Vicious by V.E. Schwab
Victor and Eli are college roommates, considered geniuses by their peers. They recognize in each other a darkness. This leads them to conduct an experiment in their senior year, related to near death experiences. The boys succeed, but when their thesis shifts from their academics and into their real lives things go horribly wrong.
When I started reading Vicious by V.E. Schwab I had no idea just how much it would affect me. Even now, weeks later and I still think about quotes and themes discussed in the book. It is a fresh read that feels hopeful while being incredibly violent. I think this stems largely from the characters that Schwab has created.
(Light Spoilers) These two men died and came back to life. They are not okay, and this book does a phenomenal job at showing just how deranged they have both become. Yes, they returned to the land of the living but they lost a piece of themselves in the process. For Victor, this is his human-ness. After his immediate resurrection he murders someone and doesn’t feel anything. No remorse. He’s all logic and no fear, and now he has the power to inflict pain with his mind. This ultimately is what sends him to jail. Then we see him ten years later attempting not to hurt people, but not because he feels bad, but because if he hurts them then they will be less receptive to helping him achieve his plans for revenge.
Eli has returned and thinks he is a god because of his power to heal and remain immortal. As a god he decides who lives and dies, and who is the villain. This leads to him becoming a serial killer for the sake of the greater good. His victims? Others who have also had near death experiences. Are they all monsters? What makes a monster? Is it all just a matter of perspective? These are all questions the book poses and that remained with me well after putting it down.
I feel that the nonlinear plot structure and short burst of chapters also helped to keep the pacing at a consistent speed. This kept my complete focus and actually made it hard to put the book down! Subsequently, there’s incredible dialogue that has left my copy looking like a coloring book since I highlighted almost every line. The writing overall was just a joy to read. It utilized unique metaphors and maintained graceful sentence structures. I highly recommend this book, but note that it is quite violent! I will definitely be reading more books by V.E. Schwab in the future.