Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio

371 reviews

fionamclary's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

This book is beautifully written, and the threads of plot and character are expertly entwined and spooled out. The queer love triangle (arguably square, or even pentagon) slowly takes center stage with all the satisfaction of any good tragedy.

I just wish that the book had explored earlier times more. It is a staple of this genre to show the Golden Days, before everything went wrong, even if there were always hints of darkness. (Think The Secret History, or Babel.) For the first part of the book I was distracted by wondering what the dynamic of the seven was before 4th year, if something changed and why, and if they had ever been more than seven, given that we are told that Dellecher regularly cuts students from the program every year. It made the beginning of the story feel rather abrupt and meager, although this issue became increasingly less prominent as the story progressed.

In summary, I am gay and sad and relieved that I stopped being a theater kid in high school.

Content Warnings

leeshahhh's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional mysterious sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

Content Warnings

thesapphire's review against another edition

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mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.25

Content Warnings

tellatrix's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

𝑰𝒇 𝑾𝒆 𝑾𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝑽𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒔

𝑀.𝐿. 𝑅𝑖𝑜

Disclaimer: I'm sadly unable to write a review without including spoilers, so please read this only after you've finished the book.

Wow—what a ride this book was! I really enjoyed it, and I read every chapter with complete excitement. I never got tired of it, not once. One of my favorite parts was the Shakespearean plays within the story, where you’re never sure if the characters’ "acting" is just acting or real violence. I’m not sure if this was intentional, but I already suspected that James was responsible for Richard’s death in some way, so that reveal didn’t surprise me much. I was hoping for a bit more mystery or shock in that part of the story.

However, the ending totally caught me off guard and made the entire journey worth it. I know some people don’t like the ambiguity about James’s fate, but I strongly believe he’s still alive. Faking his own death and leaving Oliver a clue to find him just feels like something James would do. Plus, if you get to know his character, you’d probably agree he doesn’t have the courage to harm himself, let alone drown himself in a lake.

As for James and Oliver’s relationship, I wish we had seen more of them together. More interactions, a deeper look into their feelings. The first thing I did after finishing was search for a sequel, because I wanted to see them finally happy together. On the other hand, James and Meredith’s relationship seemed to be built on jealousy. Both were desperate to control or prove themselves as the better option for Oliver, but they didn’t genuinely like each other.

And yes, Oliver does love James, as he admits himself, and maybe he has feelings for Meredith too, but it’s just not the same kind of love. There’s something deeper with James, while with Meredith it feels different, less profound.

Overall, If We Were Villains was a great experience with well-developed characters and an engaging story. The mystery didn’t surprise me much, but the ending and the complex relationships made up for it. I still wish there were a sequel, though!

Now, for my favorite quote from the book:

“It’s not the whole truth. The whole truth is, I’m in love with him still.”

Content Warnings

sophiabenton's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Loveable characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

i read this book after seeing it on the matcha diaries autumn TBR and so glad i did! it’s a big change of style/mood to what i’m used to reading but i’m trying to read more seasonal kinda books so thought this was a little darker and spookier, and i really enjoyed it. it took a little while to get used to a male narrator’s voice and the first couple chapters, but once i got settled and could gather who was who it was a lot easier and i was hooked.
it was so interesting to read about a fictional conservatory experience having been to a music and drama conservatory myself and honestly i found it fairly accurate and it was great that the author managed to depict the highs and lows and sheer intensity of that kind of lifestyle so well! at some points i did find

richard’s aggression, violence and general intensity

hard to read due to personal experiences, and once

he died

i did feel the same initial relief as the other characters, and the remainder of the book was more enjoyable rather than engaging my stress levels slightly.
really loved the style/format of the book and that it didn’t jump between past and present too much, and that when it did go between either it was smooth just as engaging.

Content Warnings

voxnts's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Content Warnings

alexeysidoruk's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

Content Warnings

chinomi's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Content Warnings

enidcoleslawww's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

Diverse cast of characters? No

3.75

Fine but not a masterpiece. I expected so much more, due to how often this book is referenced in relation to Donna Tartt's magnificent book, The Secret History. That's a problem people... :) It is amazing how rich and passionate the writing is when the author actually knows what they're talking about. I'm not a Shakespeare enthusiast but surprisingly those elements of the book really won me over and the author is clearly well-versed in the art of theatre. I just wish that precise authority was true and present throughout. I liked setting and the world building but in every other way, i.e. character archetypes and development - it reeked of YA-esque fan fiction. This really cheapened its value within the genre. I found the seriousness of this elite school and how all-consuming their acting requirements were to be quite laughable. I just wasn't buying the prolific and historical academic institution. The characters are painfully obnoxious and I'm specifically referring to the way they were written, the prose is just not to be measured against works of a higher intellectual caliber. If you're looking for The Secret History 2.0, look elsewhere and stop saying this book's name in the same sentence. Don't do this writer a disservice. If you want to read about some troubled, theatrical young people clashing while in a competitive, toxic academic setting, it's not a bad read at all! P.s. If you do want to purchase the book, the illustrated 5th anniversary hardcover copy is absolutely stunning and a real treat to open.

Content Warnings

whoisskadii's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

Content Warnings

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