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3.5-4 stars

This is not a book for everyone, and if you do not like Shakespeare you probably won't like Rio's If We Were Villains. I, however, enjoyed this #audiobook and thought it was a well crafted story even though I figured out the big reveal well before the author divulged it.

I‘m not sure how this got on my radar… audiobook recs or dark academia recs but great for both those. I almost DNF‘d because I was afraid I wouldn‘t “get” all the Shakespeare (& I‘m sure I didn‘t) but I ate this up.

I think I would have enjoyed this more 20 years ago, but I still enjoyed it, with some caveats. My knowledge of Shakespeare is pretty shameful and maybe theatre students really do speak in Shakespeare quotes to each other, but that eventually started to grate a bit. The writing isn't terrible considering how young the author was, though, and I found the characters interesting and real, if perhaps a bit underdeveloped. I had to know what happened!

Bookclub book to be discussed next week! I packed a huge stack of books for my no longer existing trip to London 🤣 but I‘m sure I‘ll still have time to read! We haven‘t made alternate plans yet!

Wow. Not sure if I want to give this 4 or 5 ⭐. So much drama and ALL the feels. The characters are barely likeable. Especially for Shakespeare fans. A lot of people have trouble with the ending.
I had to google it for further understanding and then I liked it.

@NataliePatalie

#FirstLineFridays
@ShyBookOwl

Currently reading.

I forgot to review this when I finished it! I loved it so much. It was like a cross between The Secret History and Pamela Dean‘s Tam Lin in many ways—so it felt derivative, but in a great way. In the second half, though, it pulls away from those comparisons and becomes much more its own thing. Heartbreaking and gorgeous. I just wish I were more familiar with Julius Caesar (the play).

First listened to this book 2 years ago. Loved it. 😍
Rereading it and annotating it! Then I'll be sending it to my friend who hasn't read it yet and he'll also be annotating it. A traveling bookclub if you will. :) so fun!

Dark academia and magical realism books have my soul. 💯👏

A little Shakespeare heavy, a lot of references are lost if you‘re not fluent in Shakespeare language!

#throwback to a few weeks ago, when I was on vacation and started this one. Finally finished it today and glad to be done with it. Pretty disappointing. A good premise, but I had a ton of issues with the execution.

I‘m saying so so here. It stretches the imagination to believe in these characters living in an exclusive private university (in the turret no less) speaking and learning only about Shakespeare and none of whom are very sympathetic. And the ending which was only mediocre really tests you. The writing is excellent though especially the scenes at the beginning of each act. It was too long to make it worth the effort but judge for yourselves.

Totally absorbing.

I wish I could have talked Shakespeare with these characters, unabashedly pretentious as they were. (Before the murder part, of course).

It was dark — showing rage & fear & envy taken to the extremes, plus the consequences of such. But was also still so much a story about love & devotion & the desire to protect what we hold most dear.

Highly recommend to any fans of Shakespeare, Dark Academia, or emotional mysteries.

Had to bail on two audiobooks in a row, hoping I have better luck with this one…

Calling all my fellow pretentious Shakespeare lovers; this book is for us. 😝 It‘s a subtle, emotional story where the relationships are twistier than the plot. Much as in Shakespeare‘s works, the characters are too melodramatic to seem real, and yet endlessly relatable at the same time. In short, it‘s good. Shoutout to my friend MN for the rec! 💙 1st magical readathon book done!

#schoolspirit #college read this for book club and all those who listened on audio enjoyed it more than those who read the book 🤷🏻‍♀️

@Eggs @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

I wasn‘t sure I would enjoy this dark academia murder mystery. From the description I thought it would be pretentious…and it is, but in a way that fits the characters. As a former theater kid, this really did capture the bizarre messy world that is behind the scenes. I definitely recommend if you enjoy Shakespeare or were a former theater kid. 4.5⭐️

3.5/5 🌟

Admittedly, I found myself skimming through the Shakespearean elements, initially unsure if I'd make it to the end. However, I'm pleased to say that I did, and I'm glad for it. Overall, my experience with the book was mixed.

