If We Were Villains: The Sensational TikTok Book Club pick: M.L. Rio

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I’ve seen few female characters written more poorly than Meredith. In the beginning of the story, all of the classmates are asked to share their biggest insecurities. Merediths is that she doesn’t want to just be seen as beautiful, sexy- she doesn’t want her body to cause people to overlook her personality and intelligence. Niveus Private Academy looks like the perfect school with the perfect students. It seemed idyllic until an anonymous texter calling themselves Aces reveals two students’ dark secrets. However, when this academic research turns practical, things go awry. Ten years pass and Victor breaks out of prison determined to find his old roommate. Both men have great power and as the friends turned foes face one another, it is a question of who will live.

Identity and Performance – The novel delves at the conflict between one’s actual identity and the roles they play on stage and in life as well as how playing a character might impact one’s own sense of self. The sky was clear and quiet, stars peering curiously down at us from a wide dome of indigo. The water, too, was still, and I thought, what liars they are, the sky and the water. Still and calm and clear, like everything was fine. It wasn’t fine, and really, it never would be again.”Finch, Charles. "Summer Thrillers: Daring Escapes and Other Acts of Derring-Do" . Retrieved 27 December 2018.

Now, the remaining friends have to use their acting skills to convince the police and each other that they are not murderers. Oliver Marks (31), is serving a ten year prison sentence for murdering his former theatre school friend, Richard Stirling. Although Oliver’s confession, the case’s primary investigator, Detective Colborne, has always felt Oliver was not the murderer. He pays one final visit to Oliver in jail, asking him to give him the truth now that Colborne is about to retire from the force. There Is Only One Bed: When James comes to visit Oliver in the middle of the night, they end up sharing a bed in Oliver's bedroom so they don't wake Oliver's family up. Your purple sweater's sitting in my room I tried to wear it, but I knew that it would smell like youthe passion which radiates throughout this story makes me feel so in love with shakespeare and his words (and i honestly never considered myself a fan). the way in which these students dedicate their lives to studying him is almost romantic, in a way. how they integrate his language into their own interactions, making their own lives a work of poetry in the process, is very inspiring.

For readers who love the Ancient Greek and academic aspect of dark academia, The Song of Achilles is the perfect read. A mysterious figure rules over the manor and Olivia has a choice: to protect the world from his rule or take a place beside him. The book is an emotional and poignant retelling of the story of the Greek hero, Achilles, from the point of view of his best friend, Patroclus. A student in a highly selective MFA fiction writing program, Samantha couldn’t feel more of an outsider. As a scholarship winner, she is a stark contrast to the rich and unbearable clique of girls who make up the rest of her course. Oliver and James return to Lear, only to see Colborne waiting in the wings. Realizing their time is up, James kisses Oliver onstage. Before Colborne can make an arrest, Oliver confesses to Richard's murder, using a slightly tweaked version of James' story. As his fingerprints are on both the shirt scrap and the boat hook, he is arrested and put on trial, though Colborne does not believe him to be the real killer.This romantic tragedy is the perfect tale and refreshing take on one of the old classics and a great read for those looking for a book like If We Were Villains. Yet what the students have done, or not done, causes them to unravel, both individually and as a group. James becomes violent, Alexander overdoses, Oliver sees Richard’s ghost, Wren withdraws from the others almost entirely, and Meredith struggles to sleep. Only Filippa seems unflappable and motivated, she explains late in the novel, to protect the only family she’s ever had. In the end, Oliver saves his peers, and especially James, when he accepts full responsibility for their collective decision. In so doing, he acts, as James had thought he might, as a tragic hero. His tragic flaw is generosity, taking on himself the burden of their shared guilt. His is a surprising choice, but one that deepens the novel’s investigation of the dynamics and implications of complicity. Oliver’s younger sister. Caroline and Oliver do not get along. Caroline is sent to an expensive recovery center for treatment for anorexia. James - Oliver's roommate and best friend. He's popular, a great actor, and usually gets the great, tragic hero roles.

set the mood with candles, coffee/tea, blankets, and take advantage of the gloomy/cold fall weather. this book will demand all of your attention, so get comfy and focused. (it helps that this book is set in autumn & winter)The structure of this book is really well put together as it is split into five 'acts' instead of the usual 'parts. These acts follow a similar formula to a Shakespeare play, these being: Will They or Won't They?: There is tension between Oliver and several other main characters. So... did they? For a clique of aspiring Shakespearean actors at an elite arts academy, the line between performance and reality dissolves, with disastrous results. If We Were Villains': Blink49 Studios And 'Sex Education' Producer Eleven Team To Adapt M.L. Rio's Thriller As Series". 2022-09-27 . Retrieved 2022-09-28.