Having recently devoured The Secret History by Donna Tartt, I was eager to find more books to feed my dark academia mood. On a mere coincidence, my mom picked up If We Were Villains at the library and agreed to let me borrow it. I was tempted to stay up till like 3 in the morning last night to finish but with school starting back up it was time to get back on schedule. (Don’t get me wrong I still stayed up till around midnight lol) 

First off, I just want to appreciate how beautiful and simple the cover is. In my mind, the color selection of only black and white seems to be ironic, since this book definitely shows that life is not black and white but I could be reading too far into it.

The premise of this novel is one of rivalries, once amiable now dark, gone wrong. The 7 “players”, 4th-year theatre students at Dellecher Classical Conservatory, have been close competitors and companions since the beginning of their studies. However, when tensions rise they find themselves in the midst of a tragedy of their own. Told 10 years later through the eyes of Oliver who has just been released from jail, their tragic story unfolds.

While If We Were Villains certainly reminds me of The Secret History, this novel can stand on its own. One key variation is that going into If We Were Villains you have no clue which one of the students will meet their demise, unlike Donna Tartt’s classic. However, if you disliked The Secret History it is likely that you will not enjoy M.L. Rio’s debut novel.

M.L. Rio’s characters are not flat whatsoever and by scene 2 I was already attached to the majority of them, especially Filippa. I also loved how well she incorporated Shakespeare, not only in their speech but even in their actions and Oliver’s way of thinking. The players converse in quotes so smoothly without it feeling forced. Besides the impending disaster, Rio paints a cozy picture of college days that filled my little academia heart, making me excited to create my own college memories (maybe without the murder and the crushing guilt tho). The plot progresses well, mainly focusing on their upcoming productions as climaxes. The story can be quite dark and the general age recommendation is for mature teens.

All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed this novel.