What the community thinks
summary of 2964 ratings (see reviews)
Content warnings
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Graphic
Violence (7 reviewers), Death (6 reviewers), Drug abuse (4 reviewers), Blood (3 reviewers), Alcoholism (1 reviewer), Misogyny (1 reviewer), Sexual content (1 reviewer), Eating disorder (1 reviewer), Vomit (1 reviewer), Addiction (1 reviewer), Cursing (1 reviewer), Physical abuse (1 reviewer), Gore (1 reviewer), Drug use (1 reviewer), and Suicide (1 reviewer)Moderate
Drug use (9 reviewers), Drug abuse (8 reviewers), Addiction (7 reviewers), Suicide (7 reviewers), Death (7 reviewers), Violence (5 reviewers), Homophobia (4 reviewers), Toxic relationship (4 reviewers), Grief (4 reviewers), Domestic abuse (4 reviewers), Eating disorder (3 reviewers), Emotional abuse (3 reviewers), Bullying (2 reviewers), Sexual content (2 reviewers), Vomit (2 reviewers), Sexism (2 reviewers), Physical abuse (2 reviewers), Gore (2 reviewers), Blood (2 reviewers), Mental illness (2 reviewers), Body horror (2 reviewers), Alcoholism (1 reviewer), Misogyny (1 reviewer), Racism (1 reviewer), Body shaming (1 reviewer), and Biphobia (1 reviewer)Minor
Eating disorder (9 reviewers), Suicide (4 reviewers), Blood (3 reviewers), Addiction (2 reviewers), Drug use (2 reviewers), Homophobia (2 reviewers), Sexual content (2 reviewers), Violence (2 reviewers), Alcoholism (1 reviewer), Death (1 reviewer), Drug abuse (1 reviewer), Mental illness (1 reviewer), Vomit (1 reviewer), and Grief (1 reviewer)Moods
dark 93%
mysterious 82%
tense 59%
emotional 58%
sad 32%
reflective 17%
challenging 11%
adventurous 9%
funny 4%
inspiring 3%
informative 2%
hopeful 1%
lighthearted 0%
mysterious 82%
tense 59%
emotional 58%
sad 32%
reflective 17%
challenging 11%
adventurous 9%
funny 4%
inspiring 3%
informative 2%
hopeful 1%
lighthearted 0%
Pace
medium 64%
fast 18%
slow 16%
fast 18%
slow 16%
Strong character development?
Yes: 49% | It's complicated: 33% | No: 16% | N/A: 0%Loveable characters?
It's complicated: 43% | Yes: 38% | No: 17% | N/A: 0%Diverse cast of characters?
No: 58% | Yes: 20% | It's complicated: 17% | N/A: 3%Flaws of characters centre-stage?
Yes: 92% | It's complicated: 4% | No: 2% | N/A: 0%Average rating
Buy If We Were Villains
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Oliver Marks has just served ten years in jail - for a murder he may or may not have committed. On the day he's released, he's greeted by the man who put him in prison. Detective Colborne is retiring, but before he does, he wants to know what really happened a decade ago.
As one of seven young actors studying Shakespeare at an elite arts college, Oliver and his friends play the same roles onstage and off: hero, villain, tyrant, temptress, ingenue, extra. But when the casting changes, and the secondary characters usurp the stars, the plays spill dangerously over into life, and one of them is found dead. The rest face their greatest acting challenge yet: convincing the police, and themselves, that they are blameless.
As one of seven young actors studying Shakespeare at an elite arts college, Oliver and his friends play the same roles onstage and off: hero, villain, tyrant, temptress, ingenue, extra. But when the casting changes, and the secondary characters usurp the stars, the plays spill dangerously over into life, and one of them is found dead. The rest face their greatest acting challenge yet: convincing the police, and themselves, that they are blameless.
