Vicious by V.E.Schwab

Title: Vicious (Vicious #1)

Author: V.E.Schwab

Pages: 340

Formats:
e-book: 2.7£
paperback: 7.99£

hardcover: 24.27£

Where you can buy it: Amazon.co.uk, BookDepository 

Plot summary: 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.

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 arch nemeses have set a course for revenge, but who will be left alive at the end?

"Plenty of humans were monstrous, and plenty of monsters knew how to play at being human"

 

As the plot summary already hints, we follow Victor & Eli and their “evolution” from friends to vengeful enemies.

The narration alternates between past and present, down to the last minutes that separate the two enemies from meeting again after years and years.
So we move between past and present, from Eli & Victor friends and roommates to  a - newly escaped from prison - Victor in search for Eli.
Each one of them has their own sidekick(s), Victor is engrossed in his plans of revenge while Eli is absorbed in what he believes a sort of "holy war" against extraordinary people. Still they both walk a path that will bring them together once more, and you can be sure: the moment of reckoning is near, blood will be shed.

The characterization of all the characters is flawless, with each single one having depth and complexity. From Eli's questionable ethics,to Victor's - not unfounded - desire for revenge. From the cold-blooded Serena always at Eli's side, to the funny Victor's ex-cellmate, Mitch. Without forgetting Serena’s younger sister, Sydney, rescued by Victor and whose peculiar power will prove a beneficial asset to his plans.

“Sydney, look at me.” He rested his hands on the car roof and leaned in. “No one is going to hurt you. Do you know why?” She shook her head, and Victor smiled. “Because I’ll hurt them first.”

Schwab writing style is simply magnificent, sleek and smooth but still detailed. I don’t believe in utter perfection but Schwab’s style really get close to is as much as possible. 
The scenes and action were so well describe it was effortless to visualize everything down to the last detail, so much that it felt like watching a movie, instead of reading a book. Yep, Victoria is THAT GOOD.

The plot was thrilling, fast-paced and highly original. I couldn’t put the book down not even to go to sleep. As I said, every single character was worthy of note but what I liked the most was their walking a very blurred line between good and evil. I really couldn't decide with whom I should side, and that takes a lot of skill, in my opinion. 

“The paper called Eli a hero. The word made Victor laugh. Not just because it was absurd, but because it posed a question. If Eli was really a hero, and Victor meant to stop him, did that make him a villain? He took a long sip of his drink, tipped his head back against the couch, and decided he could live with that.”

And as Mitch says:

“There are no good men in this game.”

 Rating:

                                                        

                                                             5 blossoms!