Vicious (Villains)

Vicious by V.E. Schwab is a fresh take on the superhero subgenre. I loved trying to figure who was the villain and who was the hero. Victor Vale and Eli Cardale meet at university and it’s when Eli’s theoretical research into ExtraOrdinary (EO’s) people catches Victor’s interest that things go wrong. This is a case of an unreliable narrator because villains don’t believe they’re villains. Vicious is a new original classic that carries suspense to the very last page.

Time is an interesting concept here. Every other chapter would take place in the past, namely 10 years before the novel begins, but near the end, the ‘past’ could also be 10 hours before the present timeline. This present then past then present format helped carry the suspense of what exactly went down between Victor and Eli. The reader knows something really bad happened between the two, but Schwab leaves that valuable information right out of our reach. It’s up to us to follow the breadcrumbs.

Schwab’s take on the superhero genre is well done because I went into the novel trying to figure out who’s the bad guy, who’s the good guy and there’s really no ‘good guy’. In the beginning, I was confident that Victor himself was the villain. He somewhat admits this and the way his mind works just screams ‘super villain’, but then Schwab switches up the POV and BAM! self doubt settles in. The author is also good at creating these grey characters and you end up rooting for this villain to win, or that villain to lose. Her characters are cunning and manipulative, and the reader is not immune to that power. You learn to love it haha?

Vicious is made up of morally complex characters, but it’s up to the reader to decide which ones are ‘good’. A very hard task to do! This is a story of one great super villain versus another great super villain, but both wouldn’t be anywhere without their allies. I loved reading about Mitch, Sydney and Serena, and how they became involved with EO’s. Mitch is the only non-EO, but he’s very good with hacking computer systems, a talent that stood out to Victor.

Science plays a large and important role in Vicious. Schwab has a story to tell because two very intelligent students use science to achieve superhuman powers. This made the storyline all the more realistic to me. I enjoy superhero-type novels, but I love them even more when science plays a significant part in the plot. When you take the time to show how a person’s power exists, it helps the reader envision it in the real world. Schwab invents the term ‘ExtraOrdinary’ and I’d say in the world of Vicious, it’s a noun that carries the same meaning as superhero. Having the science there gives it added weight. I wouldn’t mind being an EO myself – hopefully I’d have some cool powers!

The writing is phenomenal! I was never bored with the dialogue or the plot. I somewhat expected the ending because of a certain character’s power, but it was still a page stopper. Vicious is a very entertaining read and I loved being in the heads of Schwab’s fantastically, dark characters. This is one super villain story you don’t want to miss out on!

This book has received SO MUCH hype and I was thrilled when BookTube-A-Thon gave me an excuse to read it. While I did like it a lot, I didn't fall in love with it the way some people did. I think part of that may be due to the fact that I read it for a read-a-thon and therefore was more concerned with finishing it than savoring it. Because this is the book you need to savor. You need to luxuriate in the gorgeous writing and complex characters, and I didn't give myself the chance to fully appreciate the beauty of this book.

This was my first ever Victoria Schwab book, and I'd gone in with high expectations for the writing, as everyone raves about how beautiful it is. I will say, I was not disappointed in that regard, but I was surprised. It's not beautiful in the way I expected it to be. It's not lyrical and poetic and bursting with these artsy metaphors. Instead, Schwab wields words like a paintbrush, gracefully filling our minds with vivid images and sucking us into the story & characters. And I just think it is so funny that everyone talks about the beauty of this book when there is so much stabbing and shooting and killing.

Another thing that really makes Vicious stand out is the unique execution of a tired premise. At its core, Vicious is about two college kids who gain super powers. It's an idea that's been written countless times, right? Not like this. Schwab makes it feel fresh and new, like you've never read anything like it before. It was fascinating to see Victor and Eli, the two main characters, unravel how people develop these super powers, and even more interesting to read the ways they try to acquire powers themselves. My favorite part was, by far, the flashbacks to their college days as their mindsets and their relationship developed and changed.

Now, I don't think it's fair to discuss Vicious without mentioning the characters. It's kind of a daunting task, talking about these characters, because there is so much that could be said. Eli and Victor are complex and well-developed. Schwab brings the concept of heroes and villains into question, as well as intentions vs. actions. It's all kind of a giant mindfuck because you think you know who is the villain and who is the hero, but then your brain just gets completely scrambled because NOPE. You know who thinks they're the villain and who thinks they're the hero, but it's all so fantastically twisted. I have to say, I ended up really rooting for Victor, who is the protagonist. I didn't agree with all of his methods, and I didn't think he was a particularly great guy, but that's kind of the point. Humans are messy and selfish sometimes, but that doesn't make them evil. Victor was just kind of doing the best he could, in my opinion, and I love the fatherly role he begins to play for Sydney, a young girl he meets and adds to his team.

What prevented me from falling head over heels for this book, though, was the pacing. I found the novel to be a bit slow sometimes. I think a major part of that was all the jumping from character to character. There's a ton of perspective shifting and I understand why it was done, but it just got to be a bit exhausting sometimes. There were some parts that I just would have liked to stay in one person's head.

Vicious is such a complicated, intricate book, and even though I've written quite a bit already, I feel like I have not even come close to doing it justice. It is a dark, twisted book that will really make you think about the nature of humanity and right and wrong. It's truly a brilliant piece of literature and I now understand why everyone speaks so highly of it.

Victor and Eli are seniors at a fancy university; they are also highly intelligent, privileged, arrogant, and possibly sociopaths. When the time comes to write their senior thesis, Eli decides that he wants to study the theory of ExtraOrdinarys (EOs) for his thesis. (In this world, the internet and light night television is filled with conspiracies EOs secretly exist. People with powers that could make them superheroes or super villains.) Always fascinated with Eli and curious about the subject, Victor quickly embroils himself in Eli's thesis. This thesis soon turns from the hypothetical to experimental.

Both Victor and Eli decide that the best way to study the thesis is to create the right circumstances for making someone an EO. In one week everything changes and both Victor and Eli are no longer the young men they were. Ten years later, Victor has escaped from prison and is out for revenge on his former friend: Eli.

Eli, on the other hand, has become horrified with EOs. He has become obsessed with the idea that EOs go against God (and are no longer truly human) and that he is the only one who can clean the world of EOs.

The two men are on a course for one last confrontation. Both men are dangerous and both have powerful people on their sides. And when they finally do met again. . .the lies between "hero" and "villain" will truly be blurred.

I am still a bit astounded that for a standalone book, Vicious developed a canon universe, gave plenty of time to secondary characters and has a unique twist on the superhero genre, all in the span of around 350 pages. The story opens to the present, with Victor escaped from prison and out to get his revenge on his friend-turned-foe Eli. Taking us back through flashbacks and progressing through different POV, the picture starts to piece itself together – of two sociopathic young men with a talent for making the almost impossible within mortal reach. Through experiments, they determine that extraordinary abilities can be developed. The consequences of their powers, however, surprise and scare them, and leads to a vicious (ha!) showdown between the two.

This is not a story of a hero versus villain. As much as you like to pretend that Victor is (because he gets the first POV) doing it out of jealousy and malice, and that maybe Eli’s characterization is just viewed through the lens of an unreliable narrator, when it comes to Eli’s POV, all doubts are dispelled. It becomes a story of antihero versus antihero – the question only being who committed more crimes against humanity. Eli has a God complex, and Victor is apart from his humanity, but now the latter is showing signs of holding on to his friends and well, his intentions are not as bad. The plot also posits an interesting discussion of what it would mean to come back to life, but broken – it can affect a person in many ways, least of all the fact that you met death and came away alive.

But besides the showdown between the two main focal points of the story, you also have these amazing well-rounded secondary characters that mirror them. Serena and Sydney, sisters who were once so close, now torn apart because of betrayal, mistrust and their deaths. Serena was infinitely more interesting than Eli, because she had his attitude without the pesky god complex, and was definitely a more formidable foe. Sydney – gifted with her unwanted power, having to grow up so quickly was heartbreaking to watch. Mitch was also amazing, and I liked that he was basically a giant teddy bear, able to hold his own in between all these super-powered individuals.

Finally, the plot, while quite simplistic if you look at it from a distance, weaves beautifully between the characters and delivers good twists at a heart-pounding pace. Towards the end, the cliffhanger scenes were getting too much for me, and I was so scared of how things would turn out. It ended very well, in my opinion, even though it leaves an open-ended question to the existence and knowledge of the EOs. In conclusion, this is a book I would probably read more than once.

Okay let me just start by saying HOLY CRAP and this review is going to be short because I don’t even know! To be honest when I went in to this book I knew little to nothing about it. I had heard about this book from several different bloggers and it never drew my attention. But then Regan over at PeruseProject started talking about it and she just completely sold me. All I knew was best friends who gain super powers and become enemies. And I knew from that alone I would have to read it, so when my sister bought it I stole it from her (mwahhaha) and read it in about two days. And guys it was crazy good! This story follows Victor and Eli, alternating between past and present, to tell the story of how two best friends became arch nemeses. Victor who just broke out of prison, for reasons unknown, and Eli who is trying to eliminate all the other EOs because he believes them to be unnatural. I have been in quite the reading slump lately and this just pulled me right out. It was such an interesting take on the whole ExtraOrdinary, that I just couldn’t put it down. It’s not a black and white story. Good guy against bad guy. In Vicious we see just how blurred the lines between good and evil really are. And I think that’s one of the things that just worked for this book. It wasn’t the hero fighting to save people from the evil villain. It was one slightly bad guy trying to stop the even worse bad guy. And for me that just worked. It sucked me in and it didn’t stop until I was on the floor. I mean I don’t know about you guys but I love anti-hero stories. They just get the whole not everything is so cut and dry. And I think V.E. just did an amazing job with this and where it went, I mean I did not see that coming until it was right there.

I also think one of the things that really worked for this story was the way it was told in alternating POVs and jumping back and forth between past and present. Usually this drives me insane, and it’s hard to follow, but Victoria pulled it off. I don’t want to talk to much about the plot or what happens in this book, because a lot of the appeal is the fact that you know nothing about what happened and you find it out as you go. With that being said, I will talk about Victor and Eli. Both of these characters were crazy and so well written. I loved Victor. He never claimed to be a hero. He never acted like he was a good guy. But he never did anything truly horrible to me, well I mean there was that one thing, but I could see why he did it. Eli to me was the perfect villain. He wasn’t evil looking in fact he looked charming and had a way with making people like him and I thought that was a very interesting take. He looked like anyone else and that made him even more dangerous, because he got away with things that he shouldn’t have. I really don’t want to say to much because this story relies on the element of mystery. Why did Victor go to prison, how did they get their powers, and more importantly how did they become enemies? You catch my drift. I mean reading this, at least for me, I had to find out what happened. And not just with Victor, but with Eli and the other characters in this book. They all had a little bit of their story told which I liked. It’s what kept me turning the pages and what had me thinking about the book even after I put it down. Honestly these characters were just so amazingly done. They weren’t perfect and they had their flaws but I was rooting for them so badly. I also couldn’t stop picturing this story in my head. They way the scenes would play out and the way the characters looked. I mean it was such a vivid story that I couldn’t stop picturing everything.

I gave this book 5 stars because I thought it very much deserved it. I would seriously recommend reading this book. Especially if it’s not one you would normally read. It’s different and insane in the best way possible.V.E. definitely knows how to write anti-heroes and I can’t wait till the sequel to come out! To be quite honest I am so excited and might be freaking out just a little bit. I certainly think it’s worth the read and something that, at least for me, I haven’t quite read. So glad that Victoria has so many other books out and coming out to keep me filled until the next one. You have definitely made a life long fan out of me V.E.

This was the first book by Victoria (V.E.) Schwab that I have read. I had not heard about her, or about this book, before, yet somehow, this novel managed to become an instant favourite of mine. To this day, it still is.
Ultimately, Vicious is a book about superheroes and villains, I guess… But, in reality, it’s more complicated. To me, Vicious was about best friends-turned-enemies. People with good intentions turned anitheroes.
Vicious tells the story of now and then. Now: Victor is searching for his nemesis, Eli. Now, Eli is hunting down others like him & Victor, people who have gone through near death experiences that have left them with powers—EOs (ExtraOrdinary). Then: you have two seniors in college, both ambitious and intelligent, the best and the brightest, both rivalling one another despite being best friends.
For their Comprehensive Science Seminar thesis, Eli chose a topic about ExtraOrdinary people, how science can explain their existence. (Because, let’s face it, how on earth is someone like them even possible??) And it’s a brilliant idea—but soon it becomes more than an idea. It becomes something Victor and Eli must accomplish, must prove. And when it provides results… Well, let’s just say things aren’t quite the same from the two old friends.
This book is a wild ride. Between Victor and Eli, both wonderfully well-developed and both equally wicked and ambitious characters, along with their respected crews, there is a slow action that keeps you on the edge of your seat, throughout the entire book. In fragments, you are told the story of what created the main characters’ goals, what caused them to go such great lengths to be the person they are now, 10 years after the Incident.
Schwab doesn’t give you a clear view here. It’s not good v. bad in this book. You can argue that, maybe in the beginning, there were good intentions, but that all goes downhill. Eli and Victor were both driven by some force—all the characters were, if you ask me—and it’s clear to me that you can’t just place them in the general grey areas for either party. Maybe Eli and Victor both have some redeemable characteristics, but that don’t let that cloud your judgement; you will see them at their worst, and you will realise they don’t care.
I loved that about them. I found these characters so different from one another, yet so alike. I can’t quite explain it. I’m not going to lie, after reading this book, I couldn’t help but feel a pull towards the darker side in a character. The side that relishes in the downfall—the pain—of others. I feel as if Schwab took the generic villain and breathed a new life into him. It was a nice change for me, after reading so many clear-cut protagonists and antagonists; one acting for the good of humanity, the other lashing out but having a very appropriate reason for it. Eli and Victor… I felt it was more than just that for both of them.
I don’t know what to say about the writing in this book because I was completely blown away. It was so… perfect. I’ve never read anything like Vicious, both content wise and writing style wise. It was flawless, advanced, so sophisticated throughout. Victoria Schwab is clearly talented in writing; it’s obvious from the first chapter. If the story doesn’t suck you in, it will definitely be that eloquent way she weaves the story.
Despite the complexity of the idea that Vicious portrays, along with the variety of issues—religion, morality, one’s purpose—the book isn’t confusing. Whenever I read books in third person POV, one that explains a world or something, I tend to get confused behind the reasoning. Vicious is easy to understand so you won’t find yourself in a confused position. It’s all well explained—the aspect behind EOs—without it feeling like it’s all been dumped on you.
So, clearly, this is a 5-star book. All the stars and more! Beautifully written, wonderfully executed, and brilliant characters. Trust me, Vicious is amazing.

Vicious, by V.E. Schwab, is another offering in the ever-more popular folks-with-powers genre, and fits as well in the equally popular sub-genre where those folks-with-powers don’t’ fall neatly into the quaint “superhero” mode but have a bit more edge, a bit more (OK, a lot more in this case) grey to them.

Chronologically, the story begins when Victor and Eli, a pair of brilliant college roommates/best friends, devise a theoretical method for creating an “EO”, or an Extra-Ordinary (person with powers) and decide to put theory into action. Their experiment (two separate ones actually) succeeds, but at a horrible cost which includes but is not limited to the severing of their friendship. The two go their own ways, one path—Victor’s—leading to a decade spent in prison and another, well, I won’t spoil that one, but both paths lead to the two in violent, obsessive conflict that will ripple outward onto those nearest them and into the larger society.

I noted this is the chronological story, because Schwab has chosen a non-linear structure for Vicious, beginning with a very recent flashback in a chapter entitled “Last Night,” then leaping back a decade via a chapter called, sensibly, “Ten Years Ago,” and then filling in the gaps as well as catching us up to present time through chapters titled “Two Days Ago,” “Two Weeks Ago,” and so forth. The Third-Person Limited POV also switches throughout. Victor is by far our most frequent narrator, especially through much of the start, with his young “sidekick” Sydney joining in. As Vicious continues, we hear more from Sydney’s point of view, but also from Eli, from another sidekick of Victor’s, and from Sydney’s sister, who ends up allied with Eli.

The structure—multiple POVs and multiple timelines might have been my favorite part of the novel. I liked the stimulation of the shifts, thought Schwab did a mostly good job of using the shifts to create and build tension, and thought the decision to broaden the point of view beyond the two generally (though not fully) unlikable main characters a wise one, especially as the side characters are in many ways far more interesting.

The crux of the novel is the obsessive conflict between Victor and Eli which is really entirely personal, though there are clearly far broader ramifications. This is both a plus and a minus. On the one hand, it does shade them as more grey; neither one can be neatly labeled a superhero or supervillain. It isn’t simply that their actions don’t fall into those neat categories; it’s more that those words—hero and villain—have no meaning in such a personal conflict. They are opposed, but not because one is “doing good” and one is “doing bad,” because one is protecting society and one is abusing it; they’re opposed mostly thanks to a singular event that occurred because of their early experimentation and because of the same sort of petty human qualities that non EOs have all the time: envy, jealousy, etc. The minus comes in because the singular event is a bit flat, at least as presented, a bit underwhelming (though to be fair, that may be part of Schwab’s point) and because Eli’s motivation is somewhat trite, even a bit cheap, though I don’t want to spoil things.

Because this is an obsession for each, the two main characters are I thought far less interesting than those others who get caught up in their lives. Eli and Victor are mostly on autopilot. Sure, they’re “grey,” but it’s a grey we’ve seen lots of times by now (one example—the kind of grey where someone is so goal obsessed they risk losing their human perspective) and grey after all isn’t the most exciting of colors. Being grim and an antihero or, yes, grey, doesn’t automatically make you interesting. It certainly didn’t make these two all that interesting.

On the other hand, Scwab does a mostly marvelous job with the “sidekicks”: 12-year-old Sydney, her older sister Serena (whom I found the most complex of them all), Victor’s former cellmate Mitch, all of them EOs and all of them more moving, more complicated, more compelling than the two main characters. I especially loved Schwab’s description of Serena’s unexpected and richly tragic response to a power that most would think could be nothing but wonderful. Though to a somewhat lesser extent, both Sydney and Mitch have that same kind of richness of character that Eli and Victor lack, perhaps purposefully.

The dialogue is sharp and realistic, the prose fluid, smooth, and precise. As are the shifts among time and POV; Schwab seems in complete control of this novel. Pacing is spot on; I don’t recall any moments where things lagged. I felt like I was expected to be a little more impressed with the “greyness” of the two opponents, though that could be all in my head, and in some ways, the book feels a little too familiar in theme. But the execution is so well done—really nailed—and the side characters so richly drawn, that the book’s faults had little impact on the reading experience. Recommended.

(this review originally appeared on fantasyliterature.com)

I already knew I was probably going to like this book since I loved her writing style in the past, and I was right. While the Shades Of Magic books are still my absolute favorite, I thoroughly enjoyed Vicious. It wasn’t perfect and I would have liked to see some things differently, but in general the story more than made up for it. This book has a superfast pace and the prose is brilliant, just as I already expected. Vicious also has superpowers and a revenge plot… What’s not to like? I do admit it could have done without the romance, religious angle and some of the melodrama, but overall I can definitely recommend this book. Fingers crossed she will end up publishing a sequel some time soon! Vicious doesn’t end up with a cliffhanger and was originally ment as a stand-alone, but I wouldn’t say no to more superpowers, awesome prose and another great plot.

