If We Were Villains
By M. L. Rio
Review by Sophie
What do you get if you put Shakespeare obsessed thespians, and murder together? Drama, drama and more drama. All packed into a five act narrative that has you questioning what’s real and what isn’t from start to finish. If We Were Villains contains a cast of seven that are as dramatic as they are untrustworthy. Their lives are essentially a Shakespearean play, encapsulating all the genres, and the worst things they have to worry about is what role they’ll get in their next performance.
We see the story through the eyes of Oliver Marks, who paints a romantic and often idealistic portrait of the group as they live and breathe Shakespeare at an elite arts academy. On the surface, their friendship is lively, fulfilling and comfortable. And yet as things unfold, there is a sense of something unsettling, leaving the reader constantly at odds with the apparent vibrancy of their lives. Are they playing themselves? Or is everything just theatrics?
Intriguing, revealing and full of Shakespearean witticism, this one is perfect for fans of dark academia, mystery and The Secret History by Donna Tartt.
