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A review by tommysyk
If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio
4.0
4.5 stars
Now this is YA thriller lit done right. If you love dark academia, chances of you not eating this up are minimum. The most obvious comparison would be Donna Tartt's The Secret History, although the indulgence in Shakespearian poetry gives it an unique edge that keeps it fresh throughout.
Shock-full of thrills and twists. I wouldn't say it's unpredictable, but the biggest compliment I can give the author is saying that it always feels powerful (and emotionally painful, oh my god), even if you see it coming a mile away. The emotional beats are masterfully played out, and in the end you're left with a kind of addictive melancholy that'll take a whole good while to fully digest.
This is one of those striking debut novels, like Tartt's, that I can only dream of adapting to the screen. There's a certain kind of (cinephile-bullshitty) pleasure that one gets from reading a book and visualizing a full-fledged cinematic adaptation on the spot. And this book really lends itself to fertile imaginations, visually speaking.
Now this is YA thriller lit done right. If you love dark academia, chances of you not eating this up are minimum. The most obvious comparison would be Donna Tartt's The Secret History, although the indulgence in Shakespearian poetry gives it an unique edge that keeps it fresh throughout.
Shock-full of thrills and twists. I wouldn't say it's unpredictable, but the biggest compliment I can give the author is saying that it always feels powerful (and emotionally painful, oh my god), even if you see it coming a mile away. The emotional beats are masterfully played out, and in the end you're left with a kind of addictive melancholy that'll take a whole good while to fully digest.
This is one of those striking debut novels, like Tartt's, that I can only dream of adapting to the screen. There's a certain kind of (cinephile-bullshitty) pleasure that one gets from reading a book and visualizing a full-fledged cinematic adaptation on the spot. And this book really lends itself to fertile imaginations, visually speaking.