lizcastner's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Dysphoria, Grief, Sexual content, Blood, Body horror, Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Alcohol, Bullying, Gaslighting, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Drug abuse, Suicide, Toxic friendship, and Violence
Moderate: Abandonment, Addiction, Vomit, and Cursing
Minor: Eating disorder, Confinement, and Homophobia
marinaaa_2028's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
tense
slow-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
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Alcoholism, Addiction, and Alcohol
lisaandthebooks's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This was an amazing book!! I didn't even have to think about what to rate this book because it was such a clear 5-star read for me. I loved the dark academia, I loved the obsession, I loved the friendships and I loved the Shakespeare.
This was a pretty intense read but it completely captivated me. I started reading at 9pm and read until 3am because I just couldn't stop. And then I woke up and continued reading until I got so hungry I had to get out of bed.
This book really gave me all of the emotions. I was happy (though not a lot), I was really really angry, I was super sad (and cried). All in all, the characters are super flawed but also so amazing to read about.
All the twists and turns where so unexpected and even in the last few pages EVERYTHING changes! I was crying because I was so sad for Oliver, and then after reading the last sentence I just didn't know what to think anymore. I pretty much thought about this book for the rest of the day after reading it, and I'm sure that it's going to stick with me for quite a while.
I had a few theories about what happened and they turned out to be true (which amazes me because I usually never figure stuff like that out) but it didn't lessen my enjoyement at all.
I read this book as an ebook and I definitely need to get a physical copy! I had the urge to annotate so incredibly often! And I really feel like it would still be an amazing experience rereading it. And then I can annotate everything! :D
So basically, read this book! I don't know what else to say. I thought it was amazing and so incredibly well done and well written. Especially if you like Shakespear and/or like acting (which is both true for me) READ THIS BOOK! (Oh and also maybe read the trigger warnings - especially domestic abuse / toxic relationships)
This was a pretty intense read but it completely captivated me. I started reading at 9pm and read until 3am because I just couldn't stop. And then I woke up and continued reading until I got so hungry I had to get out of bed.
This book really gave me all of the emotions. I was happy (though not a lot), I was really really angry, I was super sad (and cried). All in all, the characters are super flawed but also so amazing to read about.
All the twists and turns where so unexpected and even in the last few pages EVERYTHING changes! I was crying because I was so sad for Oliver, and then after reading the last sentence I just didn't know what to think anymore. I pretty much thought about this book for the rest of the day after reading it, and I'm sure that it's going to stick with me for quite a while.
I had a few theories about what happened and they turned out to be true (which amazes me because I usually never figure stuff like that out) but it didn't lessen my enjoyement at all.
I read this book as an ebook and I definitely need to get a physical copy! I had the urge to annotate so incredibly often! And I really feel like it would still be an amazing experience rereading it. And then I can annotate everything! :D
So basically, read this book! I don't know what else to say. I thought it was amazing and so incredibly well done and well written. Especially if you like Shakespear and/or like acting (which is both true for me) READ THIS BOOK! (Oh and also maybe read the trigger warnings - especially domestic abuse / toxic relationships)
Content Warnings
Moderate: Abandonment, Drug use, Physical abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Alcohol, Suicide, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Murder, Addiction, Body horror, Classism, Domestic abuse, Alcoholism, Death, Blood, Drug abuse, Medical content, Mental illness, Violence, and Vomit
wormgirl's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Toxic relationship, and Grief
Moderate: Addiction, Domestic abuse, Drug use, and Eating disorder
Minor: Physical abuse, Abandonment, and Suicidal thoughts
jamie_reads_stuff's review against another edition
challenging
dark
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? Yes
3.0
Honestly it was….okay??? It was well written but I couldn’t get myself to feel invested enough in the characters to really care. I did guess the twist about halfway through the book. I did like the play format, the back and forth between acts and scenes, and how it definitely felt like a Shakespearean tragedy. But I think I didn’t feel invested enough to really love it
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Murder, Drug use, Addiction, and Violence
Moderate: Abandonment, Homophobia, Mental illness, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Vomit
jennyhutto's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Abandonment, Toxic friendship, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, and Grief
dreareads_'s review against another edition
3.0
Elite season 1 but make it Shakespeare lol
The book was fine, the ✨vibes✨ were genuinely the best part.
I was interested by the premise of the characters being archetypes and the exploration of what that meant. But for the exception of a few, most of the characters felt flat & with little depth.
For a thriller the plot was also extremely predictable.
Now my two biggies:
1) there’s a lot of like casual racism & slurs used throughout the story for no reason. This includes the use of the terms g*psy and “sitting Indian style”, as well as Alexander being a POC character that is addicted to drugs… I don’t think the book is problematic per se but sensitivity readers could’ve really been used:
2) The ENDING
I am obviously in the minority of people and that is fine! I love that so many people loved this book, but it definitely wasn’t for me! On to the next one :)
The book was fine, the ✨vibes✨ were genuinely the best part.
