The Villain Wants to Live

Description

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The mid-level boss of my company’s AAA-game.

Deculein, a villain who dies in 999 out of the 1000 playthroughs.

Now I have transmigrated in his body.

Associated Names
One entry per line
TVWtL
VWL
악당은 살고 싶다
Related Series
N/A
Recommendations
The Main Heroines are Trying to Kill Me (15)
Academy’s Undercover Professor (13)
The Novel’s Extra (12)
My Death Flags Show No Sign of Ending (10)
Trash of the Count’s Family (9)
The Villain Who Robbed the Heroines (7)
Recommendation Lists
  1. Gems collection
  2. My Top Novels From the 500 Novels I have Read (KR,...
  3. KR Novels Recommended by a Picky Reader
  4. The most interesting Light Novels
  5. self sacrifice mc's [Non BL & BL]

Latest Release

Date Group Release
07/20/21 Selfish Translations c13
07/20/21 Selfish Translations c12
07/13/21 Selfish Translations c11
07/12/21 Selfish Translations c10
07/12/21 Selfish Translations c9
07/12/21 Selfish Translations c8
07/12/21 Selfish Translations c7
07/12/21 Selfish Translations c6
07/12/21 Selfish Translations c5
07/06/21 Selfish Translations c4
07/05/21 Selfish Translations c3
06/29/21 Selfish Translations c2
06/28/21 Selfish Translations c1
06/28/21 Selfish Translations prologue
Write a Review
185 Reviews sorted by


hose246
hose246 rated it
April 25, 2022
Status: c112
This novel used to be one of the coolest epic magical novel I've read.

Honestly, this novel is so good at the start, the drama and magic and all the cool stuff is just so well written. But then the author decided to make the novel into a drama based time-paradox novel.

This is literally a Korean drama but written inside a book. The protagonist is hated, and the protagonist helps other but got hated instead because the way he helped them makes them hate them, or that they just don't know... more>> the protagonist helped them.

And then guess what, the author decides to introduce time paradox sh*t. Which completely destroys all the tension and repercussions of the protagonists actions, but keeping only keeping the drama. In the end, after chapter 100+, almost every single arc have time related elements in it, which completely ruined the atmosphere and epicness.

The characters are not helping either. There is a lacking need of male side characters, and all the characters introduced either hate or wants to kill the protagonist except a few of them. Most of the side characters themselves are also not likable, Epherene is s*upid and I'm not sure why she's even here except for the time paradoxes she caused, Sylvia used to be good but the author decides to make her hate the protagonist, Julie also hates the protagonist now after certain events that I won't spoil. The only likable one imo is Sophia.

Honestly, I should probably rate this a three star but I can't forget about how good the starting 100 chapters are, so I will absolutely recommend you to read those parts before you decide whether you want to continue reading it or not. <<less
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Random student
Random student rated it
February 25, 2022
Status: --
it is good but there is no logic behind the mc's actions, maybe there is but the author does not give you that logic. The MC can punch a character or give them a million dollars and I would have to say "that makes sense" because there are no rules to his actions. I feel like the author is just telling a story through a blank sheet that can do anything.

why does he love his fiance? The author writes her like everyone else so why is she loved by him?... more>> Why does he still spend 50% of his time teaching when he gets nothing from it? And if it is to make them stronger why doesn't the author show them getting stronger? Why does he treat the student so well? Why does the game seem so boring? Why is every strong person a woman? How would people even progress in the game? What is happening to the world? How is the mc's character a leech, untalented, etc when he had godly skills his whole life, the longer you have it the stronger you become but the MC is stronger in 1 year when the character had 30 fcking years? Why does he care about literal NPCs more than I care about real people? Why does he care what other people think so much? How does the magic or swordman power system work? Why can't he become a swordsman? Id even know why the mc's character isn't the god of this world cuz he has the most OP skills and was the smartest and most strategic person in the world. Like everyone else are like toddlers in front of a mental powerhouse.

all these and much more are not answered or the author just uses 'it is for points' but if the MC stopped wasting his time on points he would not need them. At his point, all his actions mean nothing and hold no value because I do not know who he even is or what he wants. <<less
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Mustakarhu95
Mustakarhu95 rated it
February 13, 2022
Status: c258
From the author of the novels extra.