Buy If We Were Villains
United States
Bookshop US
Other countries
Bookshop UK
Blackwell's
The StoryGraph is an affiliate of the featured links. We earn commission on any purchases made.
Oliver Marks has just served ten years in jail - for a murder he may or may not have committed. On the day he's released, he's greeted by the man who put him in prison. Detective Colborne is retiring, but before he does, he wants to know what really happened a decade ago.
As one of seven young actors studying Shakespeare at an elite arts college, Oliver and his friends play the same roles onstage and off: hero, villain, tyrant, temptress, ingenue, extra. But when the casting changes, and the secondary characters usurp the stars, the plays spill dangerously over into life, and one of them is found dead. The rest face their greatest acting challenge yet: convincing the police, and themselves, that they are blameless.
As one of seven young actors studying Shakespeare at an elite arts college, Oliver and his friends play the same roles onstage and off: hero, villain, tyrant, temptress, ingenue, extra. But when the casting changes, and the secondary characters usurp the stars, the plays spill dangerously over into life, and one of them is found dead. The rest face their greatest acting challenge yet: convincing the police, and themselves, that they are blameless.
What the community thinks
summary of 2964 ratings (see reviews)
Content warnings
View warnings
Graphic
Violence (7 reviewers), Death (6 reviewers), Drug abuse (4 reviewers), Blood (3 reviewers), Alcoholism (1 reviewer), Misogyny (1 reviewer), Sexual content (1 reviewer), Eating disorder (1 reviewer), Vomit (1 reviewer), Addiction (1 reviewer), Cursing (1 reviewer), Physical abuse (1 reviewer), Gore (1 reviewer), Drug use (1 reviewer), and Suicide (1 reviewer)Moderate
Drug use (9 reviewers), Drug abuse (8 reviewers), Addiction (7 reviewers), Suicide (7 reviewers), Death (7 reviewers), Violence (5 reviewers), Homophobia (4 reviewers), Toxic relationship (4 reviewers), Grief (4 reviewers), Domestic abuse (4 reviewers), Eating disorder (3 reviewers), Emotional abuse (3 reviewers), Bullying (2 reviewers), Sexual content (2 reviewers), Vomit (2 reviewers), Sexism (2 reviewers), Physical abuse (2 reviewers), Gore (2 reviewers), Blood (2 reviewers), Mental illness (2 reviewers), Body horror (2 reviewers), Alcoholism (1 reviewer), Misogyny (1 reviewer), Racism (1 reviewer), Body shaming (1 reviewer), and Biphobia (1 reviewer)Minor
Eating disorder (9 reviewers), Suicide (4 reviewers), Blood (3 reviewers), Addiction (2 reviewers), Drug use (2 reviewers), Homophobia (2 reviewers), Sexual content (2 reviewers), Violence (2 reviewers), Alcoholism (1 reviewer), Death (1 reviewer), Drug abuse (1 reviewer), Mental illness (1 reviewer), Vomit (1 reviewer), and Grief (1 reviewer)Moods
dark 93%
mysterious 82%
tense 59%
emotional 58%
sad 32%
reflective 17%
challenging 11%
adventurous 9%
funny 4%
inspiring 3%
informative 2%
hopeful 1%
lighthearted 0%
mysterious 82%
tense 59%
emotional 58%
sad 32%
reflective 17%
challenging 11%
adventurous 9%
funny 4%
inspiring 3%
informative 2%
hopeful 1%
lighthearted 0%
Pace
medium 64%
fast 18%
slow 16%
fast 18%
slow 16%
Strong character development?
Yes: 49% | It's complicated: 33% | No: 16% | N/A: 0%Loveable characters?
It's complicated: 43% | Yes: 38% | No: 17% | N/A: 0%Diverse cast of characters?
No: 58% | Yes: 20% | It's complicated: 17% | N/A: 3%Flaws of characters centre-stage?
Yes: 92% | It's complicated: 4% | No: 2% | N/A: 0%Average rating