Vicious (Villains, #1)

by V.E. Schwab

Life—the way it really is—is a battle not between Bad and Good, but between Bad and Worse. —Joseph Brodsky

the voyeuristic thrill of seeing someone before they see you, of being able to simply watch.

“We could be dead,” said Eli. “That’s a risk everyone takes by living.”

He was an outsider by choice, a good enough mimic to charm his way into social circles when he wanted, but more often than not he preferred to stand apart and watch,

“When no one understands, that’s usually a good sign that you’re wrong.”