A review by ellalillian
If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio

challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

going to be thinking about this book for a long time for sure. thoroughly enjoyed it. dark academia always makes me feel weird/unsettled afterward... which is probably the whole point.

based on the reviews, i was kind of scared going into this book, but honestly, while i'm glad i knew it was going to be dark going in, i didn't think it was that dark - at least until the end. the epilogue honestly messed me up more than anything. (don't get me wrong, the whole book was still dark, just not as bad as i was expecting).

the biggest "twists" were pretty predictable, but i honestly didn't think that made it any less enjoyable in the slightest. i saw another review saying that how they're revealed is perfect; the point of this book wasn't plot twists, but almost character twists & oliver learning who the other characters, along with himself, truly are.

i wish i knew more shakespeare because i think that's the only thing that could've made this book more enjoyable.

definitely thoroughly enjoyed this book - if you ever want to feel unsettled & if you like shakespeare, this book it definitely for you!
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