Vicious

I approached this book with a very cautious atitude, dreading possible characters' actions that could trigger me, but I am so glad I reached the end and on such a high note. I loved it, it is truly great. One thing that stood out to me was the very short chapters alternating back and forth in time, while showing the reader connected details that explains the characters and their context... This was great; it made for a very dynamic reading experience and excellent storytelling. Judging by this book alone, V. E. Schwab seems to be an excellent writer. Very very good first impression.

What if you could give yourself a super power?

Of course, you do need to work for it. It turns out that you need to die first, and then be revived. And based on what you're feeling as you die, if it's strong enough then you will get a super power based on that.

That's the backdrop for what can only be described as a love story between sociopaths. Victor and Eli are both smart, driven, and view everyone and everyone else as their playthings. When Eli and Victor figure out how to make themselves EO (ExtraOrdinary), that puts their relationship into one where they're both inextricably linked to each other, and unable to either separate or coexist together. Eli decides that the EOs are too broken to be allowed to exist and starts to hunt and kill them, while Victor spends his next few years in jail for murder until he breaks out and decides to settle up wiht Eli.

The book can be a bit confusing when you get started -- it alternates between flashing back to walk through the events where Eli and Victor became EO, and the modern day chess match as they both find EO allies (who have their own mirror entanglements) and arrange for a final showdown.