Edit : the empress is just hi*ler now (Concentration camps, gas chambers. Race hate and all)

This novel is like taking all the bad parts of tne and the angs and writing it slightly better.

... more>> The comon thing with this and tne is that our MC has a HUGEEEE MARTYR COMPLEX.

Full of hate meee I will make you hate meee. I love youu so hate meee. But if you dont really have anything better to do, it might be worth your time?? And all plot relevant character minus like 3 are all female just so they can fall in love with our MC, and most of them have no character because we need more characters to tell how awesome sexy and amazing our main character is how he can do anything, how hes so good at everything he does so we need more female characters to worship the ground he walks on. (I hate how this is writen) <<less
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YumYumi
YumYumi rated it
January 13, 2022
Status: c124
This novel is AMAZING. Like literally the world building, the plot, THE CHARACTERS. All of it has so much depth like no plot holes and it’s a story that flows and makes sense. The translation is also super good so shoutout to Active Translations. The characters aren’t shallow so you can understand all of them and there personalities even if they don’t have a lot of screen time.
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Kukuruzo
Kukuruzo rated it
December 7, 2021
Status: c90
Author apparently tried to write a tragic protagonist, but instead made a moronic one. All of his suffering is completely self-inflicted. All other criticism is already covered in other reviews.
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Pendragon05
Pendragon05 rated it
November 26, 2021
Status: c252
That's it, I'm done with this overrated novel. It's not even a novel about death flag anymore, it's all about romance and harem. I hate novels who lost focus compared to their original premise. MC just became dumb incel sowing harem seeds left and right. Also, the immersion has long been gone and it became a really boring novel. The plot spent a lot of time revolving North and North and the north like what's so special with the North. This novel is one of the most boring novels I've... more>> ever read. Such a shame it loses focus a long with it's own immersion. <<less
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St.Agares
St.Agares rated it
September 7, 2021
Status: c73
reading this will ruin so much for you, the villain in this story doesn't start off with the clean slate just because the MC already inhabits him. The actions his past body took still clearly affect every factor of the story. Each character is well thought out, has depth and a driving force behind them. All plots seem to be intertwined to tell a stunning narrative.
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CrimsonEagle
CrimsonEagle rated it
August 17, 2021
Status: c34
I have great expectations for this one.

The author's other novels, 'The Novel's Extra' and 'A Monster Who Levels Up', were both amazing and make me look forward to reading more of this one. In particular, 'The Novel's Extra' was a rollercoaster of emotions, misunderstandings and repentance, with a great mix of action and heroic moments.

This novel already starts of really great with a twist on the recently popular 'being reborn into a villains body'. Instead of the protagonist acting completely different and going straight from 'I was bad, but now... more>> I'm good', there is a more subtle change in his character. This comes from a restriction wherein his actions and words cant deviate too far from the characters original personality.

Unlike the usual minor mischief committed by the villains in other novels, the past actions of the original character are atrocious and have a great influence on the interactions the MC has with other characters and their opinions of him. He starts off with many enemies and wrongdoings that he has to solve. This lead to thrilling and emotional moments when characters previously antagonistic towards the MC see new sides to him, or in their perspective, sides that he has hidden away.

Overall, my initial impression of this novel is really great and I cant wait to read more of it. <<less
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Rajputra
Rajputra rated it
August 14, 2021
Status: c38
i love the novels with MC being transmigrated as an antagonist/evil villain and this novel so far satisfies every aspect that my ideal villain transmigration novel is
the MC isnt dull or dumb instead he is smart and is strong from the start with some obvious borderline cheat skills Also since its ongoing I cant say for sure that it will maintain the high potential it has shown till now
but so far all I see are good points about the novel
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Apollo124
Apollo124 rated it
August 9, 2021
Status: c30
This novel is excellent.

The storytelling is immersive, the translation is great (for the most part, small parts here and there that are confusing), and the characters are well-made.

