Vicious

This was such a fun sci-fi read from the absolutely talented author V. E. Schwab, the author of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue. Since that book blew me away, I quickly researched and have started down the “read everything she’s written path” as there’s nothing I love more than an incredible story teller that allows you to experience the world and characters as they are, showing you the events without telling you what to think and experience, while providing fantastic entertainment.

This book didn’t disappoint. I did get a whiff of Flatliners vibe – you know, that awesome flick from the 90’s? But what a tale of what’s left when you come back, good versus evil, and who determines who is good and who is evil.

I generally became engaged with the characters (and thank her for Mitch and his chocolate milk drinking fetish and his role esp at the end!) Even better, this book has a follow up, Vengeful, which is the final book in this Villains series.

Should you read it, I certainly think so, especially if you like magic, Near Death Experience, resurrections, dark humor, prison breaks, revenge, best friends turned enemies, likable characters, heroes, villains you love to hate, and of course villains you just can’t help but love. Definitely a 4.5 out of 5 read for me and one I encourage you to jump in and try as well.

Everyone needs a little hero and villain, sprinkled with a whiff of magic in their life. You just might find yours here.

Lastly, for me, when I look to a review I have already read the description and have my curiosity peaked and am looking to see whether I get that final push to spend my hard earned money and purchase the title or should I wait and get on the long list at the library to borrow it. This is definitely one I’d slap the card down for no problem. However, if you haven’t read what this novel is about, there’s no better person to turn to than the publishers themselves. So here is what they wrote:

“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?

In Vicious, V. E. Schwab brings to life a gritty comic-book-style world in vivid prose: a world where gaining superpowers doesn’t automatically lead to heroism, and a time when allegiances are called into question.”

Thanks for stopping by and reading my review! I truly hope you will drop me a line, a follow, or share a book recommendation with me, after all, that’s what reading and sharing is all about. Happy reading my friends!