Ultimately, the novel’s title is a rhetorical question aimed at the reader. Is wickedness found in the virus-driven violence of the infected, or in the cold, calculated survivalism of the "True"? By the final act, Yates suggests that the most terrifying form of wickedness is not the one that asks for your skin with a smile, but the one that allows you to turn a blind eye to others' suffering in order to stay safe.
: The use of insects (Singers) as vectors grounds the horror in a plausible, if amplified, biological reality. Reviews - How We Became Wicked | The StoryGraph How We Became Wicked by Alexander Yates Pdf
: The "Wicked" are uniquely terrifying because they remain articulate and polite while committing atrocities. Ultimately, the novel’s title is a rhetorical question