Reviews with content warning for Addiction - Vicious

Reviews tagging 'Addiction'

Vicious by V.E. Schwab

41 reviews

leweylibrary's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark funny tense fast-paced

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

5.0

I DEVOURED this book, and I truly can't think of anything that I didn't like or that rubbed me the wrong way at all. In fact, before I even finished this book, I went out and bought the second one 🙌 And gosh I am even more impressed with myself for picking out this book for Blaine for Christmas lol.

Some things in particular that I love:

The entire premise really lol I've been telling people it's giving X-Men but darker. It feels like a more realistic and plausible version of superheroes.

The characters, especially Victor and Eli. I am such a sucker for morally gray characters, and they are both that to a freaking T lol. Eli's religion and how it guides him is so interesting to me, and Victor's jealousy and his mutilating books (especially his parents' self-help books lol) is also interesting. And, of course, their powers

(self-healing for Eli and giving and taking away pain for Victor)

are so illuminating. And their relationship with each other? Gosh. So much to unpack there.

The pacing was perfect, idk how anyone could think it's slow (and I know someone who did).

The discussion around what makes a hero, sidekick, and villain is 🤌 Those might be the parts that I love the most.

Quotes:

All Eli had to do was smile. All Victor had to do was lie. Both proved frighteningly effective. (18)
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. (58)
It could work, and if it did work, he wanted the chance to hold the power, the evidence, the proof. He wanted to be the proof. Without it, this was Eli's monster, and he was merely the wall off which Eli bounced his ideas. With it, he was the monster, essential, inextricable from Eli's theories. (60)
Eli, who showed up in the hallway sophomore year with a suitcase and a smile. Eli, who believed in God and had a monster inside him just like Victor, but knew how to hide it better. Eli, who got away with everything, who had slipped into his life and stolen the girl and the top rank and the stupid holiday research grant. Eli, who, despite it all, meant something to Victor. (78)
The years had worn on Victor in more obvious ways, hardening him, but they hadn't left Eli untouched. He didn't appear a day older, but the arrogant smile he'd often flashed in college had given way to something crueler. Like that mask he'd worn for so long had finally fallen off, and this was what lurked behind it. (90)
And Victor, who was so good at picking things apart, at understanding how they worked, how he worked, looked at the photo, and felt...conflicted. Hate was too simple a word. He and Eli were bonded, by blood and death and science. They were alike, more so now than ever. And he missed Eli. He wanted to see him. And he wanted to see him suffer. He wanted to see the look in Eli's eyes when he lit them up with pain. He wanted his attention.
Eli was like a thorn beneath Victor's skin, and it hurt. He could turn off every nerve in his body, but Victor couldn't do a damned thing about the twinge he felt when he thought of Cardale. The worst part of going numb was that it took away everything but this, the smothering need to hurt, to break, to kill, pouring over him like a thick blanket of syrup until he panicked and brought the physical sensations back. (90-91)
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. (91)
Victor Vale was not a fucking sidekick. (96)
"You thought our powers were somehow a reflection of our nature. God playing with mirrors, but you're wrong. It's not about God. It's about us. The way we think. The thought that's strong enough to keep us alive. To bring us back. (133)
There had been an excerpt, blown up large and pasted on the window, and in a passage studded with overwrought gems--his favorite being "out of the ruins of our self-made jails..."--he had seen the perfect opportunity to spell out a simple but effective" we...ruin... all...we touch." (168)
There was a moment of such perfect quiet, the kind he used to feel in church, a sliver of peace that felt so... right. It was the first time he'd felt like himself, like more than himself, since he'd come back to life.
Eli crossed himself. (212)
Serena remembered sitting cross-legged on her bed and listening to the news, her friends huddled on the comforter around her-- but not touching; there seem to be a thin wall, separating them from her, fear, or maybe awe-- and it was then she realized that she wasn't a ghost, or a god.
She was a monster. (236)
"I hope Victor hurts him," she said cheerfully. "A lot."
"Jesus. Three days and you're already taking after him." Mitch sagged into a chair, ran his head over his shaved head. "Look, Sydney, there's something you need to understand about Victor--"
"He's not a bad man," she said.
"There are no good men in this game," said Mitch.
But Sydney didn't care about good. She wasn't sure she believed in it. "I'm not afraid of Victor."
" I know." He sounded sad when he said it. (276)
But these words people throw 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 at being human. (288-289)
...a decade in and out of prison had taught him this: there were some people you had to stay away from, people who poisoned everything within reach. Then there were people you wanted to stick with, the ones with silver tongues and golden touches. And then, there were people you stood beside, because it meant you weren't in their way. And whoever Victor Vale was, whatever he was, and whatever he was up to, the only thing Mitch knew was that he did not want to be in his way. (304)
She readjusted the shovel on her shoulder, and wondered if Eli would live forever, and how much of forever someone could reasonably remember, especially when nothing left a mark. (361)

