Book Review: Vicious by V.E. Schwab

​Rating: 4 STARS

​Genre: Fantasy/Scifi
Standalone/Series: Villains #1
How I got this book: Bought

Victor and Eli started out as college roommates—brilliant, arrogant, lonely boys who recognized the same sharpness and ambition in each other. In their senior year, a shared research interest in adrenaline, near-death experiences, and seemingly supernatural events reveals an intriguing possibility: that under the right conditions, someone could develop extraordinary abilities. But when their thesis moves from the academic to the experimental, things go horribly wrong. 

Ten years later, Victor breaks out of prison, determined to catch up to his old friend (now foe), aided by a young girl whose reserved nature obscures a stunning ability. Meanwhile, Eli is on a mission to eradicate every other super-powered person that he can find—aside from his sidekick, an enigmatic woman with an unbreakable will. Armed with terrible power on both sides, driven by the memory of betrayal and loss, the archnemeses have set a course for revenge—but who will be left alive at the end?

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I figured it was about time that I read a book by V.E. Schwab and when I spotted this collector's edition (with hidden cover) of Vicious in Waterstones earlier this year, I couldn't resist. 

One thing that I should explain is that I struggled SO MUCH to rate this by book. I literally don't know where it falls. Probably because it's an extremely unique book, for me at least; I can honestly say that I've never read anything like this before. 

As much as the synopsis paints a black and white hero vs villains story, it's nothing of the sort. The characters are dark, twisted and every single one is morally complicated. The characters are extremely compelling in their own ways and they drive the story extremely well. The plot is very scifi, and could feature the cast of every comic book villain you've ever seen on TV or read about. 

It's a fascinating story, and it's not at all what I expected, which is probably why I'm so unsure how to rate the book. 

I know that I enjoyed it, I know that the pace was great, and that the characters kept me gripped and engaged. The only reasons I can think of as to why I'm struggling to sum up my thoughts on this one are that; 1.) There was some tricky/problematic subject matter that I wasn't too keen on. 2.) It wasn't at all what I expected. 3.) I didn't really like the ending, I wanted a bit of a clearer resolution and answers to a few questions. 4.) I don't usually read this type of thing. 

Don't get me wrong, this book has all of the components of a 5-star read, and in a lot of ways, it feels like one. There's just something, that I can't quite put my finger on, so for now I'm going to go with 4 stars...although it may change when I've had more time to process.

Sorry for the slightly nonsensical rambling today!