If We Were Villains
Author: M. L. Rio
Published by: Titan books
Pages: 430
Format: Paperback
My Rating ★★★★★
When friends become enemies…
There’s no limit to the damage they can do.
Oliver Marks has just served ten years for a murder he may or may not have committed. On the day of his release, he is greeted by the detective who put him in prison. Detective Colborne is retiring, and he wants to know what really happened a decade before.
As a young actor at an elite conservatory, Oliver noticed that his talented classmates seem to play the same characters onstage and off – villain, hero, temptress – though he was always a supporting role. But when the teachers change the casting, a good-natured rivalry turns ugly, and the plays spill dangerously over into real life.
When tragedy strikes, one of the seven friends is found dead. The rest face their greatest acting challenge yet: convincing the police, and themselves, that they are blameless.
There’s no limit to the damage they can do.
Oliver Marks has just served ten years for a murder he may or may not have committed. On the day of his release, he is greeted by the detective who put him in prison. Detective Colborne is retiring, and he wants to know what really happened a decade before.
As a young actor at an elite conservatory, Oliver noticed that his talented classmates seem to play the same characters onstage and off – villain, hero, temptress – though he was always a supporting role. But when the teachers change the casting, a good-natured rivalry turns ugly, and the plays spill dangerously over into real life.
When tragedy strikes, one of the seven friends is found dead. The rest face their greatest acting challenge yet: convincing the police, and themselves, that they are blameless.
My thoughts:
Oliver Marks has just served ten years in jail - for a murder he may or may not have committed. On the day he's released, he's greeted by the man who put him in prison. Detective Colborne is retiring, but before he does, he wants to know what really happened a decade ago. Oliver reflects on his memories of what happened, telling the story of a group of young students at a prestigious drama school as they dedicate themselves to studying and performing Shakespeare’s work.
With a fantastic and beautifully written plot, Rio combines the old with the new, focusing on the students and their time at the drama school. When one of their tightly knit group is killed, they begin to break apart.
They really are an intriguing bunch. They feel like authentic real-life people who you might come across at a drama school like this one. I loved their dynamics as a group, but I certainly had different feelings for each of them. All of the characters had their flaws, which is perhaps what made them so interesting.
From the moment the six of them discover the body of the seventh, we see the true nature and depth of each character. What happens is pretty shocking, and they slowly start to degrade, both morally and physically. They become unsettled and cold. They have to make decisions that might alter their lives forever. In the final part of the book, we return back to present day, with Oliver just released from prison and being reunited with the detective in charge of the case. The ending is particularly dramatic and powerful.
This is the type of book that fully immerses you whilst reading it. It very quickly got its hooks in me. Even though I felt the urge to devour it, I didn’t want it to end so fast, so I had to slow down and enjoy. I savoured every page and can see myself re-reading the whole thing again when I have the time.
If We Were Villains is an extraordinarily smart and chilling fiction with a really dark academia aesthetic.The plot is detailed, haunting and deeply atmospheric. I honestly fell in love with this and will always remember it.
Overall reaction:
Oliver Marks has just served ten years in jail - for a murder he may or may not have committed. On the day he's released, he's greeted by the man who put him in prison. Detective Colborne is retiring, but before he does, he wants to know what really happened a decade ago. Oliver reflects on his memories of what happened, telling the story of a group of young students at a prestigious drama school as they dedicate themselves to studying and performing Shakespeare’s work.
With a fantastic and beautifully written plot, Rio combines the old with the new, focusing on the students and their time at the drama school. When one of their tightly knit group is killed, they begin to break apart.
They really are an intriguing bunch. They feel like authentic real-life people who you might come across at a drama school like this one. I loved their dynamics as a group, but I certainly had different feelings for each of them. All of the characters had their flaws, which is perhaps what made them so interesting.
From the moment the six of them discover the body of the seventh, we see the true nature and depth of each character. What happens is pretty shocking, and they slowly start to degrade, both morally and physically. They become unsettled and cold. They have to make decisions that might alter their lives forever. In the final part of the book, we return back to present day, with Oliver just released from prison and being reunited with the detective in charge of the case. The ending is particularly dramatic and powerful.
This is the type of book that fully immerses you whilst reading it. It very quickly got its hooks in me. Even though I felt the urge to devour it, I didn’t want it to end so fast, so I had to slow down and enjoy. I savoured every page and can see myself re-reading the whole thing again when I have the time.
If We Were Villains is an extraordinarily smart and chilling fiction with a really dark academia aesthetic.The plot is detailed, haunting and deeply atmospheric. I honestly fell in love with this and will always remember it.
Overall reaction: