Single Sentence Summary: At an elite art college, seven young acting students (performing only Shakespeare) are the best of friends until one is found dead and another is charged with the murder. Why did you do it? I blurted out. The whole truth is, I'm in love with him still. I just couldnt stop thinking about what would happen next and I needed to bring my vision of it to life, so here it is. He buried his face in the crook of my neck, and my hands made their way up and down his back, soothing him. The popular book, "If We Were Villains" by M.L Rio, published in 2017, is the story of seven actors-Richard, Wren, James, Alexander, Meredith, Filppa and Oliver-competing their way through an elite college. No. Only he and filippa besides Oliver know of his crimes. Even if she eventually went through with it, and confessed it all the same, even if everything ended just as it did; I had hoped she would at least hesitate before giving us all up. Rio 354 pages. The tragedy is that Oliver will have to live with the fact that James is out there and that they can never be together. Upon researching James' death online, Oliver learns that James' body was never found. Oliver is now 31, a quiet, likeable man with a heavy past. The fourth years are assigned King Lear as their spring production. However, as the semester progresses, the cast grows increasingly despondent due to Richard's death. I don't believe he would've been cruel enough to give Oliver fruitless hope, because I believe they genuinely loved each other. However, Ive been asking myself why fake his death, then? But I really like this idea. He just left all his trauma behind. She leads the group to the lake, where they find Richard with his skull broken. Because, you see, when you say shit like that, what I think is that you would have done exactly what you pretended to do. And in this case the letter does get to Romeo (Oliver) in time and he finds his Juliet (James). We stumbled down the short hallway that connected it to the living room, and, somehow, made our way to James bed. Realizing their time is up, James kisses Oliver onstage. Alexander remembers what it felt like - the horror of it all. Because you went to jail to keep me out of it, and I still got hurt.. Cmon, Oliver, she wasnt any saint. Phillipa is a mysterious character, and though we dont find out too much about her, she really grew on me throughout the story. 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, ingnue, extras. Do you remember that? We were drawn to each other like magnets, not even aware of how our bodies seemed to instinctively want to close the distance between them. Expertly plotted, beautifully written, If We Were Villains will keep you riveted through its final, electrifying moments." Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney, New York Times bestselling author of The Nest "If We Were Villains is a whip-smart, chilling tale of a group of Shakespeare students who are, as the Bard put it, "a little more than kin . It still wasnt fair, James said, voice heavy. james doesn't want to be found. I exhaled, letting the leftover anger that was still inside of me, even all these years later, dissipate. I can only hope she finds that, someday. In the days of Shakespeare, many of the people were anti-Semitic. Richard is a bastard and won't count. We would figure it all out, eventually. Had it been anyone else, you know she wouldnt have jumped at the chance to go to the police as fast as she did. Shylock Victim or Villain? No body found. The play performance of this is absolutely incredible, the reader . How someone had made it look like we were walking on stars, but they had it all wrong. But our lips were currently occupied and couldnt be bothered with such mundane things as poetry or love confessions. Everyone else knew, and that was enough to set the wheels spinning. He finished his thought. I think James is dead. Drama and tragedy follows them on and offstage, and things begin to turn ugly when someone is found dead. We sat across from each other, maybe only an arms length distance between us, only the two coffee mugs and the plain wooden table as a barrier. Oliver is freed from a physical cage while James frees himself from an emotional one. It wasnt long before my own tears were joining the one that James had left on my cheek, and, soon enough, it was undistinguishable where his pain ended and mine began. Published: 2017. On the day Oliver Marks is released from jail, the man who put him there is waiting at the door. That explains His eyes flashed around the room in despair. A simple general note and those specific lines to Oliver. When the door came within reaching distance, I knocked, forcefully. If We Were Villains was named one of Bustle's Best Thriller Novels of the Year, and Mystery Scene says, "A well-written and gripping ode to the . Create New. Many readers including Cynthia d'Aprix Sweeney, the writer of The Nest, compared this novel to Donna Tartt's The Secret History. The chair we were on started to feel small, and, suddenly, I felt James hands grabbing me from the back of my thighs as he stood up, and carried me into the living room, lying me on the couch, and placing himself on top of me. You must, since you figured this is where I was.. "Summer Thrillers: Daring Escapes and Other Acts of Derring-Do", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=If_We_Were_Villains&oldid=1141467345, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 25 February 2023, at 05:52. Content Transparency: This book contains adult material, including forms of violence/self-harm, scenes of emotional intensity, offensive language, and substance abuse. Instead, we