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

dark hopeful sad tense fast-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

2.0

 The parallels between this book and The Secret History are impossible to ignore. This book honestly reads like a less well-written version of Tartt's novel.

  • Both include a special and separate group of students at a small, elite, college.
  • Both are from the perspective of the most "outside" character that doesn't fit neatly within the group's dynamic.
  • Both take place in a more nostalgic time before cellphones and easy internet access (this book in the 90's, Tartt's novel in the 80's - though Tartt's was written in the early 90's).
  • Both include a subject that the group surround themselves with, often referencing and speaking in quotes and wishing to lose themselves in (for this book it's Shakespeare, for Tartt's novel it's Greek tragedies).
  • Both include love dynamics within the group.
  • Both include the murder of someone within the group.

I couldn't get the comparison out of my head and it really clouded my view. I had a lot of trouble getting into this novel. The characters did not resonate with me. The story did not suck me in. The descriptions and scene setting were lacking. It ended abruptly and the lead up was rushed. I did not find this book boring, but it was easy to put down. 
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