Oh, I was not the target audience for this book LOL
I am a stagehand, and this is a microcosm worst of the people I work with.

It was pompous, overdramatic, full of itself, the mystery was as transparent as a play you‘ve seen before.

The only thing I‘ve retained from this book was the unnecessary hate the costume department and stagehands got. Departments, might I add, that did NOT have any hand in killing someone. Get bent.

⭐️⭐️⭐️a great start, almost a 5 star read. Loved all the Shakespeare weaving in and out of dialogue, the isolated world of acting, etc. a bit of a Secret History knock off, but was unputdownable. However the ending blew it all for me. No shock or good twist. You can see it all coming.

I loved this book - it was not something I picked out for myself, nor would I have, given the opportunity. But it was amazing! The only downfall in my opinion was all the quoted Shakespeare, but it was to be expected. Not my typical book, but I highly recommend it! (7)
⭐️: 4.25/5

1. I‘ve always loved Ancient History, in particular Roman, Greek & Egyptian with a dash of Mesopotamia & Celts. And Geography. I excelled at Geography & would‘ve loved to pursue that🏺🌏🏛️
2. The tagged book is set in a Classical College full of Shakespearean scholars until a tragedy ends with a death & another in prison.

#TwoForTuesday #WinterGames #TeamEvergreen 1pt

I have worked in professional theatre my whole adult life, and as soon as it became clear that this was A Secret History with Shakespeare quoting drama teens, I could not spend more time there. It is too much like work.

[Image: restored antique parasol by my graduate student Jillian Gregory]

My first thought for masks for #autumnplease was the masquerade masks in if we were villains. This is a gorgeous illustration from the anniversary illustrated edition 🥰

#scarathlon #skeletoncrew

#PhotoChallenge #Scarathlon @FlynnDewey #TeamWhoYouGonnaCall

Day 2: Skull/Bones

Only one book came to mind. It's not on my #Scarathlon TBR but it's definitely on my radar ☠️

⭐️⭐️⭐️

A comparison to “The Secret History” will get me every time! This had the moody dark academia vibes that I love and I enjoyed the beginning, but it fizzled out after the second act. I had trouble believing in the characters and their motivations - they felt one-dimensional. I‘m also not really a fan of Shakespeare and found the large amount of Shakespearean quotes tiring.

Thanks for the tag @dabbe
1. I return to school on Aug 28. Students start after Labour Day
2. Tagged book, The Secret History, The Chatham School Affair, Reconstructing Amelia, Claire Marvel, The Girls Are all So Nice Here
#Two4Tuesday
@TheSpineView
Tagging @andrew61 @Texreader @iread2much @ShelleyBooksie

cr: if we were villains by m.l. rio

i just picked up this edition from b&n and im in LOVE with the cover

im also reading this with my book club over on the fable app if anyone wants to join us!!

My friend created a personalized book stamp for me for my birthday 🥳😍📖. Isn‘t it gorgeous!

#stamp #bookaccessorize

3.5/5 A beautifully written and compelling story, and a masterful twist on Shakespeare. This book is one of a kind. The tone of this book is very dark, filled with jealousy, obsession, and sacrifice. I would recommend this book for anyone who likes psychological thrillers or murder mysteries, it truly is a page turner.

This book is a juggernaut hurtling to the end. Well written, and moving quickly through a series of events that, as our narrator states in prologue, seemed inevitable. I have the feeling that I would have understood subplots better if I really paid attention to Shakespeare but I didn't and the events themselves sped along. Criticism I have seen is anti queer and male gaze neither of which I saw as bothersome. See comments below

@Andrew65 #20in4 finished up with this beauty. I actually read @2 hrs without my timer on as I was so eager to get back to it after dinner tonight I totally forgot! Reviews forthcoming.