In both plotting and characterization, Vicious is comic-book like, but in this case that’s not a bad thing. Comic books cut to the chase. They’re full of energy and clearly define the difference between good and bad. Except this time. Because Vicious isn’t about the conflict between super-Hero and super-Villain. This time, both the supermen are bad. (I should say ‘super people’ –two of the four subsidiary characters are women who have super powers too.) It started ten years ago. At the start of their senior year in college, friends and roommates Victor and Eli choose to study EOs, ExtraOrdinary human beings, people with abnormal powers. Eli surmises they are created out of stress in a moment of near death. Create an adrenaline rush and combine it with a will to survive, then almost kill a person and then revive him (her) and sometimes new powers emerge. Eli is the first of the two to try it and survive. He emerges with the power to heal himself. For the remaining ten years covered in the book, he can be wounded but not killed, his body heals with amazing rapidity, and he never ages. Victor’s experience is jolting: after a first failed attempt, he tries again and revives with the power to transmit intense, even killing, pain to anyone around him. Before he knows how to handle his new power, he kills someone and in the process, convinces Eli, who has a messianic strain in him, to attack him. Victor is wounded near death again. Eli convinces the police that Victor is insane and a murderer and Victor spends the next ten years closed in a cell in a maximum security prison. Now he’s escaped and Eli is his target. Two EO teams, four superpowers, on a collision course against each other. One of the women has the power to persuade: what she tells a person, the person does. Another brings back the dead. Victor, pain. Eli, healing. Eli out to eradicate all EOs as abominations in the eyes of God. Victor, out for revenge. It’s great fun, made even more so by the lack of one side to root for.

VICIOUS was the first Victoria/V.E. Schwab book that I've read, and it was just as badass as I'd hoped it would be. The struggle between Victor and Eli, both of whom are wrestling some major personal demons, says so much about our perceptions of good and evil without being preachy or didactic. I loved the theory on where ExtraOrdinary powers came from, and I loved watching the characters in possession of those powers struggle to decide whether or not they'd each lost some vital piece of themselves when they became EOs.

I did find the opening a bit jarring, thanks to the constant changes in perspective, but by the time Eli and Victor began experimenting with how to develop EO abilities, I was hooked. And even though it took me some time to find my footing with the characters, the fantastic ending more than made up for any initial confusion.

This is a book that is definitely a bit dark, but even though this is the case you will find that it is a page turner from page one. The characters are real and ones that you will be drawn to in many ways. The book is a tale of people who are opposites of each other in many ways. While they are opposites they are drawn together in many ways, but they fight against each other as well. You encounter jealously between these two characters and more. The book is fast paced and exciting but also full of deceit, revenge and even redemption, making this a book you will not want to miss!

After reading this I am excited for book two, Vengeful, which is coming out on September 26!

Vicious has got to be one of the coolest and uniquest (yes, I said that) books I have ever read. I am so in love with it because it’s different, and let me tell you, I LOVE different. We’re not talking about a book with superheroes or good guys or just innocent people. We are dealing here with what you would call the “bad guys” of a story.

Victor and Eli hope to turn into extraordinary people. They are smart, they are greedy, and because they have this intense need to prove that they are far superior than everybody else, they experiment by mixing up adrenaline plus a near death experience to gain the title of Extraordinary. However, like many bad experiments gone wrong, not only do Victor and Eli go from regular humans to extraordinary, but they become nemesis and pretty vicious as well.

One of the major reasons why I loved this book so much is that Vicious makes you work to justify your love for the characters. Not in the sense that they are badly written (they are incredible), but because most of the characters are just plain mean and full of animosity. For example, if I were to explain why Victor is my favorite character, I’d have to say that he’s the lesser of two evils even though he still is a cold-hearted, crazy villain intent on getting his revenge no matter what. Not a really great description to sell him out, but I still think highly of him. At least he’s so much better than Eli, in my opinion.

But my favorite thing about this book are the superpowers! They are amazing. From auto-healing and dulling senses, to waking the dead and walking in shadows. Truly terrific powers, and I love that even as great as they are, the people who have abilities were affected in one way or another because the price of turning into extraordinary is ridiculously high. Near death experience? Um, no thanks.

And while I’m not usually thrilled to read books that simultaneously go back and forth in time (you know, the kind that explains the characters’ past and how they are faring in the present) I think it was done pretty neat here. It was exciting how the author slowly builds momentum and lets the reader slowly peel the layers and discover a few well-guarded secrets from the characters. It’s a bit mind-blowing how well everything was planned out. And the ending, oof! Epic.

Seriously folks, this book is a must if you want something fresh and twisted. It’s a gripping, heart-pumping story that will have you trying to determine which of the characters has any good bones left. Or at least, who will survive…

Five HUGE stars from me ;)

Vicious is a masterpiece. When I first started reading Vicious I had to keep putting the book down, not because I couldn’t get into it, or because I was distracted, but because it was so perfect my heart literally couldn’t take it. Victoria has masterfully pieced together words in a way that ever single line you want to quote. (I did a lot of quoting on Twitter while reading this book.) There isn’t enough I can say about this book to describe how perfectly pieced together it is.

Victoria has created a vivid cast of characters who I miss dearly. (Let’s pray Tor sees how much we all love Vicious and buys another book in this world!) Victor and Eli are gifted, they become ExtraOrdinary with powers that reflect them and change them. Without fear their morality shifts. What is once wrong becomes only a thought of wrong instead of a gut instinct that would make you and I sick at just the thought.

Victoria plays with the balance of morality and mortality. How one affects another. How characters with good intentions can be the most cruel of villains and those who are labeled villain can be the hero of the story. I have never come across a book that has led me to such frustration over misguided beliefs and betrayal.

Not only does Vicious offer great literary quality, vivid characters, and questions to ponder there is also unique relationships that are real. Every character could step off the pages and the relationships between them are strong, unique, and I miss them. Vicious is a world I want to see more of for the cast of characters that has stolen my heart.

Vicious gets 5 out of 5 stars from me for being my one favorite book above all others. If you haven't read it. What are you waiting for?

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Vicious is full of morally grey characters that keep you flip-flopping between picking the ones you want to root for. The story is divided into two parts. The first focuses on Victor Vale, and the events leading to present-day, where the book starts out with Victor and a young girl named Sydney digging up a grave. There are time jump between chapters and the idea of ExtraOrdinaries, otherwise known as EOs, in this story are brought to life. EOs are people with superhuman capabilities and the way people get their powers in Vicious is what sets this apart from other superhero stories. I wouldn't say there are any true heroes on this story, just people you decide to side with. Victor is an escaped convict with the help of his cellmate, Mitch Turner.

Victor's main focus is exacting revenge on his once best friend, Eli. They had been roommates in college and their research on Eli's senior thesis led to experiments that were pushed too far. The second part of the book introduces the story from Eli's point-of-view and it's an interesting turn of events to know what's happening from the one person you've come to, let's just say, dislike, after reading about Eli from Victor's point-of-view. Eli has a twisted way of thinking that superpowers they've gained are an affront in God's view, an anomaly that shouldn't exist. Eli takes it upon himself to rid the world of EOs and manages to convince himself that this is all God's plan for him based on his own ability.

There are twists and turns that keep you guessing to the very end. I can't wait for V.E. Schwab to publish Vicious #2, because although Vicious had a satisfying ending, I'm not quite ready to say goodbye to Victor Vale and Eli Ever just yet.

[...]
Rating: 4 Stars

I have never read anything by Schwab before but have heard some of her other works praised highly and others practically salivating over her newest series so I was excited to give this one a try. The story is about Victor and Eli and how they started out as roommates and friends but as powers are discovered, extraordinary abilities change their focus and they become enemies out for their own gain. Ten years since parting ways, Eli has set out of a course to kill all others with powers, while Victor simply wants revenge. When two superpowers fight against one another, both villains in their own right, who will be left?

I went into this expecting a sort of anti-hero type book. That and powers were really all I knew to expect. What I found was a very interesting story that worked both in the present and in the past from how things were simple and friendly to out to kill. How two genius level guys ended up with powers and on a war path. The journey and seeing how things went so quickly from one to the other was brilliant. The whole story is a smart and twisted idea that leaves you guessing. Who do you root for? Who is the hero? Is anyone? Are they all equally doomed? Vicious was just so wicked in the best way. Drawing you into this feud and revenge plot like it pulled in others.

This ended up being shorter than I intended from all my notes but as I read them I don’t want to share because learning about each power and each detail as the story flushed out and you were given little tidbits here and there made the story. Additionally, going in not knowing much about it I think made the discoveries all the better for me personally. So there you have it a great story about an antihero, people with powers, and revenge. Check it out! Tell me your thoughts below I’d love to hear who your favorite character was. Mine was Sydney.

This book is dark but in the kind of way you love and feel mildly uncomfortable because like.... are you supposed to feel okay with this?

I truly despise 98% of fictional heroes and she does something wonderfully twisty with heroes and villains in this.

But no one writes complex villains quite like Schwab so that's nothing new coming from me.

One thing I loved about this book is how it's formatted. The scenes move back and forth between time as it unveils its events and strangely, the short chapters (sometimes only 1.5 pages) makes a huge impact. You read a short chapter and go "wtf just happened?" (In a good way. Not the confused way.)

I also loved that while it's mainly narrated by Eli and Victor, you get the side character narration in to really flesh out the events.

Vicious by Victoria Schwab turns the superhero story on it’s head with near death experiences being necessary to develop superpowers, and those superpowers being determined by your last thoughts as you are dying. Not to mention that our protagonist seems to be evil and the villain at first glance appears to be the hero. I love gray characters :D.

Strengths:
Right from the beginning of Vicious, we are forced to question who is the good guy and who the villain. All of the characters we are presented with have a darkness to them, so it really boils down to gray: there is no good guy and I love it!
I love love love the way Vicious handles superpowers and their acquisition. I was so intrigued as Victor started to uncover how an ExtraOrdinary person came to exist and the connection between last thoughts and powers was beautifully subtle and fresh.
All of Vicious consists of a number of timelines from ten years ago to two days ago to this morning. Those are the actual titles of the each of the timelines that we get at the beginning of chapters. I love this technique for identifying timelines since it gives such an eerie feeling of “This is happening right now and you don’t even know it!”
Science fiction stories are always hard-pressed to impress me since I study science for a living. However, Vicious succeeded in using just enough actual science to justify the superpower acquisition process that I was quite happy to suspend my disbelief about the rest. Quite refreshing to find!
It was so freaking fun finding out what every ExtraOrdinary’s superpower was and how that power reflected their personality and last thoughts. While some of the powers were your typical healing, etc, figuring out what thought elicited said power was so exciting.
Weaknesses:
There were several moments in Vicious where I was hoping for some cool twist and ended up with a quite predictable plot progression. I think some of this disappointment stems from the uber-hype that I ran into before starting Vicious, so you’ve been warned!
I had a bit of trouble keeping the timelines straight, especially as they started getting closer together and involving the same characters. You’ll not want to put Vicious down for too long.
I can’t explain this weakness all that well without a minor spoiler, but remember how we talked about all those bookish pet peeves? There is something in Vicious that was on A LOT of lists, but it isn’t too bad >.>.
Summary:
Vicious astounded me with how fresh and original it was able to make the superhero tropes. Throw in a whole bunch of dark and grey characters and I’m in love ;-). While I kind of wish there was a sequel scheduled, I also feel like Vicious was just the right amount of story for me. It’s so easy with superhero worlds to keep making more and more powers, but then things start to get formulaic. Vicious had just the right number of ExtraOrdinary characters to showcase clever powers without getting cliche. Basically, Vicious lives up to the hype, but it’s strengths lie in creative ideas, not so much uber crazy plot twists ;-). But can someone explain the cover and title to me now?

I have been meaning to read this book for a long time. As I adore Victoria. She's an awesome person and author. And I thought Vicious sounded like an amazing book. Happy to say that I enjoyed it a lot. Was nervous about reading it, as I don't read adult books at all. So feared I wouldn't like it. But I did :)

But oh, how do I even begin to talk about this book. It was different. And I had some issues with the beginning. But I ended up loving it and ended up enjoying the writing a lot. The last part, almost half, of the book was so so exciting. I was so worried. And it was a lot of fun too. So yeah. I liked this book.

I have decided to give Vicious four stars. Not five, because I had some issues at times, but still four, because I liked it a lot, and the story was exciting, and I adored all the characters. Well, except for a few awful ones. But for the most part this book was all kinds of awesome. Not the best one, yet I'm so glad I read it, because I did like it a lot. And I do adore the author a lot too. Anyway. This book takes place over three days. Most on the third one. But there are also a lot of long sort-of flashbacks to other times, like ten years ago and one year ago and so on. I liked those flashbacks a lot too. Well, most of them were pretty exciting and interesting. I enjoyed reading all of them. The writing was awesome. Characters the best.

Then there were the characters in this one. The story is centered around Victor and Eli, former best friends. It has been ten years since they last saw each other; and Victor have been in jail all this time. Sad face. So he is now thirty two years old. Which bothered me a bit, but I didn't mind all that much, as I did grow to like him a whole lot. He is my second favorite person. And he's a good person. Sure, he might be a bit awful, and hurts some people, yet he isn't a mean person. I thought he was awesome.

And then there was Eli. Sigh. I'm not sure what I thought about him. Okay, fine, that is a lie. I know what I thought of him. And it wasn't anything nice. I didn't like this man at all. He murdered so many people. And not for a good reason even. And he turned Victor in to the police. So not okay. And I just. I didn't like Eli at all. He killed so many people. He even tried to kill precious Sydney. Hmph. He also goes on and on about God in his mind. I didn't like that at all. Oh, well. I'm pretty okay with not liking him :)

Precious Sydney. She is the character I loved the most. And she is just about to turn thirteen years old. So young. And already gotten so broken. I cannot. Reading about her was the most interesting parts of this book, and I loved it so much. Loved getting to know her. And her past. And her truly crazy sister, Serena. Whom I hated. A lot. But she was interesting. Her powers were exciting, yet so wrong. I didn't like her much at all. Hmph. But Sydney. She was the cutest. And I wish to get to know her much more.

"Sydney, look at me." He rested his hands on the car roof and leaned in. "No one is going to hurt you. Do you know why?" She shook her head, and Victor smiled. "Because I'll hurt them first."

There were a bunch of other characters in this book too. And I liked reading about them all. Especially Mitch, whom Victor was in jail with. He was just so awesome. And getting to know him was so great. I wish to read more about him as well. He was a great friend. Big and soft. I adored him. A new character at the end of the book was Dominic. And he was so interesting to get to know a little bit. His powers especially. I wish to get to know him more, I think. But worried after that ending. Ack. It was so bloody.

And now I shall try to talk a little bit about the plot in this book. It is about villains and heroes. About how Eli thinks he's a hero, yet I'm pretty sure he is the biggest villain there is. And lots of other things too. This book is about superpowers. About two college roommates researching and wanting to try get powers on their own. It was a bit confusing in the beginning, yet still interesting. I liked knowing how they got their powers. And who died while it happened. Just, how it was done. It was written pretty well.

The story in this one is about Victor having broken out of jail. About him wanting revenge on Eli, wanting him dead, for getting him locked up. And I don't blame him one bit. I liked how they interacted. How they thought about each other. But yeah. I want Eli dead so badly. He's just an awful person. Sure, I'm interested in getting to know more about him, but he is such a villain. Shudders. Anyway. I loved seeing how Victor met Sydney. I liked how sort-of close they became. I just adored them all so much.

I'm not going to say more about this book. I just have so many thoughts about it. I had some issues with the writing in the beginning, with focusing, but I got past it, and ended up enjoying the book a lot. The plot was exciting. The characters were awesome. I adored reading about the different superpowers. So awesome. Vicious was a brilliant book. I enjoyed reading it so much. I cannot wait to read the sequel as well. Hope it will be out soon :D Anyway. You should read this book. Curious to know what you all think.

I loved Victoria Scwab's other novel, A Darker Shade of Magic, so I have been working my way through her books. My book club recently read The Archived, and I highly enjoyed that book as well. Everyone I talk to on twitter that loves Victoria Schwab's books, always seemed to rave about Vicious.

So I expected to love this book.

I wanted to love this book.

Instead, I was more than a bit disappointed with it.

Vicious was the tale of two former best friends, turned enemies over some incident in the past. Now Victor was on a mission to kill Eli. You can't get more vengeful than that, so I was highly intrigued. Add in some superhero abilities, and I was sold.

My biggest problem with this book was the format in which it was told. Chapters alternated between present, recent past, and distant past. While I don't prefer to jump around in the timeline as I read, normally I'm okay with it. But for some reason, I just could not adjust to the switches. That lack of stability, for me, affected how I connected with the characters.

Translation: I didn't.

Which really kept me from fully investing in this story.

I did love the lines between good and evil in this book. The heroes weren't "good" and the villains weren't "bad." And yet, there was no way Victor could be defined as the hero instead of playing his role as the villain to their saga. Instead, Victor reminded me more of an antihero, more than willing to do bad things to accomplish his goals. I love that archetype because they tend to be some fascinatingly complex characters, and Victor was no exception to this.

I also found both Victor and Eli fascinating in the sense that they both were far from normal. They are my fellow Slytherins. They were driven and ambitious, and completely miles away from socially acceptable "normal." They were demented and twisted, and oh so much fun watch as the pages turned.

Vicious brought to life a contemporary world that was equal parts dystopian and paranormal (superhero) in it's existence. It was dark and gritty, but real and deadly. Reading this book was almost like watch an old noire film, only less cop based and more focus on the criminal side of things.

WORDS TO LIVE BY
"Plenty of humans were monstrous, and plenty of monsters knew how to play at being human."

"When no one understands, that's usually a good sign that you're wrong."

"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."

OVERALL
Victoria Schwab recently announced that she was going to be writing a Vicious book two. One one hand, I'm kind of excited to see how things are going to play out in this world. With the way the book ended you just knew some dangerously exciting things were in these character's futures, and I want to find out what they are.

On the other hand, I'm hesitant. I think I could easily get swept into this series if it had a more linear timeline. Yet, I think that was part of what made this series so interesting to so many people.

“Plenty of humans were monstrous, and plenty of monsters knew how to play at being human.”

I never thought there would be a day when I read a book from the villains point of view, but I can assure you that I was not disappointed. Both Victor and Eli are insane. I can’t say I didn't question myself while reading this. But goodness this was so original! It was something new and fresh, and definitely something I haven't read before.

The tables turned in such a way. While reading I was aware that both Eli and Victor were wrong but I couldn't help it. I was rooting for Victor a little bit. Just a tiny bit (Probably the biggest lie I have ever told.) Victoria Schwab gives you two villains, and let’s you decide which side you’re on. Of course every villain is a hero in his/her own eyes. And that is exactly what we got to witness here.

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

There’s nothing like a good X-Men like story. I’ve always been a sucker for books like these, and one written by Victoria Schwab was definitely going to make it on my list of favorites. What else made its way on my list of favorites you ask? The characters in this damn book.

Victor Vale: This man right here has become my favorite villain. There’s no way around this. Cunning, persuasive and unworldly ambition. The sheer determination that Vic had throughout this book was intense. I mean if I was in prison for 10 year I don’t think I’d have the energy for revenge, but what can I say.

“There are no good men in this game.”

Eli Cardale: I had my suspicions when he was first introduced, and I kind of stuck to Victor the whole time (and then they both turned out to be quite insane) but I constantly felt uneasy about his character. I was absolutely sure he was losing his marbles at some point. The events that happened were definitely confirmation enough that I was right.

