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A review by eviltwink
If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
This book was a rollercoaster of emotions. I know it sounds almost silly to say, as most books have a variety of different emotional climaxes, but in "If we were villains" it just felt a little closer than I've felt so far in my reading. I've felt nauseous, anxious, sad, confused, excited and intrigued consecutively throughout the book, with variations of the mixtures. Absolutely check for trigger warnings if you are sensitive to certain topics like suicide, addiction and the alike.
As a background check: I love Hannibal, it's my favourite TV show to date. I am deathly afraid of psychological thrillers or any horror movies. This book has awoken the unsettling feelings, on a much smaller scale, that I got while attempting to read "The Secret History" by Donna Tarte, which I failed to finish on the sole basis of my anxiety being toyed with. Not to sound like a TikTok but, also absolutely, I am an empath and I felt a little too closely the surroundings and events unfolding.
The author did a STUNNING job on creating a tense, suspenseful and dreadful air that is consistent throughout the book and its timelines. As much as it made me feel physically ill, it also kept me reading through it and kept me engaged. I felt like I was working through my own emotions as much as the characters were.
My faults with this book have to lie fully on the characters. They felt too thin, almost as props on a theatre set, able to easily be discarded of after the show is over. They serve their purpose in the plot and in the lives of their co-stars (friends, family) but they never brought anything more than that, for me. It felt a little disappointing, even though in a way it worked for the drama-school-ness of it all. The best part for me were the dynamics and interactions between the characters. They truly felt like a big, broken family just trying their best. They made me laugh and cry with them many times.
The pacing was alright, it felt a little dry by the last 120ish pages and I felt I was only reading to find out the answer to the mystery.
Overall, it was an enjoyable read. The feeling of reading it will never leave me, but I think I will forget the contents of it easier than most of my other reads.
As a background check: I love Hannibal, it's my favourite TV show to date. I am deathly afraid of psychological thrillers or any horror movies. This book has awoken the unsettling feelings, on a much smaller scale, that I got while attempting to read "The Secret History" by Donna Tarte, which I failed to finish on the sole basis of my anxiety being toyed with. Not to sound like a TikTok but, also absolutely, I am an empath and I felt a little too closely the surroundings and events unfolding.
The author did a STUNNING job on creating a tense, suspenseful and dreadful air that is consistent throughout the book and its timelines. As much as it made me feel physically ill, it also kept me reading through it and kept me engaged. I felt like I was working through my own emotions as much as the characters were.
My faults with this book have to lie fully on the characters. They felt too thin, almost as props on a theatre set, able to easily be discarded of after the show is over. They serve their purpose in the plot and in the lives of their co-stars (friends, family) but they never brought anything more than that, for me. It felt a little disappointing, even though in a way it worked for the drama-school-ness of it all. The best part for me were the dynamics and interactions between the characters. They truly felt like a big, broken family just trying their best. They made me laugh and cry with them many times.
The pacing was alright, it felt a little dry by the last 120ish pages and I felt I was only reading to find out the answer to the mystery.
Overall, it was an enjoyable read. The feeling of reading it will never leave me, but I think I will forget the contents of it easier than most of my other reads.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Suicide, Addiction, Blood, and Death
Minor: Abandonment and Eating disorder