both fell back to silence, probably processing our own emotions, getting our heads in a better state before speaking again. When the door is obviously answered by said death-faker (because obviously), the dramatic love birds have to sort a few things out before they can actually get together. At first, John and Oliver were on a mission to find and kill Deadshot but after learning that John's brother's death was a planned hit he was apprehended by Amanda Waller and put in the . By Pritesh Dave 10M. It has always been like that. The scene was also very quiet, the sound of the waves being the only lullaby to our wavering voices. If We Were Villains <br> by M.L. But really, it doesn't take long because I don't have that sort of patience. But it also alludes that Oliver can never find normal/peace. Can you believe we shared a room for four years and never did this?. 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, ingnue, extras. Us. And as for the fairness of it all I slept with Meredith that night. we are left with the same uncertainty oliver feels except he has the chance to find the truth and we dont (rude if you ask me so imma assume he found him and they lived a happy gay life together), i'm with you. On the day Oliver Marks is released from jail, the man who put him there is waiting at the door. And what will happen to them now?.. When you spend most of your life in theater, lost in the words of a man who felt and wrote so deeply at every turn of a page, and you go through the sort of experiences that I had gone through, you come out the other side expecting a moment like this to be held with fireworks playing in the background, lullabied by a classic orchestra, and the perfect game of lights to shine on every feature, every blink of the eye. Rio. James body was never found, and the book ends open-ended with no clear answers. When the teachers mix up the roles it puts a strain on the friendship of Oliver's group, and things begin to go downhill fast. To undo the pain, the grief. For you. You can justify anything if you do it poetically enough. No one could touch us there. As long as I had him, the world could very well burst into flames and disappear, and I wouldnt give a damn. It was night, much past any reasonable bedtime and, if the house was occupied, I wanted to make sure that whoever was inside would hear me, even if they were sleeping. Richard reluctantly apologizes, and the group tries to brush off the assault. Having everyone around but being so alone. Free from whatever reasons they thought they couldnt be together. Rio that read. Maybe some things would have been different in the overall plot, but I dont think it would have changed the ending. James, we would have ended up exactly here. . Let us be happy, right now. If We Were Villains is a great story written by M.L. The following morning, as Oliver cleans their dorm room, he discovers a bloodstained boat hook hidden in James' mattress. We fell asleep right there, on James small couch, with him draped over me like a human blanket, his limbs lost in mine, and our breathing happening in synch. As a friend, and something else I cant quite name, I repeated. I believe that in the end, Oliver will never find peace, regardless if James survived or not. A decade ago: Oliver is one of seven young Shakespearean actors at Dellecher Classical Conservatory, a place of keen ambition and fierce competition. But no concrete evidence was ever found. Only difference would be I would have been arrested for a crime I did commit. We were blind., Yeah, we were. Published in 2017, Rio's first book is thrilling, dark and absorbs you immediately into its world. left kudos on this work! And we learned she was a holder of James secrets, a protector of the groups heart, and a Shakespearean expert. Because there, in that moment, with his skin sweating against mine, I realized I didnt really care what we did next. Before it all went to hell, when we were just two stupid boys laying in the sand, dreaming of living away from everything and everyone. It incorporates Gothic and vintage style elements, as well as references to ancient Greece, Rome, and the Renaissance. If you have or are going to readIf We Were Villains, Id love to hear your thoughts. Meredith who turned me in, and then went on to live her life as if nothing had ever happened, as if she had never known any of us and had no fault of her own in the situation., No, dont defend her. It has always been about that, even when we didnt know it was.. Oliver, its been four years., Yes, four years in which Pip, who was the only one visiting me, thought Id be better off not knowing. At that, James crashed his lips against mine, rearranging himself above me, taking me in, as I allowed him to do whatever he liked. It means silent acknowledgement: no cards or cakes with candles, no scrutinised gift openings in the middle of a crowded room. Oliver and James return to Lear, only to see Colborne waiting in the wings. [1]. And I would go down for it; I did go down for it. As much as her betrayal hurt me too, I wasnt about to sit there and listen to Jamess rant about her and not say a word. The film was announced . oliver finds james and they get their happy gay ending<3. We gave ourselves to each other as the waves crashed outside. 100% loved and adored this novel. See a recent post on Tumblr from @secrethistoryfan about if we were villains. 