Vicious by V.E. Schwab

Here is a full summary with spoilers of Vicious by V.E. Schwab

Victor Vale and Eli Ever are roommates at Lockland University, and both of them are brilliant, competitive, and drawn to the idea of ExtraOrdinary people, individuals who gain powers through near death experiences. Eli, charismatic, religious, and shaped by an abusive minister father, believes ExtraOrdinary (EOs) are created through controlled death. Victor, introverted, resentful of his self help author parents, and obsessed with proving himself, becomes determined to test Eli’s theory. Their research turns dangerous when Victor overdoses in an attempt to trigger an ability and become an EO, but Eli panics and saves him before death occurs. Eli then undergoes his own experiment by submerging himself in ice water, and Victor revives him, resulting in Eli gaining rapid healing. This success creates a divide between the two, as Victor becomes envious and fixated on gaining powers of his own.

Victor convinces his friend Angie to help electrocute him. The process ends up killing him, but he is able to be revived by Angie, and gains the ability to control pain. The power surges out of control and kills Angie, turning Victor into a murderer. He calls Eli for help, but Eli, devastated by the death of Angie, and already believing EOs are dangerous, turns Victor in to the police. This betrayal destroys their friendship and thus, sets them up on opposing paths. Victor is imprisoned, and vows to take revenge, while Eli claims self defense and begins erasing all evidence of their work on EO’s. Eli kills his professor and a janitor to cover his tracks, then commits himself to a mission of eliminating EOs, believing them to be abominations, but exludes himself from that judgment.

Eli begins systematically hunting and killing EOs, building a reputation as a hero while hiding his actions. His first victims confirm his belief that powered individuals must be destroyed. He encounters Serena Clarke, an EO with the ability to control minds, who survives and becomes his partner in his mission. Serena manipulates police officers and entire departments to support Eli, allowing him to operate without consequence. The two together create a great team and destroy a lot of EO’s.   They also encounter Sydney Clarke, Serena’s younger sister, a twelve year old girl who survived a near death experience after falling through ice and gained the ability to resurrect the dead. Sydney is on the run after Eli attempted to kill her for using her power. Victor, meanwhile still in prison, recognizes Eli in a newspaper photo in the city of Merit and realizes where to find him. Sydney reveals the truth about Eli’s actions, strengthening Victor’s resolve. Victor forms an alliance with Mitch, another EO, and Sydney, using her ability to resurrect Barry Lynch, one of Eli’s past victims, and even her dog, to test and weaponize her power. Victor’s plan is to send a message and draw Eli out into the open, a plan he’s been thinking of for a while while sitting in prison.

As they prepare, Mitch searches databases and discovers that most known EOs are dead, confirming the scale of Eli’s killings. Victor captures and interrogates Dane, one of the police officers under Serena’s control, extracting access to the system before killing him. They learn that Eli is supported by law enforcement due to Serena’s influence. Victor uploads his own EO profile into the police database with a meeting location, hopefully setting up a trap. He also recruits Dominic Rusher, who can manipulate shadows and disappear, offering relief from pain in exchange for help. Meanwhile, Eli continues killing, including a college student, and discovers that Barry Lynch is alive, confirming that Sydney has lived, and is working with Victor.

With Victors plan in place, the two old roomates start to meet up for the first time in a long time. Serena finds Sydney and tries to protect her, but pushes her toward the meeting point. At the tower which is where the meeting point was at, Serena attempts to control Mitch, but she fails. Sydney confronts Eli and shoots him, but he heals instantly. Victor and Dominic emerge, and Victor kills Serena by slitting her throat before she can act, then burns her body to spare Sydney further trauma. Eli retaliates by shooting Sydney and attempting to kill her, but Dominic pulls her into the shadows, saving her. Victor and Eli engage in a brutal fight. Victor uses his control over pain to mirror Eli’s injuries, while Eli relies on constant regeneration. Despite Victor’s strategy, Eli ultimately overpowers Victor and stabs him in the chest.

When the police arrive, Serena’s control is gone, and they arrest Eli instead of supporting him. Eli demands that Victor’s body be destroyed, but they refuse. Victor is buried, and Eli’s killing EO’s campaign comes to an end when he is imprisoned. That night, Mitch, Sydney, Dominic, and the resurrected dog dig up Victor’s grave. Sydney uses her ability to bring Victor back to life, completing his plan and reversing his death. Victor smiles upon revival, marking his survival and the continuation of his story. Sydney remains with Victor and Mitch, no longer alone and now fully aware of her power.