Reviews tagging 'Emotional abuse'

Vicious by V.E. Schwab

31 reviews

irinalast's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Jumping timelines, complicated characters with justifications of their thoughts and actions. Themes of villains vs heroes and the people in between. 

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Content Warnings

Minor: Mental illness, Death, Murder, Toxic relationship, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, Animal death, Child death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, and Self harm

nie_fertig's review against another edition

dark tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Shoutout to my friend Elian for recommending this book, and my friend Myla for wanting me to read it as well! Let me just say, the pacing is slow - especially in the beginning - but then it all comes together and everything crumbles chaotically in the end - I LOVE it!! These characters are so, so flawed too and it's really interesting how Schwab writes the two main characters (Victor and Eli) to not be likable and for the audience to not really pick a side between the rivalry because they're both horrible people and only think of themselves (except when they think of each other - you CANNOT tell me victor and eli aren't gay for each other - even though they want to kill each other, they think about one another ALL THE TIME like they literally woundn't have a purpose in life without one another - it's similar vibes to Shakespeare's Coriolanus and Aufidius).
Anyway, I also wanted to mention even though you're not supposed to be Team Victor or Team Eli, I'm still Team Victor because at least he doesn't say "I'm going to kill in the name of God," unlike Eli, which is terrifying and gives me The Batter from OFF vibes (wanting to "purify" the entire land, even if that means he has to kill his "monstrous" wife and child UGH). So, I'll see how the second book goes and see if I'm still Team Victor.
P.S. Mitch is a big softie and I love him <3 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Physical abuse, Murder, Death, Drug abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Self harm, Torture, Violence, and Emotional abuse

danireads01's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Mental illness, Gore, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Death, Abandonment, Toxic relationship, Murder, Medical trauma, Gaslighting, Drug use, Drug abuse, Confinement, and Animal death

kt2e56's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

WOW. This was excellent. Genuinely thrilling and so dark and suspenseful which I’m a bit surprised by as my only other knowledge of V.E. Schwab’s work is The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue which has its moments of darkness but is so vastly different. Kudos to Schwab for now giving me two books, one swoon-worthy and one brooding, that I’ve completely fallen in love with.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Gun violence, Violence, Stalking, Mental illness, Abandonment, Toxic relationship, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Animal death, Emotional abuse, Self harm, Child death, Suicide, Adult/minor relationship, Drug use, Gaslighting, Sexual assault, and Suicide attempt

anthasplans's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

It fascinates me every time I read it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Mental illness, Murder, Body horror, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Death, Gaslighting, Violence, Emotional abuse, Medical trauma, Physical abuse, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship

nebulasaurus's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Police brutality, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Animal death, Blood, Murder, Religious bigotry, Violence, Abandonment, Animal cruelty, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Self harm, Gun violence, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Torture, and Toxic friendship

pasavedra's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture, Toxic relationship, Body horror, Religious bigotry, Violence, Hate crime, Child death, Cursing, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Death, Gore, Alcohol, Blood, Gun violence, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Child abuse, Chronic illness, Self harm, Confinement, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, Animal death, Sexual assault, and Animal cruelty

tall_glass_of_hotness2021's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

NOBODY writes villains like VE Schwab. I am traumatized, I am hurt and I will never be the same again. This shook me to my very core. Read for a reminder that life is never eternal, and at the end, we are all…monsters.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Murder, and Emotional abuse

ttumbletree's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Suicide, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Blood, Child death, Gore, Animal death, Death, Gaslighting, Grief, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Murder, Religious bigotry, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Violence, and Self harm

Moderate: Drug use, Mental illness, Grief, Sexual assault, Abandonment, Alcohol, Drug abuse, and Torture

deadpoetsam's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Murder, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Abandonment, Animal cruelty, Blood, Death, Gaslighting, Gun violence, Self harm, Torture, Toxic friendship, and Violence

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Religious bigotry, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, Alcoholism, Child death, Drug use, Grief, and Medical content

Minor: Addiction, Forced institutionalization, and Confinement