Sydney Clarke: An absolute favorite. I loved her relationship with Victor and Mitch. And lets not forget dol. She was a pretty smart and brave kid. Not to mention loyal.

Serena Clarke: I hated her. That’s literally all there is to it. Despite the fact that the whole book consists of villains and sidekicks, Serena was one that I hated by the minute. I couldn't believe she would do such a thing to her own sister. She changed her mind towards the end of the book, but what if it was already too late?

Mitch Turner: Broad, tattooed and the biggest sweetheart you could ever imagine. I loved how protective he was of Sydney. I also loved how he stuck with Victor. Anyone else wouldn't have put up with half of Vic’s crazy ideas.

“So what do you want then?" he asked.
Victor‘s lips curled into that same, dangerous smile. "A friend."
"That‘s all?" he asked, disbelieving.
"A good friend, Mr. Turner, is very hard to find.”

The story was fast paced. I wasn’t disappointed by the events. I loved how complex everything was, and I loved the way the book ended. Vengeful is waiting for me to read it and I don’t think I’ll be ignoring it any longer.

I came across V.E.Schwab purely because of high recommendations and praises for “Vicious”. I was a bit unclear on what exactly is this book about, and after reading the blurb it didn’t become any clearer. :) So I dove in trusting my fellow readers/reviewers and, boy, I was happy I did!

“Vicious” is smart, fun, entertaining and, most importantly, daring in questioning if the hero is actually “good”, and anti-hero is a totally “bad” guy. In fact, I believe that this was what ultimately brought this novel for me on a whole other level. Nothing in “Vicious” world is defined. No one is absolutely right or wrong – you can pick your side or a guy you can ultimately relate to more; however, he most likely will end up doing something that will disappoint/surprise you in one way or another. And this is fun! We are so used to main heroes being portrayed in a conveniently favorable light, that when something shakes the order of things we end up with this interesting, hard-to-put-your-finger-on feeling. And when a book makes you consider, ponder or contemplate – author already did a hell of a job.

I may take a risk and suggest that while majority of people probably “took side” of Victor (because if not – what’s wrong with you? Do you have problems?) certain actions and ideas of his are questionable at best. I found it quite hard to like him in the beginning, and after “Big Event” he didn’t became this cuddly guy you just want to follow… Evolution of Eli went somewhat of an opposite direction… What about Serena? Did her actions in the end of the book define her? Or was it too late to change reader’s opinion about her? These and many many more questions are what makes this book such a wonderful read! The characters are absolutely fantastic. They are complicated, uncertain, troubled and very real. I want to give an extra (EXTRA!) point for Mitch – perhaps one of the most interesting and unusual side characters I came to know – ever. Just cast alone makes this book such a worthy read.

V.E. Schwab went further, however, and also decided to give us outstanding, smooth and sharp writing and fast-paced, thrilling story. Her prose, that is presented in two timelines at the same time (before and after “The Events”) is top-notch and makes it hard to put the novel down. The plot is complex, yet easy to follow; full of twists, but all of them make sense and, ultimately, an absolute pleasure to sink into – dark, captivating and thought-provoking at the same time.

Like I mentioned above, as a mostly character-driven reader I can recommend “Vicious” just based on the cast of characters alone. But, really, here you get ALL of it. It’s an absolutely incredible book from beginning to end, and you just have to read it. Have to! It’s a very smart, fun and stimulating way to get away from everything, so go get lost in the world of “Vicious” as soon as you can!

This was chosen as our recent book club book. It is probably not a book that I would have chosen for myself; so I may have never read it. It is an interesting story with a lot of morality issues. I found it quite interesting. Two strong-willed individuals, Victor and Eli, become dorm-mates in college with a somewhat healthy competitive spirit. The story unfolds in present time and then alternates between past and present. I know the shift in time periods sometimes bothers the reader; I found it was something that gave insight into what was presently happening, while giving background information. The writing style was smooth and kept this reader engaged. The characters developed well throughout the book. I also found it amusing that the authors initials correspond to the main characters names; whether as a coincidence or by choice.

After really enjoying A Darker Shade of Magic I was really excited to get my hands on a copy of Vicious to see what else V.E. Schwab was capable of. The two stories couldn't be more different but they both show what a talented writer she is and I thoroughly enjoyed her take on superheroes, or perhaps I should say anti-heroes because there aren't really any good guys here!

The story is told in two distinct narratives, you have flashbacks ten years into the past where we see Victor and Eli meeting a university, they are close friends and very competitive in their studies so when Eli comes up with the idea to study EOs (ExtraOrdianry people with superpowers) for his thesis Victor automatically wants to join in and take things one step further. The boys run dangerous experiments trying to turn themselves into EOs and the resulting tragedy sees Victor put in prison for murder. In the current timeline Victor has broken out of prison along with his cell mate Mitch and he's determined to track down Eli and make him pay for betraying him. It takes a while for us to uncover exactly what went down between them but it is clear from the beginning that they have both become very dangerous men who will stop at nothing to further their causes.

I already mentioned that this is a story of anti-heroes but I find it kind of hard to think of Victor as anything other than a slightly less evil villain. Victor and Eli are both extreme and they're both willing to torture and kill without batting an eye so it's hard to decide which side you should be rooting for. We get to see a more human side of Victor through the eyes of Mitch and Sydney, a young girl he rescues along the way, but from their point of view Victor can't be called a good man, he's just the lesser of two evils. I loved how ambiguous these characters are though, you can never quite be sure what Victor is capable of so it's hard to trust his motives long term and that is one of the things that makes him quite so fascinating.

This is a dark world, one where some people have amazing abilities but they rarely use them for good. I was completely hooked from the beginning and I loved the masterful way V.E. Schwab wove the two different time lines together in a way that kept you guessing right through to the end. There were a couple of incredibly well thought out twists and I was impressed that she managed to get me rooting for a psychopath. I would love to read more stories set in this world so I hope the author decides to revisit it at some point in the future.

Oh Lord! This is just X-Men done right. Very right. If you liked Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson you are going to like Vicious. Although Vicious is not as frivolous; it has... meaning, depth... well, a heart.

The book also reminded me of Deviants (Dust Chronicles #1) by Maureen McGowan but they are completely different setting. They are similar because of the X-Men theme.

Another book that Vicious reminded me of is The Twelve-Fingered Boy (The Incarcerado Trilogy #1) by John Hornor Jacobs and that I loved as much as Vicious.

Okay, enough of comparisons. As always, I have very little to say about good books. I don't remember in which one of the blogs I follow this book was reviewed but, thank you! I was slowly reading Vicious trying to make it last forever while at the same time needing to know what was coming next.

The book doesn't seem to be a series but, who knows? Sydney said she was determine to find the truth about Serena and Eli, so maybe there's room for more villains to develop right there.

I found the pace of the book to be just perfect. At the beginning the story would alternate between past and present, and although in the past this technique has bored me to death, in this book was done perfectly.

I love everything about the book. It kept me wondering to the very last minute who the "good" guy was, Victor or Eli?

Some bloggers found the main concept of the story boring, why? did we read two different books? Is not about a chase of EOs but how they go about it.

The end was just perfect.

Originally reviewed at http://www.shaelit.com/my-reviews/2013/09/review-vicious-by-v-e-schwab/

V.E. Schwab – elsewhere known as Victoria Schwab, author of The Archived and The Near Witch – has taken the ordinary superhero tale of good vs. evil, turned it on its head, and emptied out all its pockets. I can’t claim the title of superhero aficionado (my knowledge is limited to movies), but I think I can safely state that this ain’t yo momma’s superhero story.

Based on my limited knowledge of the superhero genre, I know that there are certain tropes and expectations that readers bring to the stories. Readers want flashy powers, tragic backstories, touching friendships, helpful flashbacks, handy sidekicks, and an epic duel between good and evil. Vicious had most of these things, and yet each trope is carefully warped, fun-house-mirror style. They are (mostly) all there and recognizable, but just a little bit off.

Take, for instance, the “epic battle between good and evil” trope. Superhero tales are known for their clear-cut black and white setups. Even the darker tales that introduce shades of grey still feature the good guy and the bad guy in stark opposition. Vicious, on the other hand, shouldn’t really be called a superhero book, because there are no heroes. We are told again and again through the mouths of different characters that there are no good guys in this story. We are not given a default team of a white-horsed knight to root for. There is no gallant defender appearing to sock evil on the jaw.

Instead, we are given two power-hungry boys with their own monsters to battle. One boy, Victor, has trouble written all over him. He is Benedict Cumberbatch’s Khan, regal, robed in black, and alluring, but sharp and dangerous in an instinctively primal way. He is poised to be our stereotypical villain with his absent, overbearing parents, a penchant for lies, and an inability to feel most basic human emotions. His roommate Eli is Rhoda from The Bad Seed. Handsome and exuding a golden charm, Eli is a friend to all, male and female. The teachers love him, his peers want to be him, and only Victor spots what he calls the “monster” beneath Eli’s mask, the lurking, sinister light in his friend’s eye that appears only rarely.

Despite their differences, the boys get along well until Eli starts investigating ExtraOrdinaries or EOs, mythical people with superhuman powers that have only been captured in Bigfoot-like fuzzy photos and shaky video clips. It is Victor who has the idea of not merely studying EOs but creating one, using himself and Eli as test subjects. They posit that EOs are created by a fateful mix of good genes, determination, and the sudden spike in adrenaline that comes from a Near Death Experience.

Their story is told to us in pieces, flashing back to their experiments and the trouble that followed. In between those pieces, we are placed ten years after – after Victor has escaped from jail, after Eli proclaims himself on a mission from God to hunt down all “abominable” EOs, after the friendship between them has turned to hate and an insatiable lust for revenge. Though I usually have problems with rapidly fluctuating timelines, I enjoyed piecing together what went wrong while simultaneously suffering through the consequences ten years in the future.

Adding to the instability of the timelines is the alternating viewpoints. We mostly remain with Victor and Eli, but at other points we’re allowed access to the other characters within their universe. We meet the sidekicks, twelve-year-old Sydney and college-age Serena, EO sisters on opposite sides of the battle, as well as Mitch, Victor’s tattooed mountain of a cellmate. It’s a difficult story to manage, but Ms. Schwab does it well.

Actually, Ms. Schwab does pretty much everything in this book well, but what she does best of all is playing with the multiple dichotomies presented in this book. Victor and Eli are the clearest ying-yang pairing with their dark/light coloring (though Ms. Schwab messes with us further by contrasting their hair color with their own clothing choices) and superficial natures, but the contrast goes deeper. Victor deals in pain but takes it away as often as he gives it. Eli is gifted in healing, but kills far more than he helps. Eli believes that becoming an EO robs a person of something essential but that God allowed him to become more; Victor doesn’t care either way. Eli believes he is fighting for what’s right, while Victor doesn’t care what’s right but merely tries to avoid the things he feels are wrong. For every “good guy” point that is given to either side, an equally black mark is placed later in the book.

As someone who believes in absolute right and wrong, I didn’t necessarily agree with some of the moral implications of this book. However, I also acknowledge the natural shades of grey in life, so I was fascinated by the degree of skill with which Ms. Schwab was able to manipulate those shades as shaped by our own expectations. Even though I knew that this wasn’t a book of good vs. evil, I kept looking for a sign, some sort of wink to inform me that “Yes, this is the team you should root for.” That wink never really appears, though readers will settle on who to root for on their own. Victor tortures. Eli murders. Selena manipulates. Even Sydney may not have the right to exist.

Anyone with an interest in superpowers, friendships turned ugly, and moral quandaries should check this book out. It has nerdy nods for the fanboys/girls and hard questions for the philosophers. I personally plan to lobby Ms. Schwab for a return to this dark and changing world. It is a place brimming with possibility, danger, and adventure with a spicy dash of moral ambiguity. What more could a girl ask for?

Points Added For: Never losing me in all the jumping, a fascinating premise, Victor’s poetry, the pairing of the scientific and the unexplainable to create the EOs, sociopaths

Points Subtracted For: A stereotypical evil minister (I literally rolled my eyes), predictable fanaticism

Good For Fans Of: Superpowers, vendettas, shades of gray

Notes For Parents: Language, death, sex (fade-to-black, nothing shown), torture, animal death

Note: I received a copy of this title from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I think this was a great way for me to get a glimpse into the kind of writer she is; I'd heard her name associated with some YA novels before but had never picked them up. In a way, it's appropriate that I started here since this was her first adult novel.

It's hard to list exactly what I loved about this book without venturing into spoilers, but I'm going to try. Starting with the characters. Victor and Eli are such delightful sociopaths. I mean that in the literal sense. They're both terrible people, as cruel and vindictive as the title would suggest. But they're also among the most compelling characters that I've read lately. That is difficult to do, but I bought it completely.

All of the secondary characters are amazing, too. Victor's little found family that you meet over the course of the book are delightful. Even the lesser antagonists that Victor and his crew happen across feel fully-realized. Everyone serves a purpose in the narrative and each comes across as a distinct person beyond their role in the text.

Obviously the plot is incredible, from the pacing to the non-linear telling. It's multiple-viewpoint without ever being disorienting, and I can't think of any scene or arc that didn't tie together at the end. But the wildcard, the thing that rendered me unable to put the book down, was act two's countdown mechanic. Where all of the chapters in act one are told out of order, jumping back and forth chronologically as the reader needed particular pieces of information, the same utilitarian date stamps take on a new purpose in act two. They become a ticking timebomb, hurtling the reader forward, and they give everything a delicious tinge of malice. 

Vicious is Schwab first adult novel and it was superb! I’m a big fan of her YA novel, The Archived so when I heard about her new book I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it. Vicious is a story about two college friends who discovered a way to become Eos, ExtraOrdinary; people with special/unique abilities. Victor and Eli have total opposite personalities, and we see how their new ability/power stems from who they are at their core and how the power shapes them further throughout the story.

I must say, the layout/story of Vicious is ambitious. There are many books that jump back in and forth; past and present but Schwab takes it to a whole other level. The book is split into two parts; the first part jumps from the present to 10 years ago, a couple of weeks ago, couple of days ago, back and forth till the characters are all connected in some way. The second part is sort of a countdown when Eli and Victor meet face to face (present, after 10 years), the final battle/climate of the story. At first the format was kind of confusing but 50 pages in I understood why Schwab wrote it the way she did. Readers are given in-depth explanation of how our two main characters came to be; a look at how Eli and Victor are, their personalities, their beliefs and how they view themselves and the world. How becoming an ExtraOrdinary showed ones’ true natural. The layout made for an engaging read and had me on the edge of my seat as we got closer and closer to the deadline to explosive face-off between Eli and Victor.

At first glance; everyone would assume Victor was the villain of the story and Eli the hero but that assumption proved wrong as both their motives is revealed. There are no heroes or villains in this story; Victor and Eli believed all the choices they made were for the right reasons. For example Eli was ‘removing’ anyone and everyone that was an ExtraOrdinary because he truly believed God gave him the power to do so. Victor and Eli are extremely well-written, realistic and complex characters. By the end of the story you will know everything about them; how fascinating yet terrifying-cutthroat they can be. Schwab doesn’t stop there with incredible character development; the secondary characters were just as interesting and I found myself absorbed in their story and background. There’s Sydney the 12-year-old with the deadly power to resurrect the dead, Serena, Sydney’s big sis who can control anyone with the sound of her voice and Mitchell, a non-ExtraOrdinary that is the brain and brawn of the operation. Everyone played a crucial part to one another and brought a little something extra to the amazing world that Schwab built.

Vicious is everything one can hope for in story; engaging plot, thoroughly researched world-building, strong and multifaceted characters and beautifully written prose. Vicious is a very dark and violent novel, and I enjoyed every minute of it. I’ve mentioned before that I think Schwab is a very talented writer. She has a way with words that immediately grabs your attention from the first page and keeps you mentally and emotionally connected with the story and characters till you finish the book. Schwab is definitely a writer to watch. She has already conquered young adult novels, and now adult…is there anything this lady can’t do? I can’t wait to see what Schwab comes up next! If you haven’t read Vicious yet (but really, who hasn’t?), I highly recommend you picking up a copy A.S.A.P!

I'm finally getting around to reviewing this book. I loved this. It read like a movie; I definitely think it should be made into one. The way Schwab was able to weave the different perspectives at all the different time frames together the way that she did was so masterful. This entire book had me on the edge of my seat as it progressively continued to unfold one layer at a time.

One thing I love about this book: there is no good guy. There is no hero. It is basically a matter of which bad guy you'll be rooting for by the end of it all. Victor and Eli are similar in so many ways; nearly every way, in fact. The way their joint storyline progressed in the past simultaneously with their individual storylines from the present always kept things moving. There was never a dull moment.

Victor and Eli were studying together in college when they needed to select topics for a project. Eli selected EOs, which stands for ExtraOrdinaries, or people with enhanced abilities. They were best friends, but also fierce rivals. Without spoiling anything, they discovered how to become EOs themselves and were able to do so. Very shortly after, Victor went to jail for 10 years thanks to Eli. Now he is out and looking for revenge.

As I said, there are no good guys here. Victor and Eli both have serious issues within themselves that affect them in relation to each other. Their abilities were so different that it was hard to know which would end up on top when their rivalry finally came to a head.

There were supporting characters also. Some EOs, some not. I loved all of the different abilities Schwab was able to come up with throughout the story. And how each of those abilities contributed to the plot at large. I enjoyed that we never really knew exactly what Victor or Eli had planned.

I feel like I can't say anything without giving something away. Suffice to say, this is wonderful and I loved every second of it.

Victor Vale and Eli Ever are sworn enemies, but they weren't always that way. In fact, they started out as best friends until a tragic incident drove them apart but also made both of them vow to exact their revenge. They're also both EOs, gaining enhanced abilities after experiments, similar to the mutants in X-Men. And they're not the only ones.

One of the most interesting things about this book is that although Eli is the villain (in the more traditional sense of the narrative anyway), and the reader will most likely root for Victor, as I did, Victor is no saint. They're both essentially the same person split up into two halves--one of which thinks it's okay to kill EOs because they're an unnatural abomination against God and the other who thinks that they're people with wonderful gifts. People he can use to his advantage.

Both characters have done things that are bad, but Eli has racked up quite a few murders and attempted murders in his day. The novel becomes a race against the clock to see who will prevail after ten years of cat and mouse. Another thing I enjoyed was the structure of the narrative, which alternated between the present and the past. It unfolded information and necessary backstory in an interesting way and enhanced the overall reading experience.

Overall, "Vicious" is a great fantasy novel, not what you would expect, and perfect for those who are bored with the glut of comic book adaptation movies, few of which are doing anything as inventive as this book.

If there is one thing you should know about V.E Schwab (known to many as Victoria Schwab), it is that her stories are never just "ordinary", they are ExtraOrdinary. As the writer's first foray into writing adult literature, Victoria scores a home run with VICIOUS; a tale of unceasing revenge and the abuse of power. VICIOUS may very well be the best thing Victoria has written to-date. Goodness knows it is my favorite read yet in 2013 and my personal favorite of all her works.

You will never look at another act of heroism in quite the same way after reading VICIOUS. This story turns on its head everything you've ever believed about what it means to be a hero - forcing you, the reader, to think about the "man behind the mask" in more realistic, more humanizing, ways than ever before. Between the lines, VICIOUS asks the reader: is it the good deed that makes a man a hero, or is it the motives behind the good deed (the morals and the mindset of the man committing the supposed "act of heroism") that makes him a man to be admired, a man apart from the rest of society? Not even the creative minds of Stan Lee or Christopher Nolan have touched upon these questions of a hero's "humanity" as vividly or as successfully as Victoria does with VICIOUS.

