Reviews tagging 'Eating disorder'

If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio

600 reviews

jndcv's review against another edition

emotional mysterious medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Death, Drug use, Grief, Murder, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Addiction, Drug abuse, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, Toxic friendship, and War

Minor: Eating disorder, Suicide, Vomit, and Car accident

witchvial's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious 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? It's complicated

5.0

Realistically this is more of a 4-star read for me, but I loved the character of James Farrow so much that I’m giving it a 4.75.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Violence

Moderate: Drug abuse and Drug use

Minor: Eating disorder and Suicide

leonietis's review against another edition

mysterious medium-paced

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

1.0

 If I wanted to read Shakespeare, I would read Shakespeare. 

In the very beginning, the characters had to share their insecurities. Merediths insecurity was that she didn't want to only be seen as sexy. But the poor girl can never be mentioned without her "alluring" nature being brought up. In fact, a few pages later it's said that all the characters have called her a whore in some shape before.

Don't even get me started on the "party animal, substance abuser, makes straight men question their sexuality" gay stereotype. The only purpose of Alexanders character is to provide drugs to others and be a poor attempt at comic relief.

The entire story felt very queerbait-y. As soon as Oliver starts thinking about his feelings towards James, he immediately looks for Meredith to have sex with.

 

 This author didn't bother to write a good book, so don't be bothered to read it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Violence

Moderate: Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Drug use, Blood, and Alcohol

Minor: Eating disorder, Sexual content, and Suicide

lanfearious's review against another edition

mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.5

Interesting foray into the interpersonal relationships between 7 undergraduate theatre student majors and the mystery behind what happened in their 4th year.

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Content Warnings

Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Death, Drug use, Eating disorder, Physical abuse, Forced institutionalization, and Murder

andrewhatesham's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad fast-paced

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

4.5

Despite being predictable, this was very engaging and entertaining. Reading along with a book club was fun! You don't need to be very familiar with Shakespeare to follow the plot, I've never read anything by Shakespeare and was not confused at all. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Eating disorder, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Grief, and Murder

Minor: Addiction, Cursing, Drug abuse, Drug use, Homophobia, Sexism, Violence, Blood, Vomit, and Medical trauma

shadereads's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful mysterious sad tense slow-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Drug use, Physical abuse, Blood, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol

Moderate: Murder and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Eating disorder and Suicide

readinabyss's review against another edition

mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

3.5

edit

upgrading the rating to 4 stars after sitting with the book for 1 day

I don't think the mystery is the central or main point of this book, it is the tragedy of it all, best described by this quote

“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.”

I liked this book, it has the same beats as the secret history while being a very different book.
I think this is for people who know Shakespeare very well, to understand references and quotes and the way the story flows with the different plays as they are enacted by the characters and how the line between their own personalities and that of the characters they play, blur. As for me I know some of the plays, so when they were referenced, I was able to get more from the story than the other times when I did not know a play well or did not remember the quotes.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence and Murder

Moderate: Eating disorder and Toxic friendship

Minor: Alcohol

masonwe's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence and Murder

Moderate: Eating disorder, Suicide, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Bullying, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Forced institutionalization, Outing, and Alcohol

sealbrecht's review against another edition

dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Death, Drug use, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, Murder, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Body shaming, Confinement, Infidelity, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual content, Suicide, Medical content, Sexual harassment, and Classism

Minor: Eating disorder, Homophobia, and Vomit

mikathereviewer's review against another edition

2.0

First of all we have plays, mention of poetry and of course acting. 
Personally, the touch of a play while reading was really cool. We get dialogue only, acts and more. The last play I read was really fun so seeing one now again makes me remember that I didn't read them in a while. 
The acting was relatable as I am or rather was an actor myself. That's also the reason I wanted to read this book. Not 'cause of the Shakespeare and other historical stuff but the acting. 

Some parts were actually crazy/interesting to read about as the book didn't really had the 'it was boring/too slow' problem.
Some examples:
Scene I Act IX was so crazy. Like it felt like real betrayal but also not. And what did James even imagine? What was that aaaah. 
The II. Act was so sad. Especially scene II, I feel so bad for James.

I also think that Oliver has some character depth (Especially in the III. Act as we get to know his family)

The whole drama was the only reason I was still indulged into reading this. It kept me reading.



Since I didn't read the book for the historical stuff I got a bit irriated by the fact that Shakespeare got mentioned often. And with often I mean very often. I get it that's the theme/topic for Year 4 and our protagonists also play historical figures, but honestly it could have been mentioned a bit less and more story instead. It got too much that I, at some point, skipped the Shakespeare parts. 
Also the book isn't very original if over 50% of it is just Shakespeare. 

Never have I ever as an actor reinterpreted/recited my lines as first of all no one would understand, except me and secondly that's usually a thing poets do and not actors. The kids in this story did this and it made me feel weird. Just use your official lines and learn them properly. 

The characters were so weird sometimes and before someone tells me: Some theatre kids are actually weird. Yes SOME and that's no excuse to include only weird characters. 

We never got an explanation why Richard was so mad at some point. Never. Why was he? That apparently didn't happen the years before so that must have triggered something, but we never get any explanation. The other character also have no depth and they all fell flat (except Oliver, as mentioned above)

Meredith was such a useless character who was only depictured as a wh0re the whole time. 

They did use for real, without jokes, as sexual orientation 'sexually amphibious'

The ending was so predictable. It was right the person you would feel suspicious at first. The ending is nothing shocking. 

31. July 2024

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Death, Drug abuse, Physical abuse, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Bullying, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, and Sexism

Minor: Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Homophobia, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Vomit, and Alcohol