A review by mariebrunelm
Vicious by V.E. Schwab

adventurous dark tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

A fierce tale of anger, guilt and resentment. Victor and Eli are each other's nemesis, ever since a string of experiments at university led to death and other unpleasant consequences.
This novel, if you'll excuse the reference, is fast and furious. It grips you and throw you headfirst into the story, cutting the action into bite-size pieces and jumping back in time and the best moments to deliver that piece of information making the narrative all the more suspenseful. It really is a masterclass of plotting and I thoroughly enjoyed the lesson.
Very early on, I realised none of the main characters was likeable - they are very flawed and think they know best than everyone else - but somehow I still wanted to see what happens and although I took my time, I was hooked. Which was very different from the unlikeable characters I read last month, who made me want to throw the book out the window. I don't yet know how that works, although it's certain that Victor and Eli are absolute badasses and they don't wait for you to make up your mind. They run from and towards each other, while you can simply sit back and enjoy the ride.
Rep : it's not mentioned in this volume, but the author has stated on social media that Eli was bi, and Victor was asexual & biromantic. 
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