A review by rainydayswithbooks
If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio

dark mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character

5.0

Omg...A masterpiece! The story unfolds in an incredibly special way, poetically and emotionally. An all-round successful work that is special in so many ways. The writing style is unique and ingenious, as it incorporates Shakespeare's quotes and yet tells a completely new story. The quotes, plays and characters from Shakespeare are always closely intertwined with the main characters and the actual story. The division of the book into the 5 acts and scenes give the impression of a script, which is reinforced by the partially inserted stage directions. At the beginning, you get the atmosphere of seven motivated students who are passionate about their art. I would have loved to have been part of the group of friends myself, watching one of the improvised plays or reading books by the fireplace with the group in the castle library... Dark academia vibes at their finest! But then everything changes and becomes more and more dark, sinister and mysterious. You no longer really trust anyone and can't predict the ending. I find it amazing how the author allows the characters to merge more and more with the characters they play on stage. As a reader, you realise how much you can lose yourself in art, but also the dangers this harbours. You quickly lose sight of reality. I liked Oliver's words that as an actor you feel all emotions twice - your own from real life and the fictional feelings of the characters. The two merge together, making it much more intense. You can also see this in the group's friendship: every relationship is always characterised by a charged intensity. Hate, love, mistrust, betrayal, solidarity, hero, victim- always close together, constantly changing. Filippa was the most consistent member of the group, although we can assume that this is more of a mask than an actual strong character. Oliver once said to her that she was the pillar of the friendgroup and had to stay strong and not doubt. If she had given up, everything might have fallen apart sooner or turned out very differently. Ironically, this is one of the best proofs of her extraordinary acting ability, although she is always the one who is least expected to play the big roles. A literary tragedy by a contemporary author who we will hopefully be reading a lot more of in the future!
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