Book Review: The Villain by LJ Shen

 "As you know, clouds are more reliable than shooting stars. Common, but still magical. When the time comes and you grow up, ask for something you want--something you really want--when you see a lone cloud in the sky, and I will grant it to you. That's how you'll know I'm there watching."

LJ Shen has surpassed all of my expectations with this book, and hit another home run! 

After I read The Hunter I couldn't wait to get my hands on Cillian Fitzpatrick! He intrigued me the moment I read his name. There is just something about him that you can't quite explain, but love.

 One of my favorite things about Shen's writing, is that she isn't afraid to go above and beyond with her characters. She puts each and every single one of her characters in grueling and intense positions, whether that be with themselves or each other. 

As a reader, I could definitely tell the amount of thought and effort put into this book! The characters were flawlessly written, and the plot was exceptional! There is so much happening in this book, so let's start unpacking it, beginning with the characters. 

This novel is told in dual perspectives, Persephone and Cillian. As a reader, I loved going inside both minds and figuring out who they are as a person, and why. They are very different, so it's interesting to see their thoughts in certain scenes. 

I personally love Persephone! She is one of the sweetest characters I've ever read about, and she makes me want to do better as a person. I really love watching Persephone, and Cillian grow into the characters they are at the end. Cillian is one tough cookie to crack (lol). He is one of the most interesting characters I've encountered, and I loved seeing how Shen wrote his character arc. But, we can't forget all of the secondary characters, because they also made the story! They made me laugh, and swoon, and wish I had something similar to them in my life. 

The plot is very important, not just because of the love story, but because of the lessons and themes within. I love how Shen is able to tangle multiple storylines together to create this masterpiece. I highly recommend you go into this blind, because you won't regret it. 

This novel certainly took my emotions on a rollercoaster ride, with so many ups and downs, I lost track. But, I loved every second of it, and would never get off. There were scenes where my heart went out to these characters, or where I wanted to murder them for their idiocy. Most importantly, I learned about myself through this characters and storylines. 

I recieved an ARC in exchange for an honest review, thank you Social Butterfly!