Reviews tagging 'Drug abuse'

Vicious by V.E. Schwab

60 reviews

goosegame's review against another edition

dark tense fast-paced

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

5.0

Both main characters are awful and I love them.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting, Murder, and Violence

Moderate: Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, and Suicide

Minor: Alcohol, Animal death, Confinement, Cursing, and Drug abuse

corabookworm's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional inspiring sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

characters - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
plot - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
writing - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm, Death, Violence, Suicide, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Animal death, Torture, Suicidal thoughts, Physical abuse, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Gun violence, Gore, Grief, Drug use, Drug abuse, and Cursing

Minor: Kidnapping, Child abuse, and Death of parent

queer_bookwyrm's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-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

 
5 ⭐ CW: violence, incarceration, graverobbing, attempted suicide, intentional overdose, murder, self harm, torture, opioid misuse, descriptions of blood and corpses

Vicious by V.E. Schwab is the first book in the Villains duology. I loved this book! I'm a sucker for morally gray characters, and this book takes the cake. I mean, with lines like this- "There are no good men in this game"- you know you're in for a treat.

We follow Victor Vale and his best friend/roommate as they come up with a thesis for your science class. Victor chooses something to do with adrenaline and hormones, but Eli chooses something wild. He chooses to make his thesis on the existence of ExtraOrdinaries (EOs), people who have Near Death Experiences (NDE), but we're brought back to life and ended up with powers based on what their last thoughts or desires were.

Both Victor and Eli felt like they might be a bit sociopathic, but this ramps up after each of them goes through with an NDE and successfully come back to life with powers. For Eli, he becomes self healing, and Victor can manipulate pain in himself and others. They realize the. When they've come back, something is missing.

I loved the way this was done. It's got a superhero origin story feel to it, but as stated before, there are no good men. Eli and Victor are just different shades of bad. I loved the juxtaposition if Eli being religious and his idea that he's doing God's work while killing people. It lent an extra bit of creepyness. Eli's psychology alone is fascinating.

Glad I just bought the sequel, so I can find out what happens next! I also might be interested in starting the ExtraOrdinary graphic novels! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Suicide attempt, Drug abuse, Murder, Self harm, Torture, and Gun violence

Moderate: Blood

laurajeangrace's review against another edition

adventurous 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Child death, Animal death, Murder, Gun violence, Violence, Torture, Suicide attempt, Self harm, Physical abuse, and Blood

Moderate: Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Confinement, Drug abuse, and Drug use

Minor: Death of parent, Sexual content, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Forced institutionalization

katreadswaytoomuch's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

A fantastic evolution from YA fantasy to Adult Fantasy!

Little to no focus on romance

We love a morally grey character, but Victor is as grey as they come. Everything is a means to an end and something or someone has value based on how useful they are to him. It’s incredible to watch his mind work.

There’s also some really great ethical questions posed around self-awareness and humanity. Some of the observation were really clever.

And the last chapter was just 😆😆😆❤️❤️❤️ icing on the cake

Please look up the potential triggers for this book. I’ll include a list below that I noticed because I’ll admit I struggled with some of the violence in this 

I will be honest. It’s really hard being surprised by death when there’s a character who can revive the dead. There. I said it. Unfortunately I think that really took away from the oh no they’re dead factor because it was established pretty early on in the book, but it’s still there like, “oh no can she not do it this time for some reason”

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Animal death, Blood, Child death, Death, Drug use, Drug abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, Gore, Grief, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Murder, Religious bigotry, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Torture, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, and Violence

phoebe20's review against another edition

dark 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Suicide, Violence, Murder, Medical content, Drug use, Drug abuse, Death, and Animal death

kodi_rae's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense fast-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

4.0

While I think so far I like the Darker Shade of Magic series better, this was a fun and unique read! I’m looking forward to the next one. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Death, Gun violence, Self harm, and Violence

Moderate: Animal death, Injury/Injury detail, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Confinement, and Drug abuse

eve_reads's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious 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

4.0

Overall Thoughts:
⁕ The nonlinear delivery of the story contributed to such a heightened sense of anticipation and tension. By the final chapters, I was TEARING through the book to get to the resolution.

⁕ Victor and Eli are deliciously flawed and the amoral, anti-heroes of every reader’s dreams.

⁕ I’ve read a lot of reviews saying that this book gives off similar vibes as the Amazon show The Boys. While I agree that it has similar character types, I will say this book is MUCH LESS intense in terms of gore and violence. It’s still there, but if you go in with expectations of high shock value scenes, you will probably be dissatisfied.

To read my full review, visit: https://evereads.online
For regular book-related content, follow my Instagram account: @eve_reads 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Gore, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Animal death, Child abuse, and Gun violence

ameoba's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious 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

5.0

Most satisfying ending of any book I've ever read.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture, Suicide attempt, Violence, and Death

Moderate: Animal death, Blood, Drug abuse, Drug use, Genocide, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, and Murder

Minor: Abandonment and Xenophobia

marthadude's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense fast-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Blood, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Murder, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Torture, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Drug use, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Kidnapping, Self harm, and Stalking