I was interested by the premise of the characters being archetypes and the exploration of what that meant. But for the exception of a few, most of the characters felt flat & with little depth.
For a thriller the plot was also extremely predictable.
Now my two biggies:
1) there’s a lot of like casual racism & slurs used throughout the story for no reason. This includes the use of the terms g*psy and “sitting Indian style”, as well as Alexander being a POC character that is addicted to drugs… I don’t think the book is problematic per se but sensitivity readers could’ve really been used:
2) The ENDING
Spoiler
unnecessarily tragic queer ending. This felt both queerbaiting and kill your gays for NO REASON!! At least to me, it made no sense that this would happen. Maybe the death would’ve been more meaningful if we’d had more interactions between James and Oliver that were actually romantic.I am obviously in the minority of people and that is fine! I love that so many people loved this book, but it definitely wasn’t for me! On to the next one :)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug abuse, Abandonment, Bullying, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Grief, Sexual content, Murder, Death, Domestic abuse, Racial slurs, Toxic friendship, Violence, Addiction, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Body shaming, and Eating disorder
eviltwink's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
This book was a rollercoaster of emotions. I know it sounds almost silly to say, as most books have a variety of different emotional climaxes, but in "If we were villains" it just felt a little closer than I've felt so far in my reading. I've felt nauseous, anxious, sad, confused, excited and intrigued consecutively throughout the book, with variations of the mixtures. Absolutely check for trigger warnings if you are sensitive to certain topics like suicide, addiction and the alike.
As a background check: I love Hannibal, it's my favourite TV show to date. I am deathly afraid of psychological thrillers or any horror movies. This book has awoken the unsettling feelings, on a much smaller scale, that I got while attempting to read "The Secret History" by Donna Tarte, which I failed to finish on the sole basis of my anxiety being toyed with. Not to sound like a TikTok but, also absolutely, I am an empath and I felt a little too closely the surroundings and events unfolding.
The author did a STUNNING job on creating a tense, suspenseful and dreadful air that is consistent throughout the book and its timelines. As much as it made me feel physically ill, it also kept me reading through it and kept me engaged. I felt like I was working through my own emotions as much as the characters were.
My faults with this book have to lie fully on the characters. They felt too thin, almost as props on a theatre set, able to easily be discarded of after the show is over. They serve their purpose in the plot and in the lives of their co-stars (friends, family) but they never brought anything more than that, for me. It felt a little disappointing, even though in a way it worked for the drama-school-ness of it all. The best part for me were the dynamics and interactions between the characters. They truly felt like a big, broken family just trying their best. They made me laugh and cry with them many times.
The pacing was alright, it felt a little dry by the last 120ish pages and I felt I was only reading to find out the answer to the mystery.
Overall, it was an enjoyable read. The feeling of reading it will never leave me, but I think I will forget the contents of it easier than most of my other reads.
As a background check: I love Hannibal, it's my favourite TV show to date. I am deathly afraid of psychological thrillers or any horror movies. This book has awoken the unsettling feelings, on a much smaller scale, that I got while attempting to read "The Secret History" by Donna Tarte, which I failed to finish on the sole basis of my anxiety being toyed with. Not to sound like a TikTok but, also absolutely, I am an empath and I felt a little too closely the surroundings and events unfolding.
The author did a STUNNING job on creating a tense, suspenseful and dreadful air that is consistent throughout the book and its timelines. As much as it made me feel physically ill, it also kept me reading through it and kept me engaged. I felt like I was working through my own emotions as much as the characters were.
My faults with this book have to lie fully on the characters. They felt too thin, almost as props on a theatre set, able to easily be discarded of after the show is over. They serve their purpose in the plot and in the lives of their co-stars (friends, family) but they never brought anything more than that, for me. It felt a little disappointing, even though in a way it worked for the drama-school-ness of it all. The best part for me were the dynamics and interactions between the characters. They truly felt like a big, broken family just trying their best. They made me laugh and cry with them many times.
The pacing was alright, it felt a little dry by the last 120ish pages and I felt I was only reading to find out the answer to the mystery.
Overall, it was an enjoyable read. The feeling of reading it will never leave me, but I think I will forget the contents of it easier than most of my other reads.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Suicide, Addiction, Blood, and Death
Minor: Abandonment and Eating disorder
mrskg_2017's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide, Suicide attempt, Drug abuse, and Domestic abuse
Minor: Murder and Abandonment
izzettl's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Blood, Bullying, Death, Murder, Physical abuse, Toxic friendship, and Violence