I am particularly fond of the villain-isekai genre, so this novel is just the right read for me.

Would recommend to anyone looking for a more thought-out novel with actual character development.
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bheyer
bheyer rated it
July 19, 2021
Status: c11
The most incredibly addicting start to a novel, I'm desperate for more

The novel has the standard premise of 'reincarnating as a villainous game character and trying to prevent various death flags'. But what makes it unique is that is that the MC is not your typical 'preteen / teenager' with a superficial level of villainy. The novel contains mature characters (the MC is 33) who act mature.

The villain character was a realistic bad guy, he wasn't some cringe demon lord, he was instead a person who cheated/hurt/manipulated/offended people to raise... more>> his own status. So the MC's redemption of the character is a lot more enjoyable to read due to the development of interpersonal relationships.

Also the translation quality is excellent, I really hope the translator sticks to the project, they are doing an incredible job. <<less
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Johnkwaski
Johnkwaski rated it
September 7, 2023
Status: --
I just don't understand the point of this novel.. The story is interesting but ends up as crap that achieved nothing in the end

Spoiler

The MC still goes kaput despite all d shenanigans to survive, the people who hate him still do, He didn't really save anyone but just delayed the inevitable for all.

[collapse]

So what's the point of this?
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SeverTheHeavens
SeverTheHeavens rated it
June 22, 2023
Status: Completed
Great novel. I liked The Novel's Extra but it slowly dropped off and had an ending that left much to be desired (I haven't seen the side stories yet, I will though.) and I just found out they're apparently written by the same author, though this one's ending isn't 'bad' but bittersweet. It followed the same flow though, amazing -> great -> good -> ehh.

Now for the review of the actual novel, it's my first time actually writing one so here it goes:

    1. Story - 8/10 The concept is typical, the MC gets transmigrated into a villain of a game (the trope typically uses novels but yeah), but he's heavily influenced by the personality of the actual character. If there's anything to complain about, it's the number of events happening simultaneously. It's a miracle that the characters can even name them all due to how often they happen. If it weren't for the wizards/whatever they're called there, the entirety of the population would have died in two weeks. Though, that isn't the problem. The problem is that after the first half of the story, so many characters' POVs are being used and it gets confusing to know who's who. The overall direction of the story was pretty weird as I couldn't see how many of these events would fit into a game (unless they're sequential). However, they all ended up having a reason that I could understand in hindsight.
      Spoiler

      The voice with Sylvia, the dream demon with Sophiene, the meteor with Epherene, etc.

      [collapse]

      If there's a complaint to give, it'll be the lack of transitional chapters.
    1. Characters - 8/10 So many people call the characters ungrateful or s*upid and I can agree on a logical standpoint, but humans aren't exactly logical beings so I can understand where they're coming from. Julie is the only character whose logic and emotions you actually understand completely because she reacts to events as a normal person would.
      Spoiler

      I don't know how a lot of people don't understand that MC has literally been directly/indirectly involved with the death of their loved ones, hence the fact that they all hate him. If anything, you could praise them for being able to put aside their feelings for the important parts (learning from him, fighting demons, etc.) Just because they've been saved once or twice doesn't erase the fact that he killed their loved one (Epherene's father, Sylvia's mother, Julie's knights, etc.)

      [collapse]

      But, there are problems with the emotions of the characters. Sometimes, they just go from feeling A to C instantly. And, unless the author plans to release some more side stories, some characters' futures are left unknown.
      Spoiler

      Like Allen/Ellie. She became fond of Ducelein and helped him during Epherene's regression arc but after that, she just vanished. She occasionally appeared to help the main cast teleport to places but the conversations that should have been shown about her were just omitted and the readers are only left to assume what will happen.


