Vicious by V.E. Schwab

Book Review by Ross McIndoe | 27 Jan 2014
Book title: Vicious
Author: V.E. Schwab

Eli and Victor are straight-A students and best friends until they decide to investigate the existence of EOs (ExtraOrdinaries – people with superhuman abilities) for their final thesis. As every evil scientist in every comic book ever created already knows, the thrill of theoretical research soon wears off and they turn to practical experimentation, risking their lives in the hope of acquiring superpowers. Though they succeed, both are left wondering what they might have lost in exchange for their newfound power.

The 'people with powers' premise, the enticing 'what if?' of what would occur if regular citizens were to find themselves suddenly imbued with superpowers, is one that we seem to be drawn back to time and time again from the original spandex-clad comics to the more modern movie and television iterations. Vicious wears its comic book genealogy on its sleeve, drawing its characters large and loud, and making use of actual science when and where it sees fit, jettisoning it the moment it threatens to get in the way of its neatly plotted narrative. V.E. Schwab brings a sharp turn of phrase and pitch-perfect pacing to her take on a well-worn story, drawing the reader along just briskly enough to keep their disbelief from crashing to the ground until they've turned the final page. [Ross McIndoe]

Out now, published by Titan Books, RRP £7.99