Oliver Marks has just served ten years for the murder of one of his closest friends - a murder he may or may not have committed. On the day he's released, he's greeted by the detective who put him in prison. Detective Colborne is retiring, but before he does, he wants to know what really happened ten years ago. As a young actor studying Shakespeare at an elite arts conservatory, Oliver noticed that his talented classmates seem to play the same roles onstage and off - villain, hero, tyrant, temptress - though Oliver felt doomed to always be a secondary character in someone else's story. But when the teachers change up the casting, a good-natured rivalry turns ugly, and the plays spill dangerously over into 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. Beautifully written with a thrilling plot, If We Were Villains is a story of friendship, passion, and obsession.
Star Rating: —> 3.5 Stars
This kept my attention, & I loved the queer rep, plus the ending was great... but idk it just wasn't for me. Please don't hate me for saying this, but... Shakespeare is a topic I have fairly little interest in, though I do love some of his works.
FF: I do appreciate modern retellings or reworkings, fresh takes, etc. etc. of his works, though! But mainly it just was too much! The majority of lines in this book are from Shakespeare plays & works. Shakespeare buffs/ lovers will LOVE THIS ! But nahh, nope—like I said— to me... that just bores me, idk.
Reading updates
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Started reading
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13 July, 2021:
Finished reading
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13 July, 2021:
Reviewed