Content Warnings

skillyillian's review

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adventurous challenging dark emotional 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

4.5

I loved this, what an awesome read. Superpowers in a modern day setting is well outside my usual wheelhouse but I loved Addie LaRue so much I knew I wanted to read more from Schwab. It was so worth it 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

The characters are fun, I absolutely adore a good motley crew/found family story and this one hit the nail on the head. Victor, Mitch, and Sydney are one of the best found families I've seen in a long time. Victor is Mr. Brooding, all self control and an unsettling power that's quiet until it's not, and it's hot AF. Mitch is a terrifying, tattooed gladiator, full of intelligence and a soft spot for the little girl he and his cellmate have adopted together, which brings us to Sydney. A tween scared of her own power when the story starts, she grows up in several ways as time progresses, until she's a very different person by the end. You cheer for all three the whole time as you watch them become a team and work together against Eli.

Speaking of which, Victor and Eli are the #1 most gay pair of nemeses I've ever seen in my life. Constantly thinking of each other, what they look like, what they're doing, daydreaming about seeing each other again for literally ten years, the little moments of intimacy during the flashbacks to their college life together. So gay. So in love. Extremely home of the sexual.

The flashbacks thing is such a cool way to write a story, and an awesome tool for keeping the reader in suspense. Something exciting happens and you're like "holy shit, what happens next?!" And boom, it's ten years ago again and you have to wait to see what's next in the scene you just read and desperately want to get back to. What a rad fuckin idea, man. Loved it. Seeing characters make certain choices and then getting backstory to their motivations and why the choice they made is significant was so dope.

The way the powers in this story are created and the effects they have on their users is so incredibly well thought out and unique. I couldn't help but marvel at how interesting it was and I spent the whole time waiting to see what the next EO's powers would be and it was never a let-down when someone else was introduced.

V.E. Schwab is brilliant. I loved this and I will definitely be reading the next one soon.

Content Warnings

jkneebone's review

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dark medium-paced

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

4.0

What a delightfully dark book! Vicious by V.E. Schwab centers around two men, Eli Cardale and Victor Vale. Ten years ago, they were college roommates and close friends who's shared interest in science lead them to the hypothesis that near-death experiences can cause someone to develop supernatural powers, to become ExtraOrdinary (an EO). In the present day, Victor has just escaped from prison, and with the help of his former cellmate Mitch and a 12-year-old runaway named Sydney, he is determined to hunt Eli down. Ten years ago, Victor and Eli decided to test their hypothesis by engineering their own near-death experiences in the hopes of becoming EOs. In the present day, Eli has teamed up with Sydney's older sister to fulfill a dark, self-imposed mission, and Victor has vowed to stop him.

I loved this book! It's certainly not for the faint of heart, with lots of graphic violence and generally creepy and upsetting themes, but I honestly adored it. Schwab did an amazing job of weaving together the past and present timelines and the various points of view into a cohesive whole, while also using the structure to slowly reveal the whole picture of Victor and Eli's, and Sydney and Serena's, history. The whole thing was deliciously messed up - all of the characters, especially Victor and Eli, were so twisted, which (to me) makes for a very fun reading experience. I was hooked the whole way through, and I'll definitely be picking up the sequel as soon as I can.

Content Warnings

nekoshka's review against another edition

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adventurous dark funny fast-paced

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

5.0

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ladynavalon's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark inspiring mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Content Warnings

donatio's review against another edition

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dark mysterious reflective medium-paced

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

5.0

As always V. E. Schwab did not disappoint.
I loved the writing style and how she skipped back and forth between the past and the present. The characters were well-crafted and I found a connection to every one of them, especially Victor's group of strays.
It was not really action-packed but I still loved how the story evolved.
Before reading one should check the trigger warnings, because it gets dark at points and "There are no good men in this game" is quite true. The mix of flashbacks and present might be annoying for some people too.

Content Warnings

astrid_mel's review

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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? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Content Warnings

alexandrabelze's review against another edition

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dark mysterious medium-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

4.25

sydney and dol CARRIED! mixed up victor and eli’s hair colors for the ENTIRE book and didn’t notice until the last few chapters. only one or two awkward transitions or unnecessary moments; nothing crazy or unusual.

eli’s self harm scene was very poor in taste and could’ve been written better. a let down on schwab’s part.

Content Warnings

emohan's review against another edition

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adventurous dark 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? No

5.0

Wonderfully story and a great book to start the new year with. I really enjoyed reading about Victor, Mitch, Sydney, and Eli. The relationships

the trio built are great. The fact safe for Sydney is Victor is too pure. She sees him as someone who can care for her despite his ability to cause her and those around them pain.

I loved the story concept and the tie in of how biology/pathophysiology could ultimately lead to giving humans powers to become EOs. Whenever science can be incorporated and make some plausible sense, I’m here for it.

Content Warnings

rosenau's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.5

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