Vicious

Synopsis:

Victor and Eli, due to a research project gone wrong, become ExtraOrdinaries with supernatural powers. Ten years later Victor escapes from prison, determined to get his revenge on the man who put him there, while Eli has spent the years hunting down and killing other EOs. Driven by the memory of betrayal and loss, the arch-nemeses have set a course for revenge…

Summary:

A captivating and refreshing twist on the ever popular superhero trend. Schwabdelivers a worthy addition to the genre with this exciting story that packs a punch and then some.

My thoughts:

After the huge impact that A Darker Shade of Magic left on me, I simply had to have more of V.E Schwab’s books and what better way to continue than with the epic superhero clash of Vicious.

Vicious follows the story of Victor and Eli and their goal to establish a reason for EO’s – ExtraOrdinaries to you and me – and seeing if there is a connection or trigger which could be applied to not only find EO’s but make them.  Once they begin to dabble they find that they’ve bitten off more than they can chew and as Eli grows more and more obsessed with the theory.

Soon, neither of the boys can stop their ambitions and turn their curious minds towards the experimental side. Intrigued by the slightest chance of being worth something and becoming ExtraOrdinary, Victor encourages Eli to drink with him before asking him to put his theory to the test…on himself.

After failed attempts, arguments and an eventful night of mistakes, Victor and Eli find themselves at a crossroads. Paranoia, frustration and jealousy seep in and consume them both, warping them into monsters of their own creation.

And so begins the downward spiral of two friends. Friends turned nemesis.

Ten years later, both Victor and Eli continue to struggle with the effects of the horrible project.

In any novel, the characters make the story. And it is never more obvious than inSchwab‘s fantastic writing. Each character is flawed, each with their own struggles, secrets and fears yet everyone of them faces their demons head on, albeit differently but regardless of their differences, all their imperfections make them hauntingly alive and relatable.

Victor and Eli for example couldn’t be any more different. Victor is quiet and contemplative, filled with a dark past and his struggles but he tends to listen to reason, tends to keep quiet and lets things play out as they should. Because of his withdrawn nature he is perceived as an outcast or threat and people tend to steer clear of him.

On the other hand, Eli is your typical popular guy. All smiles and charm, he can work anyone and often gets what he wants without argument. He is admired by his teachers and colleagues and can go to Colleges Victor could only dream of. He gets everything(including the girl) and Victor gets nothing.

After the effects of their experiment, the coin is flipped and we see two extremely different characters. Due to the unfortunate events of Victor’s transformation, he winds up in prison for a decade and uses the time wisely – plotting his revenge. And though this is Victor’s darkness come to light, he becomes a new man.  He often questions his actions and how they will affect the lives around him. Rather than being reckless, he weighs the situation and deems whether his power is necessary or not and though he sometimes uses it for his own leverage, on the whole he has some semblance of a moral compass.

Eli however, goes from one extreme to the other. Once all smiles and good intentions, he now wears a false face that clouds the severity of his actions from even himself. Only one trait remains the same – obsession. He thinks himself a savior. Sent to do God’s work of cleansing the unnatural EO’s from the world for good, although he is one himself but he persists with his work. And it’s up to Victor to reveal the truth to the world and stop him once and for all.

The story unfolds in a mixture of flashbacks and viewpoints. Swapping from the past to the present, tugging and teasing the tension and fraying the fibers of our patience as the climax gets closer and closer and closer! The climax is amazing and I tore through the book in two days as a result. Usually with flashbacks, I find the information boring and I find myself wanting to return to the main bulk of the story but Schwab perfectly executes each and every chapter to strike a chord and continuously build the tension. With each insight into the past we see the slow deterioration of their friendship and ultimately how they became enemies in such extreme circumstances. And though neither of the characters are in anyway sympathetic, you slowly begin to root for Victor and his accomplices to win. Though in this book, there are no real winners.

There are no actual heroes or villains, it all depends on the perspective.

What I loved most about this book was not only the incredibly complex and detailed characters that seem to have become a staple of Schwab’s storytelling but also the complexity of the plot, the tension and the fantastic interpretation of a genre so swollen with different adaptations. And even so, it shines against the backdrop of all the others.

Vicious is an brilliant work of fiction that is expertly grounded in reality and is one of the few works of superhero fiction that I found wholeheartedly relatable and believable. The plot gripped me from it’s small beginnings all the way through to it’s epic conclusion. It’s hard not to be consumed by Victor and Eli’s hard fought battle with not only each other but also themselves. And through following them we also discover ourselves and what it means to be good or evil.

Final thoughts:

A gripping novel perfect for any book lover, superhero enthusiast or no. Vicious will leave you questioning your own decisions and the eternal struggle that is our own Will.