Title: If We Were Villains
Author: M.L. Rio
Genre: Fiction, dark academia, mystery
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Publication Date: April 2018
Format: Paperback Print
Length: 358 pages

Rating:

I love a good dark academia novel, and If We Were Villains is one of my favourites that I’ve read in some time. I can’t even recall where I first started seeing positive reviews about it since it’s been around for a while, but it lived up to the hype. Set in a conservatory school of hyper-ambitious, competitive, and complex students, Rio did an excellent job of weaving a mysterious murder through a lens of Shakespearean actors and troubled young adults. The story had a fair bit of plot, moving through an entire school year and flashing ten years forward periodically but most of the time the novel completely immersed you into the characters and their motivations and flaws. I found the way that Rio approached unfolding the tragic events to be gripping; I was constantly on the edge of my seat, wishing I could read faster.

I tend to get really impatient with mysteries, just wanting to get to the end as quickly as possible so that I can see how it all pans out, but in If We Were Villains, the exploration of the characters was so emotionally charged and impactful that I didn’t feel like skipping ahead. I really, thoroughly enjoyed the book and think it’s a story that’s likely to stay with me for some time.

The Book: If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio

If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio opens with Oliver Marks in prison for a crime we do not yet understand. He’s been there for ten years and is about to be released for parole when he receives a visit from Colburne, the former detective from his case. Colburne informs Oliver that he’s retiring from the police force and entering the private sector, but that his case has always bothered him because he could tell the events did not transpire as Oliver had dictated. He asks if Oliver would be willing to share the true story with him, completely off the record, now that he’s about to be free and Colburne is no longer a member of the police. Oliver agrees and soon the story flashes back to 1997 where he and six other actors are in their fourth and final year at Dellecher Conservatory, a highly competitive and ambitious Shakespearean theatre program.

As Oliver begins the narrative, it is clear that the seven fourth-year students have been bonded over their time at Dellecher. Beyond the fact that they are all deeply passionate and committed to Shakespearean theatre, they also all find common ground in the intensity of their program, in what it demands of them and the people and actors it has shaped them to be. They’ve formed almost a small dysfunctional family based on these common bonds, but it’s quickly apparent that this connection may not be able to take the strain of their fourth and final year, even before tragedy strikes.

One of the fourth years, Richard, is particularly troublesome for the rest of the group. Magnanimous and bold, Richard has a massive presence in all that he does and has commanded the lead roles in every year that the students have been at Dellecher. However, as the fourth year begins, a shift starts to occur in Richard. His arrogance becomes more assertive and then aggressive, and anything he perceives to be a hit to his ego begins to set him off. At first, his explosions are more civil if not aggressive, but they quickly devolve into violence. Before long, the fourth years are collectively terrified of Richard and what he is capable of. They endeavour to teach him a lesson by teaming up to serve back some of the aggression they’ve been victims of during one of their plays, but this only sends Richard into a blind rage. During the afterparty that occurs post-confrontation, Richards gets completely obliterated on scotch and after starting several violent fights and outbursts with the rest of the fourth years, he stumbles off into the woods with a bottle of booze. In the early morning hours, the fourth year’s are all roused by each other and brought down to the lake next to the school where they find Richard dying in the water. They collectively choose to let him drown, before Oliver drags his lifeless body back to the beach and the group calls the police.

Given the suspicious circumstances surrounding finding Richard, the group agrees not to tell the police about Richard’s violence. Instead, they agree only to admit to what others have seen, and keep the rest of the details, including their decision not to rescue Richard as he struggled in the end, to themselves.

As the rest of the year unfolds, it becomes clear that this decision to lie, to cover their actions, will be one that will haunt each of them uniquely. It’s a burden that becomes heavier and heavier, particularly as it becomes clear that Richard didn’t simply smack his head and fall into the water to drown. Someone clashed violently with him, leading him to his demise.

As the group struggles with their consciences, their studies, and their relationships with each other, Richard’s presence will loom over them all until their final act, when the tension between them will reach a final crescendo and snap in such a severe way that none of them will ever be the same.

The Review

This book had me on the edge of my seat through almost the entire story. I loved how it opened, and how Rio established such a strong bond of camaraderie between the students. Having been through a few intensive academic programs myself, it felt really familiar, the way that circumstances such as these, ones that involve heavy expectations, stress, and pressure to perform and succeed, can create bonds in improbable places, with people who would typically have little in common and less reason to be together. But, because of those differences, it’s also easy for there to be friction and differences of opinion. When Rio layers in the ego and emotion that comes from playing such significant, demanding roles, it makes perfect sense that you can see the edges of the group are already frayed before they even enter their most tragic scenes.

I also loved the story’s focus on the characters and what made them tick. It felt like a similar experience to reading The Atlas Six series, where a huge amount of time is poured into analyzing every element of the character, from how they look, to how they feel, to how they act and perceive the world around them and what led them to be who they are. It added so much depth to the story, which in and of itself was enticing and riveting, to see these people who felt real struggling their way through an acute trauma.

I was surprised by how much I also liked Shakespeare’s presence. Like many who hold a liberal arts degree, I’ve had to sit through my fair share of Shakespeare, but never have I found it so compelling. The way it was often used through the characters to literally depict their feelings, the way they would fall into the language and lines of various plays to give meaning to what they were saying, was such a fascinating approach to bringing the setting and the emotions of the scenes alive.

I couldn’t write a full review of this book without also acknowledging the strength of the mystery. While it did end up being the person that I had originally suspected, I wasn’t confident it would be them until the final 150 pages. Rio did a great job of weaving through all of the characters and giving enough depth to them that almost any of them felt like they could have been the culprit at one point or another. My only gripe with the entire plot was that at the very end, I wasn’t sure that I loved the redemption that the culprit seemed to get. The tragic end that you initially think they get is sad, but it also seemed so fitting to the narrative that had been drawn. The last line kind of threw me through a loop, I wasn’t sure how to feel about it.

I really enjoyed this book. It was dark academia, but also more, and the format was really unique compared to many books I’ve read as of late. This was a really solid 4 stars for me, I’ll be thinking about this story for some time to come.