Reviews tagging 'Sexual content'

If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio

232 reviews

kgreer's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny mysterious reflective tense 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

5.0

Wow. The emotions that I am feeling right now are hard to describe. The style of writing, the plot, the ending…it was “good as the best”.

I read this from a borrowed copy from my library and just bought it for my personal collection because of how much I loved it. 

The most tragic thing about this book is that I can’t read it again for a first time and experience the thrill anew. I will be thinking about this book for a long time.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Sexual content and Murder

Minor: Alcoholism and Biphobia

annakh16's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.75

This was a fast, easy and intriguing read. 

The crime/thriller aspect and the unlikeable characters (I thought) were a bit out of my reading comfort zone and it turns out that I was right those things are not my favourite, so quality aside, this partly informed my personal rating. It sure was fascinating though and I especially enjoyed the book‘s take on the intense (cult-like, as Oliver would have it) nature of Dellecher school and how it impacts the obsessive emotions of its students. There was less focus on the mystery as such, but because it made space for those kind of elaborations, I only half minded. 

A lot of the Shakespeare quotes and references flew right over my head, which is a shame cause there are a lot of them. You can enjoy the book without knowing much Shakespeare or being very good at understanding him - I did - but for me, the quotes that hit, they hit hard, so I assume it adds a lot to the story. 

The major plot point -

the characters deciding to just leave Richard for dead

- felt somewhat unearned, partly because the key events leading up to this had happened in the space of only a few months. The more you get to know the characters, the more their decision makes sense (from their pov), but I still thought it was extreme and hence somewhat unbelievable. 

Re the other major plot point -

James and Oliver: this really only developed for me in the second half of the book. I really want to go back now and see if I was just incredibly oblivious for the first half of the book. But it means the final twist of Oliver actually being in prison for James, and them potentially getting together again at the very end (?), was an interesting surprise

. 

The writing was vivid. There were some great lines (they won’t make much sense without context but I‘ll hide them just in case):

“There is no comfort like complicity“. ; “He was handsome the way you think of the devil as handsome - forbiddingly so.“ ; “Eighteen and vulnerable, I‘d felt for the first time the extraordinary dread of wanting something desperately and watching it slip through my fingers.“ ; “But that is how a tragedy like ours or King Lear breaks your heart - by making you believe that the ending might still be happy, until the very last minute.“

(among others).

Ultimately, it‘s a story I won’t forget for a while and it makes me excited to explore more dark academia, though books less focused on crime maybe.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Blood, Violence, Drug use, Drug abuse, Addiction, Physical abuse, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Gore, Eating disorder, Sexual content, and Suicide

nhelregel's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious 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? It's complicated

4.25

Listened to the audiobook for this one - the only thing with that was that at the beginning it was hard keeping so many primary characters straight. Happily they fall into archetypes (that the play, and then be extension who they are off-stage) so I had everyone down fairly quickly. Overall: this was very interesting and moody and despite there being several mysteries I didn't really feel the need to solve them (because of the frame narrative you know you'll get some answers anyways). At first I felt like one of the major plot points was unearned - it seemed unrealistic that so many people would all agree on a mind-boggling decision. However over the course of the book I felt like it became more earned, sort of? The teasing out of everyone's secrets and the dynamics between the characters were the most interesting and well-written parts, to me. The ending was... annoying in some ways. But overall I very much enjoyed the book, and would recommend! (Sorry if this review is vague - trying not to spoil anything)!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic friendship, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Toxic relationship, Murder, Grief, Physical abuse, Bullying, Violence, Addiction, and Alcohol

Moderate: Suicide, Mental illness, Sexual content, Blood, Eating disorder, Cursing, Drug use, Homophobia, Biphobia, and Drug abuse

lottie_wolf's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious 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? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Self harm, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Suicide attempt, Murder, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Sexual content, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Bullying, Cursing, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Violence, Sexual harassment, Murder, and Homophobia

lc_27's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Drug use, Murder, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, and Gore

Moderate: Addiction

Minor: Sexual content

ebalck27's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence

Moderate: Drug use

Minor: Sexual content

veliana's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Addiction, Grief, Alcohol, Bullying, Death, Drug use, Vomit, Suicide, and Murder

Moderate: Eating disorder, Sexual content, and Violence

dexlud's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This book- This book is honestly one of the best pieces of literature I have consumed in my life. I adored this book, the tension it built so magnificently, the descriptions, the plays. I love how it builds everything up, but everything still goes so fast and smoothly. The layout of ‘Acts’ and ‘Scenes’ made my theatre loving heart cry out! This book needs so much more attention than it already has.

also i’m sorry but James and Oliver’s relationship was SO HEARTWARMING AND CUTE AHHHHHH!

the twist at the end actually made my jaw drop to the floor.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical content, Addiction, Alcohol, Grief, Sexual content, Eating disorder, Gore, Suicide, Drug use, Murder, Vomit, Injury/Injury detail, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Death, Violence, and Self harm

Moderate: Homophobia and Sexual harassment

kultumirjam's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

Okay, I can now join the kids these days in saying that I am obsessed. After a certain point I could not put the book down. The main thing for me wasn't the plot, which is also there for those readers who appreciate a well-woven, intriguing plot. The characters are exquisitely written and there's just something I can't quite grasp that reeled me in completely and made me FEEL so deeply on so many levels. Why did this book have to end?

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Murder, Violence, Drug use, and Sexual content

Moderate: Domestic abuse

oakairi's review against another edition

emotional mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Alcoholism, Death, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Addiction, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Bullying, Alcohol, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Grief, and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Suicide, Sexism, Eating disorder, Homophobia, Misogyny, Drug abuse, and Drug use

Minor: Sexual content, Blood, and Vomit