[Review] V.E. Schwab - Vicious

Title: Vicious (Goodreads)
Author: V.E. Schwab
Publisher: Tor Books
Published: September 2013
ISBN13: 9780765335340
Pages: 364
Rating: 5/5 stars
Format: ebook
Start: 25 April 2015
Finish: 27 April 2015


Synopsis:

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. Meanwhile, Eli is on a mission to eradicate every other super-powered person that he can find. 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?

Review:

Amazing. That was the only word that I had in my mind by the time I finished this book, again, more than a month ago. And even though I started to forget the detail of the story, I still remember what I felt when I read the book and how mind-blowing good this book is.

I want to believe that there's more. That we could be more. Hell, we could be heroes.

Since the very beginning of the book, I found that V.E. Schwab has a way with words that I could read them effortlessly. Both the story and plot line is so structured and beautifully developed that I can't help admiring them. Great story, great characters, combined with great executions made this book instantly on top of my favorite standalone.

Now that's the interesting part. If I had to point out any weaknesses from this book, it would be the (Vicious #1) writing that was on this book's Goodreads page. I really hope that they're wrong because as much as I love the story, I love the way it ended. And I don't want another book change that. So please publisher and V.E. Schwab, let it be a standalone. It's so perfect the way it is :')

He wanted to care, he wanted to care so badly, but there was this gap between what he felt and what he wanted to feel, a space where something important had been carved out.

So what do I think about the characters in this book? I think they're awesome. They're so awesome that I can't help loving and hating them at the same time. It applied for both Victor and Eli. They are so dark and twisted yet so relatable and I can't help falling for both of them. My favorite character, however, would be Mitch because he's so cute. And he's a damn good programmer so that's an extra points ;)

"When no one understands, that's usually a good sign that you're wrong."

Overall, it's a very intense read. I kept cursing and sitting on the edge of my chair because the whole book was so gripping that it's so hard for me to put down. Definitely 5 out of 5 stars. And I'm so looking forward to read another book by V.E Schwab :)

There were some people that you had to stay away from, people who poisoned everything in reach. Then there were people you wanted to stick with, the ones with silver tongues and golden touches. And then, there were people you stood beside, because it meant you weren't in their way.