Never before have I found myself so fully immersed in a story about super heroes, bloody revenge and despicable deeds. VICIOUS presents to us a world straight out of the pages of The Dark Night, Spider Man, X-Men, V for Vendetta and Sin City, all combined into something wholly original and as fully developed as each standing on their own. The cast of characters within VICIOUS come across as both dastardly and delightful to the reader.

Early-on we are introduced to the "villain" of our tale, Victor, and his young and precocious "sidekick", Sydney. The setting, a graveyard in the middle of the night, sets the tone of an occasionally dark tale that will throw us back over eleven years, to the months, weeks and even hours, before this particular midnight hour. Next up we meet Eli. Through the telling of a hero's "origin" story, based both in science and in the paranormal, we learn of how the fates of Victor and Eli had become intertwined in college. From there, we are propelled back and forth through time as the story progresses and more and more characters, each with their own unique personalities and motivations, are introduced.

While jumps through time may, at times, seem a bit off putting for readers - this manner of telling is beyond appropriate for the story of VICIOUS. It contributes to the uncanny way that the characters are introduced and developed, it presents details to the reader only when we need to know them. Ingeniously, this manner of telling the story lends itself to the overall sense of urgency and anticipation that one feels while reading. Honestly, I cannot imagine VICIOUS being told any other way.

Many times I found myself at the edge of my set, tense with anticipation. Other times I was rolling with laughter at some unexpected humor. One time I even found myself crying! Crying, guys! It goes without saying, you WILL feel something for these characters by the story's end - an end that comes with an highly satisfying conclusion, may I add.

The depth of the story within VICIOUS is not necessarily found in its prose (though if you know anything at all about Victoria's writing, you should know that she is at the top of her game here) - more-so the depth in VICIOUS is found in what her story means to the individual reader, as well as in the way it is presented as a whole. The creative lengths that Victoria took in writing VICIOUS is seen on every page, in every twist and turn that the story takes, her sporadic jumping through time to tell what is actually quite the linear plot, and the way she toys with the ongoing development of her characters. How she hides their true intentions until those intentions play an integral part in the "game" taking place between both Victor and Eli. You are forced to question your allegiances more than once. You will fall in love with certain characters, only to question if you're really supposed to love that character to begin with. If you like stories to be about the characters, in which their interactions and individual motivations are what drives the plot, VICIOUS offers you such a story of the highest caliber.

Those who write the stories that will last through the passage of time hold the greatest power of all. Victoria has gained this power with VICIOUS, a timeless tale that I foresee will be talked about among all age levels for some time. It is through VICIOUS that Victoria has proven herself to be a most masterful storyteller. I do believe that hers is a voice that future writers will soon be bowing down to. Many more will surely be attempting to mimic her style for years to come. I wouldn't even be surprised to see this on the big screen in the near future.

If you read only one book this year, make that book VICIOUS by V.E. Schwab.

Vicious follows Victor and Eli, who were best friends in college until their experiments to gain superpowers went horribly right. With Victor no longer in prison, neither of them will rest until the other has been utterly destroyed.

This is one of those books that’s almost a screenplay – I could see the movie playing in my head. It has short chapters (sometimes only a couple of pages) and is fast-paced, but it still focuses a lot on character by alternating flashbacks with the present-day story. The build-up to the final confrontation is extremely well-done – it almost gets too excruciating to wait any longer, and then everything happens very quickly.

Victor and Eli are fascinating characters, they both have something missing inside them, and that’s what drew them to each other in the first place. They learn to cope with that hole inside them in very different ways, although both are definitely supervillain material. Their sidekicks – Serena, Sydney, and Mitch, are complex in their own right – Serena’s crippling isolation with her power of persuasion is particularly poignant.

There was a lot of talk of gaining superpowers leaving people with a moral/spiritual hole inside themselves. It reminded me a little of Brandon Sanderson’s Steelheart universe, where superpowers also make you entirely selfish, so there are no superheroes – only supervillains. But most of this was perpetuated by Victor, Eli, and Serena, who all seemed to be pretty screwed up people even before they gained powers. Sydney certainly didn’t seem to have anything missing (and Serena even remarks on that at one point), and neither did any of the other superpowered people we met. I guess the ambiguity might make what Eli’s doing a bit more sympathetic, except he’s acting without any evidence, so it doesn’t.

I did like the fact that Victor wasn’t exactly a good person, but I wished that the book had pushed the envelope a bit farther – by the end, we know exactly who we’re rooting for – Victor might be a sociopath, but he’s remarkably well-attuned to society. It’s still a great book, though, in the Watchmen style of “who we think of as superheroes are usually badly-adjusted and obsessive people”. Someone please go make a movie out of it now.

V.E. Schwab has a way of crafting characters who are so utterly likable even when they are doing things that aren't so likable, and she really blurs the line between villain and hero in Vicious. The book ultimately reinforces the idea that every villain is the hero of their own story. So who is the hero and who is the villain in this story of former college roommates gifted with EO powers after experimenting with life and death? That's up to the reader to decide.

Every single character in Vicious is amazing and adds to the story. Victor and Eli are the main characters who oppose each other, but neither of them could have had their final confrontation without the help of other characters with EO powers. For a book where everyone talked up the male characters so much, I was surprised (but glad) to find Sydney and Serena were incredible people on their own. The sisters are on opposing sides, but they never stop caring for each other. And gosh, who couldn't love Mitch, the hacker with a love for chocolate milk?

The story jumps in time a lot, but it is never confusing. It adds to the suspense - starting from "Last Night" and slowly working its way to the present.

Cannot wait for the next book!

You guys. I’m going to try to write a review for this and see if it comes out somewhat coherently. This book was fantastic, but like most fantastic books it’s got some much going for it that I’m afraid I’ll miss things and fail to do it any justice.

I’m so glad I dived into this book. So glad that I popped my Victoria Schwab cherry. Her writing is superb. She takes standard writing and throws it on it’s head. There’s no need for her to use tried and true turns of phrase. If it takes her half a paragraph to do it, so be it. Her form was so artful. I enjoyed every minute of it. I tried to enjoy it longer, but it wasn’t in the cards. There was, unfortunately, a point where I could no longer attempt to savor it and had to finish it.

The book takes place over the course of a few days, flashing back to times before to give intimate back stories on the characters and what brought them to their inevitable showdown. But, the book itself counts down to the showdown, and much in the same way as Robert Harris’s Pompeii, you’re just there going NO ITS TOO CLOSE, GET OUT OF THERE. Except, it’s what they’d been working towards not not a volcanic eruption, but it was just as devastatingly stressful.

The story revolves around two school chums, roommates with the same drive and ambition, who at some point decide through the ignorance of youth and an interest in science, to attempt to gain superpowers. The way one becomes and ExtraOrdinary is through a near death experience, or… a death experience in which one comes back from the brink. Superpowers reflect upon the person’s last thought and vary extensively.

Without much though on safety, they attempt to kill themselves, but only a little. Eli comes back with the power to heal and not age, and a sense of entitlement and divine duty. Victor comes back with the ability to take away and inflict pain with a thought, but in his first moments, with his tenuous grasp on his power and unsure of the mechanics of it, he kills someone. This lands Victor in jail for ten years, from which he escaped, with his new found friend Mitch (who is just a big loveable dude who loves Chocolate milk, and not an EO). Within this time Eli has continued his murder spree, with the help of his new EO lady friend Serena and her powerful, influencing voice.

The third person on Victor’s crew is Serena’s sister, narrowly escaping Eli’s murderous intentions by running. Victor takes her in and makes use of her power, which is to raise the dead. With this power and his own cunning he starts to whittle away at Eli’s defenses and sanity.

They recruit another EO, one who walks through shadows and time, and the plan falls together perfectly. I have’t read an ending so masterful since being fourteen and tripping into the (now trope-y but then WOW ending to Wizard’s First Rule). I don’t want to give it away, because it was so perfect. I loved it and the epilogue.

In the end, this book was a wonderful look at how just because someone is touted as a hero or villain, doesn’t make them so. I’ve been trying to recommend it to all my friends who have serious Magneto/Xavier feels, but so far they’re not biting. Seriously, though, if you like superpowers and broships that end in horrible grisly rivalries, this is the book for you.

So, I bought this on a whim, during a multi author book signing. I'm usually more of a fantasy genre person, but I do love the comic books stuff too. The premise faintly reminded me of Brandon Sanderson's YA series Steelheart ( which is awesome). So, I chatted with the author a bit (she's super nice), and went home optimistic. The back and forth in the book kinda irritated me, but, it also kept the story moving forward, without feeling like there was TOO much backstory. Since the whole plot centers around a final showdown between two former friends, it worked out rather well, and kept that as the main focal point, rather than the whole story drawn out in order.
Overall, I quite liked the book. I do wish there had been a bit more character development, and interaction, but each character seemed isolated, and were quietly dealing with their own issues.
I hope they continue the story as I am curious to see where they go from here.

Review originally posted @ http://feelyourbooks.blogspot.com

Vicious is the first book by V. E. Schwab I've had the privilege of reading thus far, but I assure you it won't be the last.

This book begins with two college students, Victor and Eli--friends, roommates, rivals--working on their separate theses for their one class. Seemingly out of nowhere, Eli builds his thesis around exploring the concept of Extra-Ordinary people, or EOs--basically, people with superhuman abilities. When Victor picks apart Eli's thesis and challenges him to put his theories to the test, things really start to get interesting. Their friendship crumbles--their friendly rivalry quickly turning to blood-lust over moral differences. All hell breaks loose.

It's difficult to pinpoint exactly what made this book feel so exceptional. So many things were so good.

For me, the biggest plus in this book was its characters. All of them were truly well-rounded individuals with their own flaws, ambitions, and unique personality quirks. Every time something bad would come close to happening to a character, I would panic to myself, thinking, "No! Not my favorite character!" They were all my favorites.

Even though we were given a clear villain and anti-villain ("hero" really doesn't fit any of the characters in this book at all), I still found myself empathizing with the slightly more villainous characters. Their motives were justified by who they were down to the core. Even if they were doing something morally grey, it was only because they truly believed it to be the right thing to do. And I don't know how to do anything but admire that passion.

A lot of really awesome concepts were explored thoroughly in this book. How EOs are made, what moral responsibility comes with superhuman abilities, and whether the very existence of these beings should be allowed at all.

Meanwhile, tons of "cool s***" happened regularly. And the suspense. Oh, the suspenseful moments killed me. I got so caught up in it toward the end that I held my bladder for forty pages just because I couldn't bear to break eye contact with the text on the pages. And it all built up to a wonderfully satisfying ending.

In short, I adore this book. I highly suggest it to anyone who thinks they might be interested in watching an awesome superhero-ish movie in their head. And, really, who doesn't?

It appears, according to Goodreads, that Vicious will be receiving a sequel of (currently) unknown title and release date, but you can bet I'll be ready to jump back into this world as soon as (super)humanly possibly. Until then, I look forward to exploring Schwab's other works in the near future.

Vicious is a book I honestly hadn’t heard a lot about before I met the book blogger community. I know that at one point, I saw the cover and summary on tor.com, and I probably spotted it a few times while at the bookstore. But I never really had a strong urge to pick it up. I’m not entirely sure why—maybe it was the fact that the setting was neither high fantasy nor sci-fi. Maybe it was because the cover isn’t to my tastes (I know lots of people love it. It’s just not for me.). I’m not sure. Regardless, it took me a while to get around to really wanting to read this book.

But as soon as I met some of my book blogger friends, they started pushing this book on me. Relentlessly. It’s something we do, something we enjoy, and, I’ve found, something we (I think of myself as part of the community now, whether I really am or not.) are quite good at. Vicious was one of the books most heavily pushed on me. The main culprits were Nikki, Angie, and Jessie, but there were plenty more of them. Finally, I broke down and asked for the book for my birthday, received it, and I made it my first read of 2015.

And I’m glad I did. I tore through the book in only a few days and utterly loved it. I’m rather annoyed at myself for not picking it up earlier, and if you’re just hearing about it now, don’t make the mistake I did. Get it immediately, and go read it. NOW.

Oh, alright. I’ll write the rest of the review. But my opinion isn’t going to change.

Vicious is the story of two college boys, Victor and Eli, their relationship as roommates, and an experiment gone horribly wrong. It’s a chilling, disturbing tale that is utterly gripping, and simultaneously horrifying and amazing. I really enjoyed reading it.

Setting is incredibly important to any novel, and while I may have initially been reluctant to pick up this novel because it’s not a setting I’m familiar with, the college atmosphere was perfectly done. I’m a college student, and I read this book while on break. It gave me shivers purely from the accuracy of the descriptions and their clarity. And while the college is not the entirety of the setting, it plays a large part, and the rest is equally well done. It’s not a new world, built from the ground up, but that doesn’t make it any less perfect. It’s the setting this story demanded, and it was handed with amazing skill.

The structure is handled in a way I’ve never seen before. Every chapter happens at a different place in time, and it’s not even remotely linear. The chapters jump from the present, to ten years ago at the university, to the weeks leading up to the main events of the novel. This main thread of events, which happens over a period of a day and a half, from the first chapter to the last (excluding the epilogue), focuses on Victor and Eli’s impending first meeting in a 10 years. While this structure had the opportunity to be incredibly confusing, Schwab has instead crafted a narrative that is unbelievably tense and gripping. It demands that you keep reading, and it’s always ratcheting up the tension until the final scenes, at which point everything comes together with an incredible bang. It’s so well crafted, and it makes me wish other authors would use unconventional structures more often, though I doubt many have the skill to reproduce the magic that Schwab wrought here.

But even the best setting and plot fall flat without good characters. I’m happy to report that Schwab’s cast, kept elegantly small, is filled with utterly fascinating characters with fascinating quirks—and abilities. Victor’s past, his problems with his family, and the way he treats those around him paint him as an incredibly engaging, complex character. And while he’s not someone I would ever want to hug—or even be close to—I feel like I understand him. As I do with the other main characters, Eli, Sydney, and Serena. Eli, in particular, I loved to hate as a villain. I’m going to put that down to Schawb’s writing skills and not the fact that I know someone IRL with the name Eliot whom I particularly dislike.

In summary, this book has it all. Utterly realistic setting, amazing plot with a cool structure, and utterly enthralling, complex, creepy characters. I’m telling you without reserve to go pick this book up and read it, right now. Five of five stars, and a place on my lifetime favorites shelf without a doubt.

*returns to stalking his mailbox for his copy of A Darker Shade of Magic*

(Review originally from my blog, MentalMegalodon.)

Ah, finally! A book that lives up to the hype.

This book was fantastic! It was a very different look at the superhero/power genre than the usual fare, and it went a lot of unconventional directions. What could have been a fairly standard revenge story turned out to be anything but, thanks to some ingenious and strategic use of various superpowers. What could have been a good vs. evil story was completely morally ambiguous — neither Victor nor Eli are good people, and a conspicuous “hero” figure is noticeably absent. What could have been a cliche ending was totally twisted, and thought it wasn’t entirely unexpected (on my part), I found it satisfying all the same.

By far the best thing in this book is the characters. There’s a colorful cast, and through short, well-crafted flashbacks, their backstories are explained in ways that perfectly feed into the main plot. There’s a great variety of character mentalities, from the sociopathic Victor to the twelve-year-old Sydney, whose innocence slowly breaks over the course of the book. At times, the characters’ personalities bordered on the over-the-top comic-style superhero types, but they never once crossed that line because the story was so grounded in very real and very gritty relationship dynamics.

The plot wasn’t too shabby either. Not so well put together that I didn’t guess a few twists (like the ending twist) but pretty well done. The structure of the book was fantastic, with the story being told through two intersecting timelines, past and present. It worked very well for this story because it held the tension throughout and kept the pacing relatively quick.

I wasn’t a huge fan of the writing style — there was something about, I think, Schwab’s narratorial voice that threw me off a bit at the beginning. But it stopped bothering me part of the way through, once the plot really kicked.

Overall, a great read! Pretty well-rounded with a couple of weaknesses here and there. But hey, no book is perfect.

I’m really glad this one didn’t fall short of its hype, as I’ve been looking forward to reading it for quite a while now.

Victor and Eli were best friends during college. They were rivals in everything and shared a common ambition to put their research into practice. Systematically playing with death they were able to become ExtraOrdinary, gaining amazing abilities once only attributed to superheroes. Ten years have passed since then. Victor has just broken out of prison and is determined to get revenge against Eli for putting him there. Meanwhile Eli has been enacting his zealous mission of ridding the world of other EOs by personally hunting them down.

Vicious is a compelling tale that explores the darkness of jealousy, revenge, death, and morality. There is no clear hero or villain and both main characters are wonderfully flawed.

I loved the story's prose and found it thoroughly engaging. It was vividly descriptive with concise word usage often found in short stories which enabled it to invoke the sense of a graphic novel.

The story is set in the near future on a parallel world where super powers are conceivable. It's told through short alternating chapters that weave the past and present together from different perspectives. I appreciated that each chapter was clearly labeled and I liked the graphic design details included in the book's formatting. It made the overall story easier to follow and heightened the suspense in the second part by emphasizing the countdown.

I liked how the characters were portrayed. I enjoyed reading how they navigated through the dark themes within their different story lines. I really liked the concept behind how they became ExtraOrdinary and the different ways their powers manifested.

Vicious is an engaging story with dark undertones, vivid prose and dramatic characters.

4.5 stars, actually.

You've seen Wicked and Despicable Me. Dexter is your guilty pleasure. What is it about villains that fascinates us so? The tortured hero one sliver away from becoming the villain is a modern trope you can't escape.

Here in Vicious it's almost the opposite-- we have two villains just a step away from being heroes. But not being heroes in the sense of being redeemed. Oh no, V.E. Schwab gives us a much more complicated set of protagonists than that.

Let me hit you with the money shot quote: "Someone could call themselves a hero and still walk around killing dozens. Someone else could be labeled a villain for trying to stop them. Plenty of humans were monstrous-- and plenty of monsters knew how to play human."

Vicious is the story of Victor and Eli; two college kids playing around with the fantastical idea that people with extraordinary abilities-- EOs-- came upon those abilities as a result of a near-death experience. They get the idea to test their theory, and the result isn't quite what either expected.

But now Eli is obsessed with hunting down other EOs and Victor is obsessed with hunting down Eli.

Action takes place in the modern world. None of the characters are blameless, most of them do despicable things casually, but you still can't help rooting for Victor and shuddering at the fanatical twists of logic Eli goes through to maintain his mental equilibrium.

There is a showdown in a highrise that is as cinematic and gut-wrenching as any Dark Knight climax.

The gore level is such that I'm not sure younger YA readers should be reading this one. The time-disjointed narrative sometimes worked, and sometimes was a bit jarring. The action takes place both in the present and in flashbacks to the past through Victor and Eli's eyes as well as the eyes/voice of other characters. That's where it lost .5 a star for me, but otherwise this was a refreshingly grim, morally-grey casually bloody, good tale.

I have wanted to read this book forever (okay since it came out last year). This was a very well done fantasy novel about people who develop extraordinary abilities (EOs) after a near death experience. This book explores a lot of shades of grey in a very superhero type of way.

Eli and Victor are roommates in college, they are both arrogant and extremely intelligent. Both decide to do research on what could potentially result in people becoming Extraordinaries, or basically people with extraordinary abilities. When they find that near death experiences are the key, they both decide to try and turn themselves into EO’s. However something must have gone wrong because now Victor is escaping prison after 10 years and seeking his revenge against Eli.

