Wow. Okay, so I just finished this book yesterday, and I have many thoughts about it. Firstly, I absolutely loved reading it. The angsty, art academia and theatre vibes quickly became a favorite, but I also loved the friend group. Secondly, the Shakespearean references and decoding were such an interesting and captivating draw for me. Shakespeare is definitely a great way to narrate a story, as there are so many different characters and feelings within the plays. And thirdly, the ending had me absolutely convinced that there needs to be a sequel. I have to know what happens! It’s bad enough that the very last two pages are as cryptic as they are; at least give me something else to continue this story.
Now, I can’t give too much away about the ending, but I can say that it is one of my favorite cliffhangers of all time, including in movies, books, and other media. It’s just so darn open-ended. Like, there are a thousand theories that I could come up with about where the ending leads to. But, none are the top ones because they all seem plausible. I’ve never been so delightfully confused!
This book is probably for an older audience, as some language and actions were for older people. Also, it does require at least a basic understanding of Shakespeare, or some knowledge about his famous plays and plotlines. I don’t have a great understanding of him, but I have read A Midsummer’s Night Dream, Rome and Juliet, and Othello. I’m also a little familiar with the general characters and hazy plotlines of Macbeth, Hamlet, Twelfth Night, and others. So, unless you know about Shakespeare or have read one or two of his plays, I suggest deepening your understanding or looking up the plays mentioned in If We Were Villains. ‘Cause, there are a lot of them!
But, aside from those small bits—advanced Shakespearean and some adult scenes—I think EVERYONE SHOULD READ THIS BOOK! Of course, I say that about every book, but with this one, I seriously think that, whatever your favorite genre, you’d definitely love this book!
Genre: literary fiction, murder mystery, romance, dark academia (is this a genre? I hope it is)
Age: 14+
Rating: 8.5/10