If We Were Villains opens Goodreads in a new tab

My thoughts

2.5/5stars Ok so I had initially heard nothing about this book, I just decided to read it on a whim because it had an interesting premise. But then I checked it up on Goodreads and I saw nothing but good reviews about it. So obviously my expectations were bumped up a bit. A lot actually, most of my fav people here had rated it 5 star so I was pretty excited. I started reading it, not gonna lie it was very intriguing. It is a murder mystery, so yes there is a murder and um, the story goes on around it. But then the strong point according to me is not the murder but the circumstances around it, the reactions of people to it. Rings a bell?? Yes, you're right my friend, this is another reason I was so excited for this book. This was very similar to [b:The Secret History|29044|The Secret History|Donna Tartt|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1451554846l/29044._SY75_.jpg|221359] by [a:Donna Tartt|8719|Donna Tartt|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1409871301p2/8719.jpg] and I obviously loved that one. It also gave me very [b:Crime and Punishment|7144|Crime and Punishment|Fyodor Dostoyevsky|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1382846449l/7144._SY75_.jpg|3393917] esque vibes if you know what I mean??? I am all too aware of my own desperate need to find a message in the madness, and as it takes shape I am suspicious, afraid to hope. But the implications of the text and its small part in our story are impossible to ignore, too critical for a scholar as meticulous as James to overlook This book is so appealing to so many people, and you know what, I get it. I get the whole dark-academia vibe it has going on. This whole book is set around college grounds and there is this bunch of thespians who play only Shakespeare AND IT'S SUPER COOL, super interesting if you're into that stuff. You will also be able to pick out the victim and the murderer immediately if you know your plays well. But if you can't differentiate between Pericles and Macbeth you'd be a tad bit bored reading those quotes they are able to pull off even when they're smashed. Tho the premise is very interesting, the writing is amazing and the atmosphere keeps me hooked, I still didn't end up liking this book. Or didn't like it as much as I wanted to. There are a couple of reasons for that- CW: mention of eating disorders 1. this is not even a spoiler cous it's not a major turning point for the story but the main character Oliver's reaction when he finds out his sister is suffering from ED and their parents want to help her, send her to a hospital IS SO????? like sir we get it you have family issues, we get it you prolly hate your parents for not taking your acting career seriously but this is uncalled for?? 2. Queerbaiting- Now I saw a lot of people said this book is LGBTQIA+, there is representation but like no??? Where is the fucking representation?? you can't be giving authors medals for you know barely letting one(1) queer character exist in their books. That too maybe a side character who isn't even given much space in the limelight. Or their sexuality ever openly discussed. And that thing revealed in the last 10 pages doesn't even begin to cover it. This is the bare minimum. And it's stupid to appreciate it. 3. Casual homophobia: Before people compare it with [b:The Secret History|29044|The Secret History|Donna Tartt|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1451554846l/29044._SY75_.jpg|221359] let me quickly remind you that books was written in the early 1900s and this one in 2017 I believe. So if 25 years down the line things are still the same, it's not the "representation" people think it is. Characters of this book, or particularly this one character is casually homophobic, projecting their ideas onto everyone, expressing discomfort at someone being queer and even openly calling them out for it?? Not the kind of books I want to read in 2021. "You can justify anything if you do it poetically enough" Sorry, Mr. Rio but you can't. Not now, not anymore. So as much as I wanted this book to be a five star read for me, it just wasn't. that being said if you can overlook these things, or they don't bother you, you're surely gonna love this book.