Reviews

Vengeful by V.E. Schwab

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lbellec's review against another edition

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dark tense slow-paced

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

4.75

meggie82461's review against another edition

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5.0

5 ”Somehow even better than Vicious” Stars!!

Victor had to take responsibility. For himself. And for the monster he’d helped create.

I’m SO sad this experience is over. I’ve heard rumors it’s actually not, that there will be another book- and there should be another book- but for now, I’m a little depressed that these characters aren’t in my life anymore. Because this story is one that takes you away for a little bit, sends you on a mental vacation to a world enough like the one we live in to picture it perfectly. I really did love every minute of this journey.

The same warning holds true for this book as the last one- there are no heroes, just lots more villains in Vengeful. I understand why some readers softened to Eli because of this book, but I didn’t. I also understand why they bristled at Vic even though again, I didn’t. That being said, I’ve cheered for Victor from the very beginning, and not just because I love those on his side (even though I do). Eli has always come across as entitled and disingenuous, and that didn’t change for me. He didn’t change, at least in my opinion. Vic didn’t either, but he did evolve... maybe a little. But unlike Eli, he never presented himself to be anyone other than who he is: a logical person that quantifies the risk and reward in every decision. We have that in common, so I found myself relating to Vic more than anyone else. He doesn’t need a higher power to believe in, because he believes in himself. He also believes in his friends, whether he himself would admit it or not. He put his life in their hands too many times to say otherwise.

There were a lot more characters in this book, and that was a little confusing at first. I also had to make a timeline in my notes app because the chapters jumped around in time, sometimes to events that happened before the first book. Eventually, though, those wrinkles smoothed out alongside the perfect pacing of the story. I fell even more in love with Vic, Syd, Mitch, and Dominic, I was intrigued by June and Marcella, and I was cheering all along for Eli’s demise. Through it all, the author did an incredible job of describing what a world would be like if just a few of us had special powers to call their own. I loved her imagination when it came to this, how their powers were shaped by their personalities and final wishes.

So, Eli and Victor- let’s be honest, we’ve all had those “friendships,” right? On the surface it’s all good, but underneath, the need to be better than the other burns bright. Their competition has gone on for over a decade, but I wonder- do they not realize that they’re mirror images of each other, or is that what makes them so good at anticipating each other’s next step? And is there any genuine affection left between them, or was it all squashed under their ambition? Were all of Vic’s actions truly selfish, or were his motives selfless in that he wanted to protect his companions... and to a certain extent, Eli too? And as long as Sydney’s around, is anyone ever really dead? There’s still a lot of story to be told, and I’ll be first in line for these answers, but I’m still content with how it all went down. These characters were too gray for a black-and-white ending anyway.

The thing about mistakes was that they weren’t always big, or obvious. Sometimes they were simple. Small. The decision to keep walking. The turn left instead of right. Those few extra steps in the wrong direction.

kishma_'s review against another edition

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3.0

3.5 ⭐

Let me start off by saying V.E. Schwab is one of my favorite authors ever and Vicious is one of my favorite books (I recommend it to everyone!!). I had really, really high hopes for Vengeful, but unfortunately I didn't love it as much as I had hoped. The first half of this dragged for me. The 3.5 stars came from the second half mostly. Not a bad book, just not what I expected for a sequel to one of my favorites.