the worst and deepest of our human afflictions. slowly watching each character spiral downward due to their own desire, secrets, heartache, and passion was so painful. it was also beautiful, in a devastating way.
the fact that this is a debut novel is astounding. m.l. rio’s writing will definitely not be for everyone, but i personally couldn’t turn the pages fast enough. i ate this up like it was my last meal.
i want to be the cool girl who walks around with a worn, annotated copy of this book. i’m taking a pen to the text and doing some research next time i read this. ✍🏻
✨ here’s some advice if you are intimidated by this book like i was: (i literally put this book off for years.)✨
• go into this knowing that it will take some brainpower — it is not a light, fast-paced read. this book is difficult in many ways (including the writing style and the content.)
• set the mood with candles, coffee/tea, blankets, and take advantage of the gloomy/cold fall weather. this book will demand all of your attention, so get comfy and focused. (it helps that this book is set in autumn & winter)
• don’t be afraid to skim the Shakespeare quotes (of which there are MANY) if you don’t understand them. don’t get too caught up if you’re confused… you’ll start to understand the scenes through context. :)
• it's okay to press pause and try again later if you're not liking this one. as a mood reader, i had to be in the perfect mood for this book or it wouldn’t have hit the same.
• please don’t be afraid to hate this book. disliking this book is not a reflection of your intelligence or ability as a reader. this book is not for everyone
it's safe to say i love this book with my entire being. reading dark academia in autumn is a special kind of literary drug. 🖤
October 29, 2017
At the beginning I thought this was going to be a 5-star read for me. I was immediately sucked in and didn't want to put it down. I loved getting to know the characters; I found the setting and atmosphere very palpable and moody (it mostly takes place on a college campus in the late 1990's); and the Shakespearean elements were fun because I'd studied his work quite a bit in school.
However, as the story went on I found it to become quite predictable, and many of the elements from the beginning started to wear on me as a reader. The characters stayed pretty one note throughout. Everything was a bit redundant including the decision by the author to include so much of Shakespeare's text (literally whole passages were copied from his work and it became a drag to read, even when the texts were reflective of the characters' internal monologues—clever at first but the effect wears off). And by 50% of the way through the story I figured out the 'plot twist' which made reading the last half less exciting.
All that to say, I would still recommend this book, especially if you are looking for something quick and thrilling to get you out of a reading slump. It's a fun read, even if at times it's a bit melodramatic (I think that's partially the point) and unrealistic. There are a few plot holes and the characters are not the most likeable, but it reads like a CW teen drama and is quite addictive. 3.5 stars
However, as the story went on I found it to become quite predictable, and many of the elements from the beginning started to wear on me as a reader. The characters stayed pretty one note throughout. Everything was a bit redundant including the decision by the author to include so much of Shakespeare's text (literally whole passages were copied from his work and it became a drag to read, even when the texts were reflective of the characters' internal monologues—clever at first but the effect wears off). And by 50% of the way through the story I figured out the 'plot twist' which made reading the last half less exciting.
All that to say, I would still recommend this book, especially if you are looking for something quick and thrilling to get you out of a reading slump. It's a fun read, even if at times it's a bit melodramatic (I think that's partially the point) and unrealistic. There are a few plot holes and the characters are not the most likeable, but it reads like a CW teen drama and is quite addictive. 3.5 stars
July 8, 2018
This is a great book for straight women with internalized misogyny and a fetish for gay men. It can only be a slight fetish, though, since most of the story is made up of a lifeless romance between an equally lifeless man and a woman with no personality aside from being attractive.
As a gay person, the stereotype of the party animal, sexually deviant gay man was disgusting. He is given a substance abuse problem and no other personality traits. He is depicted as predatory to straight men, going so far as to tease his roommates that he might r*pe them if they don’t have a good enough time at a party.
None of the characters are interesting, especially not the women. If I didn’t know better, I would have sworn a man wrote it with the way they were depicted. After finishing the book I can tell you nothing on their likes, hobbies, or desires, and I can barely piece together proper personalities for each of them.
As for the plot, it is as predictable as it is dull. The gay-baiting throughout it is tasteless and calculated, surrounded by oblivious homophobia that Rio must have never thought twice about. The ending feels nearly insulting, providing a dangling “what if?” that MAYBE gay people MIGHT end up happy, but we will never know because Rio couldn’t be bothered to write anything remotely close to a gay relationship.
I could write an essay on how disappointed I am, and I haven’t even scratched the surface on all the slurs and insulting scenarios there are. This isn’t a book by a storyteller, this is a book by someone who wanted to make something famous by cutting and pasting recipes from different tropes and ending up with something that shouldn’t be touched.
As a gay person, the stereotype of the party animal, sexually deviant gay man was disgusting. He is given a substance abuse problem and no other personality traits. He is depicted as predatory to straight men, going so far as to tease his roommates that he might r*pe them if they don’t have a good enough time at a party.
None of the characters are interesting, especially not the women. If I didn’t know better, I would have sworn a man wrote it with the way they were depicted. After finishing the book I can tell you nothing on their likes, hobbies, or desires, and I can barely piece together proper personalities for each of them.
As for the plot, it is as predictable as it is dull. The gay-baiting throughout it is tasteless and calculated, surrounded by oblivious homophobia that Rio must have never thought twice about. The ending feels nearly insulting, providing a dangling “what if?” that MAYBE gay people MIGHT end up happy, but we will never know because Rio couldn’t be bothered to write anything remotely close to a gay relationship.
I could write an essay on how disappointed I am, and I haven’t even scratched the surface on all the slurs and insulting scenarios there are. This isn’t a book by a storyteller, this is a book by someone who wanted to make something famous by cutting and pasting recipes from different tropes and ending up with something that shouldn’t be touched.
June 20, 2025
“take me to the lakes where all the poets went to die.”
if we were villains is folklore and evermore as a book. the perfect fall read
if we were villains is folklore and evermore as a book. the perfect fall read
August 18, 2022
what normal human being starts quoting shakespeare verbatim in the middle of a sentence? thy need to get a grip-eth
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