Book Review: Because You Love to Hate Me: 13 Tales of Villainy edited by Ameriie

 

We love to hate the villains. But what causes them to act they way they do? What in their lives caused them to become what the are? How did the become so hated? Each author in this anthology is given a premise by BookTubers and asked to write from the villain's perspective. Each showing the choices and hardships the feeling and the tragedies that lead to the creation of a villain.

The idea behind this collection of stories was strong and some a better than others. Some of the authors, while providing beautiful prose and great characters, missed the mark of showing the transformation of true villainy. For example the opening story by Renee Ahdieh is a great story but misses the mark of showing how those events lead the villainy of the character down the road. On the other hand "Death Knell" by Victoria Schwab and "Beautiful Venom" by Cindy Pon do a wonderful job of reimagining classic villain stories and how those event affect the lives of the characters and those are around them.

"Thirteen book bloggers challenge as many young-adult authors to write stories about the villains we love to hate. There are reimaginings of familiar fairy-tale and mythological villains alongside the nefarious adventures of the newly infamous. Each story is followed by commentary from the blogger who set the challenge. Some react with thoughtful critical pieces, while others take a creative, metafictive approach to the fruits of their authors’ labors." - Kirkus Review 

Book Information:

Ameriie. (2017). BECAUSE YOU LOVE TO HATE ME: 13 TALES OF VILLAINY. New York: Bloomsbury. ISBN 9781681193649

Book Extensions and Activities:

Have students pick a villain from their favorite story or one they are familiar with and have them write from their perspective or giving background as to why they took the actions they did. 

What Next?

A Phoenix First Must Burn: Sixteen Stories of Black Girl Magic, Resistance, and Hope edited by Patrica Caldwell or Black Enough: Stories of Being Yourself & Black in America edited by Ibi Zoboi.