More Shakespeare, Less Mental Stability

If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio

Pages: 354 Genre: mystery thriller (I mean, I guess)

Rating: 5 Stars

Oliver Marks has been in prison for ten years, and now he's getting released. The detective who arrested him, Detective Colborne, wants to know what really happened a decade ago. Back then, Oliver was one of seven seniors at Dellecher Classical Conservatory where they are religiously studying Shakespearean acting. It's competitive and intense as they slide in and out of their roles, on stage and off. But their once good-natured rivalries turn tragic, and, now, dynamics are shifting, connections are being tested, and everyone is finding themselves at risk.

I adored this book. My favorite part was how it was so clearly a love letter to Shakespeare and literature. The drama and the theatrics of it all was just so magnetizing to me.

I loved the atmosphere of the story. Perhaps you could say it's "dark academia," but I don't think that is the entirety of it. Really, it was the Shakespearean Tragedy of it all. It was over-exaggerated and intense in a way that surpassed realism. If people in real life would act like this, it would be insufferable, but for someone who adores Hamlet (both the story and the character)? It was perfectly enticing.

The characters were very engaging. Hopefully this isn't a spoiler but yes, they are villains, and how wonderful is that? None of these people were particularly good (although there were definitely not all on the same level), but the nuance of them was very well-handled. It's a disservice to this book to blindly love or hate anybody. I will say that it could be argued that some of the women were written a little misogynistically, but I would sooner argue that was a flaw of Oliver, the main character, more than a reflection of the women themselves. But it is worth acknowledging.

Admittedly, though, I don't know if I would call this a mystery. Like, I suppose it is in the sense that you don't know what happened and are unpacking the story with Oliver, but past-Oliver is not focused on solving a mystery. If you're looking for a murder mystery, this book will not satisfy that itch. But I found the story very engaging regardless. I absolutely devoured this book, even though I had my strong suspicions (that were proved correct) about the big twists.

Overall, I don't think this book will appeal to everybody. But for me, it was everything I love in a book. It was a little pretentious and obnoxious in all the best ways.