      Then, there's the matter of Yoo Ara/Lia, what happened to the ticket?? We just know that she decided to stay in the world, but would she choose to die there because Kim Woojin was no longer on Earth? How were they so sure that they were both no longer there? If the author had shown what happened on Earth after everything, it would've been solved because at this point it's like Schrodinger.
      Sophien's death, I want to fight against it, but it's the perfect ending for her. She felt guilty about Ducelein and didn't know how she was going to live from the day he died. She persevered for 5 years and eventually decided to die on her own terms and like Epherene and Ducelein, she eventually succumbed to fate by saving her most loyal knight on his birth and dying by his side.
      [collapse]

      But, one thing I understood was the MC's progression, though there were still flaws.
      Spoiler

      He slowly becomes one with the character as you can see his harsh tendencies are offset by his gentle actions and in the end, they're practically a new character altogether. Though, I feel like he simultaneously trusts and doesn't trust anyone at all. If he managed to use more of his emotions and confided in any of the main female cast, he might've been able to achieve a different ending that isn't so depressing.

      [collapse]

      And finally, the entirety of the main female cast's impression.
      Spoiler

      Epherene, Sylvia, Sophiene, Julie, Yeriel, and Lia all loved MC at the end, with all of them having their own reasons. Epherene fell for him because of how much he cared for her despite being her enemy (and being her only ally in the unending stream of time), Sylvia looked up to him as a mentor but over time, her feelings gradually deepened (though she is a bit cuckoo), Sophiene had been with him the longest and he was there during her worst times (a hundred years of regression), Julie wronged Ducelein because she was left ignorant but when he saw the truth behind his actions, she fell for him. Yeriel, despite being one of his greatest enemies/threats to his life, was unconditionally loved by him as his sister. They weren't of the same blood and the one flowing through her veins was threatening enough to even get him sent to the gallows. He (Kim Woojin) fought himself (Ducelein) to accept her and the two came to a consensus. Lia, or to be specific, Yoo Ara, since the character Lia had absolutely no reason to fall for MC (assuming that the original Lia doesn't have the memories of his original fiancee) regretted being that way with Kim Woojin. Her only wish was to get out of the game world so she could be with him again. Finding out that he was actually sacrificing himself in another world was enough of a reason for her to even give up her chance at getting out (the ticket) but Kim Woojin refused, stating that he didn't want to live in a world without Yoo Ara.

      [collapse]

      Still, could've done with less drama and I wish that the main female cast, at the very least, had better endings.

      Spoiler

      Not feeling longing for the rest of their lives (and not dead).

      [collapse]
    1. Abilities - 8 The scale seems weird at times because some characters are way stronger than the standard but they actually make sense if you look at the bigger picture. I wish they could've expanded on the different systems of magic first, but since most of the cast members are at the college level, the story skipped having lessons on the most basic principles.
    1. Translations - 7 They straight up just left MTL chapters without editing them at the end. There were also some MTLs in the middle of the story that they couldn't be bothered to edit out. Overall, for a majority of the chapters, the translation is pretty solid though. Would've been better if they had a warning for whose POV it was.
Overall - 8/10

Impressions tend to leave a lasting effect on me and while there was a messy second half, the first half's impression was still very fresh in my mind. I'm not a fan of bittersweet endings, but in the end, it was MC's choice as he could've strived for something better.

There were many things to complain about, but I still loved the story overall. None of the characters are perfect, cause they're not meant to be. While everyone sees Ducelein as the perfect person from blood to abilities, he's in reality, full of never-ending flaws that he keeps well hidden from everyone else.

I believe that you have to REALLY dive into the character's perspective to actually understand where they're coming from instead of reading at just the surface level (I saw a comment talking badly about Epherene who wanted to get expelled when it was obviously just a play made by her and the MC on the spot).

I wouldn't recommend this novel to someone who isn't very well-versed in the language it's translated to (Korean, English, whatever else it has) cause they would just get confused by all the nuances.

Still, despite the multitude of complaints, I loved it.
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AtranZ_Ryou
AtranZ_Ryou rated it
December 20, 2022
Status: c267
main character is pretty interesting..

but the story is hella confusing, many part not connected together, and not explained even though the arc is over

starting from ch160 translation goes to sh*t and returns at 190

the ending of a major plot doesnt get a deserved ending. It feels like Im reading for no conclusion. Also I hate how inconsistent the story with julie arc is. Maybe its the author or translator fault tho
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Pavilion
Pavilion rated it
November 23, 2022
Status: Completed
Rather disappointing to be honest. This is just a book about useless drama, an convoluted manner of extending something that could have just been ten, into a something that ended up being hundreds.

