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

adventurous dark inspiring mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

Where do I even start? Oliver grabbed me by the collar and kept me at his side the entirety of this book. I went to classes with him, studied his lines, watched his friends intertwine and fall apart and his own moral battle complicate everything in between. The formula of this book is a joy - it mimics the works of Shakespeare that  are so frequently discussed, each act builds up to a climax that is reset, meaning I couldn’t turn the page quick enough to catch up and find out how it would conclude. Rio warps love, hate and tragedy as eloquently as Shakespeare and the characters are equally as desperate, urgent and compelling. The themes of such famous plays like Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet and Hamlet are clear with each act and executed so well that it has reignited my own interest in Shakespeare as if I was at the same school as Oliver and consuming it as if my life depends on it, like his does, quite literally. It unpacks grief, love, tragedy, the need to fit in and the fluidity of sexuality when it is not confined by societal values. It shows an array of morally flawed characters making poor, selfish decisions and though Oliver is obviously an unreliable narrator, like most true heroes in Shakespeare’s plays, I cared for him deeply, and his friends, even though being righteous and good was out of their reach, no matter how much they acted otherwise. It is labelled a masterpiece, and rightly so.