The previous nights melancholia felt odd in the light of morning, with grief and sorrow lost and gone along with the stars. Having everyone around but being so alone. Oliver admits that he was in love with James while they were together, but says that he also loved her. They stop and they look. I finished my mug, but James had been staring into his for a while now, leaving it to get cold. "It starts like this: whereas everyones eyes skim over Filippa like shes not there, Camilos stop on her. The novel concerns a murder mystery surrounding Oliver Marks, a former actor at the fictional Dellecher Shakespeare conservatory and primarily takes place during his fourth and final year at the conservatory. I like to think that the uncertainty of it all makes it better, that not even Rio knows if he lived. James knew Oliver would be free in 4 years. And what will happen to them now?.. Can you believe we shared a room for four years and never did this?. A decade ago: Oliver is one of seven young Shakespearean actors at Dellecher Classical Conservatory, a place of keen ambition and fierce competition. That explains His eyes flashed around the room in despair. In fact, in the Act 4 Prologue, Colbourne asks Oliver if he blames Shakespeare for any of it, and Oliver says he blames Shakespeare for all of it. Filippa sends Oliver James' suicide note, which James had addressed to him. Discover the MBTI personality type of 13 popular If We Were Villains (Literature) characters and find out which ones you are most like! In this secluded world of firelight and leather . What we were. I wanted to sob. I got up, never letting go, and moved to the chair next to him, so we could be closer. Macbeth had gone entirely fine, more than fine, if you'd asked him. The descriptions throughout this book are captivating. 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 . God, when I saw the bruises hed left on your arms, I-, I wanted to. She did the right thing by going and talking to the detective when she learned about James because she KNEW James was gonna drag Oliver down with him, and he did just that, even when colborne had his suspicions that it was never Oliver. A work in the dark academia genre, the campus novel is part murder mystery and part dramatic tragedy. Because of all the crimes I have committed, loving you has always been my favorite. It incorporates Gothic and vintage style elements, as well as references to ancient Greece, Rome, and the Renaissance. Richard injures Oliver and James, as they practice the assassination scene from "Julius Caesar". He didnt dare attempt to find James, worrying what else may befall his troubled mind if his eyes crept their way along James face once again that night. As if sensing my brain fume with concerns for the uncertain future, James began to shift on top of me, his head slowly rolling sideways on my chest to look up at me. I dont care how it sounds, not anymore., No, listen to me, James. Rio (118) The Secret History - Donna Tartt (2) Original Work (1) Twelfth Night - Shakespeare (1) He had always been the most serious student . 6 Ben Affleck's The Batman. And Meredith, he spoke her name with a little more disdain than I cared to stand. "If We Were . Also, english isnt my first language, so Im sorry for any mistakes. Nothing happened for about five seconds, and I was already raising my hand to try again when a light went on somewhere inside. 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. Oliver, James, Wren, Filippa, Richard, Meredith, and Alexander are fully fleshed out and vivid characters, both on and offstage. I think he faked his death for Meredith (and maybe Wren) for their closure. Rio, inspired by the secret history by donna tartt, I love you so much it scares me half to death (The other half I guess Im giving to you), Alexanders confused but he has the spirit, And Richards still dead (small victories), The Course Of True Love Never Did Run Smooth, Alexander is really not ok guys he needs help, I didn't like the way Oliver handled the situation in the library, No beta we die likemy sleep schedule apparently, but i found it cute and interesting to explore, this is my first time writing a straight couple, I have no clue when the other parts will come out, the sexual content isn't bad it's super brief, you got a nine to five (so i'll take the night shift), I'm not saying that you love me (I'm not saying anything). For strength, in case no one did. To protect you, to have you. Why?, Do what, exactly? I asked, drier than I had intended. You might have been the one to give the blow, but that was all, and it was self-defense. Wow, present tense, Oliver? (LogOut/ Oliver Marks ha scontato dieci anni di carcere per l'omicidio di un compagno di college. James, I know youre angry and you have a right to be. Maybe we were just stupid to not have known all along. I do love her. There were no speeches to what this moment was, no Shakesperean parallels to describe what was happening where his skin touched mine. I think what I couldnt do was pretend anymore. After the show, the students throw a party during which a drunk and jealous Richard ends up attacking James, nearly drowning him in the lake where the play was staged. On the day Oliver Marks is released from jail, the man who put him there is waiting at the door. From $1.35. Upon researching James' death online, Oliver learns that James' body was never found. 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. IMO, it ties into the bird imagery. James and Oliver. 