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

adventurous dark emotional mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Notes:
- Bit up and down with this one but overall I really got immersed in the events of the book and had a fun time.
- Most of my hangups are around the writing: a bit overt on the themes it was exploring (although very interesting and executed well overall), the inner narrative of the characters felt a bit discordant because of the use of both direct Shakespeare quotes and a more casual writing style alongside each other. In general I also felt some of the quotes lacked depth with their use, they seemed to be put there just because they have the words a character needs to say.
- But I liked the use of the plays themselves! Felt like that tied in better to the character plot lines than when they quote Shakespeare at each other.
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I called Oliver and James from a MILE off and I'm so glad that came true because I loved their scenes the most! Especially their shared silence in the final play before it all goes to hell. Oh and dumping blood on Oliver in the boathouse during the first play :')
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