Reviews tagging 'Murder'

If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio

981 reviews

lauramcc7's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Bullying, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Murder, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol

emjen16's review

dark mysterious medium-paced

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

2.5

I honestly don't know how to rate this book. I liked the theatrical structure/nature and all the Shakespearean nods. I had a really hard time liking the characters, and at the same time, I had a hard time disliking them. Half the plot felt extraneous, but I couldn't tell you what to take out. In other words, I'm a bit perplexed after reading this...

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Death, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Drug abuse, Drug use, Mental illness, Sexual content, and Suicide

Minor: Eating disorder and Fire/Fire injury

vael's review against another edition

emotional mysterious fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Death, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Murder, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol

rywatty's review against another edition

adventurous emotional mysterious relaxing tense fast-paced

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

5.0

I feel crushed and betrayed; please no one talk to me until I get over this 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Murder, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol

haleybooks0318's review

dark emotional mysterious 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? No

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Suicide, Blood, Murder, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail

incefloscen's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Violence, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Drug abuse, Drug use, and Suicide

Minor: Eating disorder, Homophobia, Rape, and Vomit

evecaraa's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense fast-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Drug abuse, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Murder, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Eating disorder

wwsimon93's review against another edition

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Self harm, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Suicide attempt, Murder, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail

barbaricyawp89's review

dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

wow. this was very good, to say the least.

i’ve seen people say that this book is basically The Secret History and, while i see the similarities, it’s obviously quite different. i really liked the Shakepeare aspects of this book, and honestly i found the characters generally likable (unlike in The Secret History, where we’re kind of meant to dislike the characters). i find it hard to finish books quickly but this one took me only around a month, meaning i really enjoyed it. 

i can’t believe this is the author’s debut novel. i’m definitely going to keep an eye out for any future work of theirs because WOW. that’s all i can really say, is just wow.

the ending really hurt me though. i kind of figured someone might’ve pinned it on Oliver, but seeing that he took the fall on purpose for James was both a very realistic action for his character and also a devastating one. i’m sincerely hoping that James is secretly still alive and that someday they would rekindle things, although i doubt it based on his overall emotional response to the situation. but boy that ending really hurt!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Bullying, Drug abuse, Drug use, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Murder, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol

Minor: Homophobia and Vomit

nneka23's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.5

I don’t even know where to begin with this. What a masterpiece! From the structure to the writing style and the narrator’s POV, this book was such a fun read. I love how [even though I don’t know much about Shakespeare and don’t really have an interest in his work] If We Were Villains kept me on the edge of my seat and made me want to keep reading. I’ve honestly never imagined a college or performing arts school that is specifically dedicated to Shakespeare - what a pleasantly niche idea. Is it all ridiculously pretentious? Absolutely. But that’s honestly what makes it so enjoyable. The whole time I was reading, I felt the drama of it all, and I truly enjoyed it. It was a fun ride but what pushed this book into the 4 star range for me was the ending. It felt like everything started happening at an intensified speed and yet it kept me guessing all the way to the last page. This was so incredibly well done. Exactly what I look for in a thriller. It’s clear that The Secret History influenced If We Were Villains but honestly I much prefer M.L. Rio’s approach. So glad I read this as part of my dark academia theme for the month! This is an absolute must for anyone who likes thrillers, dark academia, or literary fiction. 💯

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Body horror, Death, and Drug abuse

Moderate: Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, and Suicide attempt

Minor: Murder