Another Older Read: If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio

 

(Don't mind the book in the background of the image, that's my current read) 

I received M.L. Rio's If We Were Villains for Christmas and began reading it on my flight from Texas back up to Virginia. 

Now, I have been in a few plays and theatre companies throughout my life, but I'm not really a theatre kid. I've read Shakespeare in high school and even performed as Hermia and a fairy in A Midsummer Night's Dream. I also had a bit of a crush on the long-dead playwright as a starry-eyed preteen. However, I am no expert or even intermediate on theatre or Shakespeare. I have a healthy enjoyment and that is all. I have a feeling because of this, I likely missed out on some of the key details expressed in the quotations. 

This book tells the story of 7 college students attending a prestigious university (Dellecher Shakespeare conservatory). They have been made to live and breath Shakespeare since their freshman year and here there are as seniors. These kids are strange, unable to truly separate themselves from the typical characters they play, possibly more the characters than themselves. 

We follow Oliver in this book, his story, and find ourselves along with Detective Colborne trying to figure out why Oliver went to prison. We want to know the motives and secrets behind each of these students. This book is hard to put down. 

I think that it gives a good representation of what it is to be a theatre kid (hopefully minus the tragedy and prison sentence of this book). The way the character you play seeps into you without your knowledge. The way passion, tension, drama of the play finds a way of getting into your life. Anyone who's performed in a play knows how utterly exhausting it is and yet thrilling. I can't imagine what it would be like to perform, live, breathe Shakespeare for four years straight would be like. It obviously had a deep impact on these kids. 

I will say despite my liking of this book and the good rating on Goodreads, it's definitely not for you if you hate Shakespeare. His words are ever-present throughout the book and if you're like me and never really got the hang of interpreting his words when written, you may find yourself frustrated and confused. It is a beautiful story about love, friendship, and the darker side of ourselves, but you may find yourself annoyed with the choices of the cast. 

Overall, I enjoyed the book. It took me about 4 days to finish so it was a relatively quick read. I rated it 5/5 stars on Goodreads. I would recommend the book, but I can see many people not enjoying it the same way I did.