If We Were Villains

If We Were Villains is dark, atmospheric, and absolutely captivating. The story draws you into an elite world of Shakespearean theater where friendship, obsession, and ambition blur into something dangerous. I loved the tension between the characters and how the mystery slowly unravels—every chapter adds another layer. The writing is lush and lyrical, and the ending stayed with me long after I finished. A must-read for anyone who loves Dark Academia and character-driven stories.

What a breath of fresh air! Lately I haven't been able to start reading a book without first doing a heap of research; reading reviews on multiple sites, checking the author's previous works, etc. I took a chance on this book, I was neither familiar with the author nor had I ever heard of the book before. To top it off it's not even the type of book that I would typically seek out to read. Having said that I am more than happy with my choice and I hope that more people decide to venture out and try this intriguingly odd gem. I will say that at first glance this book probably only appeals to a particular type of person. Seven students immersed in a performing art college, they live and breathe the plays of Shakespeare in hopes of surviving til graduation and truly making it as thespians. Having attended a performing arts school myself (although not for acting), I was initially drawn to this concept which to me is like a trip down memory lane, but I can say that, like many I'm sure, I initially hesitated at the idea that I would have to again try my hand at comprehending Shakespeare. And truthfully by the end of the story, while I can't say that I understand Shakespeare better, I can say that Rio breathed new life into the centuries old plays, and that the addition of the Shakespearian quotes throughout the novel (at least those that I understood), added greatly to the expression of the characters feelings. It was through these quotes that I could truly feel that the heartache and passions of all seven students. I was also nervous about Rio's decision to follow the lives of seven characters. That is a lot of main characters to follow and I find that a lot of times when authors decide to split the book amongst so many people, characters are either half developed or some are pushed to the side in an effort to develop a few. Somehow Rio manages to succeed in her first novel where others have failed. Richard, Meredith, Alexander, Oliver, James, Filippa, and Wren are all unique in both personalities and personas. At first I was afraid I wouldn't be able to keep them apart, but shortly into the book I could clearly delineate them from one another. Impressive as it is that Rio manages to give us seven uniquely complete characters, the true feat is in their interactions with each other. As much as one is reading to figure out the who's and what's of the murder, I was even more interested in learning how the interactions between the seven lead to the deadly consequences. How their ever changing relationships slowly crumbled and who was left to pick up the resulting pieces. Each character was so intimately bound to the others, Richard to Meredith, James to Oliver, and it dissolves from there. Their relationships were fascinating and nerve wracking. I felt intimately acquainted with every struggle and feeling, with the building and fracturing of their lives and livelihood. I wanted to yell out at Oliver to stop, I wanted to give James a hug. I wanted someone to help Alexander. I wanted Meredith to be understood and Filippa to be acknowledged. I wanted so much for everyone and then I wanted even more. I never thought it would be possible to write action into a passive story. Rio's performances are written as strong and intense as some of the grittiest fight scenes. She builds tension like the best of them. I've never been so nervous as to the ending of a play in my entire life. And each one had me sitting on the edge of my seat for more than one reason. I think it's a testament to her writing ability that scenes, which can be stripped down to their bare bones as recitations of Shakespearean prose, can be so exciting. I am so happy that I decided to give this book a go. I hope that anyone who is looking to try out something different will give it a try. I'll definitely be keeping my eye on Rio for any future novels.

