If We Were Villains Is Dumb
2023 ж. 8 Мау.
8 009 Рет қаралды
A (somewhat) satirical look at ML Rio's "If We Were Villains", a dark academia murder mystery
We have fun here
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This book is universally beloved and I'm really sorry to have been disappointed by it - but disappointment is monetizable! Booktube, booktok, please find it in you to forgive me!
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Thank you Morgan for looking this over again!
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Richard's turn into a bully came completely out of nowhere and was unmotivated. He was nice to Oliver before auditions, and he even said, "Goodnight, sweet prince." to James. He's friendly and comfortably joking at the beginning. Then, I guess because the plot needed a reason for him to die, he just turns into a homophobic, physically abusive asshole.... for no apparent reason. ???
I agree, the only reason I could find was because he didn't get the role he wanted on Halloween, but even then I don't see why he would get violent because of that, pissed maybe, but abusive?
@@jane8198 well, he's an actor. maybe the friendly side was a facade while things were the way he wanted them to be. I think there is an implicit drinking problem as well.
Personally i didnt like the entire conflict being random physical violence
The murderer was supposed to be..... Shocking? Plot twisty? I guessed it the second I knew who was playing brutus
To me the main problem was defnitely Richards character Underdevolpment, which is a huge problem If you consider that his death is basicaly the main plot. Since we (the readers) don’t particularly care about him the whole story ends up being uninteristing. Also The “plot Twist” was not surprising at all. Honestly what made me keep reading was James and Olivier interactions, I was quite curious to see how their relationship would develop and I was frustrated to find out that they Ended up falling into the “tragic gay couple” archetype.
Great video! I recently read the book and while I did enjoy it, I couldn't help but be frustrated by the lack of logical actions from the characters and the shallow character development. Wren, in particular, was so underdeveloped and could have been utilized much better. I thought she might be somehow involved in the murder since Richard was her cousin. It just seemed implausible that she would be complacent in the death of her own family without a stronger motive. This things bothered me to the point where I eventually started laughing at the end of the book. I do agree with most of your points.
Is this just me, or do I feel like this book's kind of made for fanfiction because the idea behind this plot is actually interesting but the whole execution is bad just because the author seems to want to go with this and that and make it this and that? without further thought? I mean, some sort of fan service will work for me if it's for fanfiction because we already know the characters they borrow, but not so much for the original characters, maybe.
Yes I felt the exact same way the whole time, it very much seemed like fanfiction at times. Though I found some of it fun, some was cringe. Think it could have been executed much better. Though I did love James and Oliver
I also found it a bit of a stretch that they just let this guy die, though I feel like the blood colour thing is kind of a CinemaSins level qualm personally. Mostly, I just thought the author should have set this book earlier in history if the entire conflict was meant to be the main two can't admit they're queer. It's a stereotype, sure, but they were literally studying theatre at university level (and roommates, iirc?). I find it harder to believe they DIDN'T sleep together.
Point was MAAADE❤
I really enjoyed the book (like many other books for teenagers because they are fast to read and in some kind addictive) but I watched this video anyway to look at this book more realistically and with distance. And I must say I agree with you in many aspects, especially with the lack of logic in many situations and the lack of depth hardly in Wrens character to the point that even I started to be annoyed by it. But I also think it’s a good book despite all stupidity and I can say it because I normally don’t read teenagers books because of their absurd. For me a really pleasant detail was the main characters communicating in quotes from plays and how it represents them switching between themselves and the actors they play. Anyway I really liked the video and your comments were so funny
I agree with you on many aspects of the book, but the point of the book is that it’s dumb. They just wanted to be in a real life Shakespeare play so bad that they created this scene for themselves. Also Richard almost drowned James, he was more violent then this video depicts him to be, of course this doesn’t justify murder but gives another Shakespeare element to it.
Yes, that's why Oliver blames everything on Shakespeare and the theater. Nothing makes sense because they're 'acting,' and everything is so dramatic because that's what a Shakespearean character would do. Also I think that's why the characters are archetypes. I do prefer the secret history, but I really enjoyed this one too.
