If We Were Villains: A Shakespearean Tragedy // ARC Review

SYNOPSIS

Enter the players. There were seven of us then, seven bright young things with wide precious futures ahead of us. Until that year, we saw no further than the books in front of our faces. On the day Oliver Marks is released from jail, the man who put him there is waiting at the door. Detective Colborne wants to know the truth, and after ten years, Oliver is finally ready to tell it. Ten years ago: Oliver is one of seven young Shakespearean actors at Dellecher Classical Conservatory, a place of keen ambition and fierce competition. In this secluded world of firelight and leather-bound books, Oliver and his friends play the same roles onstage and off: hero, villain, tyrant, temptress, ingénue, extra. But in their fourth and final year, the balance of power begins to shift, good-natured rivalries turn ugly, and on opening night real violence invades the students’ world of make believe. In the morning, the fourth-years find themselves facing their very own tragedy, and their greatest acting challenge yet: convincing the police, each other, and themselves that they are innocent.

Title: If We Were Villains

Author: M.L. Rio

Page Count: 368 pages

Genre: Mystery // Fiction

Rating: 3 stars

Publisher: Flatiron Books, an imprint of Macmillan

Release Date: April 11, 2017

Buy It: Chapters Indigo // Book Depository

MILANA'S REVIEW

Are you a theatre fan? Are you a theatre/English major? Maybe you love Shakespeare and suspense? Is Donna Tart on your shelves? Did you answer yes to any of the prior questions? If so, We Were Villains is waiting for you to read it!

I found it a hard read for me because the background Shakespearean knowledge is missing. I truly think if I had studied his tragedies I would have loved it (wasn't in my science degree). The connections were missing for me, therefore putting me in the dark. This is not the books fault at all the way I see it. It just wasn't what I was expecting. If you’re reading this review I still say give this one a shot!

**Thank you Raincoast Books for sending a review copy my way! I’m excited to pass this on to a blogger out there who loves them some Shakespeare!**