Author: V.E. Schwab
Genre: Science Fiction
Pages: 368 (Hardcover)
Publisher: Tor
Publication date: September 24th, 2013
Synopsis from Vicious' Goodreads page
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?
Synopsis from Vicious' Goodreads page
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?
THOUGHTS
This book is one of my all time favourite books. Ever. I thought that the first time I read this book four years ago, and I still feel that it will be one of the best books I will ever read in my life.
The entire book is so well done, there is not one single thing that I would change if I had the opportunity.
Firstly, the characters. Victor Vale is so dark, evil, and malicious, but not in an evil way - if that makes sense. He doesn't want to kill people for no reason, but the viciousness (see what I did there?) does come out when they hurt him.
Victor is the type of person that when his roommate comes up with a theoretical idea that if they kill themselves in specific ways and then save themselves, they will get powers, and become ExtraOrdinary, he does it, no questions asked. He is not afraid of death, if he can get what he wants. He is so malicious and evil, but he doesn't see himself that way, and that's the thing that I love most about him. He does evil things, but he does them for the right reasons. He gets out of jail and wants to kill his old roommate - but it's not only because he has a vendetta against him - it's because that roommate is killing people and Victor knows he needs to stop that.
The other characters in this book are also so amazing, so creepy and strange, that it's impossible to not love them. They are all messed up, they all have something wrong with them, and they have all been through such horrible, awful things, that the people they've become seem reasonable when faced with their pasts. They are all amazing, and I love every single one of them.
The setting as well is perfect. There is not a lot of descriptions of places, because there are really only a few main places that this book takes place in, but they are all perfect for what is happening during that chapter, that they are all perfect.
The entire plot itself is also absolutely amazing. Everything about it is dark and vicious, and it all runs together so seamlessly. I usually am not one to like it when a book jumps back and forth between a few times, but this book could not work without it. The way this book jumps the way it does is absolutely perfect, because you find out something about the character in the present, and then we get to see the backstory and see why they are the way they are, and what made them that way.
I have nothing but praise for this book, and V.E. Schwab is honestly one of my heroes because of how much I love this book and how perfect every single thing in this book is.
Overall - ★★★★★ (the easiest 5 stars I have ever given)
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