--- product_id: 66484131 title: "If We Were Villains: The Sensational TikTok Book Club pick: M.L. Rio" price: "1609381₫" currency: VND in_stock: true reviews_count: 13 url: https://www.desertcart.vn/products/66484131-if-we-were-villains-the-sensational-tiktok-book-club-pick store_origin: VN region: Vietnam --- # If We Were Villains: The Sensational TikTok Book Club pick: M.L. Rio **Price:** 1609381₫ **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** If We Were Villains: The Sensational TikTok Book Club pick: M.L. Rio - **How much does it cost?** 1609381₫ with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.vn](https://www.desertcart.vn/products/66484131-if-we-were-villains-the-sensational-tiktok-book-club-pick) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description A vivid and immersive story of obsession perfect for fans of dark academia and Donna Tartt’s The Secret History Oliver Marks has just served ten years for the murder of one of his closest friends – a murder he may or may not have committed. On the day he’s released, he’s greeted by the detective who put him in prison. Detective Colborne is retiring, but before he does, he wants to know what really happened ten years ago. As a young actor studying Shakespeare at an elite arts conservatory, Oliver noticed that his talented classmates seem to play the same roles onstage and off – villain, hero, tyrant, temptress – though Oliver felt doomed to always be a secondary character in someone else’s story. But when the teachers change up the casting, a good-natured rivalry turns ugly, and the plays spill dangerously over into life. When tragedy strikes, one of the seven friends is found dead. The rest face their greatest acting challenge yet: convincing the police, and themselves, that they are blameless. Review: Love love love! - This is a great book! It was delivered 4 days early! In great condition and quality! This book is such a good and interesting read! I highly recommend! Review: great atmosphere and use of Shakespeare make up for a hit and miss plot - Firstly, I've you've read them both, it's near-impossible to review this book without mentioning its similarities to the Secret History, just with Shakespeare obsessives instead of Classics buffs. The elite school, the murder, the strange cliche, the intense friendships and rivalries and passions...I'll say no more about that in the review, good or bad, but it really is inescapable. Putting that aside and taking the book on its own merits, it's generally a compelling read. The plot is ultimately fairly thin, but it's the sense of place, the characters, and the atmosphere that keep you turning the pages. I particularly liked the elite college with its weird rituals and traditions - it felt as fleshed out and magical as Hogwarts and despite some of the unpleasantness, left me with quite the desire to attend. The characters were basically deliberate archetypes - hero, villain, seductress etc - which was quite a fun idea but rather laboured. The first few chapters spent far too much time spelling out every key character's background and personality rather than letting it come out naturally. The main character and narrator is generally cast as a supporting character, and feels like that's also the role he plays in college life. It was an interesting route to go down and I'm in two minds about whether it helped to make him relatable or whether one of the more flamboyant characters might have made a more compelling lead. I loved the way Shakespeare was woven into the plot, from the way characters behave and the plot plays out, to the way the characters always quote - or sometimes misquote - the bard, and above all, to the way the intensity of performing certain scenes was portrayed. Reading about the characters' experiences of performing and living these scenes bought the plays to life for me more than any theatrical performance I can remember. There's a bit of a dual narrative, with the book starting ten years after most of the action, with the main character newly released from prison for some sort of crime he did or didn't commit while at the college. Most of the proper story is what he's recounting to a now-retired policeman who originally investigated the case. I usually love flashbacks and other non-linear narratives, but I think this would have been best told in straight chronological order. From the present day scenes, it wasn't hard to work out what had happened in the past way before it was shown in the narrative, which killed some of the tension, and it didn't really add any particular twists or revelations. Overall, while this was far from perfect, I'd definitely recommend it. ## Features - New Store Stock ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Best Sellers Rank | 4,918 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) 36 in Bookmarks | | Customer Reviews | 4.3 out of 5 stars 15,294 Reviews | ## Images ![If We Were Villains: The Sensational TikTok Book Club pick: M.L. Rio - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71Rqr9YfePL.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Love love love! *by L***V on 3 April 2026* This is a great book! It was delivered 4 days early! In great condition and quality! This book is such a good and interesting read! I highly recommend! ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ great atmosphere and use of Shakespeare make up for a hit and miss plot *by G***9 on 7 October 2018* Firstly, I've you've read them both, it's near-impossible to review this book without mentioning its similarities to the Secret History, just with Shakespeare obsessives instead of Classics buffs. The elite school, the murder, the strange cliche, the intense friendships and rivalries and passions...I'll say no more about that in the review, good or bad, but it really is inescapable. Putting that aside and taking the book on its own merits, it's generally a compelling read. The plot is ultimately fairly thin, but it's the sense of place, the characters, and the atmosphere that keep you turning the pages. I particularly liked the elite college with its weird rituals and traditions - it felt as fleshed out and magical as Hogwarts and despite some of the unpleasantness, left me with quite the desire to attend. The characters were basically deliberate archetypes - hero, villain, seductress etc - which was quite a fun idea but rather laboured. The first few chapters spent far too much time spelling out every key character's background and personality rather than letting it come out naturally. The main character and narrator is generally cast as a supporting character, and feels like that's also the role he plays in college life. It was an interesting route to go down and I'm in two minds about whether it helped to make him relatable or whether one of the more flamboyant characters might have made a more compelling lead. I loved the way Shakespeare was woven into the plot, from the way characters behave and the plot plays out, to the way the characters always quote - or sometimes misquote - the bard, and above all, to the way the intensity of performing certain scenes was portrayed. Reading about the characters' experiences of performing and living these scenes bought the plays to life for me more than any theatrical performance I can remember. There's a bit of a dual narrative, with the book starting ten years after most of the action, with the main character newly released from prison for some sort of crime he did or didn't commit while at the college. Most of the proper story is what he's recounting to a now-retired policeman who originally investigated the case. I usually love flashbacks and other non-linear narratives, but I think this would have been best told in straight chronological order. From the present day scenes, it wasn't hard to work out what had happened in the past way before it was shown in the narrative, which killed some of the tension, and it didn't really add any particular twists or revelations. Overall, while this was far from perfect, I'd definitely recommend it. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A strong debut *by M***T on 2 November 2017* I’m going to start this by saying that I absolutely, unequivocally, 100% loved and adored this novel. If We Were Villains is reminiscent of two books that are firmly on my, ‘shout about them to everybody’ and ‘why on earth haven’t you read this book?’ lists; The Secret History by Donna Tartt and Black Chalk by Christopher J Yates (both are wonderful, please go and read them). Set within the confines of an elite school and exploring the lives of seven young Shakespeare students who are fully immersed in his world, If We Were Villains ramps up tension through clever wordplay and imagery leading to a great tragedy and betrayal. Oliver, the protagonist, begins the book being released from prison after serving a ten year sentence. He is met by Detective Colborne who put him behind bars and wants to know the truth about the events leading to his incarceration. Through flashbacks divided into Acts we learn about the group’s final year at Dellecher Classical Conservatory and the building claustrophobia that consumed them. Oliver and his friends; Richard, Meredith, Filippa, Alexander, Wren and James are a tight knit group who live, study and act together. They live and breathe Shakespeare; they study him, they act in his plays and their speech is littered with his quotes. They have their own secret language which makes them impenetrable and almost cult like. They are in their final year and each has adopted a role both within their friendship group and on stage; the hero, the villain, the tyrant, the temptress, the ingénue and the extra. Tensions are ramped up when they are assigned roles in Julius Caeser and the pressures of the play spill over into their day-to-day lives dividing them and causing life-changing rifts. M.L. Rio ramps the tension up so well, we know something will happen but we don’t quite know what and there is an overarching sense of impending doom which oozes from the pages. I thought the characters were wonderfully created, each had their own distinctive voice and I loved how their relationships with one another played out. Oliver’s friendship with James for instance was beautifully and subtly written and was one of my favourite parts of the novel. I also really liked that the book was divided into Acts as it helped to drive the action and was a lovely nod to the Shakespearean aspects of the novel. I was astounded to discover that If We Were Villains was a debut book, it is so incredibly well written with beautiful and literary passages that I cannot stop thinking about. The Romeo and Juliet play for example was exquisite, moving and emotional and I was gripped. The use of the play’s words to communicate everything that cannot be said in real life was astounding and some of the passages were incredibly delicate, elegant and erotic. I have to say that this book really appealed to my English Literature background and geeky Shakespeare love. I am by no means an expert at all, and whilst I think this book could be read and enjoyed knowing nothing of his plays, I think you’d get far more from it if you have at least some knowledge. If We Were Villains really isn’t pretentious or elitist, it is very much a coming of age novel with real depth and layers. Anybody who has been in a tight-knit friendship group or who has lived with a group of people can understand the feelings and emotions experienced by the main players of this novel. This book is going on my Favourite Book list and I think I am going to give it a second read so I can absorb some more of the beautiful imagery and world that M.L. Rio has created in this extraordinary book. ## Frequently Bought Together - If We Were Villains: The Sensational TikTok Book Club pick: M.L. Rio - The Secret History: From the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Goldfinch - Babel: The SUNDAY TIMES and #1 NEW YORK TIMES bestseller --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.vn/products/66484131-if-we-were-villains-the-sensational-tiktok-book-club-pick](https://www.desertcart.vn/products/66484131-if-we-were-villains-the-sensational-tiktok-book-club-pick) --- *Product available on Desertcart Vietnam* *Store origin: VN* *Last updated: 2026-06-08*