Reviews tagging 'Sexual harassment'

If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio

56 reviews

stratospheric's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Murder, and Alcohol

Moderate: Eating disorder, Sexism, and Sexual content

Minor: Sexual harassment

augustrogue's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious 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

1.0

I was so hyped for this book and truly wanted to love it - unfortunately, while it had a few fleeting moments of some very lovely prose, it ended up feeling like a bit of a pretentious mess. Multiple, long scenes that were basically play-by-plays of Shakespearean stage productions. Inexplicable switches into script-style dialogue that disrupts the flow terribly: (not from the book, just an example)

Meredith: "Where did Alexander go?" 
Me: "I don’t know." 
Wren: "I'm worried about him." 

...and then switches back just as abruptly, like it forgot it wasn't a screenplay for a second. Scenes that end abruptly for poetic/dramatic effect and then don't adequately explain what happened next. And I wanted a lot *more* of a relationship dynamic that was only lightly explored in the last 10% or so of the book.

The thing is, I actually *like* Shakespeare, quite a bit. The course I took on his plays was one of my favorites in university, and I still have a Complete Works anthology on my bookshelf. But I don't know, this book just made me roll my eyes a lot. At least the author acknowledges that the characters talking to each other in rapid-fire Shakespeare quotes about mundane things like they're ye olde Gilmore Girls (my own analogy, not hers) *is* super pretentious, in her ending notes. This book is for someone, maybe, but for the most part, it's not for me.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Bullying, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Murder, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Toxic friendship

hellhathnofury's review against another edition

dark emotional tense 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? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Suicide, Murder, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Homophobia and Violence

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

cturn's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

5.0

Characters- 8
Atmosphere - 8
Writing - 8
Plot - 10
Intrigue - 10
Logic - 8
Enjoyment - 9
CAWPILE score - 8.7

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Body horror, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Sexual content and Murder

boaabie's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• 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

5.0

I haven’t had a book make me emotional in a long time, the ending ripped out my heart and gave me hope, stomped on the hope and breathed new life into it all at once. 
The writing is beautiful, I can only hope to have a small amount of skill this author has to create such beautifully tragic scenes they have

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Addiction, Cursing, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicide, Sexual harassment, and Classism

Minor: Confinement, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Blood, and Alcohol

thejessicat's review against another edition

dark mysterious medium-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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Bullying and Sexual harassment

Minor: Suicide

laguerrelewis's review against another edition

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.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Homophobia, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Eating disorder

Minor: Transphobia

gia0203's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.75

AAAA!!! I feel like I’ve been reading books so critically and seriously lately and somehow this book made me feel like I was 15 again, devouring a novel whole and feeling every single moment of it. I have the sudden urge to read all of Shakespeare’s plays and start speaking in verse. What a treat. And the yearning at the heart of the story… It’s subtly teased and then it hits you at last and it’s wonderful. I love codependent, homoerotic friendships in fiction. 

This book is not very original. It borrows a lot from existing dark academia, obviously The Secret History being the main one. I do think though that the writing style makes up for its originality. It’s so lively and fun! And the characters too are so interesting and so sympathetic. A new favourite of mine for sure. I loved the twist at the end and the rising hysteria and ugh. Stunning. 

On another note… the male characters in this book are very complex and well developed and the female characters are very wooden, particularly Meredith. She faces a lot of misogyny and her character revolves so much around the men in her life. Just something to think about in terms of female representation, especially when written as “competition” in relation to queer men. Not quite sure if this book passes the Beschdel test. If not for this, it would be a 5 star for me. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Murder

Moderate: Drug abuse, Misogyny, Sexism, Suicide, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Eating disorder, Homophobia, Sexual content, and Sexual harassment

maddiebennet's review against another edition

dark emotional funny mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.75

I don't really know if this is a 5 stars or a 4.75, it kinda depends on the day but its been a week since I finished this and I CANT STOP THINKING ABOUT IT!! I am so unwell I can't even begin to explain it. They're so me fr
I am really inlove with Oliver Alexander and specially James, I can't fr

I am in a state of constant denial literally Oliver and James got fucking married I don't have a single doubt Im not even kidding like I just KNOW James is alive and he knows Oliver is going to find him because they know each other in a way that only them can understand. They are soulmates but they are also more than that. shut up I need like a sequel or something IM BEGGING M L RIO

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Suicide, Blood, Murder, and Alcohol

Moderate: Addiction, Sexism, and Sexual harassment