The story bounces between near history (a couple of days before current day) and 10 years ago when Eli and Victor were in college. The story is very cleverly revealed as we piece together the events that led to Eli and Victor becoming EO’s and Victor’s imprisonment.

This book is all about shades of grey. Are people having extraordinary abilities good or evil? Are they villains or heroes? What happens when one of these people thinks they are a hero, but they aren’t? This is truly a superhero comic in book form.

There are a ton of interesting characters in this book. All of them have interesting abilities. The fact that all of the characters who are EO’s have also had near death experiences adds a dark tone to the whole story. As does the fact that in exchange for their special ability they end up missing something else.

As I said the whole story was very engaging and really cleverly put together. That being said none of the characters really grabbed me and I thought the whole story ended up being a bit predictable, that’s why 4 stars instead of 5 stars. Still this is a very well done story, it is unique and engaging to read.

Overall an excellent story about superhero-like abilities and the cost of those abilities. Also a story about a friendship gone wrong. I would recommend to those who enjoy stories about superheroes. This book is very cleverly put together and makes for a very fun and unique read.

4.5 stars. A dark and bloody superpowered vengeance story. Fascinating premise with dark, flawed characters. Just when you think you know which character is the "villain," your perspective shifts and you see the characters in a new way. A well-crafted, twisty story. I didn't really "like" many of the characters in this one, but the STORY is compelling. I had to know what happened and what the backstory was and what will happen next. The sequel is a must read for me. (language, violence)

I loved Vicious from practically the first two chapters. It reminded me a lot of the movie Flatliners, but a WHOLE LOT BETTER! As the book goes on however, it blends elements from movies like Chronicle to more comic book inspired fair. I was also very much impressed by the way the author handled the great amount of backstory for each character to really show how their motivations drove them to the point they were at in the story. While the story isn’t some kind of crazy original thing, it is incredible by making a super hero story so much more believable than anything out there right now. I have to admit this book made me gush. It was so compelling from beginning to end that I read the entire thing quite quickly every time I picked the book and finished it in only two sittings. Every time I thought about putting the book down, I thought I would read just more chapter. Then another, and so on. Until I was done. Not that it would be necessary or even a good idea but I would love another story with some of these same characters in this world. Everything about Vicious is addicting and you would do well to pick up a copy today. This is definitely one of my favorite books of the year.

Prose treatments of comic book themes, comic book heroes, and comic style plotlines are becoming increasingly common, and there are a number of very good works out there. (I'm partial to Soon I Will be Invincible (Vintage).) But this book is in a whole different world.
The plot is built around the search by two brilliant friends for the causes and origins of those considered "ExtraOrdinaries". This could have been just a ripping tale of the search for EO's. But that would be like saying "Moby Dick" could be a pretty good book about fishing. Rather, the author has invested tremendous skill, effort and insight into creating two adversaries who are immediate, compelling and memorable. They are surrounded by a fascinating cast of supporting characters. They converse in clipped, razor sharp exchanges that fall like verbal hammer blows.

There is wit, humor, drama and a masterful, sly command by the author of the craft of building a dramatic and compelling story. This book attempts grand themes and succeeds. It is filled with insights, fine throwaway lines, set scenes, thoughtful moments and high drama that truly engage the reader. What a wonderful find.

Please note that I received a free ecopy of this book in exchange for a candid review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.

Oh, how I have longed for a book like Vicious. Vicious is a book devoid of heroes(though perhaps not heroics). It is a book of fantasy and dark places, which makes the fact that it’s set in a near-future world all the more brilliant. Vicious is a tale of power, betrayal, and villains. And no one walks away a hero.

Vicious is a book that feels like a story, which I know is a weird way to describe a book. After all, aren’t all fiction books story? Yes, of course, but there’s an element to Vicious that makes it feel like a story that transcends a book, like it’s the type of story people would whisper about at night. Legend-like almost. The blurb calls is a “comic-style” world, and while I’ve never read comics, I see the comparison. It was this quality of Vicious that hooked me from the very beginning as I was introduced to Victor and Eli as their college selves. Two brilliant boys who find a fascination with an element and decide to play God and try to become ExtraOrdinaries themselves.

I suppose I should get the things that kept Vicious from being 5 stars out of the way in this review so I’m free to gush about the actual story. One, I found the premise of how EOs are made to be pretty basic, which I understand for plot reasons. However, I felt like more people would have discovered this other than Eli and Victor. It takes them only a span of a couple of pages to go from their thesis idea to testing.

That was a minor flaw in the plot of Vicious, but what really kept me from LOVING this one was the stakes. I never felt they were high enough. After Eli and Victor become EOs themselves, they part ways. Victor ends up in prison, and Eli starts hunting and killing people who exhibit abilities because he believes they are an offense of nature and something’s wrong with them. Vicious actually opens shortly after Victor releases from prison and has decided to hunt Eli down.

Despite Eli’s hunting of EOs, everything felt so. . . insular. These two have been nemesis for ten years, they each have a powerful ability, and the only people their actions really affect are a small group of EOs in ONE town? It didn’t feel like the stakes justified the extraordinary lengths the two characters each went to. I felt like if Eli had been at this for so many years, the final outcome would affect so many more people than it was alluded to have done. I wasn’t expecting world domination or anything, but something a little bigger, with a little more consequence.

Other than that, though? I was absolutely hooked on Vicious. I’m not always a fan of the split timeline, but it absolutely WORKED here. One timeline follows Eli and Victor when they’re in college, friends and roommates who believe they’re on the edge of a great discovery. The other timeline follows after Victor is released from prison and has decided to hunt Eli down.

"The moments that define lives aren’t always obvious. They don’t always scream LEDGE, and nine times out of ten there’s no rope to duck under, no line to cross, no blood pact, no official letter on fancy paper. They aren’t always protracted, heavy with meaning. Between one sip and the next, Victor made the biggest mistake of his life, and it was made of nothing more than one line. Three small words."

The way the characters moved and changed throughout Vicious was amazing. I would call it character progression, but that’s not quite right, is it, since they’re not becoming stronger. They’re all becoming more villainous, and at first I found my loyalties constantly changing. I’ve been asking for a book without a hero for so long, and Vicious totally delivered on that front. In the end, I may have found myself on Team Victor, but none of the characters are people I would want to be in life. And that’s what made it such a great read.

Vicious isn’t exactly subtle about it’s theme of “No heroes,” but it worked. Eli definitely thinks he’s a hero, but it’s quite clear from the actions he takes that he’s anything but, and one character even tells him as much:

"You’re the hero. . . ” she said, finding his eyes, “. . . of your own story, anyway.”

Isn’t everyone? Everyone thinks they’re the protagonist, including each of the characters. I’ve talked about Eli and Victor for most of this review, but make no mistake, the side characters make this novel. I would have liked Vicious without them. With them, I thought Vicious was really great. There’s a released convict on Victor’s side, and two sisters who find themselves on opposite sides by chance. So many of these characters are the ones who provide the humor and levity in Vicious–which surprised me, because Vicious is quite funny at times, albeit with some pretty dark humor.

To end my review, I’ll leave you here with my favorite passage from Vicious:

"But these words people threw around–humans, monsters, heroes, villains–to Victor it was all just a matter of semantics. Someone could call themselves a hero and still walk around killing dozens. Someone else could be labelled a villain for trying to stop them. Plenty of humans were monstrous, and plenty of monsters knew how to play at being human."

This book wasn't perfect. I had fun with it anyway. It started off too slow for my liking and wasn't what I was expecting at all. I thought that there was going to at least be some action, but that didn't come until the end. Instead of a comic book style villain fight, I got a comic book style villain psychoanalysis from several points of view. There is the main character Victor. We learn a lot about him. He has opinions on his best friend for the majority of the book as well as a psychoanalysis of his own personality. There is Eli, the other main character, who we realize is a fanatical tyrant. Then there is Sydney, who I came to love. She's a pre-teen who can raise the dead. While I enjoyed Vicious' take on villainous minds, it wasn't what I was expecting, and that's a good thing.

I wasn't expecting to find a character whose mindset is so relatable. Victor is surely evil, but he is more of a Dexter or Lex Luthor, rather than a Darkseid or The Joker. His story is about revenge on Eli. His story is about learning to live with hatred and pain. In the very first chapters we are introduced to the most important characters; what they are doing presently and then the rest of the book is the story of why. I enjoyed having every other chapter from a different time perspective. Later on, we are brought up to speed with everything and are left to deal with Eli's thoughts for a while. For most of the story I felt that things were stretched a little bit. The characters had a lot of repetitive descriptions and a lengthy story. But, until the ending I felt like there really was no resolution in sight. The whole book was leading up to one moment, but to me, it felt rushed. I still liked it though. It's complicated.

My problems with this book are not so much with the characters or the overall story, rather, the length of the story and its world-building. It is said a lot that "I wish there were more!", but with Vicious we are left knowing that there is so much more that could happen to these characters. It's a little excruciating to have to think about waiting so long to find out more. The world building is almost non-existent. There is a mention of the world living with Extra Ordinaries a bit too far into the story than I would have liked. We are led to believe that no one is really giving a s*** that weird things are happening, but I didn't buy it.

I'm not sure if I could properly express what Schwab has created with this story and its characters, but it was certainly imaginative and oh, so juicy. I found myself loving Victor and Sydney and I found myself hating Eli with a passion. Schwab did an excellent job of showing us the various psyches of villains. The touches of religious zealots and connecting dots are what I loved most about Vicious.

I could go on and on about this freaking amazing book! Victoria Schwab has managed to create something quite unlike any other book I have read before. The moral compass of every character is seriously bent severely out of shape. Yet there is something about each of them that fascinates you and begs you to learn more about them. I absolutely loved how the line between good and evil overlapped so much that the reader was conflicted and had to figure it out on their own. Eli and Victor were so in depth, their powers and their possibilities and limitations were enthralling. Even Sydney and Serena and Mitch, the supporting cast, stories were woven beautifully through out the book, giving them many layers and their own personality and motives. Additionally, the timeline of the book worked magnificently, jumping from ten years ago, to three months ago, to two nights ago enhanced my enjoyment of the book, and nothing was out of place. The ending was perfectly fitting. All in all, this book is a masterpiece. To anyone who hasn't picked this up yet, go get it and read it NOW!

What if you could become extraordinary?

I don't mean good at piano or a world-renowned actress. No. What if you could bring the dead back to life? Dull others' pain? Make people bend to your will with the snap of a finger?

I hadn't encountered Schwab as an author before, but this is her first foray into adult fiction. It lies firmly in the realm of fantasy, set in the modern world: two boys, Eli and Victor, start out as friends, and spiral quickly into becoming life-long enemies. The story is, at its core, about revenge, with hints of friendship, love, and death.

I wouldn't say it inspired any new philosophical meditations within me, but it certainly was a fun, tense romp throughout the lives of our protagonists -- and that's all I'd really hoped for. Her world-building is solid; her characters are believable; and I certainly enjoyed the book. Highly recommended for a long weekend away when you want a little, but not too much, fantasy in your life.

I first read the little prequel Warm Up and man, was I hooked! The writing style immediately got to me - it's easy to read and absolutely addictive - perfect for keeping my interest. I finally understand all the hype around Schwab's books. IT'S GLORIOUS. Everyone should read this and if you're hesitating, here are 5 reasons why you should go get Vicious RIGHT NOW!

1. The Characters
When characters have different layers to them and you can't quite tell if they're good or evil, that's the best thing ever. They're in this grey zone - never just good or bad - which makes everything SO MUCH BETTER. V.E. Schwab's characters were like this and I LOVED IT. Victor and Eli but also all the sidekicks and not-so-important characters were really well written. Honestly, I loved everyone or well, for some I loved to hate them. Fantastic.

2. The Abilities (freaking awesome!)
OH MY GOD. I never knew I needed a book about superpowers this much in my life! Most characters had unique abilities - which were all PERFECTLY described, by the way - and made me so jealous because I'm a weak human being that eats cake while reading and clutches the book tightly to her chest when she's finished. Sigh. But seriously, it was amazing to read about the different powers and what each character could do with them. Or better: what they used them for and how far they'd go. Now please, can I have my own superpower(s)?!

3. Interesting Relationships
There's so much going on between all the characters and it's incredible how much I cared about each little detail! With every new chapter new things were revealed and it only got better. Victor and Eli were best friend at first, then they were rivals and went from there to enemies and are now nemesis. SO INTERESTING. I also adored the relationship between Victor, Sydney and Mitch ... SO SWEET! I was anticipating their chapters together and was so, so happy whenever I got a glimpse of them. I'm 100% invested in all the relationships and that's a rariety. Just sayin'.

4. The thrilling Plot
I don't want to go into much detail about the plot ... so, just let it consume you. Obviously it's about Victor and Eli but it's so unique and different to anything I've read before because the characters are morally grey and YOU'LL NEVER GUESS WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN NEXT. I loved the little flashbacks to their past when everything was still alright and together with the "now" it just made perfect sense. There was not one moment where I thought this was boring, nope. V.E. Schwab kept me turning the pages faster than I read them ... that's what I want in a book.

5. It's a great book
That's basically everything you need to know. It's great. More than great, actually. V.E. Schwab combines all of these points perfectly, which makes this an adventure you shouldn't miss. The writing style is pretty cool as well, so there's even more reason to check this out! And if you still need one more reason, have a look at the gorgeous cover ... if that doesn't convince you then I don't know. :D

So yes, I totally recommend reading this beauty! The review is not in its usual form but Vicious deserves to stand out because it was that good. I'm offically a part of Schwab's fan club now and already can't wait to read her other books!

VICIOUS is entirely unique, and I love that about it. It's a comic book in novel form, giving us the same fantastical abilities and hints at, yet not overexposition of backgrounds like the first season of Heroes. I loved that season. Schwab writes very convincing and odd relationships that I found intriguing, mixed with steady action and great pace. Pace like an action movie.

I really grew to like Victor Vale, and while I get that these characters decidedly have something missing after their experiences, I feel like it would have benefited from one character that DIDN'T think he was missing something. I want a love interest, okay? I want one. I want one man or woman who thinks he is just perfect the way he is, that he never believes, but who always believes in him. I want that. Victor had one motivation, and I understand why but I wanted the story around him to be thicker. More emotional. But I'll keep reading about him in hopes that he gets that person. It's a killer story like nothing I've read before.

Vicious by V.E. Schwab took me a couple of chapters to really get into the meat of the story and Schwab’s writing style, but once I got into it, boy was I INTO it! Before reading this, I heard several really fantastic things about it, but for one reason or another just didn’t think it would be something I would be into. I think I also fell into the trap of judging a book by its cover, which of course is the worst thing you can do, but I just can’t help it! Personally, the cover was a bit drab to me and didn’t pull me in. The synopsis sounded okay but still didn’t reel me in to wanting to read it that badly. A close friend practically pushed the book into my arms, and now I find myself doing the same for others I come across as Vicious is just that great!

It’s hard to pinpoint exactly what I love about Vicious. To start with, the very essence of Vicious was so easy to fall in love with that I can now see why I wasn’t reeled in by the synopsis. How do you tie up all the awesomeness of a book like this in a tiny little description? Another reason it was so easy to fall in love with this story is because of the characters. The basis of a great book for me is having characters that I enjoy reading and interacting with throughout the book. Vicious is great because they have not only good and bad guys but also fluid characters that seem to meld into the grey areas in between as well as both extremes. I loved getting to read every moment with this group of characters.

The moral implications of the actions taken by both Victor and Eli really weighed heavily on me as I read the book. I can’t say enough how well Schwab did crafting such an expansive storyline with differing points in time and in different places with characters. I was so engrossed with everything that was happening that I found myself staying up late two nights in a row just to finish this, which is hard to do when I treasure my sleep so fondly!

Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales.

Quick & Dirty: A dark and twisted story filled with revenge, addictive writing, and amazing three-dimensional characters. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a wildly entertaining book that makes you question good vs. bad.

Opening Sentence: Victor readjusted the shovels on his shoulder and stepped gingerly over and old, half-sunken grave.

The Review:

Victor Vale and Eli Cardale are brilliant competitive roommates at college and they have just discovered a new obsession. There is a rumor that a combination of a near-death experience paired with a great desire to survive produces extra ordinary effects. So of course being two genius scientists the boys decide to experiment with their thesis. The results are more catastrophic than they could have ever imagined. Victor ends up in prison and Eli becomes a hero.

Ten years later, Victor has just escaped from prison and he is out for blood. Driven crazy by revenge he will do anything and sacrifice everything to kill his old best friend, Eli. Joined by his cellmate and a young girl with a very interesting extra ordinary trait, Victor is ready to extract his revenge. Meanwhile, Eli has spent the last ten years killing every EO he has come across. He has made himself into a self-righteous hero determined to rid the world of the unnatural evil. Armed with amazing power and plagued by the past, the archenemies are on an unstoppable journey to destroy each other, but who will be left standing at the end?

Vicious is filled with very interesting and dark characters. First you meet Victor who is so driven by revenge that it is hard for him to see anything else. He spent years in prison plotting and scheming, it was the only thing that kept him sane. Now that he is out what is he willing to sacrifice to finally rid the world of Eli forever? I was really torn with my feelings for Victor. There were times that I really liked him and other times where I despised him. He is so filled with hate, but every once in a while you see a glimpse of his good side. Surprisingly, I actually really connected with Victor and found myself cheering him on because he was the lesser of two evils.

Then you have Eli who is trying to be a hero, but honestly he is just a cold blooded killer. He really believes in his cause and feels that he is doing the right thing. This actually made him really creepy, but at the same time I understood him. He is a control freak that has to have everything perfect, and when things don’t go according to plan he gets this crazed feel to him. He is a very unstable character, which added greatly to the intensity of the story.

I am briefly going to mention a couple of secondary characters because they were my favorite part of the book. First there is Sydney who is only 13 years old, but she has been through a lot. A year ago she died and came back to life, now she has an extra ordinary gift. She has been betrayed by those she trusted and now has teamed up with Victor to help him bring down Eli. Most EO’s seem to have become detached from their emotions, but not Sydney, she is still very compassionate and caring. She brings out the good in others and was a very integral character. Last but not least we have Mitchell Turner. He was Victor’s cellmate in prison and was dealt a poor hand in life. He looks the part of a thug with his huge stature and tattoo’s, but he is actually a very tender hearted person. He is a crazy smart hacker and is very loyal to the few friends he has. Suffice to say the characters in this book were amazing and brilliantly written.

This was a very dark twisted story that I loved. It is very different from what I normally read since there was really no romance and all of the characters are villains in their own way. It makes you question good vs. bad. There is a lot of grey area explored in this book and it was fascinating. There were situations that made me dislike the characters and other times that made me admire them. Schwab’s writing was so addicting and engrossing. Each chapter tends to be a different time period, anywhere from ten years ago to current events. Normally when a book jumps around so much it is really problematic for me, but Schwab really made it work to her advantage. Instead of being lost and confused, it just made me more curious and really piqued my interest. The story really makes you think but at the same time it is wildly entertaining. The ending was perfect but left me wishing that there was a sequel. I loved the world that Schwab created and I wish that I could get more. I would highly recommend this to anyone that is looking for a great adult book that is dark and twisted.

FTC Advisory: Tor/Macmillan provided me with a copy of Vicious. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.

Vicious has one of the best premises I've ever read recently, who doesn't want to read about superheroes (or should I say Extra Ordinaries)? Superheroes are my kryptonite, and ever since I was little I've been obsessed with them. It doesn't matter where it was Spiderman, Hulk, Iron Man, I loved them all (except Aquaman, but that's a whole different story). Vicious is a completely new angle on the classic superhero story and it's just as gritty, intense, and provocative as it's title suggest. Schwab makes Marvel and DC Comics look tame in respect to Vicious.