The book is for enjoying the vibes
I agree with you on some terms like characters were not fully formed and extremwly vague and wren was non existent. But you said why would Richard would suddenly start acting like a divk...i think it was really clear that because he was jealous that james got rile of macbeth. And because of jealousy he used to torture them. and you said that death penalty is too big for just a college bully..yiu were right but case scenario was different in this book. Richard literally tried to MURDER james yk. And james was just to have him dead as an act of self defense. But Alexander coaxed others to leave him in lake because he's always VILLAIN. This shows that unknowingly they all were just like their characters. And i think if you look at all characters as the type of character they play on stage then all of their character is justified. The wren's vague character(she was ingenue, so these type of characters are usually small characters), meredith femme fatale ( with pretty body yk, and her tip to colborne about james), then phlippa( mysterious and so we don't get to know much about her), richard the tyrant (he tortures them on pitiful excuses), james the hero(he ends the tyranny), alexander the villain( always giving advises that are baselessly bad) and oliver(the sidekick and just to save his hero he sacrifices himself). But yh the end was ridiculous, that pericles letter and hinting james might be was useless thing to add)
I think people forget that the rash emotions and illogical reactions and choices are supposed to mirror the dramatics of a Shakespeare play
i just finished the book, i enjoyed it and your comments are so funny!! i do agree with ur point that the female characters (especially wren) were neglected. also i just realized that it's probably true that james faked his death so that oliver would tell the truth :/ damn
I just finished this one and it kinda started strong and then it just got so DUMB so FAST. It was a struggle to finish it. I'm still watching your video, but I need to vent (sorry for any mistakes, english isn't my first language): - It's so evident who the murderer is and who helped with the cover up. I swear I'm not that fucking smart, but it was just obvious. - Richard was their friend for 4 years and all of a sudden he's an absolute sociopath. - Also... James and Oliver couldn't admit they loved each other? IN AN ART SCHOOL? Are you really trying to sell this story where these two young actors were Afraid Of The Ghei? AT AN ART SCHOOL?! AND YOUR ONLY QUEER REPRESENTATION BEFORE THE GRAND REVEAL (Gasp! Gay/Bisexual men!) IS ALEXANDER? It was just insulting and these tragic endings for gay people are just so tired. - Oliver was so uninteresting. Meredith was boring. I saw no passion at all in their relationship. Ooh Oliver was never in love with her. Yeah, no shit. Their relationship was supposed to mirror the passion they both felt for James. Was the passion EVER IN THE ROOM WITH US? -Alexander, Pip and James were so much more interesting and so much potential for depth, yet so much of the book was wasted on Oliver and Meredith. Everything felt so shallow. Anyways, this book was dumb and I'm pissed.
I work in theatre, theres no way the art students would be happy to do all this extra work on top of their own school work. And if theyre specifically production arts why not say that? I did art for gcse and alevel, my coursework was all i did, i had to stay late often and stay up all night completing work. I then did costume at university at a prestigious art school. But i guess it was correct that preformers only think about themselves and how special and important they are. I also work in opera and oh boy, Don giovanni is not a valentines opera, he's literally a serial rapist.
This was such an enjoyable watch! I thought you had good points to make and I really liked your delivery - calm, with a bit of humor and without any unnecessary background music or what have you. I hope you put out more long book reviews!!
i hate to agree with you because it's literaly one of my favourite books i've ever read. i'd say that you overlooked some details that added umph to the plot, and also it's still being told by oliver so yes, the people he didn't care that much about were as a wet tissue at some points. but when it came to Merideth. oliver is using her beauty as a place holder for his love for james, and james saw thatoliver loves her which is why he hated her, the only bad thing she did about this relationship is that she didn't aknowledge or refushed to see that she was bei g used. i think its most visible when james stays over at olivers house for thanksgiving
Honestly couldn't figure out why I didn't love this book and 100% agree with you
Omg but where issss your review of Atlas Six and The Secret History?!! I need more shaaade
idea - richard was lowkey nicking and mixing alexander's drugs, hence his behavior 😂 tbh they all drink and party a lot, you know, arrrrt school
I just finished this book, and you said basically everything i was feeling. Subbed for the cool vibes 🫡
Thank you for this. I really don't get the hype. I just read the book as part of a book club in which I participate. I got the audiobook because I knew somehow that if I read it, it would be a DNF, but the audiobook made it more bearable. She does have an interesting plot, but it is just that.... a plot, but with a terrible conduction.
They might as well be teenagers
I watched this video and went in fully ready to hate this book… but like I liked it?? Sure, it’s a low-budget version of the Secret History and definitely has less literary value but like.. I don’t know, I enjoyed the pacing, it entertained me. I was simultaneouly reading it with Bret Easton Ellis’ The Shards and god that book sucks so even just in comparison IWWV is better.
I was reading this book with my girlfriend and in a certain moment of the book in act 3, i was trying to not drop the book, because of the nonsense and james (omg the killer was him 😮😮 dying of cringe) and i start to talk about the book with her about the issues. We watch your video together and ty for the review, she throw the book in the trash lmao. Love your video, bring more and make a video of dark academia books that are really good.
I was absolutely underwhelmed by this book lol
your audio was REALLY low, but thanks for the review
My audio is often inexplicably ass on some devices... I think it's a software issue - I'll look into it!
@@joyachill ya I was thinking it must be a software issue because you had the mic close to your mouth