Oliver is being released from prison after serving his sentence for murder. The detective who sent him there has also visited him through the years. Joe is no longer a cop. He wants to know the truth of what happened 10 years ago. Oliver agrees to tell him once he is out of prison. They meet at the school where it all happened and Oliver tells the tale. I loved this book. Oliver and his friends are drama students at Dellecher Classical Conservatory. They are now in their fourth year. Things are changing between them and not necessarily for the better. Richard has always gotten the leads in the Shakespearean plays they do. Meredith is his girlfriend and usually has the female lead. Oliver's roommate is James. They get the sidekick roles usually while Alexander gets the villain roles. Wren, Richard's cousin, and Filippa get the remaining female roles or cross-dress for the male roles. They have been accustomed to these roles although some would like to expand their repertoire. One night a party goes wrong and Richard is found in the lake bleeding. The remaining six make a decision. Is it the right one? So much happens. I liked how the book is written in an almost play format as Oliver tells the story. I did finally figure out who did it. I know why Oliver made his decisions. I could not say why the others made their decisions. Their last play together, King Lear, was explosive. I liked how the play ended. I cannot say I agree with Oliver's decision, but I understand it. I liked Filippa a lot. She is true blue. Meredith was a mean girl. I do not know what Oliver saw in her. I liked James. I wish a few things about him had been clearer throughout the story. Richard was a bully. Alexander was troubled. Wren was there but not always noticeable. This is one of the best books I've read this year. I was hooked from the first page.

I will preface this with saying there are likely to be a few (probably more) grammatical errors in this review. I apologize in advance. This debut novel by M.L. Rio is not bad overall, but it isn't what I would consider great or compelling. By now it has been compared to that stunning novel "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt too many times, and while the comparison is fair on the points of pretentious students dedicated to a literary subject to the point of obsession who also commit murderous crimes, this book falls flat in many ways where "The Secret History" shines. "If We Were Villains" often felt murky at times. The murder still seems a bit excessive, and that plot point was not well developed. I understand that the person murdered became a violent hassle to deal with, but the reasoning behind why he became a violent hassle did not seem believable, making the whole novel feel lacking of a significant motive. Nor did it seem like the group was ever one "big family" with him included. It was a lot more telling than showing when it came to the characters' involvement with each other. This, to me, is where I simply could not get into the grove of the book. It is readable, for the most part (I will get to my love and contentions with the use of Shakespeare later), but even with its readability, the feelings of annoyance would settle in, and I began reading just to finish it. As someone who believes the best part of of any literary work is the journey, not the end, I was not happy that this book started to feel like a chore. The chore aspect of the novel was not that it is a challenging read, because I wouldn't classify it as such, but that the characters and the story began to be a bore given that the end is a bit predictable and the characters are extremely unlikable. The use of Shakespeare, that began to feel dominating, throughout the book could be exhausting for some. I actually enjoyed it, mostly, seeing that Shakespeare wrote about seemingly every aspect of humanity and his words are always poignant. The quotes were always fitting, but my enjoyment was more admiration for The Bard than the actual plot device. I must say that Rio is clearly versed in Shakespeare, and that is an exceptional thing in and of itself, but the constant use of Shakespeare did begin to feel gimmicky after a while. It is a very esoteric group of literati who go around quoting Shakespeare in everyday conversation, and while the idea of humans that pretentious does delight me, having to read interjections of Shakespeare in what felt like every other paragraph got to be a little grating. "Brevity is the soul of wit." Overall, the book does a fine job of story-telling, though it is not always enjoyable or interesting. I give it three stars because it isn't so awful that I have to throw it across the room, and Rio can write (much better than this reviewer), and I give a point for it being Shakespearean. I would recommend it to people who just have to read something similar to "The Secret History", but I do think there will be a level of disappointment with the recommendation. Naturally, I am going to suggest just picking up "The Secret History" over "If We Were Villains" if someone is looking for an academic mystery (rather mystery set in an academic setting) filled with pretentious but erudite students. I think all of us who have read both books can, without any hesitancy, say that Tartt does a much better job of developing the characters, plot, and atmosphere. But I honestly don't think it is far to compare Rio's writing with Tartt's, even if the basis of both debut novels are similar. "If We Were Villains" is a book that had enough hype surrounding it to read it, but it is not worth a re-read.