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. James body was never found, and the book ends open-ended with no clear answers. Richard began to taunt and threaten him, eventually making a homophobic remark in which he accused James and Oliver of being in love with one another and threatening to drown James in the lake. See a recent post on Tumblr from @ilovehimstill about iwwv. Maybe just stating the obvious for the benefit of my own crazed head, to make sure I wasnt hallucinating. . Dont get me wrong. So, Im sorry, but disappearing was easier than coming back to see you in that place every few months.. James tries to help him, but is stopped by Alexander, who suggests they should let him die and thus end his reign of terror. I believe Oliver will know where to look, and I believe they will find each other. Would that fit his character? On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. And it cost us everything. All that was left was an odd feeling of peace, one I was afraid would disappear as soon as James woke up, when the quiet of sleep would be interrupted with our having to face the reality of our situation. I do love Meredith and maybe a part of me always has. Whether we would go back into the world together and tell everyone we knew that James was still alive or if I would simply fake my own death and join him in our peaceful afterlife, I didnt care. The story after enlightening us of the murder took on a very passive and neutral tone and speed and it wasn't sure if the ending was happy or not. oliver finds james alive after being released from prison. For courage, in case someone opened. Drama and tragedy follows them on and offstage, and things begin to turn ugly when someone is found dead. Oliver, Alexander, and James decide to fight back during Caesar's death scene, which quickly spirals out of control. Shylock Victim or Villain? All day, all week. Like one of the Bard's plays, If We Were Villains is structured in five acts. Content Transparency: This book contains adult material, including forms of violence/self-harm, scenes of emotional intensity, offensive language, and substance abuse. No, youll listen to this. Since I was released, my world had been flipped upside down more times than I cared to admit, and the dizziness of it all left me senseless to what might await me on the other side of that door. Each begins in the present day with Colborne and Oliver's final interview, and then returns to the bulk of the story, which is Oliver's telling of the events of his fourth year. His inner dialogue was trying to convince himself the kid was trying to start shit just for the sake of starting shit, but after the bitter feeling of pure jealously settles deep within his stomach, he needs to confide in somebody. Detective Colborne wants to . If you liked this review, I post more of them on my socials. 10 years after the events, Oliver is approached by the former police officer who investigated his . If wed crossed this line before everything happened.. You went to Meredith when you got out? He asked, hurt by it. The fourth years are assigned King Lear as their spring production. James also admits that Filippa knew about the murder, and it was she who burned his bloody shirt in the fireplace. No body found. No words were necessary, at this point, to be honest. [1]. James mouth was softer than I remembered. The book was layed out similar to a script, split into sections with each section being an act in a five-act drama. And maybe for just a split second, I, too, knew what drowning felt like. I am once again returning to the land of dark academia for a (spoiler) review of If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio [EBOOK AND AUDIOBOOK]<br><br>Enter the players. But I think I need to hear you say it. And you do? by mlrio. Wash me from shore to shore, and left me breath. Oliver confronts James during the intermission of Lear, and James reluctantly confesses. 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. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. Yeah, I do. But mostly, I was thinking about how I couldnt actually leave you. His body never located, only his car and the two letters he wrote. Because as much as it might hurt you to know, I do love Meredith. So that was it, for a while. It is very hard to put this novel down, because the framing hints at what is to come . I was an actor, a criminal, a friend; I was many, many things but none of those mattered because, first and foremost, I was his. But no concrete evidence was ever found. Because, even though I had had my fair share of guilt in it, Ive always hoped I had done more. Wren begins to suffer fainting spells, James breaks Oliver's nose during combat practice, and Alex overdoses on drugs but survives. Really say it, he looked up at me again, expectation in his eyes, and maybe something else. 10 years after he was sent to prison for murder, Oliver Marks is finally ready to tell the truth about what really happened on that night, and the time leading up to his arrest. Del Norte has meaning. Rio. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. You can find me onInstagram,Twitter, andGoodreads. 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. It was my last hope. Is James alive or nah? The ending of If We Were Villains. Why did you do it? I blurted out. This is because the plays main story is about racism towards Jews. "This is the tragedy, they let you think it will be a happy ending until the very last minute" I paraphrased. Now, he hovered above me, the curls of his overgrown hair falling at the sides of his face, producing a curtain, a shield keeping the rest of the world at bay. Wasnt the note he left me supposed me to bring me here all along? Discover more posts about oliver marks, iwwv, james farrow, donna tartt, classic books, dark academia books, and if we were villains. To avenge the girl you loved?. He buried his face in the crook of my neck, and my hands made their way up and down his back, soothing him. I am not blaming you! i hate this feeling of not knowing and i thin thats exactly what the author was going for. 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. 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