At the surface, Vicious is just a super hero tale, but it is truly a tale of friendship, betrayal, and about the thin line between good and evil. When Schwab wasn't impressing me with her beautifully twisted prose, I was extremely mesmerized by her ability to create an unpredictable plot. I loved the way Schwab seemed to constantly incite questions in my mind about what it means to be good or evil. There are just so many ways this novel could have gone astray because stories about superheroes are usually cheesy by nature (how many times does the super hero have to save the damsel in distress?). Schwab does an excellent job of avoiding all cliches and making this story entirely her own by making it relevant to modern society. There truly is no 'good' or 'evil' in Vicious; in life, no one is good or evil and we're all a mix of both qualities.

Just when you thought that Schwab's books couldn't get any more intense, she managed to one up herself and prove me wrong. Vicious is intense, thrilling, and absolutely spectacular in each and every way. Schwab doesn't waste a second in Vicious and immediately creates a creepy, strange atmospheric tone that resonates throughout out the entire book. There are a few dull moments after the riveting beginning, but other than that, the rest of the book is completely enthralling.

The superpowers in Vicious aren't the focus at all, instead Schwab delves into characters' relationships and backstories. Each character is finely crafted and is wonderfully faulted in a realistic way. Both Victor and Eli aren't the most likeable of characters, yet like a bug to light I couldn't help but be drawn to each of them. Victor and Eli are alluringly despicable in their own way and I couldn't help but root for both of them, despite the fact that they are enemies. Through Victor and Eli, Schwab showcases human nature in a thought-provoking and interesting way. Another theme that Schwab explored was 'nature vs. nuture' and I really would like to see that message furthered in a possible sequel.

V.E. Schwab never holds back in Vicious and she is wonderfully brutal to her readers right up until the last sentence. The ending of Vicious is a total killer and I really hope that a sequel is in the works to be released ASAP. I wouldn't say that the ending is a cliffhanger, but it's an ending that has made me extremely anxious to find out what happens.

Vicious by V.E. Schwab is one of the most intense, gritty books that I've ever read and I really hope it's successful enough to merit a sequel. Vicious is perfect for fans of Watchmen and I really think this is Schwab's best book to date. Do yourself a favor and read Vicious!

"The world resists, when you break its rules."

Victor and Eli have been competing with each other since the moment they met. Victor could easily surpass Eli, of course. But he recognizes the same reckless ambition in Eli and, Victor thinks, the same broken pieces that Victor can't quite fix in himself. In a world where so many things are boring Eli, at least, is interesting.

Eli proves to be especially interesting in their senior year of college when their shared thesis research about adrenaline and near-death experiences reveals that under the right circumstances it may be possible to develop ExtraOrdinary abilities.

Their fates tangle even further when experiments with that research go horribly wrong.

Ten years later Victor and Eli find themselves on opposite sides of a battle for power. While Victor breaks out of prison determined to exact revenge on the friend who betrayed him, Eli is on a mission of his own to eliminate every ExtraOrdinary person that he can.
Victor and Eli both know a final meeting is inevitable. They both know only one is likely to survive. But even as they move inexorably closer to that final confrontation, it's unclear who will emerge the hero. And who will forever be remembered as the villain in Vicious (2013) by V. E. Schwab.*

Vicious is an intricately plotted story of revenge and the not-quite redemption of Victor Vale. With chapters labeled "ten years ago" and "last night" (among other times) readers are brought closer and closer to Victor and Eli's dramatic showdown. Flashbacks interspersed with the present story explain the rivalry between the two men while also providing valuable insight into their characters.

Schwab expertly navigates the murky area between right and wrong as readers (and perhaps the characters themselves) are left wondering who, if anyone, is the actual hero of the story. With a plot exploring the idea that opposing a self-proclaimed hero--even for very good, very right reasons--might make someone a villain by default, Vicious is still populated with a number of surprisingly likable characters.

Vicious pushes the boundaries of conventional superhero tropes to take this story in a new and original direction. Readers looking for the next great anti-hero or fans who always cheer a little louder for the bad guy will definitely want to give Vicious a try.

*V. E. Schwab is the alter ego of YA author Victoria Schwab. This book is marketed for adult readers. It would be great for older teen readers but younger readers should be prepared for more mature language and some violence.

Possible Pairings: Plain Kate by Erin Bow, If I Stay by Gayle Forman, Soon I Will Be Invincible by Austin Grossman, Magisterium by Jeff Hirsch, Proxy by Alex London, Fracture by Megan Miranda, Watchmen by Alan Moore, The Superhero Handbook by Michael Powell, The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey

*This book was acquired for review from the publisher at BEA 2013*"

I was waiting patiently to get my hands on Vicious because everything that this author writes is amazing. Vicious tells the story of Victor and Eli, two intelligent, yet arrogant, college students who believe that they have the ability to become Extra-Ordinary individuals if they carefully create and experience near-death events. By coming back from the brink of death, they would develop supernatural abilities that would not only prove their thesis but put them in a higher class than those around them. Victor and Eli play with the delicate balance of their own lives and these events lead to tragedy and betrayal that will haunt them for years.

Vicious was such a great book for me because it reminded me so much of another novel, Frankenstein, that I still love after reading it so many years ago. Victor and Eli believed that by creating their own near-death experiences that they would achieve unbelievable power and used death to create a new life. By playing God, each of them had to deal with the tragic events that resulted, destroying a friendship and sending one character into the slow descent of madness. By becoming Extra-Ordinary, Eli believed that he had to right to get rid of others who had their own near-death experiences. Instead of becoming the hero he wanted to be, he in a way became a monster who had to be stopped before he harmed others. Now, Victor is on the hunt for his old friend and with each step that leads Victor to Eli, their story slowly unfolds in front of our eyes.

Vicious is an emotional thrill-ride about the consequences of life and death that is destined to become a literary classic. V.E. Schwab weaves a captivating tale that will haunt you well after you have finished reading the last page and I was sorry that we had to say goodbye to these characters. If Ms. Schwab isn't on your list of authors to watch, she should be because every book is more amazing and thought-provoking than her last.

"But these words people threw around--humans, monsters, heroes, villains--to Victor it was all just a matter of semantics. Someone could call themselves a hero and still walk around killing dozens. Someone else could be labeled a villain for trying to stop them. Plenty of humans were monstrous, and plenty of monsters knew how to play be being human."

In my opinion this small excerpt from the Vicious is the core of the book. If this intrigues you then continue on, if not then this will not be your cup of tea (but to be honest if you like amazing books then you should continue on.)

Vicious is utterly fantastic. V.E. Schwab not only has written a captivating story that will entrance readers to the last page of the book (at which point they will be distraught to learn the book is over), but she has written a book that has the readers questioning the basics of the superhero/super villain classic situation. Often readers are presented with a clear cut hero who does right, or a hero who does right even when he appears to be doing wrong, in either situation you know who you should be cheering for. In Vicious we are presented with a murderer and a man out for revenge. One believes he is a hero, destined from above to eliminate EOs, and the other just wants revenge and sees the ends justifying the means, he'd prefer not to kill innocents, but if he has to then he will.

This may not sound like a lot, but to be honest Vicious is amazing. The action is fun, the pacing exhilarating, and the story intriguing. But it is the characters that take this book to the next level. I loved reading about Victor and Eli and thought that Schwab did an outstanding job creating such dynamic characters. I highly recommend this book, and if you're looking for something to help stem the loss from Braking Bad ending then look no further.

[...]

In a word, I’d call the book “interesting”. Not “interesting” in the diplomatic way you use it when you’re not sure yet what else you can say about a thing. “Interesting” in that it kept a firm grip on my interest. It didn’t have me racing through the pages in a panic to know what came next; it was too calm a thing for that. But when I was reading, it made me want to read on. And when I wasn’t reading, it made me rather wish I were. Though I wasn’t emotionally hijacked, I was nonetheless totally invested. I’m not even sure how the heck Schwab pulled that off. (I wonder how much the extraordinary touch of Victor Vale may have had to do with it.)

“There are no good men in this game.” So spake one of the characters, and may well have spoken true. There was no pure white, and no solid black, leaving the reader to choose a shade of gray to root for. The villain or his wicked archnemesis; pick your pleasure. There were characters I liked more than others, characters I very much wished not to die, and characters for whom I wished the opposite. It was harder to find characters I couldn’t pity. Even the worst of the bad guys had their sympathetic half-a-moments.

For someone (like me) who frequently finds herself drawn to the villains of a tale by their dark complexity, “Vicious” is a book to savor.

Brought to you by OBS reviewer Sammy

MORE! I sure hope this is the beginning of a new series. It's a wonderful story, well written with some substance to the characters and interesting twists within the story line.

The first page sucks you in leaving you wanting to know what's going on. The story is set up going back and forth in time. After the grab from the first page, it seems to slow down and you need to have the mindset of the going back and forth. Stick with it, because it's totally worth it.

This story has subtle hints of flavor from X-men, the movie Flatliners, George R.R. Martin's Wildcard series and the Mutant X tv show and yet still has it's own unique take in this fabulous genre.

My favorite line and something that is intricately woven throughout the story making you wonder who is the hero and who is the villain.

"If Eli really was a hero, and Victor meant to stop him, did that make him a villain?"

And ...

"When no one understands, that's usually a good sign that you're wrong."

How true is that!

This review and more at openbooksociety dot com

I just finished Vicious and I honestly doesn't know how to start explaining why you should read this book and the emotional turmoil this book has caused me. This is my first Superhero novel and I didn't have any idea what to expect except that Vicious was going to be amazeball. Duh! It's written by Schwab!

Vicious follows the story of college roommates Victor and Eli, who start experimenting with supernatural powers.

If you have read any V. E books you would know she writes so beautifully and Vicious is a perfect example of this. Like all Schwab's books, Vicious grabbed me from the very start.

Indeed words are a very powerful weapon. I could get lost in Victor's world. The plot was exciting and I had to pause several times to catch my breath and process everything. The world building is fantastic, the way the author weaves the story is just mind-blowing. Victor, Eli, Sydney, Serena & Mitch are a bunch of vibrant characters. They are fully fleshed out. There is something beautiful about how raw thesecharacters are. Their story speaks volumes. It wasn't difficult to get into their story line at all. Alas the supernatural plot was well done. It was a really genius concept. I couldn't praise enough how this book swept me right off of my feet. If I could quote it from page one to the end, I would surely do so.

If you're looking for a light read or something fluffy, this is not that book. Vicious is a fantastic book about dark heroes slash villains that will certainly consume you. A great addition to your read list.

“ExtraOrdinary.

The word that started – ruined, changed – everything.” (pg. 62)

This isn’t a superhero story like you’d find with marvel comics. This is the story of two imperfect, arrogant friends who search for EOs, ExtraOrdinary people. Or to become EOs themselves.

Its a very realistic look at how perhaps someone might attain not quite natural power, and how they would play into today’s society. It plays with the idea of what is good? Evil? Divinity? All wrapped up in these two very flawed human beings.

“Lyne had called the outline solid, had said Victor was off to a running start. But Victor didnt want to run while Eli was busy trying to fly.” – page 46

Victor is no hero. Neither is Eli. They’re both playing a part. Their friendship/rivalry/whatever you want to call it was a fascinating. Something in their disturbing nature drew one another closer even as Victor wanted nothing more than to be better than Eli.

Whether it was the friendship or this anti-hero story that drew me in, once Schwab had me, she kept me. It was awesome, and a must-read for anyone who’s thought about what it might be like to be a superhero, to have some sort of power.

Review originally posted on BookMunchies.com.

Vicious was so incredibly refreshing. It was everything I hoped it would be.

When the story opens, Victor and his buddies are digging up a grave. And their task has something to do with getting Eli's attention. As far as I'm concerned, a story that starts like that--death and mystery right from the start--skyrockets my expectations. And, lucky for me, it never disappointed.

Victor and Eli both became EOs (ExtraOrdinaries) when they were best friends in college, thanks to some dangerous experimentation they performed on themselves. Years after college, they are on opposite sides. In a way, it's a classic story--two friends who become enemies. One of them is viewed as a hero, and the other wants to take the hero down. What's wonderful about this story is that neither is a hero. They have their own agendas, and they'll get rid of anyone who tries to stop them.

By the end of the book, I knew these main characters. I understood them. Eli: the one who thinks he's on a mission to save the world from EOs. And Victor: who has his own reasons for trying to stop Eli. You know that saying about how "power corrupts"? How about the one saying that great power means "great responsibility"? Well, both of these men feel they have responsibilities, and both are thoroughly corrupted. The result is something dark, and twisted, and beautiful.

I will almost certainly pick up another book by Victoria Schwab.

I hugged this book after I finished it, this is how good it was. Victoria Schwab is one of the best writers I have ever read. I can not wait for more from her. The story is about near death experiences, super powers, friendship, rivals and overall awesomeness. You need to read this book if you even remotely like the synopsis or have read Schwab's other books in the past. Schwab's writing just gets better and better. I really loved how the story takes place both in the present and the past and switches back and forth seamlessly. It was really well done. I loved all 5 of the main characters. You really get invested in there lives and everything that they have to go through. Schwab really questions the concepts of morality, mortality, and faith in a new eye opening way. This is Schwab's first adult book and if this is her first attempt at an adult audience, she did a superb job. It is like she honed her craft and nailed every sentence into perfection. I love, love, loved this novel. It has made it into my all time top favorites. I can not say enough about this novel. It gave me so many feels. Go out and buy it to see for yourself. :)

Originally posted at http://readrunstudy.wordpress.com/

Vicious came highly recommended by several trusted BookTubers. I was prepared to be let down, but it held up to my exceedingly high expectations. It was perfect and words cannot express how much I loved it!

The writing was beautiful and the story was amazing. This was moral ambiguity at its finest and we know how much I love that. The tension and build up in the relationship between the characters was excellent. I didn’t know who to root for and I was ecstatic! Finally, the ending was perfect – I didn’t know how I wanted it to end, but the ending was exactly what I needed.

I don’t even know what else to say except I wanted to reread it as soon as I finished (that never happens). I’m definitely going to need a copy for my favorites shelf.

Seriously, just go read it!

-Tanya Read (Read. Run. Study.)

I am odd man out with this novel. It seems to have garnered five stars from so many readers for a reason, right? I just can't figure out why. I fell asleep on page one, woke up and then fell asleep on page two. Well, not really, but I was so bored. For me, this was incredibly yawn inducing.
The overall premise was okay. As a reader of fiction, I have learned to buy into any and all wild theories. You kind of have to suspend reality and not over analyze books like this, if you want to get any enjoyment out of them. But, I didn't particularly care for the way the two main characters went about becoming EO's. And, the theorem they used to get there was way way way out there.
I wasn't impressed with the characters, either. The overall mentality of these people was unimpressive and minimal. For me, character development is one of the most important things in a story. The author needs to immediately pull you in and give you reason to care about what happens to the protagonist...and the antagonist. I found myself not liking or caring about Victor or Eli.
Sorry, but not a recommended read, by me.

So, if you're a fan of pretty much any superhero related thing at all, you need to read this book.

Through non-linear storytelling, Schwab tells the story of two once-best-friends-turned-enemies who figure out the secret to gaining your own superpower ("becoming an EO -- Extra-Ordinaries," as it's called in the book).

Honestly, I've given this book to so many people since I first read it, including people who don't consider themselves "readers", and they've all loved it. Vicious has almost a cinematic feel because of the writing style (although it is actually becoming a movie!), making it one of the most fast-paced and gripping books I've ever read.

One thing, though, is that if you're not a fan of dark, messed up characters than this book probably isn't for you. But the cast of characters are so unique and memorable, that when I heard this book was getting a sequel, I may have squealed out loud. (Okay. I totally did.)

Whether you're a superhero fan waiting for the next movie/comic to come out or a sci-fi fan looking for something a bit different or just someone who wants a dark, gripping book, if you pick Vicious up, you won't regret it.

This is such a beautifully written story that while I read as fast as I could to see what happened next, I already can't wait to reread it to catch all the details I might've missed in my excitement. The premise is haunting, the characters are full of depth, and the story is so rich that it'll stick with me for days. Superhero fans will love this one, but so will readers of any good story in general. I can't wait to read more of Schwab's work and wish there were a sequel to this if only to see what happens to the secondary characters!

I read a lot of books but, while many are quite good, few are what I call "entertaining." That means the book makes me think and takes me outside my everyday sense of life. I usually sit and sponge up a good story, but Schwab makes her reader think.She moves us through time, back and forth, jumping ahead then falling back, and it all ends up perfectly in sync. And you love it.

These characters are so good that our author must write a sequel so we can follow them from here. I especially liked moving into the supernatural, in this case the hyper-natural, depicted here so well that it could be classified additionally as sci fi. I look forward to more of your work, V. E. Schwab, and recommend this book to people who enjoy being active readers. (Ariel I.)

I try not to abuse the highest ratings, because then they lose their power. But Vicious made the cut. This book deserves a full-length review and usually I know what I want to say, but this time I can't figure it out. "Fully developed characters," "gripping story," "great writing," "immensely satisfying," etc., etc. It's all true, but boring to spell out. There are some books that are good, and then there are books with that little extra something. That hook. You feel it as you read, that this one different. This one is better than the others.

For me, that realization came when I was reading a specific passage explaining the downward slide of one character for normal girl to, well, casual evil. Schwab wrote in such a way that I got it, I felt in my bones how tragic it was, how easy and inevitable it would have been.

This is a book about bad people but some of them are worse. Bad people, old foes, brothers-turned-adversaries. Villains. And you're drawn to them anyway. I found myself grinning along with Victor before wondering just what the hell kind of a person that made me. You get swept up in the mission and forget that morality should be involved. It's just so delicious, the idea of power and revenge. I'd like to say I worry I'd be exactly the same, but I try be honest with myself in all things and worrying implies uncertainty. Vicious knows damn well that we'd all be exactly the same.

This book is Ronan's story for the most part. It wasn't as enthralling as I found the first book but it was good. I enjoyed getting to know more about Ronan and how he is different from the Ronan that Gansey knew before. The dreaming aspect is so interesting and although there are parts of the experience Ronan has with the other "dream thief" that I was left confused about, I an intrigued to see how it plays out.
I am looking forward to the next book and hope to see more of the other sides of Gansey as well as getting to the heart of blue.

This is the second book I've read by Victoria Schwab. The first being The Archived. She has a wonderful way of starting her books that immediately make you say, "What the heck is going on???"

Vicious was the same way. This was a dark story from the very beginning. this story is about two extremely smart guys, Victor and Eli,in college who are writing their thesis papers about the power of adrenaline and near death experiences. What then happens with these two characters is unbelievable.

Victor and Eli are not good people. They both think what they do is for the greater good of the world. It's refreshing to read a book without a definite protagonist. No one is a really good person in this book, except maybe Sydney and Dol (the dog). It makes it such a fun read when the author doesn't feel like a character NEEDS to be good. There definitely aren't good people in the world.

This book explores the concept of God, right and wrong, superpowers, vengeance, mortality, morality, and lots more.

I also liked how this book when back and forth between the past and the present. It gave you enough background information about the main characters that you felt you knew enough about them to understand their motivations. I would have liked more information about EOs in this world. A little novella about Detective Stell and his experience with EOs would be amazing.

