Reviews tagging 'Mental illness'

Vicious by V.E. Schwab

40 reviews

ceruleanheather's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense medium-paced

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

5.0

This was a deliciously dark, twisted tale of what can happen when people get super powers. Sometimes it is difficult to tell who the villains and heroes are. 

The story goes back and forth between the present (ish), and ten years ago. Ten years ago Victor and Eli were friends in med school with a crazy theory about people gaining super powers called EOs (ExtraOrdinaries). Their bond is already an odd one in this time, but it works somehow. There is much jealousy though, and inevitable betrayal.

In the present, Eli and Victor are anything but friends. One has a god complex, and one seems self aware yet not quite caring. The betrayals have been festering and everything is heading to a climax at midnight.

Along the way we meet Mitch, Sydney, Serena, and a host of other characters. Each one being drawn into the epic conflict. Through each perspective we get to explore that fine line between what makes a person a hero or a villain, and so many gray areas. I love that there are no true background characters, as each one has their own demons to wrestle and their own role.

The two main characters are a psychopath and a sociopath, so fair warning. I was utterly fascinated by the way their minds worked though.

*TW* animal death (but keep reading)

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Self harm, Suicide attempt, Violence, Mental illness, Death, Addiction, Torture, Toxic friendship, Blood, Drug use, Medical content, Murder, Toxic relationship, Animal death, Gun violence, and Alcohol

foggyoblio's review against another edition

dark funny mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Blood, Animal death, Gore, Addiction, Alcohol, Body horror, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Mental illness, Medical content, Kidnapping, Injury/Injury detail, Torture, Medical trauma, Suicide, Abandonment, Animal cruelty, Self harm, Fire/Fire injury, Drug use, Death, Alcoholism, Child death, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Stalking, and Murder

Moderate: Child abuse

Minor: Confinement

abicaro17's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious reflective tense medium-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

4.75

Ok amazing! Schwab does it again! This story of power dynamics and friendship is a powerhouse and i'm glad theres a second book. Victor and Eli are so similar in ways and yet fundamentally different morally. I usually hate multiple pov and third person writing but Schwab does it so well you dont even notice it. I think all the individual storylines were crafted so beautifully and connected so well. I think this just suffers from what every multiple pov book does: a lack of connection to the characters. You feel for them yes, but when the end approached I didn't really care what happened to them, or I knew it would all be ok (either or). Im so excited to read the second installment and I hope its just as good if not better than the first! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Classism, Confinement, Slavery, Stalking, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Animal cruelty, Gaslighting, Gore, Medical content, Suicide, Abandonment, Animal death, Mental illness, Alcohol, Child abuse, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Blood, Death, Genocide, Injury/Injury detail, Sexism, Violence, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Gun violence, Murder, Self harm, Suicide attempt, Torture, and Toxic friendship

strawberrytheauthor'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? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This book was so good! Go into it knowing nothing! Just go read it! I’m literalLu screamed at the last line and at least 12 others in the book. It’s just so so so so so so good!!!!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Violence, Alcohol, Grief, Mental illness, Addiction, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, Animal cruelty, Child death, Toxic friendship, Torture, Blood, Confinement, Death, Gun violence, Drug abuse, Murder, Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, Animal death, Alcoholism, Self harm, and Suicide

Moderate: Cursing

sareadings's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Suicidal thoughts, and Medical trauma

Moderate: Violence, Body horror, Mental illness, Blood, and Gun violence

Minor: Self harm and Animal death

stardustvein's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Violence, Blood, Body horror, Death, Gun violence, and Hate crime

Moderate: Mental illness, Toxic friendship, Religious bigotry, Torture, Child death, Emotional abuse, Animal death, Forced institutionalization, and Suicide attempt

Minor: Alcoholism and Medical content

starsandscarsbookclub's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic friendship, Torture, Animal death, Self harm, Murder, Mental illness, Gore, Gun violence, Confinement, Death, Violence, Suicide attempt, Injury/Injury detail, Drug use, and Blood

cowardlyteaman's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional 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

5.0

This is without a doubt my favourite read of the year.
Fucking hell, this was a WILD RIDE.

I love every single one of the characters, and I love the way this book kept me hooked 100% of the while.

Even though Victor is «edgy» in a way, it just makes sense for him in such a good and logical way. I'm not annoyed or icked by it, I just like his character.
Loving the way Mitch's character is built up, too, and of course Sydney.

I especially loved Eli and Serena as villains, too. Nothing I love more than a sexy and crazed religious man and a fem-dom.

For a while, I was conflicted on what I thought about people being revived. However, I don't think it matters here? In all other media, it seriously bothers me, but in this book in particular, who lives and who dies isn't really what keeps you on edge, it's how the characters' relationships with each other develops. I absolutely love the dynamic between each and every character, I CANNOT stress any more how much I LOVED reading this.

Ditched Norwegian, maths, and economics class for this book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Alcohol, Animal death, Drug use, Gun violence, Religious bigotry, Violence, Drug abuse, Murder, Suicide attempt, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Blood, Death, and Gore

Moderate: Gaslighting, Medical trauma, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Medical content

Minor: Sexual content, Stalking, Panic attacks/disorders, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

ahpets's review against another edition

dark mysterious fast-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Death, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Mental illness, Religious bigotry, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Medical content, Torture, Animal death, Alcohol, Blood, Gaslighting, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual content, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, and Violence

ellynob25's review against another edition

dark 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Mental illness, Blood, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Gore, Gun violence, Death, and Animal death