Monday, August 01, 2016

Review: Vicious by Victoria Schwab

From Goodreads: Victor and Eli started out as college roommates - brilliant, arrogant, lonely boys who recognized the same sharpness and ambition in each other. In their senior year, a shared research interest in adrenaline, near-death experiences, and seemingly supernatural events reveals an intriguing possibility: that under the right conditions, someone could develop extraordinary abilities. But when their thesis moves from the academic to the experimental, things go horribly wrong. Ten years later, Victor breaks out of prison, determined to catch up to his old friend (now foe), aided by a young girl whose reserved nature obscures a stunning ability. Meanwhile, Eli is on a mission to eradicate every other super-powered person that he can find - aside from his sidekick, an enigmatic woman with an unbreakable will. Armed with terrible power on both sides, driven by the memory of betrayal and loss, the archnemeses have set a course for revenge - but who will be left alive at the end?

My Rating: 4.5 hearts 

Thoughts on the Novel: I’ve never been into comic book superheroes or watching movies about them, but I love reading stories where characters have superpowers. I also really enjoy books that feature psychopathic characters or serial killers. So, it’s no surprise that I absolutely loved Victoria Schwab’s Vicious.

Told through a narrative that switches between the past and the present as well as between characters, Vicious explores a complex friendship between two very similar men obsessed with power. It’s got plenty of twists, and will leave you wondering if you should even root for Victor to stay alive since he’s pretty much as mentally unstable as Eli but just does a better job of hiding it. 

Vicious was released by Tor in September 2013. 

Comments About the Cover: I wish this was a little darker in style to reflect the mood of the book. 

11 comments:

  1. Well, since you liked it so much, Z, that means I should definitely pick it up. I'm the opposite of you in that I love the superhero shows and movies. So far I've only read one superhero like book and that was Steelheart which was just ok. I'm adding this to my tbr.

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  2. How wonderful is this book? I love, love, love it. I didn't think I would love it when I picked it up but man, Ms. Schwab is a very convincing writer. Also her characters!

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  3. I loved this book. I was expecting to love it so much. But I was very impressed. This was my first Schwab experience and it will not be my last. I am so glad you liked this one.

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  4. Still haven't read it. *Sigh* It sounds really good, and I especially appreciated your comments about how it's darker in nature -- love those types of books. Thanks for sharing!

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  5. LOVED this too! It was actually my first Schwab book and it turned me onto her books for good after. This still has a very special place in my heart though. Glad you loved it too :)

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  6. I'm so glad to hear you loved this one. I have a copy that I will hopefully find the time to read soon! It sounds fantastic to me too!

    -Lauren

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  7. I seriously need to read a Schwab book. Everyone raves.

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  8. Awesome :) I love superheroes/powers books and anti-heroes too, so I think I will love this one as well... whenever I can get around to it, that is!

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  9. I haven't read any of V.E.'s work yet, but I've heard so many good things about all of them *laughs* I definitely need to get around to reading her books. They definitely seem to include elements that intrigue me, like the villain vs hero debate, and I'm so keen to see how that's handled and what discussions it alights within me.

    It's great that, even though this isn't something you might typically have enjoyed, it was something you enjoyed in this format! Books are definitely magical, that's for sure. Lovely review. xx

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  10. "I also really enjoy books that feature psychopathic characters or serial killers." This. This is why I'm also loving Schwab's books, the line between good and evil usually isn't completely clear. Nice review, I'm glad you liked this one :)

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  11. I just finished This Savage Song and wasn't crazy about it, but it sounds like from your review that I should give this one a shot. Glad you liked it.

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