If We Were Villains: A Novel By: M. L. Rio Narrated by: Robert Petkoff Length: 12 hrs and 50 mins Release date: 04-11-17 PERICLES: Antioch, farewell! for wisdom sees those men Blush not in actions blacker than the night Will ’schew no course to keep them from the light. One sin, I know, another doth provoke; Murder’s as near to lust as flame to smoke. (Taken from play: Pericles, Prince of Tyre) "Actors are by nature volatile—alchemic creatures composed of incendiary elements, emotion and ego and envy. Heat them up, stir them together, and sometimes you get gold. Sometimes disaster." - Oliver M. L. Rio holds a master's degree in Shakespeare Studies from King's College London and Shakespeare's Globe. It's no surprise then that the reader will find her first novel one of intellectual enjoyment. The novel transitions between the day Oliver is released from jail and ten years previous, when he was a student at Dellecher Classical Conservatory. Oliver, along with six of his friends, were theater students studying Shakespeare. But the blurring of lines between actor and reality is the trigger by which their own Shakespeare-like tragedy unfolds and someone is murdered. Oliver is the main protagonist who unfolds the story to us as to what really happened on the night that one of his classmates was found dead. He was convicted but he didn't commit the crime. I wasn’t expecting to get so invested in these characters and it was engrossing to read about how actors can lose themselves while trying to get into character. Rio knew just how to expose the darkness inside each of the protagonists, using jealousy and betrayal to build tangled plot-lines that's as old as Cain and Abel. As Shakespeare's play "Pericles" so well articulates: "One sin, I know, another doth provoke; Murder’s as near to lust as flame to smoke". "If We Were Villains" has depth and intelligence, making the reader keep their eyes glued to the page to find out what happens in the final act. "Ten years of trying to explain Dellecher, in all its misguided magnificence, to men in beige jumpsuits who never went to college or never even finished high school has made me realize what I as a student was willfully blind to: that Dellecher was less an academic institution than a cult. When we first walked through those doors, we did so without knowing that we were now part of some strange fanatic religion where anything could be excused so long as it was offered at the altar of the Muses. Ritual madness, ecstasy, human sacrifice. Were we bewitched? brainwashed? Perhaps." - Oliver The novel is articulately engrossing, however, I gave this book four out of five stars because it fell apart at the end for me. I wished Rio would have researched the criminal justice system. Oliver couldn't have been convicted because his Miranda rights weren't read to him. As Oliver explains: "I spent the next forty-eight hours in windowless interrogation rooms, fingering tiny cups of lukewarm water and answering questions from Colborne, Walton, and two other officers..." Then: "Following a map I had drawn on the back of Walton’s legal pad, Colborne led five cops with flashlights down into the undercroft, where they broke into my locker with a crowbar and bolt cutter. Damning evidence, covered in my fingerprints. “Now,” Colborne told me coldly, “might be the time to call your lawyer.”" No, Colborne. You messed up and your suspect should walk! Police will try this; to do an interrogation without advising you of your rights, but eventually this would get them into trouble as they would have no case. Even a state appointed attorney would ask if your Maranda rights have been read to you. Many people may not be aware of this fact, but after Miranda's case was overturned by the Supreme Court, prosecutors who won the original case decided to retry him on the rape and kidnapping without the original confession as evidence. At the new trial Miranda's common-law wife provided testimony that he confessed to her about the rape. Miranda was convicted again receiving the same sentence. It was a streak of luck that Miranda was able to be retried and sentenced. If you notice, the persecution had to do it without the original confession. This is the whole gist of why your Miranda rights need to be read to you and what will happen if they are not. Some suspects could still be convicted, but an appeal will let them off. So the way the storyline is written here isn't realistic. Overall, this doesn't take away from the story as I still consider this novel one of my all-time favorite reads.

