If We Were Villains by
M.L. Rios centers around 7 fourth-year theater students who are in a rigorous,
competitive academic program that focuses on the work of William Shakespeare.
The main character is Oliver, a self-described average looking young man who
has mediocre acting abilities.
This story takes the reader into these scholars’ acting
classes, rehearsals and other school activities making for enlightening
reading. It is here where we learn about the true nature of these characters –
their strengths, their weaknesses, their friendly interactions, and most
importantly, their conflicts with each other. We also witness how their own
emotions and experiences spill over into their onstage performances. They are
an interesting cast of characters for sure. Pardon the pun.
Fairly early in the story, one of their instructors says
“Fourth year - year of the tragedy”. This must be foreshadowing, I think to
myself. Foreshadowing is a writing technique commonly used by William
Shakespeare where hints are given about events that will occur later in the
play.
As I continue to read, I sense a major plot twist coming.
With these volatile personalities, who knows what it could be. Then, a catastrophe
happens that changes everything for all of them, especially Oliver. I can't
wait to see what comes next. I have a feeling there are more surprises in store.
Like a Shakespearian play, this book is divided into acts
and scenes, not chapters. Much of the dialogue is written like a script of a
play. To better understand the narrative, it is helpful to know at least a
little bit about Shakespeare's Julius Caesar, Macbeth, Romeo
and Juliet, and King Lear.
The person who recommended this novel said the story gets
crazy and she wouldn’t be offended if I didn't stick with it. Well, I'm glad I
stuck with it because it’s an amazing psychological thriller that’s extremely
well written. The author, M.L. Rios, has another book coming out later this
year. You may see it featured in a future Maria's Book Banter blog.
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