A review by barbaricyawp89
If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio

dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

wow. this was very good, to say the least.

i’ve seen people say that this book is basically The Secret History and, while i see the similarities, it’s obviously quite different. i really liked the Shakepeare aspects of this book, and honestly i found the characters generally likable (unlike in The Secret History, where we’re kind of meant to dislike the characters). i find it hard to finish books quickly but this one took me only around a month, meaning i really enjoyed it. 

i can’t believe this is the author’s debut novel. i’m definitely going to keep an eye out for any future work of theirs because WOW. that’s all i can really say, is just wow.

the ending really hurt me though. i kind of figured someone might’ve pinned it on Oliver, but seeing that he took the fall on purpose for James was both a very realistic action for his character and also a devastating one. i’m sincerely hoping that James is secretly still alive and that someday they would rekindle things, although i doubt it based on his overall emotional response to the situation. but boy that ending really hurt!
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