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4.19 AVERAGE
4.19 AVERAGE
dark
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
The writing is so immersive and personal that I was grieving and going mad right along side the characters.
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
“Actors are by nature volatile—alchemic creatures composed of incendiary elements.”
This is a dark academia novel about a tight-knit group of Shakespearean actors at an elite arts conservatory whose bonds fracture after a violent crime leaves their world, and their loyalties, in ruins. The novel plays with themes of performance versus reality, obsession, and betrayal, all filtered through a love of Shakespeare.
Unfortunately, while the premise is enticing, the execution left me profoundly underwhelmed. The book felt like a diet version of Donna Tartt’s “The Secret History” and if anything, it just reminded me of how much I love “The Secret History” and how much I wished I was rereading that instead. Tartt’s novel is layered, intoxicating, and haunting, whereas “If We Were Villains” often felt hollow, predictable, and lacking in depth.
The characters, meant to be enigmatic and compelling, never drew me in. I didn’t really care about any of them, or the murder mystery itself. For a book steeped in Shakespeare, it should have been right up my alley. As someone who has adored Shakespeare for years and even spent time in a Shakespeare performance group back in college, I wanted this story to ignite that passion again. Instead, I found it dull, strangely flat, and at times even boring. One thing I did appreciate was the 1990s setting, which I always enjoy. (I’m currently reading Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s “The Bewitching” for my book club, and the 90s backdrop there is something I absolutely adore.) But here, the atmosphere and sense of time never fully clicked into place for me.
I know this book has its devoted fans, and I wish I had seen what they see. But for me, “If We Were Villains” was a disappointment, especially as someone who typically adores dark academia stories. Sorry to those who love it, but this one just wasn’t for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Murder
Moderate: Drug abuse, Drug use, Suicide
Minor: Eating disorder, Homophobia, Vomit
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book relies heavily on Shakespeare with many quotes, so if that’s not your thing then avoid. It’s also a slow burner that really ramps up towards the end.
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I am very much the target audience for this novel, and I confess that the insular feel of a classical acting cohort felt accurate, if at times painfully so. It also felt lacking in development when it came to the female characters (and yes, I understand that the point is that they are all being pigeonholed into an archetype, and... that's kind of the point. If anything, the addressing of that frustration made me wish there was any hint of development within the story outside their "role." Essentially, their frustration with their simplifications to caretaker, temptress, and waif just made them frustrating to me). This is also potentially a side-effect of the close first-person narration, with an occasionally (or often) oblivious narrator, but that doesn't change the takeaways for me.
The author dealt with a lot of text due to characters who regularly speak solely through quotes, and as someone pretty familiar with some of plays, I thought it was well (if pretentiously, as the author themself says about the characters) dealt with. It was extreme, but I enjoyed the consistency of their commitment to pretention.
I was spoiled for part of an event in the epilogue, which definitely colored my reading of the book.
I hate [spoilers for ending/style that gives away plot]
Non-spoiler version of the above is that I wanted something from the ending that I didn't quote get, otherwise it would likely have been a 4 for me.
The author dealt with a lot of text due to characters who regularly speak solely through quotes, and as someone pretty familiar with some of plays, I thought it was well (if pretentiously, as the author themself says about the characters) dealt with. It was extreme, but I enjoyed the consistency of their commitment to pretention.
I was spoiled for part of an event in the epilogue, which definitely colored my reading of the book.
I hate [spoilers for ending/style that gives away plot]
Spoiler
semi-ambiguous endings, which is arguably what this is, although it was designed to feel suggestive – so much so that it sort of feels like the book just ~ends~ and the last page or paragraph was misplaced/unfinished: ending not with an ellipse, but a whimper. I think feeling a little more satisfied in the completeness of the ending (it would only have taken a paragraph or two; some sign of intent!) would have made this a 3.5 or 4 for me. As it is, I'll have to summon my own poetic image.Non-spoiler version of the above is that I wanted something from the ending that I didn't quote get, otherwise it would likely have been a 4 for me.
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Yes
Instant favourite
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Eating disorder, Suicide