At the beginning I admit I liked this. I had certain expectations about how the story was going to go. It, however, ended up being nothing like I wished. I hated how the main character was so bound to certain rules and how his actions were so un-lifelike due to that.

To be honest, because I do see where... more>> the author tripped, I can't really blame them. The whole plot device about being a villain was completely pointless. A lot of things that happened in this book just happened because of.. Nothing? Even more things could have just been solved in the plot by just talking about them. If you read the book and look back at certain supposedly dramatic and emotional things you realize they were completely artificial and way overinflated.

After certain point I just wanted to be done with this book. So I speed read a lot. I had to, otherwise I would have abandoned this.

Thinking about this more I'm very bummed about how this ended and how it went, so much so that I don't really wish to continue this review any further either. I'll just try to forget this book. A lot of effort spent on reading for what feels like nothing.

Plot 2/5

Characters 2/5

Worldbuilding 2/5

Translation 3/5 <<less
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zooey
zooey rated it
November 15, 2022
Status: --
It's bad. Like, really bad. You would expect that after "The Novel's Extra" the author would learn something and try to avoid the same mistakes, but nope, this novel has literally the same problems.

1. The first ~70 chapters are bearable, but then it devolves into incredibly boring soap opera. After that it gets even worse with time paradoxes and stuff.

2. The author still can't write a decent female character to save his life, all of them are dumb and one-dimensional to the extreme, their whole existence revolves around the MC.

3.... more>> Zero tension in the story, the MC doesn't really face any difficulties, he always comes on top. At least he's not so ridiculously OP like the MC of "Academy’s Undercover Professor", so there's that.

Overall, it was a waste of time. <<less
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FireIsGrey
FireIsGrey rated it
July 7, 2022
Status: c361
If you're into harem and romance with god-tier characters and protagonist oozing charisma- GREAT- This is 10/10 for you. If you hate drama and harem, don't touch this, run away, the starting might fool you into thinking you'd like this with all the death flags and action, but by the time Sophien gets introduced, you'll start crying.

The plot is great at the start focussing on action/romance at the start but by the end becomes heartbreaking, and tragic but beautiful as well. Plot does get confusing but I like it nonetheless.... more>> The story is just hella fun to read and Woojin in Deculein's body has such charisma, he pulls me in when I read him- especially the large contrast in his brain vs his body.

All characters have depth and are fleshed out, and they're just fun to read- they all have neat interactions with Deculein making the character scenes great- BUT many people might dislike the overwhelming number of heroines and the drama-like plot- and if you hate that kinda stuff, don't read this, its not for you. But for me, as long as it is to an agreeable extent, it is my cup of tea, cos it gives me a bit of spicy tension into the story- making it seriously amazing.

The story hasn't reached the ending and I do want to see how it finishes, which might change my opinion. But as of now, like each and every character has their moments and make me really love them. Re-reading the series, especially looking back at Epherene or Rohakan, with the knowledge of what happens later on, gives me joy as well, showing that the author actually thought this sh*t out, not just make it up along the way (which I swear he did with the Novel's Extra- don't lie to me author, you defo did). All in all, great read.

Edit: Ending is tragic, but beautiful- Many criticised it, but honestly, unlike the Novel's Extra which started falling apart after Nayun's brother arc, this story truly maintained the beautiful storytelling with an ending that made me feel like I just finished reading an epic tale- Truly wonderful- I only had such a similar feeling when reading ORV, so it felt very good to re-live that same experience of reading a true tragedy. <<less
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Dg2
Dg2 rated it
February 18, 2022
Status: c270
A very slow paced story. However, it is filled with a lot of character development and enough action to keep it from being boring over all.

However, the synopsis is pretty much exactly what you'll get. Don't expect the story's MC to deviate too much from the start. Which can be a turn off as the body he's in plays a major part in warping his personality.

Overall, if you like realism in a fantasy story, then this would be for you. Be warned though, that the MC does have some bad... more>> character traits when it comes to his love life. Which is the major turn off of the story.

