Reviews - Vicious | The StoryGraph

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28.8k reviews for:

Vicious

V.E. Schwab

4.24 AVERAGE

grinchbanana's review against another edition

5.0

4,7-8⭐️
KHÉ?????
Yo no se porqué no me había leído esto antes, que barbaridad de libro.
Cuando no sea de madrugada intentaré hacer una reseña de verdad.

kiralafave's review against another edition

3.75

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

I picked this one up after seeing a Reddit post raving about it — not a buzzy series I’d heard much about, but the comments made it sound intriguing, especially the praise for the main male character. I was looking for something quick to dive into, and this was sitting at the top of my saved list.

It took me a while to find my footing. The story jumps constantly between timelines — ten years ago, two weeks ago, two minutes ago — and shifts perspectives often. At first, it was hard to keep track of who was who and where we were in the story, but eventually I fell into the rhythm and started to see how the two timelines merged.

The heart of the book for me was Victor and Eli’s dynamic — from best friends to enemies. Eli’s motivations still feel a bit murky (was he just a little bit cooked?), but having his perspective made him more than a one-note villain. Victor, on the other hand, is one of the best morally grey leads I’ve read in a while. I’m curious to see where his story goes in the next book.

Side characters were a mixed bag. The Serena/Sydney sister conflict was interesting, but their reconnection felt rushed. Mitch was fine — he worked as a steady supporting character, and his bond with Sydney was a sweet touch.

I liked the writing overall, though the structure made it tricky at first. The EO concept was a standout — powers gained through near-death experiences, shaped by the person’s last thoughts or deepest needs. It’s a fresh spin on the origin story trope and worked really well here.

By the end, I wasn’t buzzing with excitement for the sequel, but I was definitely curious enough to keep going. Solid, clever, and with enough hooks to bring me back.

sunhi's review against another edition

4.75

adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

This has been a book. I read this once before and I remembered it was good but I forgot how good it was.

This is mainly the story of Victor and Eli, two men with superpowers, neither of whom should have superpowers. It's also a story about what powers cost the person who gains the powers.

It's not hard to read this and feel that while Eli and Serena are wrong, they're also a little correct. The getting of the powers does seem to have a muting effect on morality.

I remain enamored of this book on my second read but I'm not sure I will read the follow up.

ngireland's review against another edition

4.25

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious fast-paced

rebecca_d19's review against another edition

3.5

dark emotional medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

elirose's review against another edition

4.0

dark emotional tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

This book made me no longer feel in a reading slump, a well written read

izzoe's review against another edition

4.75

adventurous emotional mysterious fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

I have been in such a slump and this revived me. Oh my god it is so fun and engaging. The characters whether you love them or support them are all so full of life and intrigue. Every character was interesting to me and on some level made sense. This is theatrical in a way. Two forces fighting against each other. The origins of the powers was so sick and cool. I just adored this. It was so fun.

My only criticism right now is that the beginning is a bit slow. Once you get about 15% in it picks up but it’s kind of confusing and not super engaging until then. After that it’s a whirlwind.

Content Warnings