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

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.25

I liked it, but it felt so derivative of The Secret History that it was distracting. And it really suffers from the comparison. For all the tension and build-up, I found the plot twist underwhelming.

Some random spoilery thoughts:

•  
  Make James and Oliver GAYER. Don’t be afraid of more homoeroticism!
• Truly do not understand why they just left Richard to die. James and Pip I can understand, as Richard would’ve spilled the beans on the attack. But why tf did Alexander suggest it? He was a violent jerk, but the severity of his attack probably would have meant he was physically incapable of seeing out the year with them. Also I did not get how they could go from loving him to agreeing he should die, even if he were a violent dick to them. I will charitably chalk it up to them being dumb college students.
• This book felt like it was written to fill a trope. Not a fan of that. 
• I really loved the Shakespeare woven into the story and dialogue. 
• I really thought the ending was going to be that they all had a hand in killing Richard, much like his character in Caesar. Honestly, that would have been an interesting concept to explore, if maybe a bit predictable.