If We Were Villains !exclusive! -

The seven leads (the “villains” of the title) are archetypal but never flat: the Hero, the Villain, the Tyrant, the Temptress, the Ingénue, the Character Actress, and the narrator Oliver as the “sidekick.” Their relationships are toxic, obsessive, and deeply loving. Rio captures how people who create art together can also destroy each other with surgical precision.

The book is divided into five acts, mirroring the structure of a Shakespearean play. This structure reinforces the feeling of inevitability. We know, from the prologue, that Oliver goes to prison. We know someone dies. The tension comes not from if the tragedy will occur, but how the dominoes fall. The characters often feel like they are being swept along by a script they cannot rewrite, raising If We Were Villains

The novel is a staple of this genre, exploring obsession, elite isolation, and the moral consequences of a life devoted to art. The seven leads (the “villains” of the title)