A review by jkneebone
Vicious by V.E. Schwab

dark medium-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? Yes

4.0

What a delightfully dark book! Vicious by V.E. Schwab centers around two men, Eli Cardale and Victor Vale. Ten years ago, they were college roommates and close friends who's shared interest in science lead them to the hypothesis that near-death experiences can cause someone to develop supernatural powers, to become ExtraOrdinary (an EO). In the present day, Victor has just escaped from prison, and with the help of his former cellmate Mitch and a 12-year-old runaway named Sydney, he is determined to hunt Eli down. Ten years ago, Victor and Eli decided to test their hypothesis by engineering their own near-death experiences in the hopes of becoming EOs. In the present day, Eli has teamed up with Sydney's older sister to fulfill a dark, self-imposed mission, and Victor has vowed to stop him.

I loved this book! It's certainly not for the faint of heart, with lots of graphic violence and generally creepy and upsetting themes, but I honestly adored it. Schwab did an amazing job of weaving together the past and present timelines and the various points of view into a cohesive whole, while also using the structure to slowly reveal the whole picture of Victor and Eli's, and Sydney and Serena's, history. The whole thing was deliciously messed up - all of the characters, especially Victor and Eli, were so twisted, which (to me) makes for a very fun reading experience. I was hooked the whole way through, and I'll definitely be picking up the sequel as soon as I can.
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