Reviews tagging 'Gore'

Vicious by V.E. Schwab

145 reviews

ali1311's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This book was wack but in a fun way. I love VE Schwab's ability to create characters and make them really weird and complex. I feel like she also knows how to curate a vibe. The audio narration on this was also really well done. I thought the ending was slightly underwhelming, but I suppose that's potentially what the next book is for!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gore, and Gun violence

yajairat's review against another edition

dark tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Overall an interesting read! Good twists and loved seeing how the powers of the EOs were utilized. Also loved Sydney and Mitch as characters. I liked how Victor and Eli were used to kind of dissect this question of what makes a hero and a villain. I found their relationship interesting to read about, I wish we got a little more of that. Because majority of the book they spend apart, and to me personally, I don't see how their relationship could have been deep or developed enough to warrant these big feelings of hurt and anger. So strong that they spend 10 years thinking about each other. 

While we got a lot from Victor's perspective and some character changes from him, Eli was just okay as a character. To pin all of his beliefs and actions on his faith or some god complex was an interesting choice, can't say it's something I really like cause that makes him seem... one-dimensional? I feel like that's all the background info we really get on him. Idk, I wanted more out of him! His wrestling with his feelings about Serena and the development of their relationship was my favorite part of his story. 

A decent fantasy read! Don't think I'm really itching to get my hands on the next book though. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore

valenwhite's review against another edition

dark funny tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

(October 2024 Book Club Pick)

Even though I couldn't get into the book as much as I would have liked to, mainly because of what was happening around me as I read it and not being in the mood for this kind of story, I enjoyed it plenty. I think the story was well structured, the characters were interesting and, once you get used to the time jumps, it feels a lot smoother. I couldn't get into it at first– because of the time jumps, I mean– but you stop jumping so much later on and so it gets easier to digest.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Gun violence, and Blood

Moderate: Animal death

Minor: Alcoholism

bskalka's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I ate this up the ending was so good. I love when justice is served.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Self harm, Torture, Violence, Blood, Medical trauma, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

flo_gay's review against another edition

dark tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Death, Gun violence, Self harm, Torture, Violence, Blood, Religious bigotry, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Child abuse, Gore, Medical content, and Abandonment

Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Confinement, Drug abuse, Forced institutionalization, Car accident, and Fire/Fire injury

gabby_tijerina's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Gun violence, Mental illness, Self harm, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, Murder, Gaslighting, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal death, Body horror, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Fire/Fire injury

rhibeanreads's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Death, Gore, Torture, Blood, Religious bigotry, and Murder

xchloe_bxx's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Child death, Death, Drug use, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Self harm, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Stalking, Car accident, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

fin_pilot's review against another edition

dark mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Gun violence

Minor: Gore

queensplay's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This book sadly didn't live up to my expectations, since I was super excited to read it. It was still a really good read! I love morally gray people, and Victor did live up to that. I know he secretly cared about them, even though he didn't want to admit it. 
I love love love Sydney. She was my favourite character.

Not to mention she can raise the dead??? That's so cool! Probably one of my favourite EO powers in the book. She also goes from a quiet kid to "I hope Victor hurts him." she said cheerfully, "A lot." Like??? She turns into someone who wouldn't hesitate to hurt someone, or be happy that someone is hurt, because they hurt someone else first, and I love that for her <3

Someone I love, someone I hate: Serena. She makes me so mad. It seemed like she had no guilt over her actions (but I mean, tHeY aRen'T hUmAn).

You mean to say you TURNED YOUR BACK ON YOUR SISTER SO THAT SOMEONE COULD KILL HER???? WTF Serena. And then you proceed to try to kill Mitch? Fuck no, not my Mitch.

Mitch's backstory is so sad. He deserves a huge hug, because honestly, he's not a bad guy. He's absolutely precious, and I love him. 
Finally: This. Ending. The best ending I've read in a while. The conclusion came together so perfectly, and everyone I wanted dealt with was dealt with. And oh, did I love Eli's ending. 

What they did to Serena? That scene-mwah. Chef's fucking kiss. Her telling Mitch to kill himself, but there were no bullets in the gun, and then Victor coming out of the shadows and killing her? 💅💅💅 The only thing about that, is something Sydney though after, about how Eli was going to pay for killing her sister, or something, and now I'm worried what's that going to do in the next book. 
Eli's ending, though. Ohhhh, karma. What Victor first did to him, that was fucking awesome. And then when he though he won, killing Victor, but then the police come in, and arrest him while he's blabbing on and on about being a "hero" hahahahahahahaha. I suppose he quickly realized how much he needed Serena then hahahahaha. I loved it. One of the best endings in a book.
And see! This is why Sydney's power is awesome. She could raise Victor up from the dead! They're so Dad/Daughter 🥰

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Violence, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, and Torture