“You must make time for that which matters, for that which defines you: your passion, your progress, your pen. Take it up, and write your own story.”

Hello, my reading family.

Today I get to share my recent 5 star read with you guys. Not only was this book amazing, I also get to meet the beautiful V. E. Schwab in a month - which is a good thing because I need the sequel now. I feel bad for all the poor souls that had to wait five years. Yes, you read that right… It took Schwab five years to get the sequel out there. From watching her on Instagram, I don’t think the delay was due to a lack of imagination. She has so many books out, each one I can’t wait to devour.

Until then, let us start by talking about this lovely.

Jumping between the past and the present, two college friends become bitter rivals after one fateful night that landed Victor in jail. Ten years later, released or not, he’s on a mission to exact revenge. All the while, Eli, who stumbled on a scientific discovery that ended in death, has played the heroic boy next door. As we meet a ragtag group and discover the importance of life and love, we might learn that not all villains are made the same.

Vicious is the perfect blend of dark and dirty. Melding the world’s of X-Men and Batman, Schwab creates a fantastical adventure.

“I have a hacker, a half-dead dog, and a child. It’s hardly an arsenal.”

And I need more now.

My number one love about Vicious, besides how vicious it is *pun intended*, is Schwab’s attention to the little details during her descriptions. There’s a scene where she describes the ice in Victor’s glass. A tiny minute picture that grounds the reader immediately into the moment. Her details paint a glittering landscape coinciding with the characters as well. Victor felt like the villain, floating above the large city and looking down searching for his prey.

Writing stories that weave in and out between times, and Schwab doesn’t just do two times, is not something to be tackled lightly. There is a balance of releasing information that lets the reader get enough for the ride but also not jumping back and forth too much where they become lost and can never catch their breath. Schwab walks the line, really pushing the moments to the limit. But in her case, it works.

There were just a couple of times where I didn’t like it.

I will start with a caveat….. Vicious needs more than one read. The small details people. I was so caught up in the story, I’m sure I missed something. Even Victor and Eli’s relationship needs close attention. The hate between the two is more than jealousy - I think Victor’s relationship with his parents is a very huge clue. His relationship with Eli is just a carbon copy.

Anyways. Moving on.

Schwab doled out the information a little too quickly. We’re left guessing right at the beginning, that’s how she hooks you. But when a question is brought up in the present, Schwab immediately takes you to the past and provides the answer. I personally like to be left guessing a little longer. This can all be personal preference and was not a big enough problem to change my rating.

“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.”

After all, this analyzing and deducing, I can’t figure out if Schwab is a plot or pantser writer. She has a story strongly built around the characters but with a great plot based ending. Also, the reason I dub her a master and one that I will study with a fury. Here is one time that I finally read a writer that is like me. Something important since I was worried readers would hate my style.

What more can I say? If you haven’t picked up a Schwab book yet, you might want to now. She has a lot of projects in the works - yay for all of us.

Now off to read A Light Between Oceans for book club - which will also be the next book I review. I’m curious to see what it’s all about. I’ve heard so many different opinions.

Happy reading my lovelies.

Love Kait

Reading Challenge: 70/100