Scan barcode
A review by hghtashbry
If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio
dark
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I don't know where to start with this book. Mixed feelings, at best.
The story itself is phenomenal, the psychological aspects of the characters are spot on, the prose is flawless.
The only character I liked is James. The rest were naive, selfish, immature, and stubborn. Usually, I love to hate characters but it was not the case with this book. This group is made up of the worst possible combination of friends who were there out of convenience rather than loyalty, not really friends at all.
I found myself skipping all the Shakespeare dialogue because it pulled me out of the story. And, while I understand the stylistic choice, the way the dialogue is written, more like you would see in a script, it was distracting rather than entertaining.
Would I recommend the book? I can't say. For the writing itself and the story, I would say yes. For the characters and style, it would be an absolute no.
Because of the mix of the two, my final rating is 3.5/5 but it'll be bumped up to a 4 where half stars are not accepted.
The story itself is phenomenal, the psychological aspects of the characters are spot on, the prose is flawless.
The only character I liked is James. The rest were naive, selfish, immature, and stubborn. Usually, I love to hate characters but it was not the case with this book. This group is made up of the worst possible combination of friends who were there out of convenience rather than loyalty, not really friends at all.
I found myself skipping all the Shakespeare dialogue because it pulled me out of the story. And, while I understand the stylistic choice, the way the dialogue is written, more like you would see in a script, it was distracting rather than entertaining.
Would I recommend the book? I can't say. For the writing itself and the story, I would say yes. For the characters and style, it would be an absolute no.
Because of the mix of the two, my final rating is 3.5/5 but it'll be bumped up to a 4 where half stars are not accepted.