Where do I even begin 😅 by the end all of my heart strings had been pulled At first it was a bit hard for me to get into the book since they’re quoting Shakespeare throughout but as it progresses I felt like I was there in their world. I enjoyed how the story was told in different Acts to showcase the important parts of the story. I felt so drawn to Oliver, being the friend that seems barely visible at times grasping for more. The way they made Richard into the villain and set up his character was perfection. I thought the way each character was represented and brought together as a friend group a great package. & then the scene were they are to dig deep and say what they hate about how they’re seen tore at me. The love triangle that wasn’t fully spoken also tore me apart. I found myself wanting to yell at them for not speaking their true feelings. I didn’t know who I wanted Oliver to end up with. I have hope that James faked his death & Oliver goes to find him, but on the same hand I also feel for Meredith if that happens. Open endings always leave me so conflicted because I have a need to know what happens but love that I can make up my own ending. I recommend this for all to read. 12/10

I do not like the star rating system. I either like something or I don't. Usually if I like it, it's a five. I respect authors and their work. This is a solid five. I enjoyed this book. The way it was written, the characters and how they come to life, caring for each other. The ending. You don't have to be a Shakespearean scholar to appreciate the book. I think that it would help understand deeper nuance of feeling, but the feeling is still strong regardless. The book certainly fostered a desire for me to become more aquainted with the Bard. My one complaint was how unattached the adults were to what was going on with the students. It was as bad as Hogwarts, the students in danger and the adults never really engaging with them. I wanted to know more about them but they remained two dimensional throughout the book. Except for the detective, Colborne. His genuine concern for Oliver and his need to know the truth connected us in a natural way to the story. There is discussion if this book should be shelved LGBTQ. I believe it could be, but I am afraid that it would discourage some non-LGBTQ who would read it and enjoy it. I think giving it an LGBTQ flag would be misleading. Yes, there are positive gay characters, but their sexuality isn't important. To me their love, concern, affection, devotion, goes beyond a mere physcial description. As I read the story I was intrigued with the idea of the group dynamics of the students. How they spent each and every moment together, working towards creating a single piece of art. They have to trust each other physically and emotionally with their most intimate moments. They have to put the interests of the group ahead of their own. They have to care for and protect each other. They have to be able to accept each other, flaws and all. This story shows what csn happen when that goes wrong.

At Dellecher Classical Conservatory, the students are expected to devote themselves to their art. They can focus on either art, music, or theatre. The theatre syllabus is devoted to Shakespeare and the plays are all his works. Each year those who don't make the cut are released from the school and by the fourth, final year only seven students remain. Going through such an intensive program, the seven are each other's best friends, enemies, lovers and every other category. But there are pairings. Richard is the school's lead actor, a huge bass voice and imposing physical bearing. He is in an intense relationship with Meredith, who is the troupe's femme fatale. Another pairing is best friends James and Oliver. James is the second lead while Oliver is less well regarded in terms of drama. Wren is the troupe's ingenue and Richard's cousin. Phillipa is another female secondary character and also plays male characters as needed. Alexander is the group's openly gay friend who spends much of his time in a drugged haze. As the story begins, we see Oliver being released from prison after ten years. The rest of the book goes back and forth between his current life and the story of the troupe's senior year when things fell apart and someone died as a result, a death for which Oliver was imprisoned. We see the group as their dynamic created over years starts to fall apart, as different pairings start to form and students start to think of their adult lives and what they will be. M.L. Rio was both an actor and a Shakespearean student before she turned to writing. There is Shakespeare throughout the book, with the plays all focusing on him and the students, devoted to their art, often speaking using his words in everyday life. The tension builds slowly as relationships strain and break and new ones are formed and as the students react to the changes and the tragedy that will define all their lives. This book is recommended for readers of literary fiction and mystery.

daha once okumustum, arkadasıma hediye olarak aldım. cok sevdigim bir kitaptır, shakespeare ile ilgileniyorsanız oneririm.

The printing is AWFUL. I bought this book because I wanted the cover in the product photo, but I got another one.

This is a great book! It was delivered 4 days early! In great condition and quality! This book is such a good and interesting read! I highly recommend!

This book has me in an absolute chokehold. I LOVE it. I really hope M. L. Rio writes something else soon because I need more of their beautiful storytelling.

Received book not in the best condition. There were some stains and foxing on pages, can tell the book is old. What a disappointment :(