Reviews with content warning for Suicidal thoughts - Vengeful

I. NEED. THE. NEXT. BOOK.

Schwab never fails to pull me into a book and not let me go before I've finished it. Her pacing is gripping and well-balanced and her writing adds to the tension. You'd expect that a long book consisting of short chapters, perspective changes and time jumps would be very confusing, but to me, it was very easy to follow. The fact that the reader gets left on a character cliffhanger for roughly fifty pages every once in a while and then gets thrown back into their story after another character cliffhanger adds amazingly to the tension. By the end of longer chapters, I sometimes forgot where in the timeline I was, but they're always stated in the chapter title, so all you have to do is just flip back and your memory is refreshed.

I was so happy that we finally got full insight into Eli's backstory. The mystery worked well in the first book, but knowing his history gave the character a whole new dimension and made him ten times more scary/unhinged than he already was.

I have to be honest and admit that June's character arc disappointed me a little. She's not a flat character; we get hinted at her backstory a lot. However, we never really know what happened to her and her exact motivations for doing what she did.

It's been a few years since this book came out, but I hope Storygraph's information is true and there is a new book coming, because this story feels anything but complete to me; there's a difference between an open ending and an incomplete one, and this was the latter. I want to know more about Victor's history and motivations, what happens to him after the book, where Sydney and Mitch are going, June's backstory, and so many more things.

January 2nd, 2024 - January 5th, 2024.

“Gods [were] crucified before they were worshipped.”

“While seeking revenge, dig two graves—one for yourself.”

“Run, thought Victor, and he could see the response in Eli's coiled frame.
Chase me.”

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cowardlyteaman's review against another edition

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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? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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pelb's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional tense slow-paced

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

3.0

Here’s the thing, I wanted to love this book. The writing style is great, I love all the characters, and the powers are cool. I loved that we got to see more of Eli’s backstory, I felt like I understood his character a lot better after that. Here’s my main problems:

1. The focus on new characters
- there were two new characters introduced, which seemed cool at first. They were good characters with interesting abilities, however, it felt like they were thrown in out of nowhere and then they took over the story. I felt like they could’ve had their own spin off story, rather than being put in this book. Their presence is what killed it for me, because it detracted from the main plot line and caused the downfall of my second problem:

2. The ending
- I could’ve overlooked everything else if it wasn’t for the ending. It was extremely rushed and felt unfinished, which was very disappointing after all the buildup. There was no satisfying conclusion I was looking for and I felt confused by the end, wondering why it wasn’t a trilogy, because the story is very clearly not over. Now if she actually comes back and makes a third book, which I’ve heard she might, that would significantly change my opinion of this book, because it was a very enjoyable read. I don’t think she’s going to though, so I am very disappointed.

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elinorn's review against another edition

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4.0

This was fun, I found myself loving but also hating all the villains, in the best way possible. I want to read more books from the villain/anti-hero's perspective!

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lizziaha's review against another edition

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dark

Loveable characters? It's complicated

4.5

The sheer breadth of this book is very impressive. There are so many moving parts and ve schwab manages to weave them together so intricately. That being said, because there are so many moving parts, there are still some loose threads that I desperately want to pull. I’m not sure if there will ever be another book, but I want one!!!! Part of the reason that these books are so compelling is because they have a very Batman-villainesque feeling to them and there’s not really a hero to hang your hopes on, so you have to decide which of your morals you will set aside as you choose who to root for.

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