VIcious by V. E. Schwab, a review
I am personally a very big fan of superhero stories, or people with power joining up to defeat bad guys, which is why I don’t usually read the other side of the story. However, recently I read a book where the protagonist wasn’t on either side but was more of an anti-hero. I don’t usually read many books where the protagonist is like this, despite liking anti-heroes as a character trope, but this series was one that I had been recommended by both the internet and a friend.
Vicious is a book that is told through the chapters jumping between several different points in the timeline through different character perspectives, the first people Sydney as she, along with the protagonist Victor Vale, dig up a dead body. After that prologue, the perspectives switch from between that scene, and the timeline up until then, including how Victor and Sydney met, and Victor’s history with the story’s antagonist: Eli Ever. It is important to mention that Sydney, Victor, and Eli all have superpowers, how they all got them is more of a spoiler so I won’t say. They are all part of a type of people called “Extra-Ordinarys”, also known as EOs. Eli however, is hunting EOs, believing himself to have some kind of moral superiority and “god-given right” because of the type of ability he has. Other characters in this book are Mitch, a hacker who met Victor in prison, and Serena, Sydney’s older sister who was part of the reason Sydney got her ability, Serena has one of her own.
The thing I liked about this book was that Victor is not shoved into the “good or bad” box, despite the fact that he does save some of the EOs Eli was trying to kill, like Sydney, he is still very much not a clear cut “good guy”. He frequently threatens people, and is not at all above killing someone, but even then there are still moments where he seems human, treating Sydney kindly to the point that Sydney thought of him and Mitch as her home. Eli is more complicated, while he is hunting down other EO’s he does it because he genuinely believes that he is right in doing it, and he also gets more character exploration in the second book: Vengeful
Overall, I really enjoyed this book, knowing V. E. Schwab from another one of her series, I had high expectations for it, and I was not disappointed, I’d give the Vicious 10/10 stars
Great review, Gabby! I have read books where it switches the P.O.V. of which character you are reading from the experience of, and usually it is a hit or miss. However, it sounds like in the case of Vicious, it helps the reader empathize with the characters and create a genuine connection with them. I will definitely keep this book in mind the next time I am in the library.
ReplyDeleteThis book sounds pretty cool, I haven't read many books in where the perspectives change up a lot. Also, I like how you described the characters of the book, giving an impression of them without spoiling anything. Good review!
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