maggiesummerkate 's review for:

If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio

4.25

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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i really liked this story in the sense that the characters and their interactions intrigued me. this book is supposed to be a murder mystery/thriller novel, and to be honest, i found that part kind of lacking. that isn't to say the book is bad, but it just doesn't fulfill what i want from that type of story. let me explain what i mean by that.

basically, i found as i was reading that i didn't care who did committed the crime so much as how everyone reacted to it and how they interacted with each other before and after. i know the whole point of the story was to find out who did it, but i wasn't really invested in that part. so i guess in that way, i didn't guess the ending, which i can do in most horror/thriller novels i read, which is a plus. but i still didn't necessarily find that i cared to know the truth.

i would love to hear the story from meredith's pov. not that oliver's isn't good, i just want to know more about her relationship with richard. i get the feeling there was some dv in that relationship, so i'd love to know her complicated, messy feelings on his death. there's probably a reason she hasn't left, and that interests me. as a writer, it's something i find has to be done well to be enjoyable, but i trust this author to do it right.

also james and oliver's relationship... i am not surprised, i mean be so for real with me... they're at a conservatory that only does shakespeare. but also i think that adds a level to the story, and i like that a lot. it does not help that i read song of achilles recently before this bc it feels like salt in the wound.

overall, i liked this a lot. definitely recommend it for those dark academia vibes. it's great for getting into the fall spirit.