This story was dark from the beginning. It was just fantastic. This is definitely a book I would reread many times. HIGHLY RECOMMEND.

Based purely on the plot description - two arrogant geniuses, best friends, learn how to give themselves super powers and end up locked in a deadly feud - VICIOUS doesn't look at all like my kind of book, as a reader. That's why I didn't pick it up for a long time after it was first published. But then I saw it in a bookstore, looked at the opening just out of curiosity…

…and yeah. Not only did I buy the book, but I got completely hooked. This was the most un-put-downable novel I've read in ages. The characters and story are so compelling, I was just completely dragged in, and I loved it! The ending was perfect, too.

I already know several people I'm going to be gifting copies to, and I'll definitely be re-reading my own copy.

If you're in need of a break from all the 3+ part book series out there, look no farther than Vicious for a refreshing standalone novel. The length constraint cuts into the plot, but this is largely a character-driven novel: No one (except perhaps Sydney and Mitch) in this book could be considered either "good" or "evil," which leaves room for a lot of unsavory activity and surprising character dynamics throughout the many flashbacks. I docked a star for a lack of development of most of the side characters, but overall this book was very thoughtful and a lot of fun.

"Messed up"

Friendship. Mad science experiment. Murder. Mind games. Morally gray characters?
You need to read this book. The timeline is just a bit weird because it keeps going back and forth (future & the past). However, I do recommend this book. It's just everything I want and more! Definitely exceeded my expectations

This book completely blew me away. I went into this expecting to love it because I have greatly enjoyed all of Schwab's young adult writing, but I didn't expect to not only love it more than her YA literature, but to love it more than any other adult series I have read to date.

To put it simply, this book is dark. I love dark books, so this was a major positive for me, but I know that some of the places this books takes us can be just as off-putting to some as they were attention-snagging to me. If you can't stand twisted scenarios, this is not for you. At all. These college kids realize that a combination of a near-death-experience with a sudden adrenaline spike can lead to the emergence of certain abilities that make them EOs--ExtraOrdinary. And, like any genius scientists, they decide to test this theory. You can only imagine what happens from there. But I will tell you this...it's ruthless.

Each chapter tends to be told during a different time. Some ten years ago when Eli and Victor were still in college, some today, some two days ago. I thought this time lapse would initially be problematic, but it wasn't. It pretty much works to fill in all the gaps in the story since all we know in the beginning is that Eli and Victor were once inseparable, ambitious geniuses at college and now Victor just broke out of jail ten years later with the goal of killing Eli. As you can see, it's very easy to get sucked into this book because you so desperately want to figure out what went down to cause such a drastic shift in persona.

But, I have to say that this story was so engrossing because it was so character driven. Victor had two of my favorite secondary characters on his side. Firstly, Sydney. Though only thirteen, she's got the strangest of abilities that she does her best at hiding under her calm facade. She's surprisingly integral to this story and watching her connect with Victor and seeing the way Victor took her under his wing shows that this hardened criminal does have a heart. And then there's Mitchell Turner--Victor's roommate that broke out of jail with him. Mitchell looks like he should be out committing murders with his size, his muscles, and his tattoos. But, instead, he's a brilliant hacker with a serious case of wrong-place-at-the-wrong-time syndrome. He's been in and out of jail for so long that he accepts this curse rules his life. But he's got a big heart that causes him to hold his friends close and his chocolate milk closer. There are several other characters too, but the point is clear: even the side characters are attention-grabbing and unique because they are so three-dimensional. There was absolutely nobody bland in this book.

Then there's the main characters...I loved Victor, which shocked me. Because, well, Victor's messed up. He's quirky with his constant blacking out of pages in books, but he's focused, which makes it easy to connect to him. I had a conversation about this with Schwab on Twitter, but Victor is physically a grown up Draco Malfoy. He is lithe, he has white-blond hair and pale skin makes his even paler eyes stand out. Oh, and all he wears is black. He's very yummy despite the age gap between us that I am choosing to conveniently forget about. He's also a very passionate person, and he's driven in all of his pursuits, even if that pursuit is taking down his old best friend. This passion oozes off the page to the reader. And, most importantly, he's got a good head on his shoulders. While Eli follows twisted logic, Victor Vale accepts the fact that most EOs don't choose to be EOs the way he and Eli did. They got their second chance at life and they can't control the fact that this is what happened to them. So, they deserve to have that second chance and put it to good use instead of having it taken away before they can even attempt to be good.

In contrast, Eli thinks that EOs are unnatural and deserve to die, excluding himself because his power is reflexive. He can harm nobody with his power, not even himself, so he must do His bidding and take out all people who do not deserve to live because they cheated death once and came back ExtraOrdinary. It's very twisted. In some sick way, he genuinely believes that what he is doing is right--that he is the hero in this scenario while Victor is the villain. He is following what he believes is his destiny. With that in mind, you can tell there is some religious connection in this book, though it's not opinionated. It's used to further the plot in interesting ways and muddle everything even more.

So, as you can see, this book gets you thinking. It makes you question right and wrong, humanity versus playing God, and second chances. It makes you realize that on two different sides of a war or a battle, a fight or a disagreement, both sides passionately believe that what they're fighting for is correct, even if it doesn't make sense to the other side. This book is one that demands to be read in one sitting, but sometimes the events in it make you step back and take a breath. It's twisted, it's ruthless, but it's awesome. It's vicious. It had me screaming out loud and begging for things not to happen. And as embarrassing as such things are, it makes me so happy that I forged such a strong connection to the characters and wanted so much more.

In the end, I wasn't ready to say good-bye to this book. Admittedly, the ending was perfect. I couldn't have asked for a better one, but this is one of those rare cases where I'm sad this is a stand-alone because I want to see more of this journey. I want to see what happens after that tense and shocking final showdown, what happens to our side characters and the world they revealed to us. I just want more. And, as terrible as it is that I know I won't be getting anymore, I know that this yearning inside me is the true sign of an amazing author.

Schwab has yet to disappoint me with any of her writing. She is officially a favorite for the melancholy, the twisted, and the dramatic. She holds a spot on my list of authors that are so amazing I am compelled to buy every single book they publish.

For readers who do not like sex in their books, this is actually a good adult book for you! There is no romance. This is all working against a time-crunch to defeat evil with awesome superpowers. While there is not smut, there's death and graphic violence. But, hey, it's not like you can avoid both. I'd say this is a great young-adult crossover book for readers who favor darker stories the way I do.

Vicious is an interesting book full of moral ambiguity and lacking a clear "good guy" or an obvious "bad guy" (in the good way). I found the premise and set up interesting as well as engaging. The characters were well rounded, with fleshed out backgrounds and very real flaws. The problem though was that all they really seemed to have were flaws. I didn't like any of them. While I was interested to find out what would happen in the plot, I didn't care about any of the players.

The story is original and interesting. I liked the book quite a lot and was impressed with Schwab's creativity. There was a lot of repetition (same situation told again by multiple characters) which slowed the read down for me quite a bit but by the time I was 2/3 of the way through there was no choice but to finish. An interesting take on the superhero trope.

This book was so wonderfully different! The change-up of having two sociopath superhero villains as the main characters was refreshing and really interesting. I liked the time jumps between the past and present, showcasing the rise and fall of Victor and Eli's friendship and how getting "ExtraOrdinary" powers changed them. The secondary characters were also interesting. Loved the moral grayness of it all, too.

Overall, I liked this, but it didn't blow me away.

I never had a favorite book before I read this one.

I recommend Vicious to anyone who often finds themselves rooting for or relating to the villains. Many superhero and fantasy stories have a rather simple, clear-cut morality and spend more time developing their heroes than their villains. With Vicious, the categories of hero and villain are blurred, and each of the characters is uniquely intriguing.

Here are some of my favorite aspects of this novel:
1) Without spoiling too much, the superpowers are related to the characters who possess them and their personalities/values in a very interesting way.
2) There's not just one kind of villain. And while you can sympathize with the villains, they aren't all tragic heroes turned bad. What's wrong with a villain who sincerely enjoys their job?
3) The plot is exciting and fascinating. I liked the way V. E. Schwab dealt with time.
4) Victor, my favorite character. He's just amazing. (Note that I'm a bit biased, because he's an awful lot like me.)
5) The relationships between characters are as fun to read about as the individual characters themselves.

Vicious is excellent. If you're like me (a college student in love with magic, villains, and mystery) but you haven't read this book, your bookshelf is honestly missing something.

So, I thoroughly enjoyed this. I didn't know this author at all, but then I read folks like Scalzi and Gaiman tweeting about the release of this book, and that put it on my radar. I had forgotten about it, and then saw that she was doing a reading from it close by. And, I went, hoping it would be a good time. Well, not only was she greatly entertaining in person, and made the event quite fun, but I was quickly enraptured by hearing her read from and talk about the book. Given my love for comics and movies and most thing superhero, well, I had to dive in.

And I am so glad that I did. I had a blast reading this book. In reading the jacket, I was left with the impression of movies like Chronicle and Flatliners, seen through the lens of novels like Lev Grossman's The Magicians. A take on real people like you and I getting superpowers, but not being able to really live up to our own ideas of superhero-ness.

Also, the initial description of the book presents the relationship between the characters of Eli and Victor as the principle drama playing out in the story, and that doesn't disappoint. However, it was not only that, as I found the the characters of Serena and Sydney were at least equally compelling, if not more so to me. And the simultaneous levity and pathos generated around even smaller characters like Mitchell and Dol was unexpected but very welcomed as well.

Overall, I can't recommend this highly enough. The action moves at quite a brisk pace, and is woven through with some very thought-provoking ruminations on powers, morality, life/death, good/bad - heady stuff that enriches without bogging down the story. If any of this sounds like it'd be your cuppa, it certainly won't disappoint.

I bought VICIOUS about two years ago upon hearing someone talk about it, and this book is still something I think about everyday. The characters are raw, the content is purely original and completely fascinating, and I cannot get over this book.

What Victor and Eli go through, who they meet, what they do, where they are is more of what I want to read in this world. There wasn't a moment that I couldn't visual these characters and this story.

I recommend this book every second I can and I've claimed VICIOUS and VE SCHWAB as my favorites since. She makes magic as she writes and I'm beyond excited for the sequel. It's about time!

Seriously, though. Buy this book, read this book, share this book. In that order (unless you use the library, of course). If your library doesn't have it, suggest it! Trust me, your librarian will thank you.

P. S. If you find the timeline a bit confusing (it jumps back and forth) power through. I did in the beginning, but you grasp it soon enough and this book is definitely worth the effort to read.

Overall 10/10, five stars, A+, two thumbs up, yada yada yada AMAZING READ.

This was pitched to me as, roughly, "two college roommates become superheroes (one being a super villain) and end up having beef later on in life." So I was like, cool, this'll be like a fun superhero movie, right?"

Wrong, because I've never experience emotional abuse at the hands of a superhero movie before (not counting ASM 2 hyuck hyuck hyuck what funny jokes). This book is fantastically and brilliantly written and you should be no means read it.

How dare you, V.E. Schwab, write something like this? Oh there's a sequel? !$%@ you.

*eagerly awaits the pre-order*

[Originally posted on my blog, There Were Books Involved.]

Let me begin with a disclaimer: Out of all the books I read this year, Vicious is my favorite. But I want to be clear — this isn’t a case of it being one of my favorites, or favorite-by-a-very-small-margin, or anything like that. While I’ve read a lot of good books this year, Vicious is flat out, hands down, honest-to-God, simply and wholeheartedly my favorite book of 2013. Take from that what you will.

The above is a disclaimer because with a book this good, I have a really hard time forming actual coherent thoughts about it, let alone stringing together words to tell you exactly how much — and why — I loved it.

I could tell you how the characters grabbed me from the very beginning, the very first page. I could tell you how the writing, while beautiful in its own right, wasn’t something to be read but something that just flowed with pure story and character and emotion. I could tell you how, while I read this book, my focus was so narrowed to whatever was happening on the pages, I could barely concentrate on anything else.

I could tell you that this book is exactly what I didn’t realize I’d been craving, until it hit me right in the feels.

I always (always always) say this about books, whether I love them or not – characters are a huge deal for me. They are, really, what make or break a book for me. Ultimately, it comes down to: Do I feel anything for these characters? It’s not even whether I can relate to them, though that is a plus. If I’m able to care about the characters, that’s a huge win. I knew Schwab was more than capable of making me care about characters, because The Archived was so stellar in that department — and Vicious only proved this once again.

The main duo — villain and hero? hero and villain? …villain and villain? — are Victor and Eli. Extremely intelligent and practically inseparable 10 years ago, Victor and Eli used to be college roommates. When they’re asked to decide what they want to research for their theses, Eli decides to research ExtraOrdinaries, or “EO’s”, and see what could cause those kinds of powers to manifest. (Hypothetically, of course – at first, the existence of EO’s is something of a joke.) Victor researches adrenaline and its inducers and consequences. The two end up being connected, and this leads Victor and Eli into a series of experiments – on themselves – to see if they can actually turn themselves into ExtraOrdinaries. They do… and as soon as they both succeed, they turn into vicious enemies.

The narrative itself switches back and forth between two time-periods — ten years ago, in the time before, during, and after Victor and Eli gain their EO abilities; and the present day, after Victor escapes from having been in jail for 10 years, now dead-set on getting revenge on Eli for putting him there.

It’s a fairly simple concept – the convicted bad-guy wants revenge on the ‘hero’ who put him away, right? Well, sure. But what happens when the ‘hero’ has lost it, killing people because of a twisted sense of duty; and the ‘villain’ goes after him, not because what the ‘hero’ is doing is wrong, but driven by his desire for revenge? The ‘hero’ is getting his just deserts, and the ‘villain’ is doing something that might be considered right, except for the wrong reasons.

So who’s side is the audience supposed to be on? There is no clear-cut ‘hero’ in Vicious. Neither individual is completely evil or completely good. Eli is obviously in the wrong, killing innocent people who happen to have abilities — but he’s doing it out of an insane sense of duty. Victor is cold and calculating, driven by revenge. He may be doing a good thing, stopping Eli from killing more EO’s, but he’s certainly not doing it for the reasons one would assume, and he’s not opposed to creating his own casualties along the way.

That being said… I was Victor’s from the start. I have a soft-spot when it comes to rooting for villains. I don’t “root for them” in the sense that I want them to win if they’re striving for something awful (obviously). It’s just that I find them fascinating and I’m drawn to their characters and their intensity. I’d take Warner from Shatter Me, or Tom Hiddleston’s Loki from the Thor movies, over either “hero” in those stories any day (one is more truly a “villain” than the other, but you get my point). The reasons for their “villainy” are complex, and they have a rich backstory that makes their actions rather tragic, as bad as they are — not excusable, by any stretch of the imagination, but still tragic. Also they have that draw of being possibly-redeemable, if given the chance.

Whatever the draw, Victor was it for me.

And he’s not your normal sympathetic character. He’s been put through some horrible things thanks to his own ambitions and the betrayal of a friend. He’s driven by revenge – an objective that is certainly not “hero”-material. But at the same time, the way he’s written, I couldn’t help but sympathize with his situation. Part of this sympathy probably came from his lack of what we’d call “normal human emotions” – he is so focused on revenge that everything around him is put into the perspective of “how will this help me fulfill my goal?” But the sympathy didn’t exactly come from that trait itself – it came when cracks started to appear, when he opened up and let himself care, for even the smallest moments, about something — or someone — other than his goal.

I would never have been able to articulate this before reading Vicious, but Victor is a character I have been wanting to see for a long time. The apparent villain, thrown into a situation where he’s actually doing something good, while keeping a firm hold on his calculating nature, his intensity… all that good, villlain-y stuff. You get to see from the his perspective, and not only feel somewhat justified in rooting for him and his goals, but also watch as his shell begins to crack a little, and get to root for his humanity as well.

But enough of Victor. (Oh who am I kidding, I will never get enough of Victor – but I do have to move on.) The other characters on Victor’s “team” are fantastic as well. There’s Mitch, Victor’s cellmate and friend who escaped with him from prison; and Sydney, a 12-year-old girl who happens to get swept up in Victor’s search for Eli. Sydney and Mitch are really strong characters in their own rights, and in many instances they served to humanize Victor, to cause some of those cracks in his dead-set-on-revenge attitude. (…Aaaaand we’re back to talking about Victor again. Oops.)

VICTOR-RELATED AWESOMENESS ASIDE. How about we talk about the awesome building of tension? Because man. The tension. It’s there from the very beginning. We know where things end up – the book opens with Victor having escaped from jail, so when the scene jumps back to 10 years ago, we know there’s only one direction things are headed. But having the timelines overlapping in this way — there’s two stories, with two climaxes, all building up at the same time. One of them, we know is coming — whatever happens to send Victor to prison, and Eli’s turn for the worse… But the other — Victor’s final confrontation with Eli — is a mystery.

You’d think with the ever-present tension, it would be a somewhat balanced read… but no. When the real tension starts amping up in the last quarter of the book, and the confrontation between Victor and Eli looms closer and closer… There’s no eloquent way to put this. I couldn’t handle the feels. All of a sudden, without realizing it, my whole world had narrowed down to the square foot of space where I had the book open in front of me. You would’ve needed a crowbar to pry that book out of my hands. The ending was intense, guys. There may have been whisper-yelling. There may have been actual yelling. There were definitely MANY FEELS.

In conclusion...

If you were brave enough to power through that entire review… wow. You’re awesome. But if you weren’t, that’s okay. Here’s what you need to know: READ VICIOUS. In all seriousness though. If you’re a fan of anti-heroes, or villains who might possibly be redeemable, you need to read this book. If you’re a fan of the ‘superhero’ genre and want to read a book that’s dark and obsessively engaging, read this book. If the premise of two already-a-little-twisted individuals gaining superpowers and pitting their powers against each other sounds remotely interesting to you, read this book. If you’re a fan of layered characters who twist our view of what a ‘hero’ or ‘villain’ can be, read this book.

In conclusion…? Read Vicious. Best book of 2013. Just… *shrugs* That’s all I’ve got.

Amazing. That pretty much sums up my feelings about this book. I read it a while back, and it's just amazing. I love the whole concept in the book that there are no heroes, with both 'villains' acting through different motives. The superpowers in the book are really interesting as well, especially how one has nearly, or actually, die to receive them. It's probably one of the few books I've read that doesn't butcher the whole idea behind superpowers, especially since it's not even a cheesy method!
Originally, I was bullied into borrowing the book from the library, but once I read the summary in the book, I finished it within a couple hours. It's actually relatively fast paced, while building up the background and current events simultaneously. Overall, I'd have to say it's definitely a great book to read, for a variety of different people. It's full of action, and a great storyline, along with memorable characters like Victor and Sydney, who I still adore. On top of that, it's a book that I would definitely read more than once, though I must say that one of the reasons I like the book so much would be the lack of any romance that takes away from the story. The skillful execution of the ending, when you finally realize why Victor allowed certain events to happen, is great, though the very end does leave plenty of questions that seriously need answering.

The author isn't afraid to make his main characters unlikeable. The story is not a new one, but there are twists. I found parts of the story predictable. Hopefully, the sequel will spring off into a more unique storyline. I do plan on continuing to read the story.

Amazing! This book will engross you from the first chapter and you will not want to put it down. It's a read in under a day kind of book. I really didn't know anything about this book before reading it so I probably shouldn't say much in this review as not to spoil it for anyone. There's just a handful of characters to follow. The timeline bounces from 10 years ago to two nights ago and so forth, but it's not confusing. Great characterizations throughout, I really felt I knew them thoroughly. A must read for fans of superhero/supervillian books.

