A riveting dark academia tale - If We were Villains : Book Review #1
"For someone who loved words as much as I did, it was amazing how often they failed me."
M.L Rio, If We Were Villains
What is it about?
The novel explores the lives of seven young Shakespearean students in an elite school. Oliver Marks, a former actor at the fictional Shakespeare conservatory, was accused of the murder of one of his friends at the University. At the heart of the mystery is the question whether Oliver committed the crime or not. It explores the repercussions of fatal flaws, the limits of friendships, and the enormity of love.
My impression:
This book broke my heart in the best possible way. It is easy to get attached to the characters and find comfort in their sense of found family. The book is structured like a five-act Shakespeare play that made me want to further explore the works of the Bard out of curiosity and awe - and I was not disappointed. From Julius Caesar to Macbeth, and Romeo and Juliet to King Lear, there were clever parallels between the Shakespearean plays being enacted by the characters and their own lives. This percolated in the changing dynamics of their friendship, which contributed to making the novel a true tribute to Shakespeare and a masterpiece in its own right. This book is a treat for Shakespeare fans, but also for just about anyone interested in the dark academia aesthetic.
Despite the theme of tragedy, what I take away from this book and its ending is to let hope linger on somewhere inside our hearts despite our greatest tragedy - to still try and hold on to the more optimistic interpretations of events that break our hearts.
What do I say about the content of the book? The author wrote the book masterfully and wrapped the story up with such brilliant strokes that I could hear the sound of my heart breaking into pieces. Despite them being morally grey and flawed, I got attached to the characters. The book is often compared with Donna Tart’s The Secret History, and I love both, but If we were villains made me feel attached to the characters to a greater degree despite their flagrant flaws.
"How tremendous the agony of unmade decisions."
M.L. Rio, If We Were Villains
I like reading about flawed characters messing up, and appreciate the complexities of human nature and relationships. Thus, it was intriguing to study the dynamics of these characters. The tropes exploring a group of friends bound by love for a particular discipline and shared passions are also my favourite. So it’s no surprise that I loved this book.
Rating: 5/5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Year of publication: 2017
Year of reading: 2021
Genre: Literary fiction, mystery, psychological thriller