A review by betweentheshelves
We Are Villains by Kacen Callender

dark mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Thanks to NetGalley and Amulet for an advanced copy of We Are Villains by Kacen Callender! It’s a Kacen Callender year apparently, since they have two books coming out in back to back months and I am here for it. This is different in tone from Chaos King, more of a dark academia thriller/mystery. For the most part, I think the story worked well in unfolding the mystery.

We get a variety of POVs in this, not just Milo and Liam which adds to the mystery. However, it does make the story itself feel a bit choppy as you read it. This might have been intentional, though. Callender also flips between timelines, making you question what really happened with Arianna’s death.

Despite the changing of POVs, we do get a strong sense of the characters throughout. Callender is good at developing characters in a small amount of time, which was important for developing the mystery and the overall setting at Yates Academy. We get to see the darker underbelly of the school as Milo unravels what actually happened with Arianna.

All in all, if you like dark academia mysteries, definitely check this one out when it comes out at the end of March! 
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Review to come!
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