If We Were Villains Book Review
Photo from goodreads
Carly Ungerer
A tight knit group of seven actors and friends. The prestigious art school they attend. Their last shows together. The roles they play. The murder committed.
This is the premise of If We Were Villains, a book aesthetically in line with The Secret History, which follows the story of a troupe of actors in their final year at an elite Shakespearean academy. The group fits their typecast on and off-stage, always playing the same roles. Hero, sidekick, tyrant, seductress, villain, chameleon, and ingenue. James, Oliver, Richard, Meredith, Alexander, Fillippa, and Wren. During their last shows, the typecast shifts and their friendship dynamic changes with it.
The story follows Oliver Marks, the sidekick in the story and the person who spent 10 years in jail for the murder of one of his friends. The detective who arrested him approaches him after his release to find out what really happened. The book is split into five acts, in the structure of a Shakespeare play. Each act begins with a prologue, in which we see Oliver and the detective speak in the present. The following scenes delve into the past, exploring what really happened.
If We Were Villains is an atmospheric read with characters you will love and hate, all at once. The book’s strength mainly lies in the complex dynamics between the characters. Every character is reactive and intense, which makes the interactions between them interesting and creates tensions. Oliver’s close friendship with James and his complicated romance with Meredith are key throughout the novel. Although those relationships are integral and all-consuming through the novel, you would be remiss to ignore the other layered relationships between the characters, which makes If We Were Villains dynamic and addictive.
Something to consider before picking up If We Were Villains is the pretentious nature of the book. The characters speak a pidgin language of modern English and Shakespeare quotes, which can make parts of the book difficult to understand if you don’t understand Shakespeare. On top of this, the book lacks clear diversity, as only one named character is explicitly mentioned to be non-white.
If We Were Villains is dramatic and dark, with beautiful prose and strong ties to Shakespeare. I found the book to be both gripping and stunning. Once I picked it up, I felt as if I couldn’t put it down. The characters were magnetic and the symbolism of their relationship through their plays drew me in. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys books like The Secret History, Shakespeare, and classic literature.
Trigger Warnings: substance abuse, death, slut shaming, suicide, drug overdose, drowning, physical abuse, toxic relationships, emesis, homophobia, murder, racial slur (Romani)
