15 ratings • 5 reviews
15 ratings • 5 reviews
Oliver Marks has just served ten years in jail - for a murder he may or may not have committed. On the day he's released, he's greeted by the man who put him in prison. Detective Colborne is retiring, but before he does, he wants to know what really happened a decade ago. As one of seven young actors studying Shakespeare at an elite arts college, Oliver and his friends play the same roles onstage and off: hero, villain, tyrant, temptress, ingenue, extra. But when the casting changes, and the secondary characters usurp the stars, the plays spill dangerously over into life, and one of them is found dead. The rest face their greatest acting challenge yet: convincing the police, and themselves, that they are blameless.
This book is making me realize how tuned out I was in high school Shakespeare units… do I need to refresh to get the full intent? I can’t tell if I’m missing out!
Wow! I loved this. Dark academia and a heavy dose of Shakespeare? Yes. Yes. Yes. A heartbreaking ending that could break even the stoniest of hearts.
I really enjoyed this book! The characters felt accessible and understandable, but I wish there had been a bit more build up to understand their bonds. Also wish the plot had more twists because it was a bit predictable - but that seemed to be the intent. Definitely brush up on the plots of Shakespeare before diving in so you can grasp the characters a bit better. Fun read! Great for a cozy dark academia vibe.
Look, i’m sure there’s some grand deeper meaning when it comes to the plays they perform and reference but i’m just really not into Shakespeare so that fell flat for me. And i know the characters are actors but they are SO dramatic for no reason and pretentious. Also Oliver is just a simp and no real person would’ve done what he did in the end. This book really just dragged on and it felt like they kept building up to nothing.