1. Dark Academia is an aesthetic and subculture dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge. If We Were Villains is the debut novel of American author M. L. Rio, first published in 2017 by Flatiron Books. Oliver is assigned the part of Banquo and is surprised to see James, rather than Richard, appear as Macbeth on Halloween night. On the day of Oliver's release from prison in 2008, Filippa, the only member of the group with whom he has maintained steady contact, comes to pick him up. It went like that for maybe a few minutes, until my fingers stopped at his left temple, and I finally met his eyes. Couldnt leave you behind with all that pain., So, I came here. i agree with you. Im not going to deny that I love her-,. But barely had I set foot back into the world, and it was already crumbling from under my feet, taking away my only peace, my only solace. With directions of a path no one else would even dream of walking, even if I explained, even if I tried to make them understand. The inseparable duo. Find and save ideas about james and oliver if we were villains aesthetic on Pinterest. Just finished reading this and wanted to hear other's opinions on the rather ambiguous ending. Quando gli amici diventano nemici, non c' limite al male che possono farci. Because we belonged, me to him and him to me, and nothing could ever change that. So that was it, for a while. He wasnt done yet, but his rant grew smaller, sadder. Wash me from shore to shore, and left me breath. Of course Richard would be pissy about not playing Macbeth (because God forbid he play anything besides the leading role), but how that involved Alexander (or anyone else, for that matter) in any way was a difficult riddle to solve. Oliver meets up with Meredith, moves in with her and slowly finds his way back to a somewhat normal everyday. have not finished reading If We Were Villains, we respectfully suggest that you consider waiting before reviewing this guide. Its been so many weeks. All seven of us. Sebastian Stan, Wyatt Russell, Hannah John-Kamen, David Harbour, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Jake Scheier, and Kevin Feige on stage at D23. I dont know what I expected, but I didnt expect you to behere. Spice Girls, unite! Wouldnt it be cruel of James to leave such a note behind? Oliver, I thought they would tell you right away, I thought they would give you the note right away. Even in the throws of desperation, James wouldve understood the context behind his chosen text. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Because as much as it might hurt you to know, I do love Meredith. A place to connect with other Dark Academics. But the implications of the text and its small part in our story are impossible to ignore, too critical for a scholar as meticulous as James to overlook. Would you like some tea? My hands were steadier than I had anticipated they would be, but maybe it was just so cold outside that I couldnt quite distinguish whether it was my body responding to the weather, or just nerves. No, no. I saw the bruises all over her body, both faded and fresh new. I, too, dont believe in coincidences (especially in literature) and James is alive. But even with all the guilt he just had to try to have a chance of real happiness with Oliver. Youve always known why.. I would find a way to apologize to her, but being honest, I suspect she always knew that if James had stayed in the picture, me and her wouldnt stand a chance. But I dont think its at Meredith that youre mad. [3] On Goodreads, it has an average rating of 4.2 stars out of five. I think he faked his death for Meredith (and maybe Wren) for their closure. Like, the scene where Oliver realizes Wren and James probably like each other and something clenched uncomfortably in his chest ??? (LogOut/ But I chose you. And since the subtext is "wait for me or come find me" that does not mean he means it in this life or world. From $1.35. If we were villains _ M. L. Rio Como um dos sete jovens atores que estudam Shakespeare em uma faculdade de elite, Oliver e seus amigos desempenham os mesmos. And maybe for just a split second, I, too, knew what drowning felt like. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. I was suddenly taken back to the set of Lear, our last play, our last crime. The ending of If We Were Villains. tip: buffy gen teen AND "no archive warnings apply", "It was good that I had taken the time to breathe before setting the scene into motion, because once the door opened, complaining slightly at its hinges, my lungs stopped. Her body is cast into the ocean, but unbeknownst to Pericles washes up near the home of a physician who is able to revive her. Oliver Marks bekommt immer nur die Nebenrollen. Wenn aus Freunden Feinde werden - Roman. And I dont think he would give Oliver hope just to have it be an empty promise. Also, english isnt my first language, so Im sorry for any mistakes. Online, everywhere. I also liked the idea of Olivers stupidity brining him more suffering with James not accepting his sacrifice and killing himself but your comment might change how I viewed it, (James : Juliet ) (Oliver : Romeo) (Fillipa : Friar Laurence). If We Were Villains is the debut novel of American author M. L. Rio, first published in 2017 by Flatiron Books. How do you think it feels to have the only person you care about be taken away from you, put in jail for a crime you committed and then leave you out alone? I knew it was a much more loaded question than just that, and I needed that record to be set straight once and for all. If We Were Villains - M.L. Or maybe coffee? James offered, clearly looking for an out from the odd staring that seemed to be the only thing either of us knew how to do. If We Were Villains is . This year, make If We Were Villains by M.L. If James Farrow was what it felt like to get lost in between the stars, then I didnt ever want to be found. 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