Book Review: Vicious by V.E. Schwab

When friendship becomes obsession.. it’s Murder.

Welcome!

A big thank you to Leah @ Leah’s Books, whose wonderful review motivated me to finally pick up this book.
It was a much-welcome break during a long and frustrating reading slump.

Now, this is the first book by V.E. Schwab that I’ve had a chance to crack open and I feel like I either ended up lucky by starting with this series (because it was just dark enough and just twisted enough to keep me invested all the way through)—or she really is that good of an author.
I’ll have to pick up a few of her other books to really find out.

But alas.. we are here to talk about this book.
Shall we?

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Vicious by V.E. Schwab

Publication date: September 24, 2013
Pages: 402
Genre: Science Fiction, Fantasy, Paranormal Fiction
Book 1 of 2: Villains

First line: Victor readjusted the shovels on his shoulder and stepped gingerly over an old, half-sunken grave.

4.5 Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Characters: Dark. Damaged. Obsessive. Bloodthirsty.
Storyline: Twisted. Absorbing.
Pace: Steady from start to finish.
Writing: Intelligent. Engrossing.
Cover: 3.5/5

POVs: Five
Alternating between the past and present, we follow Victor and Eli through their time together in college and ten years later, the present, where Victor has escaped prison and now hunts his dear old friend. Each has collected allies along the way, their perspectives giving more depth to the story and insight into these two vicious young men.

My Review:

I’ve heard so many bloggers love or hate on V.E. Schwab so I’m surprised and delighted to find her writing both intelligent and absorbing. Quotable, even. You can tell a lot of thought and work was put into the way each chapter, flashback, and POV exposes piece after piece of this carefully constructed puzzle of a story. It lures the reader in, drawing you ever further into the darkness, and makes you question..
What is a hero?
What makes a villain?

“Someone could call themselves a hero and still walk around killing dozens.
Someone else could be labeled a villain for trying to stop them.”

Victor and Eli are roommates in college who become consumed with and determined to prove the existence of people with extrasensory gifts. But what began as theory soon evolves into much more. The boys begin performing dangerous experiments on themselves, neither truly believing.. until it works.

“ExtraOrdinary.
The word that started—ruined, changed—everything.”

Almost all of the characters here are terribly damaged and undeniably interesting.. but it was Victor who really fascinated me.
Highly intelligent, cold, calculating, and completely obsessed with Eli. He reminded me of a snake in the grass—all coiled, waiting, dangerous.
Not to say Eli is some fluffy little bunny, no, but where Eli relies on boyish charm and good looks.. Victor’s greatest weapon is his mind.

“All Eli had to do was smile. All Victor had to do was lie. Both proved frighteningly effective.”

I did enjoy the alternating timeline, it keeps the pace steady and the tension high. Every glimpse into the past leaves you with this need to see it through—their rivalry, their war, their end—you couldn’t possibly walk away without knowing how it all plays out.
After all, we so rarely get to witness the birth of a monster.

“All that charm outside, all that evil inside.”

I even liked the way the author tied things up in the end, it was one of those ‘not-so-happy endings’ that I find strangely satisfying.
Now, is it perfect? *snorts* No. There were times when it was predictable and rather repetitive but..
This is still a book I would recommend giving it a chance.

And that’s that for now..
Thank you so much for stopping by, I hope you enjoyed my review!
If you’ve read this or any of Schwab’s other books, I would love to know what you thought.

Happy reading!