Vicious by V.E. Schwab had me on the edge of my seat the entire book! If you love a dark, revenge story, this book belongs on your to-be-read list. (Honestly, everything written by V.E. Schwab needs to go on your list)
Summary
Victor and Eli started out as friends until their research into adrenaline and near-death experiences leads them down a dark path. They learn under certain conditions, people can unlock extraordinary abilities. Disaster strikes when the two roommates begin experimenting on themselves.
Ten years later Eli has made it his mission to rid the world of those with special abilities. Victor manages to escape prison and is determined to hunt his former friend down.
Review
This series is dark and full of twists and turns that left me guessing the entire time. It reminded me of a dark version of the X-Men. Unlike most stories, there is no clear bad guy or good guy. Everyone is equally screwed up but that’s what makes it great! I came to love every character in this book no matter what terrible thing they did.
Character development is key in this series. Just when I begin cheering on one person, I end up feeling bad for the other. Eli and Victor have deep backstories that drive them to do commit their crimes. I still cannot figure out which one I liked the most.
V.E. Schwab is an excellent writer! She has a way with words that most authors cannot capture.
Favorite Quotes
“Plenty of humans were monstrous, and plenty of monsters knew how to play at being human”
“There are no good men in this game”
“If Eli really was a hero, and Victor meant to stop him, did that make him a villain? He took a long sip of his drink, tipped his head back against the couch, and decided he could live with that.”
“Victor Vale was not a fucking sidekick.”
Rating
I gave Vicious 5/5 stars.