Writing style
Atmospheric · Descriptive · Dialogue-driven · Lyrical
Apple BooksIf We Were Villains
Mystery and thriller · Gothic · Tragedy
- Print length
- 358 pagesFlatiron Books, 2017
Description
After a decade in prison, former actor Oliver Marks is nearing release when Detective Colborne, who investigated his case, asks him for the truth. Oliver’s account returns to his final year at the elite Dellecher Classical Conservatory, where seven fourth-year acting students remain. Rigidly typecast in recurring Shakespearean roles, they see their theatrical hierarchy shift when expected casting is disrupted during a Halloween performance of Macbeth. Richard’s escalating violence toward his classmates begins to blur staged conflict with real danger. Even after an official account of Richard’s death emerges, Colborne remains convinced that the death was not accidental.
Reading profile
About this profile
Collected’s assessment, not reader ratings. Complexity runs from 1 (least demanding) to 5 (most demanding).
- Writing
- How much attention the sentences and language require.
- Ideas
- How much interpretation or abstract reasoning the book asks of you.
- Structure
- How much you need to keep track of speakers, timelines and connections.
- Background knowledge
- Prior knowledge needed to follow the book, beyond what it explains.
- Emotional intensity
- Emotional pressure, from gentle (1) to intense (5). Separate from difficulty.
Pace
Measured
Tone
Atmospheric · Dark · Suspenseful · Tense
Structure
Framed · Nonlinear
Focus
Character · Mystery · Relationships
Emotional intensity
4 / 5
Reading complexity
1–5 · higher means more demanding- Writing
- 3 / 5
- Ideas
- 3 / 5
- Structure
- 3 / 5
- Background knowledge
- 2 / 5
Themes
Book details
For the print edition listed above.
- Publisher
- Flatiron Books
- Language
- English
- ISBN
- 9781250095282
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