If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio

A dark academia novel that follows a group of ambitious theater students at a prestigious liberal arts college. They are obsessed with Shakespeare and lives his words into their lives. All changes with the death of a member of their group. The novel not only follows the formula abused in almost every Shakespeare tragedy, but also the manner of character development, the unrealistic understanding of life and human nature demonstrated by the characters and the type of tragedy. The integration of Shakespeare phrases is both brilliant and somewhat formula following. The whodunnit is obvious from very early on, which works well in the novel, as the focus of the novel is character introspection with the normal Shakespearean need for irony. As a homage to Shakespeare it is a masterpiece. As a creative work, sans the homage, it falls very flat. Not the easiest book to rate. I am rating it as a Shakespeare homage as I think the 3/5 rating it would receive from me as a creative work, will not do it justice. 5/5