Reviews tagging 'Addiction'

If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio

434 reviews

noella19's review

challenging slow-paced

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

3.75

Satisfactory ending to a tense story. An interesting read for sure but not as impactful as I wanted.

Oliver’s lack of self awareness or the privileges he’s friends had from simply being in a different tax bracket (implied) is insane 

I’m not expecting them to be this incredibly unintelligent for people who agreed to conceal a death that didn’t need to be concealed. If they actually committed the crime I would feel better

James my love you deserved better but i fear you’ve been drowning for much longer than you realise. Alex was cold but he was right and Fillipa I’m so glad you came out of this unscathed.

 

Not a single functional brain cell is working between past Oliver and Merideth . Also knowing how their ended up in the prologue of some chapters made reading about them trying to have a relationship quite hard to swallow. But at least they’re together in the end.

 

I really don’t like you Oliver and your martyrdom was incredibly ridiculous and disrespectful honestly. 

For the writing style the writer is good. I can’t deny them that. The choice to really lean into the whole Shakespearean theme was an interesting choice that paid off most times than not. I would definitely love to read more of their work.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt, Suicide, and Addiction

maddiebennet's review against another edition

dark emotional funny mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.75

I don't really know if this is a 5 stars or a 4.75, it kinda depends on the day but its been a week since I finished this and I CANT STOP THINKING ABOUT IT!! I am so unwell I can't even begin to explain it. They're so me fr
I am really inlove with Oliver Alexander and specially James, I can't fr

I am in a state of constant denial literally Oliver and James got fucking married I don't have a single doubt Im not even kidding like I just KNOW James is alive and he knows Oliver is going to find him because they know each other in a way that only them can understand. They are soulmates but they are also more than that. shut up I need like a sequel or something IM BEGGING M L RIO

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Alcohol, Drug abuse, Mental illness, Murder, Alcoholism, Blood, Drug use, Eating disorder, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, and Suicide

Moderate: Addiction, Sexual harassment, and Sexism

sleepypandaa's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Bullying, Self harm, Violence, Addiction, Blood, Death, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Physical abuse, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gore, Mental illness, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Toxic friendship

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

gologel's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.75

There's almos nothing in this book I could critique without it being picky, without it being looking for a needle in a haystack - except for some characters acting - or not acting - as plausibly, logically as you might expect them to.

The drama unfolding, with every act a new aspect spinning the character's world around, the book's telling you they're doomed and you watch the horror unfold more and more.

Do I think that the ending is a shocking plottwist? No. 
But the ending is such a great tragedy that I was completely - emotionally and physically - captured, the kind of tragedy I long for. A defeaning applause would resound as the actors depart.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence

Moderate: Sexism, Drug abuse, Murder, Blood, Cursing, Alcohol, Addiction, and Suicide

Minor: Homophobia and Vomit

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

lou702's review

dark mysterious tense slow-paced

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

3.5

Its a very frustrating piece of art. The character do things that can almsot always be questioned. The death was unnessecary and unlogical but also slightly deserved. The character had no developement and had no good relationship with each other at many points. And to top it all of, it even has a cliffhanger, which makes it even more frustrating but also wanting for more.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Murder, Emotional abuse, Violence, Physical abuse, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Gore, Addiction, Blood, and Drug abuse

Minor: Panic attacks/disorders and Domestic abuse

veliana's review

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

ms_sarah621's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious slow-paced

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

4.5

If you love Shakespeare and poetic writing, then this will be perfect for you. I cannot believe how beautifully written this book is. The language and word choice alone is five stars. Also, references to pop culture and the “real world” is so difficult to do well in books. All of the Shakespeare, the plays themselves, the way the group talks to each other, and how lines from the plays are used like casual speech is so incredibly well done. It flows so well and creates this deeply poetic story and complex relationships. Another point, how well these characters are fleshed out and their relationships with each other. Everything is so complex and even vague at times. However, you care so much for these characters and what is happening to them. You want to know everything about them and what they mean to each other, no matter how messy things get between them. The only thing that brought my rating down slightly was that this is a slow paced character driven book. So, at times, I struggled to pick it up. Yet, the story is so incredibly written and poetic that you want to keep reading and be emerged in the tragic world that was created. A must read. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Physical abuse, Addiction, Alcohol, Death, Drug use, and Grief

Moderate: Body horror

culinaryjules's review

emotional mysterious sad medium-paced

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

3.75

I read this for my work book club. I wouldn’t have picked it up on my own, and I probably wouldn’t have kept reading if it wasn’t for book club. I’m so glad I kept reading. This is a very interesting who-done-it, entrenched within the lives of college students whom are Shakespeare actors. I’m not well versed enough in Shakespeare to get all of the references, but I didn’t let that deter me. This is a well-written novel that delves into the lives of this very small college family of friends. One of the friends is murdered. Or is he? Is the right person in jail? I’m glad it was suggested because I enjoyed it more than I anticipated once I got into it.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Grief, Drug use, Drug abuse, Bullying, Addiction, Physical abuse, Vomit, Eating disorder, and Blood