Reviews with content warning for Emotional abuse - If We Were Villains

I sit with my wrists cuffed to the table and I think, but then I forbid to tell the secrets of my prison house, I could a tale unfold whose lightest word would harrow up thy soul...

- If We Were Villains, 1%

🎧 listened to the audiobook

Review in one word:
Meh

Short review:
I do get the hype... Somehow...
But there are definitely some weak spots in this story!

Long review:
As somebody who doesn't really care about Shakespeare at all (yes I said it!) and never read any of his work, neither in English, nor in German, I'm not that impressed with everybody quoting him all the time. Actually I find it annoying, pretentious and boasting rank and status. Simply too much.
I guess this book hits different, when you are into Shakespeare - I'm not, and that is totally on me.
Or maybe it's not, because if I wanted to read that much Shakespeare in a book, I would actually pick up one of his works 🤷‍♀️

Much like in The Secret History, to which this is often compared, I didn't like or dislike any of the characters.
I feel indifferent about them. I don't care about them. They are quite flat and superficial...
For example Richard:

he is the evil guy who hurts everyone. That's it. No explanation as to why he is like that (childhood trauma? Drug/alcohol abuse? Mental health issues?) is offered, not that this would excuse him, but him being the guy who just hurts everybody is like the laziest character building ever.

Or Meredith,

whose main and only character trait is stunningly sexy and beautiful rich girl (don't even get me started on the misogyny 😡)

Oliver:

naive outsider who doesn't get along with his own family, so he seeks it in his classmates.

The rest of the thespians:

mixed them up most of the time because they were so interchangable. Somebody was doing drugs a lot, somebody was gay and somebody else was Richards cousin.

I don't see, why people are obsessing about the characters so much.
In my opinion they aren't really as close or as much the found family as Oliver (the narrator) claims them to be...

I feel like this book could have been shorter, because at around 60% the suspense really dies down and I found it became quite a drag. That was surprising to me, because at the beginning I was so invested, I couldn't stop listening and it was definitely a candidate for a 5 star read. I think the reason, why it felt like a drag was because there was no more mystery all of a sudden. Just the characters trying to move on and yet another play and endless quotes, that was painfully long executed. At that point, I probably would have liked it better, if there were some character building instead of more Shakespeare quotes.

I found some parts very unrelatable. For example

that no one says something, when Richard hurts them during rehearsal. It is absolutely unacceptable to treat people like that, James' arms are bruised for god's sake, how did he get away with this for so long? This is not understandable at all.

Also: why do these people life in a castle?

Some storylines didn't make sense and were killed off like two seconds after they were introduced:
Example:

Oliver's parents telling him, they can't afford tuition for his last semester anymore. Oliver then calls a few people the next day and they help him figure it out by suggesting a loan. That's it, never heard of this storyline again. What's the point?
And: why did Oliver cover up for James? Makes no sense at all!

I found some things to be quite confusing too, like:

Why did Richard worry that James or Oliver would hit on Meredith, when he thought they were "queer with each other"? Makes no sense...

By the way, while we are on the topic: why is this labeled LGBTQ? This is such a tiny part of the story.

I absolutely don't get the point of the ending:

We find out about James having killed himself at around 95% (but in the timeline 4 years ago), and then he probably didn't by 99%, who knows? Why would he fake his death, it makes no sense. How would that help him relieve his guilt?
Seems like the author desperately tried to go out with a bang here...

I did enjoy it somehow but I do have mixed feelings about this. For this to be a great read for me, something was missing...

Conclusion:
I enjoyed The Secret History way more and I find this to be rip-off with boring and annoying theatre students instead of Ancient Greek lessons...

Content Warnings

aksmith92's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense 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

4.5

The Setup: If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio is a masterful blend of dark academia and psychological thriller that captivates readers with its intricate plot and rich Shakespearean elements. Set in the fictional but elite Dellecher Classical Conservatory, the novel follows a group of seven acting students whose lives start to mirror the tragedies they perform on stage.

The book is organized in Acts, and each prologue, the story is framed by Oliver Marks' release from prison after ten years. On the day of his release, he recounts the events leading up to a classmate's death to Detective Colborne, the retiring investigator who never quite believed the official story. Each proceeding Scene then details the fateful year where the classmates and friends fall apart. As the students' final year progresses, their tight-knit group fractures under the weight of secrets and the pressures of the roles they play. The death, *cough cough*, murder of their classmate becomes the catalyst for the unraveling of their lives.

What I Loved: The writing was absolutely beautiful - truly. I was not only immersed but awed. M.L. Rio clearly knew what she was doing. Her portrayal of the Dellecher Conservatory was absorbing, capturing the intensity and passion of young actors devoted to their craft. The characters, each representing a Shakespearean archetype, were vividly drawn and complex. Additionally, the novel's exploration of themes such as ambition, jealousy, loyalty, and artistry's cost was thought-provoking and emotionally resonant.

I think what I loved most was M.L. Rio's ability to make almost unlikeable characters real. What do I mean? She made unlikeable characters that you didn't necessarily and automatically like by the end, but unlikeable characters that you still want to read about. It was gripping and interesting; you were curious about what came next, what they would do, and how they would break. I was captured! It takes well-done artistry to make me love a book with characters I wasn't fond of. I've heard that some folks find the pacing of this book slow, but I didn't, and I was enamored the whole way, particularly at the end when we learn the entire truth about the events that occurred at Dellecher.

Why Not 5 Stars? For one, I completely guessed the events that occurred to that fateful classmate. I had thought it the moment his classmates and friends found his body. Therefore, it wasn't as mysterious and surprising ("thriller-like") as I had imagined. However, I didn't mind too much because I still enjoyed reading.

Additionally, Rio's use of Shakespearean dialogue and references no doubt enriched the story - the characters frequently quoted and drew parallels from Shakespeare's plays, adding depth to their interactions and the unfolding drama. It was a precise literary device to enhance the novel, making it atmospheric and underscoring the themes explored's timeless nature. I wholeheartedly understood the point, but here's the thing: I struggle with Shakespeare so much. I knew that going into this book, I didn't like reading Shakespeare, and I didn't like the language and prose. My brain breaks. So, I braced myself. I did a pretty good job for someone who doesn't love Shakespeare, but it still meant I struggled along the way.

With all that said, this novel was clearly compelling and beautifully written, offering a fresh take on the dark academia genre. I know this book will linger in my mind, including that interesting and obscure ending.

Content Warnings

madalina0_0'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

tsunami935's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious 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

4.75

Content Warnings

skylar5385's review against another edition

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I just felt this book was too dark and depressing. It wasn’t giving me academia vibes, just sadness. I mean, we know Oliver went to jail for 10 years and then got out, beyond that I just don’t care to read about more sadness.

Content Warnings

laguerrelewis's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense 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

This book is exactly what it says on the tin, for good and for bad. After a somewhat slow climb, it gets exponentially more engaging in its back half, but it never quite feels like the throes of its passion are earned. It does get close at the end there, though. The biggest hurdle I encountered as a reader in 2024 is that the particular white wealthy 2017-flavor of pretentiousness of the characters leads to some… ickiness. Read the content warnings, I beg.

Content Warnings

komiification's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense fast-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

5.0

Definitely a good introduction to anyone interested in getting into literary fiction, particularly of the dark academia nature. A more fast-paced take on the same premise in The Secret History, yet distinctly stands apart from that story and takes on an artstyle of its own.

Content Warnings

bookbrenna's review against another edition

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dark tense medium-paced

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

1.5

Content Warnings

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