In theory, this was very Shakespearean and tragic, the cross over between the plays the characters act out and how they connect to their real life was well done. However. I‘m struggling to review this bc I loved the ending twist, left me staring at the wall.
But. This played into some gross queer stereotypes that were awful and a characters‘ sexuality should not be a plot twist. All female characters written via the male gaze was tough to read.

Am I obsessed with dark academia? Yes.

#darkacademia #shakespeare #NA #teachersoflitsy

This was very reminiscent of The Secret History but I enjoyed this one all the more for its links to Shakespeare and how the plays‘ themes were so interwoven in these college students‘ own experiences. And that ending!!!

These beautiful endpapers of the 5th anniversary special edition though. ??

"For someone who loved words as much as I did, it was amazing how often they failed me."

I'm generally not one for special editions, but I had to make an exception for one of my favorite books of all time. ? and it's gorgeous. ? gold foil, illustrations, signed by the author?! I love this 5th anniversary edition so much. ?

"Make art, make mistakes, and have no regrets."

(And then there's the Zweig I got secondhand. It just felt right to give it a new home. To my surprise, I'm slowly building up a collection of his books.)

another near bail! This was rec‘ed as a comparable read to Secret History, which I liked the story and the vibe, but… I dno, this didn‘t quite deliver it, imo? English is not my first language so I did not extensively study Shakespeare growing up- I think this book woulda felt way more interesting if I did. Some of it was prob wasted on me. The final twist was…Altho unpredictable, kinda meh. I dno. In theory should be a 🤘🏽for me, but it wasn‘t.

Barnes & Noble has a special edition of this delightful book! 😱 Do I already own the regular edition? Yes! Did I get this one anyway? Also yes! 😂

Dark and mysterious, felt like an ode to The Secret History written by a Shakespearean scholar. Heartbreaking as only a group of university friends who love, hate, revere, and envy each other can be. And the Bard‘s words and atmosphere are woven through it all effortlessly and made it all quite wonderful. #BookspinBingo @TheAromaofBooks

So good after reading Secret History, was worried about there becoming a dark academia formula, but while there's big parallels this was incredible itself. Painful, but managing to make me feel more than Tartt's novel, ESPECIALLY in that final Act.

Very 50/50 for me. I did enjoy the mystery and the cultish vibes this book gave off.

I didn't love it because I had no connection to any of the characters and it was very limited setting wise. I was expecting a much cooler ending so it definitely fell flat for me at the very end.

3 stars / 5

This Shakespeare focused A Secret History read alike is starting off strong!

Thespians, Shakespeare, youth, and serious drama. I enjoyed every moment.

#Scarathlon2022 #TeamMonsterMash

#ScarathlonDailyPrompt #22 skeleton

5 points
Post- 1 point
Total= 6 points

@Staycurious

Another library book from September finished. Doesn‘t fit the team theme but 253 word search words. Total 2536
#Scarathlon2022 #TeamMontsterMash

1. 🎭💀👮‍♂️ (I just started it so that‘s all I got!)
2. I‘m hoping for a sequel to Lessons in Chemistry, maybe the story of the daughter, all grown up.
3. 5⭐️ The Fortnight in September

#WondrousWednesday

This is indeed a different kinda of suspense read. One must appreciate the bard though as the author uses a lot of “Shakespeare” type lines. ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 1/2 read for me. I liked the characters and the storyline was such that I stuck with it to see how it would end.

I had the sudden urge to reread If We Were Villains and I‘m so glad I indulged. The Halloween performance of Macbeth just hits right every single time.

Crime and surrounding mystery test friendships of close knit college students at an elite arts conservatory. The novel is a bit dark academia, a bit ‘The Secret History‘ and a bit Shakespearean — with many quotes. I enjoyed this book but didn‘t love it nearly as much as the aforementioned novel that Donna Tartt published in 1992.