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chk_chk_books 's review for:
Vicious
by V.E. Schwab
TL:DR - 6.5/10 (probably a 7 if the narrator had been better)
Rated R for you parents out there
One word summary- WTF
Vicious, a book with, when you break it down, a pretty common theme. Two best friends discover something impossible and try to destroy each other when it all goes sideways. But it’s actually so much more than that. What you should understand before reading is that there are no good guys in this book. (That should be semi obvious since the series is called Villains.) Eli is the antagonist to Victor’s story and vice versa. Both think their right. Both find ways to justify their actions. Both think the other should be dead, both for very selfish reasons.
Even though this book spans about ten years (in the book) it feels like it takes place in one really really long day. And it reads like someone has documented their story and telling it to us. That may sound like a typical third person perspective, but feels a little bit different. To me at least!
Victor is a manipulator looking for glory and fame. To be better than everyone else even if he's the only on that knows about it. If you need any proof of that, just wait until you find out what it takes to become an EO. It's not something a normal person would consider doing. Not to mention the only friend he ever had he made everything they did together a private competition. He isn’t going after Eli because he actually feels bad for the other EOs, he’s doing it because Eli wronged him.
Eli didn’t want Victor gone because of what he did but because of Eli’s instant God complex. Something I feel like he always had but was amplified by becoming an EO. It was the 'sign' he had been looking for his whole life. I honestly don't believe Eli and Victor were ever really friends. They both saw something in each other that they could use to their own benefit. It's like a bad joke. Two sociopaths walk into a bar and feel something for the first time in their lives!
In the end, I didn’t like Eli or Victor, so my general investment in their well-being was pretty much zero. It was like being a silent observing hovering over these two individuals just waiting to see who will destroy the other first and how. Like a political debate where you have no connection to either side. That does not mean I didn’t like this book! The audiobook itself kind of droned on, mostly because the narrator was rather monotone, which made for a slow listen but it was interesting to read a book where you're not actually invested in the main characters but are invested in the story. Does that make sense? Makes sense to me!
So if you don't like books with only shitty people this probably isn't for you. But if you like a good anti anti anti hero, give it a go!
Also, Mitch Clark for the win!
SPOILERS AHEAD TURN BACK WHILST YOU CAN
Now that he's back, he doesn't have his power anymore and he worked so hard to get it. I don't know that he'll change as a person though. He's always been THAT sort of way, it was merely amplified by being an EO. I will forever appreciate being a tricky SOB, that's always a good time. Shame Victor isn't likable!
Rated R for you parents out there
One word summary- WTF
Vicious, a book with, when you break it down, a pretty common theme. Two best friends discover something impossible and try to destroy each other when it all goes sideways. But it’s actually so much more than that. What you should understand before reading is that there are no good guys in this book. (That should be semi obvious since the series is called Villains.) Eli is the antagonist to Victor’s story and vice versa. Both think their right. Both find ways to justify their actions. Both think the other should be dead, both for very selfish reasons.
Even though this book spans about ten years (in the book) it feels like it takes place in one really really long day. And it reads like someone has documented their story and telling it to us. That may sound like a typical third person perspective, but feels a little bit different. To me at least!
Victor is a manipulator looking for glory and fame. To be better than everyone else even if he's the only on that knows about it. If you need any proof of that, just wait until you find out what it takes to become an EO. It's not something a normal person would consider doing. Not to mention the only friend he ever had he made everything they did together a private competition. He isn’t going after Eli because he actually feels bad for the other EOs, he’s doing it because Eli wronged him.
Eli didn’t want Victor gone because of what he did but because of Eli’s instant God complex. Something I feel like he always had but was amplified by becoming an EO. It was the 'sign' he had been looking for his whole life. I honestly don't believe Eli and Victor were ever really friends. They both saw something in each other that they could use to their own benefit. It's like a bad joke. Two sociopaths walk into a bar and feel something for the first time in their lives!
In the end, I didn’t like Eli or Victor, so my general investment in their well-being was pretty much zero. It was like being a silent observing hovering over these two individuals just waiting to see who will destroy the other first and how. Like a political debate where you have no connection to either side. That does not mean I didn’t like this book! The audiobook itself kind of droned on, mostly because the narrator was rather monotone, which made for a slow listen but it was interesting to read a book where you're not actually invested in the main characters but are invested in the story. Does that make sense? Makes sense to me!
So if you don't like books with only shitty people this probably isn't for you. But if you like a good anti anti anti hero, give it a go!
Also, Mitch Clark for the win!
SPOILERS AHEAD TURN BACK WHILST YOU CAN
Spoiler
...If I'm honest, having Sydney around basically made the threat of death nonexistent. It’s like Supernatural, sure this character just died but there’s a 99.9% chance that they’ll come back via some spell or angel ex machina. So I really wasn’t worried for the safety of any of them except for Sydney. Can’t very well raise yourself from perdition! Or rather, just death really, I don’t think Sydney would go to Hell. I have no doubts this was Victor's plan all alone and to get there he lied, killed, threatened, kidnapped, and cheated until he got what he wanted. It was all very clever but Victor Vale is a very very bad person and probably should've stayed dead.Now that he's back, he doesn't have his power anymore and he worked so hard to get it. I don't know that he'll change as a person though. He's always been THAT sort of way, it was merely amplified by being an EO. I will forever appreciate being a tricky SOB, that's always a good time. Shame Victor isn't likable!