Two college students learn the secret to gaining superpowers is near-death experiences, set out to create their own suicides and resurrections, and end up becoming supervillain archenemies. Need I say more? My favorite read of the year!

Vicious is not a story with a hero. It is not a story of good versus bad, of decent people making the world a better place. Vicious, rather, is a story of people being people in all their ugly, raw glory.

I absolutely love how human every character is. Schwab does an amazing job creating fleshed out characters who all feel very real with believable motives and actions. And, even though some of the characters do horrible, awful things, I still found myself rooting for them. This is a book that seems to highlight the darker side of existence in a way that is relatable and downright frightening to find myself connection with. It is amazing to watch these characters struggle with their decisions, questioning their choices, knowing they could do better and moving in a different direction anyway.

I loved every word of this book. The setting, the way the timeline jumps around to reveal just the right amount of information at just the right time, the plot, and (obviously) the characters. This will certainly be a book I pick up again and again and never get tired of.

A fantastical work of imagination - this book grabs you by the throat and doesn't let go. Schwab's poetry background really shines through the words, she has created quite a few memorable passages here. The characters are rich and complex, and this is a book that doesn't offer any easy answers. Even it it's not your usual thing, I would gladly recommend this book. Can't wait for Vengeful to be published later in 2018.

4.5 stars

Thank goodness I liked this book more than I thought I would.

The characters were written really well, and the plot kept a very fast pace. I really loved the whole "who is the bad guy?"

The only thing keeping this book from being 5 stars for me was all the jumping back and forth between 10 years ago to the present. I know the author had to, I get that it was needed but at the same time it was just so frequent.

"There are no good men in this game"

This story is unique and intriguing, and a wild ride. I found myself completely rooting for someone who isn't quite a hero.

The last 100 pages or so had me flipping though, unable to put it down. This book made me smile, laugh, gasp, and hold my breath. Thrilling, suspenseful, and my kind of twisted.

The storyline and characters are certainly unusual. I didn't really like many of the characters but that is part of the story. People who are not good people who are given an extraordinary opportunity to impact other people's lives.

This immediately shot to my list of favorite books. I only put it down because I *had* to sleep. Two college friends discover how to give themselves super powers, and then everything goes to hell. It's a non-stop thrill ride to the end, and I loved every second.

A very good read. A nice book were the idea of being a hero is played with. Pros: I liked how the book was not told in a chronological order. I liked the main character. He has certain habits that make him feel real. Cons: I would have liked a little more play between the ideas of who was right and who was wrong. In other words, the setting was very good to make the reader guess who the "hero" really is but it never materialized. There is a clear right and wrong. Also the ending was a little predictable.

Very interesting book. Several times the plot surprised me which doesn't happen often. There aren't really any one dimensional characters they're all fairly well developed especially considering this is one book without the normal trilogy thing happening. A different sort of take on a superhero book to be sure and one I recommend highly

I was encouraged to be tactful...that should tell you enough just how much of a letdown this book was. So learn from my mistake and stay away from the hype - read the 3-star reviews for a balanced, truer assessment. It seemed interesting and I did devote much concentration and good intent on the first 50 pages, but I realized and accepted that however interesting the plot may be, it was just a bait to lure the unsuspecting. The storytelling was poor - this was not a gripping anti-hero read, but an amateurish cobbling of sci-fi elements.

V.E. Schwab does it again in Vicious. Another favorite book on my shelf with her name on it.
This book makes you question good and evil. Actions can make someone evil but is it solely based on actions? What about the thought and reason behind those actions? Do those still make them evil?

Vicious was a different type of book than I normally read, but surprisingly I really enjoyed it. I loved how you didn't know going into the story for whom you should be rooting, which was so unusual as that's rare.

This was the first book I've read by this author but I now plan on reading her young adults books.

There are no words to describe this book. Wait, yes there are. AMAZING. ENTERTAINING. UNEXPECTED. It's probably the greatest thing I've read in quite a while. Seriously, just buy it and read it. If you're hesitating, don't. Just do it. Trust me (yes, I'm a random person on the internet but I've read it and you'll see you've made a good choice in trusting me after you read it). READ IT. Read it and then tell everyone you know to read it. It's just that good.

Really enjoyed the characters. Origin stories of superhero characters but they're just regular people with abilities. No pure good or evil, just personal motivations. Definitely going to look for more from the same author.

What can I say? This was amazing, and a perfect fit for my tastes. Definitely the best book I read in 2013, and one of my new all time favorites. I loved the complex characters and their relationships, the well-developed supernatural elements, and the use of anti-heroes. I can't wait to read more by V.E. Schwab!

Victor is vicious. Eli is vicious. They are enemies. They hate each other. They want to kill each other dead.

Again.

Only one is going to survive!

Again......

Well maybe yes, maybe no. Victor and Eli were college students ten years ago. They shared the same room. They both were science nerds, and were in the same classes. They have heard a rumor about ExtraOrdinary people who possess amazing super powers, but there is a catch - to become one, you have to die. Then, someone has to bring you back by restarting your heart.

Victor and Eli want to be ExtraOrdinary. No matter the cost. And there ARE costs. For one thing, dying hurts. A lot. For another, IF people are revived, they are missing emotions. Like empathy, compassion and caring. Oh, oh.

Eli is a religious person. His parents beat God into him. He prays for success. He wants to rid the world of Evil. Victor wants an edge. Desperately. He wants to be Powerful. One at a time, they kill each other. Surprisingly, they bring each other back from death. It works!

ExtraOrdinary people are real! But they are also psychopaths. Stuff happens (they like the same girl), and one goes to prison. For ten years. He blames his roommate, who turned him in to the police. He is going to kill him - permanently, soon. The other, in realizing he has become an evil psychopath, decides he is going to kill all ExtraOrdinaries in the world, because it appears ALL ExtraOrdinaries are evil killers. With real superpowers! He must save the world from ExtraOrdinaries.

They each make their plans. Adjustments must be made, because some of the other ExtraOrdinaries become allies of each. A small murderous war begins, and humans are caught in the middle, unaware.

For now.

The book 'Vicious' is exciting and fast, and it builds to a huge climax. Many readers have become fans and their reviews indicate this series will be a popular one. It is violent, but not excessively graphic. Torture is on the table, along with general bone-crushing.

I wanted to like it more than I did, but I found the plot ultimately transparent and derivative - the 'Flatliners' movie, for one example. The characters are rather stereotypical. Brandon Sanderson's 'Steelheart' is very similar in concept and, I think, is a touch better in having developed some interesting people and a more complex storyline. At least, I cared more for Sanderson's characters. Interestingly, both 'Steelheart' and 'Vicious' have the same printing date: September, 2013.

However, without question it is a thrill ride which will keep you involved for a few hours of fun reading. I found it difficult to put down once I started reading, and I think it will be a great summer beach read series!

This...is not your normal super human story. At all. I'm less a fan of the anti-hero now than I was in my younger years, and I was never a big fan. But this... Well. This is altogether different. I cannot recommend it enough. Just go read it. Thank me later.

Someone recommended this book, so I picked it up and gave it a try. I probably will ignore future recommendations from this particular person.

In this book, two college roommates figure out how to give people superpowers, so naturally they begin with themselves. Unfortunately neither of them turns out to be a superhero. The book is morally ambiguous, and it even trots out the very very tired trope that the truly crazy person is the one who believes that he's doing things in the name of God. The book is not thought provoking, but I suppose it could be a mildly diverting few hours if you really really really love to read novels about people with superpowers.

The author tries to disguise the plot's straightforward nature presenting the narration in a series of flashbacks. No two chapters actually go after each other chronologically, and the book has 72 chapters. Yes, that's right 72. This means that the narration flashes back or forward every few pages. Some readers might find this to be a clever presentation that builds suspense. I find it to be a cheap trick. I wouldn't be surprised if she wrote the book straight and her editor made her chop it up and reorder it in an attempt to make it seem less jejune.

Vicious is really a YA book masquerading as a book for adults. The writing style is juvenile. The characters don't possess the depth that one expects in adult literature. The plot is fairly straightforward. Even the book's layout (fonts, paper quality, cover art) smacks of YA. I suspect that the publishers understood that V. E. Schwab's "first adult book" was still on the juvenile side, so they intentionally packaged it in such a way as to appeal to teens. Teens get read something "adult," i.e. a little bit of language and a little bit of sex, and the publishers get to make money. Everybody wins.

Well, everyone except me.

Great writer, and great idea, but failed in the production. The characters became cartoonish for me, particularly the Ever character. I wasn't drawn in by the personalities or cared much about anyone. But again, such a brilliant idea of what makes you a villain, versus a hero, and what being vicious really is.

Never was I so conflicted about whether or not I liked a book before. I found the character development poorly done, their motives unrealistic (or even nonsensical), yet I read the book in two sittings.

V.E. Schwab is a beautiful writer. I was so invested in this book from very early on. Her characters are Fascinating. The way she questioned morality and the greater good was so engrossing. I cannot wait to get into some of her other books. One of the best books I've read this year and, a constant recommendation to my friends.

I absolutely loved this book. It had great pacing, excellent character development, and the story itself felt new and fresh. Loved it literally from start to finish. Cannot wait to read more from Ms. Schwab

V.E. Shwab is a master at creating characters that feel real. This book has not just evil and good characters but characters that are in between. This is a quick read and i guarantee you will enjoy it.

Review originally posted @ http://feelyourbooks.blogspot.com

Vicious is the first book by V. E. Schwab I've had the privilege of reading thus far, but I assure you it won't be the last.

This book begins with two college students, Victor and Eli--friends, roommates, rivals--working on their separate theses for their one class. Seemingly out of nowhere, Eli builds his thesis around exploring the concept of Extra-Ordinary people, or EOs--basically, people with superhuman abilities. When Victor picks apart Eli's thesis and challenges him to put his theories to the test, things really start to get interesting. Their friendship crumbles--their friendly rivalry quickly turning to blood-lust over moral differences. All hell breaks loose.

It's difficult to pinpoint exactly what made this book feel so exceptional. So many things were so good.

For me, the biggest plus in this book was its characters. All of them were truly well-rounded individuals with their own flaws, ambitions, and unique personality quirks. Every time something bad would come close to happening to a character, I would panic to myself, thinking, "No! Not my favorite character!" They were all my favorites.

Even though we were given a clear villain and anti-villain ("hero" really doesn't fit any of the characters in this book at all), I still found myself empathizing with the slightly more villainous characters. Their motives were justified by who they were down to the core. Even if they were doing something morally grey, it was only because they truly believed it to be the right thing to do. And I don't know how to do anything but admire that passion.

A lot of really awesome concepts were explored thoroughly in this book. How EOs are made, what moral responsibility comes with superhuman abilities, and whether the very existence of these beings should be allowed at all.

Meanwhile, tons of "cool s***" happened regularly. And the suspense. Oh, the suspenseful moments killed me. I got so caught up in it toward the end that I held my bladder for forty pages just because I couldn't bear to break eye contact with the text on the pages. And it all built up to a wonderfully satisfying ending.

In short, I adore this book. I highly suggest it to anyone who thinks they might be interested in watching an awesome superhero-ish movie in their head. And, really, who doesn't?

It appears, according to Goodreads, that Vicious will be receiving a sequel of (currently) unknown title and release date, but you can bet I'll be ready to jump back into this world as soon as (super)humanly possibly. Until then, I look forward to exploring Schwab's other works in the near future.

There are no words to describe this book. Wait, yes there are. AMAZING. ENTERTAINING. UNEXPECTED. It's probably the greatest thing I've read in quite a while. Seriously, just buy it and read it. If you're hesitating, don't. Just do it. Trust me (yes, I'm a random person on the internet but I've read it and you'll see you've made a good choice in trusting me after you read it). READ IT. Read it and then tell everyone you know to read it. It's just that good.

Really enjoyed the characters. Origin stories of superhero characters but they're just regular people with abilities. No pure good or evil, just personal motivations. Definitely going to look for more from the same author.

What can I say? This was amazing, and a perfect fit for my tastes. Definitely the best book I read in 2013, and one of my new all time favorites. I loved the complex characters and their relationships, the well-developed supernatural elements, and the use of anti-heroes. I can't wait to read more by V.E. Schwab!

Victor is vicious. Eli is vicious. They are enemies. They hate each other. They want to kill each other dead.

Again.

Only one is going to survive!

Again......

Well maybe yes, maybe no. Victor and Eli were college students ten years ago. They shared the same room. They both were science nerds, and were in the same classes. They have heard a rumor about ExtraOrdinary people who possess amazing super powers, but there is a catch - to become one, you have to die. Then, someone has to bring you back by restarting your heart.

Victor and Eli want to be ExtraOrdinary. No matter the cost. And there ARE costs. For one thing, dying hurts. A lot. For another, IF people are revived, they are missing emotions. Like empathy, compassion and caring. Oh, oh.

Eli is a religious person. His parents beat God into him. He prays for success. He wants to rid the world of Evil. Victor wants an edge. Desperately. He wants to be Powerful. One at a time, they kill each other. Surprisingly, they bring each other back from death. It works!

ExtraOrdinary people are real! But they are also psychopaths. Stuff happens (they like the same girl), and one goes to prison. For ten years. He blames his roommate, who turned him in to the police. He is going to kill him - permanently, soon. The other, in realizing he has become an evil psychopath, decides he is going to kill all ExtraOrdinaries in the world, because it appears ALL ExtraOrdinaries are evil killers. With real superpowers! He must save the world from ExtraOrdinaries.

They each make their plans. Adjustments must be made, because some of the other ExtraOrdinaries become allies of each. A small murderous war begins, and humans are caught in the middle, unaware.

For now.

The book 'Vicious' is exciting and fast, and it builds to a huge climax. Many readers have become fans and their reviews indicate this series will be a popular one. It is violent, but not excessively graphic. Torture is on the table, along with general bone-crushing.

I wanted to like it more than I did, but I found the plot ultimately transparent and derivative - the 'Flatliners' movie, for one example. The characters are rather stereotypical. Brandon Sanderson's 'Steelheart' is very similar in concept and, I think, is a touch better in having developed some interesting people and a more complex storyline. At least, I cared more for Sanderson's characters. Interestingly, both 'Steelheart' and 'Vicious' have the same printing date: September, 2013.

However, without question it is a thrill ride which will keep you involved for a few hours of fun reading. I found it difficult to put down once I started reading, and I think it will be a great summer beach read series!

This...is not your normal super human story. At all. I'm less a fan of the anti-hero now than I was in my younger years, and I was never a big fan. But this... Well. This is altogether different. I cannot recommend it enough. Just go read it. Thank me later.

Someone recommended this book, so I picked it up and gave it a try. I probably will ignore future recommendations from this particular person.

In this book, two college roommates figure out how to give people superpowers, so naturally they begin with themselves. Unfortunately neither of them turns out to be a superhero. The book is morally ambiguous, and it even trots out the very very tired trope that the truly crazy person is the one who believes that he's doing things in the name of God. The book is not thought provoking, but I suppose it could be a mildly diverting few hours if you really really really love to read novels about people with superpowers.

The author tries to disguise the plot's straightforward nature presenting the narration in a series of flashbacks. No two chapters actually go after each other chronologically, and the book has 72 chapters. Yes, that's right 72. This means that the narration flashes back or forward every few pages. Some readers might find this to be a clever presentation that builds suspense. I find it to be a cheap trick. I wouldn't be surprised if she wrote the book straight and her editor made her chop it up and reorder it in an attempt to make it seem less jejune.

Vicious is really a YA book masquerading as a book for adults. The writing style is juvenile. The characters don't possess the depth that one expects in adult literature. The plot is fairly straightforward. Even the book's layout (fonts, paper quality, cover art) smacks of YA. I suspect that the publishers understood that V. E. Schwab's "first adult book" was still on the juvenile side, so they intentionally packaged it in such a way as to appeal to teens. Teens get read something "adult," i.e. a little bit of language and a little bit of sex, and the publishers get to make money. Everybody wins.

Well, everyone except me.

Great writer, and great idea, but failed in the production. The characters became cartoonish for me, particularly the Ever character. I wasn't drawn in by the personalities or cared much about anyone. But again, such a brilliant idea of what makes you a villain, versus a hero, and what being vicious really is.

Never was I so conflicted about whether or not I liked a book before. I found the character development poorly done, their motives unrealistic (or even nonsensical), yet I read the book in two sittings.

V.E. Schwab is a beautiful writer. I was so invested in this book from very early on. Her characters are Fascinating. The way she questioned morality and the greater good was so engrossing. I cannot wait to get into some of her other books. One of the best books I've read this year and, a constant recommendation to my friends.

I absolutely loved this book. It had great pacing, excellent character development, and the story itself felt new and fresh. Loved it literally from start to finish. Cannot wait to read more from Ms. Schwab

V.E. Shwab is a master at creating characters that feel real. This book has not just evil and good characters but characters that are in between. This is a quick read and i guarantee you will enjoy it.

4.50/5
I was very hesitant about reading this book because of the hype and I thought I would be the one to not like it but man oh man that was a crazy ride! That ending.... it left me wanting more, I want at least a damn epilogue!!

Stunningly dark and just plain good! Without spoiling too much, it simply is ExtraOrdinarily great. Villainous heroes, heroic villains and more shades of grey then some other books that might make that claim.

This book is absolute garbage. Is this a YA novel cash-grab? It certainly reads like one: One-dimensional characters? Check! Trite plot? Check! I should have known better when I saw this on a summer reading table at Barnes and Noble. The author obliterates my patience with endless streams of banality. This book has all the exposition and drama of a churned-out-for-maximum-profit Marvel superhero movie.

I find myself completely at odds with the majority of reviews here. I too enjoy dark reading, but for me a book must include character(s) with whom I can empathize. They don't necessarily have to be "good" people; it is possible, and exciting, to create dark characters with sympathetic qualities. "Vicious" was devoid of any. Its cast of characters was narcissistic, self-serving, self-aggrandizing and, yes, vicious. The plot consisted of two characters trying to get the better of one another. Period. I read half of it, hoping for deepening plot developments that would lead to evolving character development. When that failed to emerge I began skim, then skipped to the last chapter.

Bad writing. There's no other way to put it. The characters are flat, plot progression is rushed, the author tries to get to the central conflict too quickly, so that by the time he gets there I don't care.

I stopped reading this book after 16 chapters, roughly 20% through, because Nothing Happens.

The author does this baffling thing where he jumps between three different time-lines in the story. We go between "Last Night" "Two Days Ago" and "Ten Years Ago."

Three or four chapters are spent with two characters whining as they dig up a grave. Whose grave? I don't know, we've not been told yet. Why are they digging up the grave? "To send a message". That's all we know.

Several chapters are spent with the main character and his old cellmate as they meet another character. We actually get to see the Main Character and his Cellmate in jail, just before they break out. Do we get to see the breakout? No; the chapter actually ends just before they break out, and then picks up a week later.

More chapters are spent ten years ago, introducing the main character and the main antagonist back in college. We see them interacting, we see the rival's girlfriend, we see them selecting a thesis, we see them trying to gain superpowers in not-very-exciting ways.

We don't even learn what the main character's superpowers ARE until roughly chapter 14.

I've finished 1/5th of this book and I am bored out of my mind. For a book with superpowered characters, we don't see them actually using them to do anything. We don't learn about the setting. We learn barely anything about the characters - all the main character shows us is that he's A) Smart, B) hates his parents, C) secretly hates his best friend/rival, and D) regrets his course of action. We know next to nothing about the other characters, and they do so little to actually define their characters.