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Vicious (Villains, #1)

V.E. Schwab

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Dec 10, 2015 Pili rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2016-rockmytbr-challenge

My first book for #RockMyTBR challenge! And I'm sort of kicking myself for not reading it before. As soon as I read ADSOM, I needed to read anything else Victoria had written, and so I bought this one, but it ended up being packed up in a box way too soon (moving time) but I finally got it out in time to buddy read it with my friend LaLa!

I love how very grey all the characters are, and how unsure you are while reading if everything is part of the plan or not. The first part of the book is told My first book for #RockMyTBR challenge! And I'm sort of kicking myself for not reading it before. As soon as I read ADSOM, I needed to read anything else Victoria had written, and so I bought this one, but it ended up being packed up in a box way too soon (moving time) but I finally got it out in time to buddy read it with my friend LaLa!

I love how very grey all the characters are, and how unsure you are while reading if everything is part of the plan or not. The first part of the book is told mostly on Victor's POV, and you aren't entirely sure if it's a very sucessful antihero story, an even more successfully done "now I feel bad for the villain dammit" or if it's something in between. Then we see a few more POVs and on the second half we also get Eli's POV, and then things change a bit. You start wondering if the usual labels of villain and hero or even antihero can be applied to either of these two, and how you alternatively keep on switching your allegiance from one to the other.

I think I very much ended up siding with Victor but fuck if I know if he's the hero, the villain or the antihero, and I have to wonder what that says about my moral code... I mean, it's not that I approve about his tactics or his motivations or lack of empathy, but I very much prefer him to Eli so... I dunno? Damn Victoria Schwab making me root for a guy that is the lesser evil? I don't even know!

We keep on switching between present and past, between Victor's revenge plans and the how and somewhat the why Eli and Victor became who they are or even "what" they are now. A lil bit of science, a lil bit of philosophy and a lot of food for thought about powers, responsability, what defines who we are or how we even define ourselves. The ending was quite a twist and once again left me wondering if it had all been planned in advance or if it was as it was only because of the character's change in choices that couldn't be planned... or could they? Seriously, so much that I'm not sure if it's fate or a brilliant strike of planning!

Thankfully, I read the book knowing that there is a sequel, and I'm so very highly and impatiently awaiting! 4 to 4.5 stars to this one! ...more

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Dec 28, 2013 Stacie (Shy Book Nerd) rated it really liked it

This book was ExtraOrdinary! The main characters, Victor and Eli, were very complex and different then the average character. The sidekick characters were just as interesting, especially Sydney and Mitch. I liked that both the good guy and the bad guy were not innocent people. They have both done horrible things which makes it interesting to see their points of view. One is considered the main bad guy but it shows me why Eli kills people the way he does. Had I not read his point of view, I proba ...more

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Mar 01, 2014 Glass marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Sep 10, 2013 Pili marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Jul 27, 2015 Lauren marked it as to-read

Shelves: books-i-own

Aug 01, 2018 Lauren rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: read-2018

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