Review by theladydame - If We Were Villains

You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.

theladydame 's review for:

If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio

4.5

emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

As a theatre kid kid with a passion for Shakespeare, at times this felt too real. The cult-like hubris of a company of young Actors, how every feeling and passion is dialed up to eleven, the scenes that play out when a group of too smart, too talented, too sensitive young people are left relatively unsupervised, all felt familiar to me.

At it's core, this is a thriller under a Shakespearean influence. Not just because his plays are used as a framework for telling this story, but because the relationships and actions of the characters fit the archetypes so well.

Oliver Marks is our POV character, and it is through him recounting the events that led to his imprisonment that we meet his classmates, blustery imposing Richard, femme fatale with a heart of gold Meredith, enigmatic Fillipa, sweet Wren, puckish Alexander and of course, the golden hero James. While they don't really push too far beyond their archetypes, M.L. Rio insides them with just enough character and personality to make their inevitable downfall hurt.

Content Warnings