Rate 4.3/5 <<less
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Veresta
Veresta rated it
January 23, 2022
Status: c235
Well I'll start off with the things that I like about this novel. I like the world building, the MC's gigachad personality, the way the MC apply his magic even though he only has mediocre talent. Transmigrating to a novel/game is nothing new but I like the concept wherein the die has been cast and now our MC has to deal with the repercussion of the terrible things that his new identity has done before.

With that out of the way, I will now explain the irksome part of this... more>> novel which is the romance. I would need to spoil some things to thoroughly elaborate why it's a detrimental part of the story. Here's why:

  • Harem. I am by no means someone who hates harem. IMO, if you want a good harem story then the heroines should not be too many. The problem with having too many members is inevitably some members will be shafted to the side while others will get the spotlight. It also means that the author will either not be able to flesh out the heroines making them look easy to get like cabbages or the author spends too much content of the novel fleshing out the heroines which could've been spent on the actual story. The latter is what's happening to this novel.
    Spoiler

    This novel has 7 heroines (If we only include the ones with POV parts which I assume are the important ones), the airhead student Ephrene, the smart but stalker student Sylvia, the knight julie (main heroine), lonely empress sophiene, step sister yeriel, the assistant who's pretending to be male allen/ellie, and his ex gf who's also a dev to the game but was also transmigrated to a child's body Lia/Yoo Ara

    [collapse]
  • Misunderstandings. The use of misunderstandings here in this novel is over the top that it will really grind your gears.
    Spoiler

    The most outrageous misunderstanding is the one with Julie's. Julie has a curse and it is said that she can be healed if she awakened a constitution by hating someone to the core. Yes, the MC will sacrifice himself and make her hate him. I'll explain later why this is BS. It also doesn't help that this misunderstanding is being dragged out for too long. To add a cherry on top, the other heroines are aware that it is just acting but aren't dispelling the misunderstanding. Sylvia knew the truth through her stalking but isn't saying anything to Julie. Sophiene brought it up once but she's leaving it be. Airhead Ephrene only told Julie when MC died (althernate timeline) and never told her again in the real timeline

    [collapse]
  • Tragic MC. The author is trying too hard to make the MC a tragic one to the point that it feels that it's forced.
    Spoiler

    Lots of events will happen that will point out that the MC will die (highly doubt it though). The heroines are either stuck in a limbo of love/hate relationship with MC or they have circumstances preventing them to be with him. Later on, MC will create his own magical space. Under Lia's POV, it will be said that an elixir that can heal Julie can be easily procured there. It doesn't make sense that the MC who's also a dev of the game isn't aware of the elixir. This renders the whole ordeal with Julie senseless. That's why I said it's some BS forced by the author to stir up drama

    [collapse]
I have mixed feelings with this novel. I feel like it has so much potential but the author is heading down the same path he did with his previous novel, The Novel's Extra and its tr*sh ending. The semblance in characters is uncanny
Spoiler

Julie is getting the Chae Nayun treatment while Sophiene is getting the Boss treatment

[collapse]
. The novel's frustrating to read at times but I'll see it through the end. <<less
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_Doomsday_
_Doomsday_ rated it
January 5, 2022
Status: c167
I'm just sad. I loved the beginning of this novel and would have rated it 5 stars easily. But, of course, the author had to ruin it. I hated how the story would just switch to some unrelated conversation/moment out of nowhere and say "Meanwhile... ", pretty annoying. Additionally, when the author tried to make some super forced, tragic MC, I wanted to just stop reading this tragedy of a novel. Also - ... more>>
Spoiler

Lia, the ex-girlfriend, was just unnecessary and I would be less hard on the novel if the author never added her in. Also, how did the MC not kill Carlos immediately when he saw him when he knew that they would instantly try to escape like last time? I just find Lia annoying. Like, how are you going to start a relationship with someone when you still have feelings for another dude, seriously?

[collapse]
I'm going to keep reading since I still enjoy some of it but man, what a let down.

Edit: Overall a 2.5/5, just disappointed and lost. <<less
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