Author: Soman Chainani
Publisher: HarperCollins
Publication Date: May 14th 2013
Pages: 488
Who will read it: (young
adults and up) People interested in fantasy with deep emotional undercurrent not
buried by action
Rating: 4/5
Buy: Amazon / Barnes&Noble
Official Synopsis: “The first kidnappings happened two
hundred years before. Some years it was two boys taken, some years two girls,
sometimes one of each. But if at first the choices seemed random, soon the
pattern became clear. One was always beautiful and good, the child every parent
wanted as their own. The other was homely and odd, an outcast from birth. An
opposing pair, plucked from youth and spirited away.”
This year, best
friends Sophie and Agatha are about to discover where all the lost children go:
the fabled School for Good & Evil, where ordinary boys and girls are
trained to be fairy tale heroes and villains. As the most beautiful girl in
Gavaldon, Sophie has dreamed of being kidnapped into an enchanted world her
whole life. With her pink dresses, glass slippers, and devotion to good deeds,
she knows she’ll earn top marks at the School for Good and graduate a storybook
princess. Meanwhile Agatha, with her shapeless black frocks, wicked pet cat,
and dislike of nearly everyone, seems a natural fit for the School for Evil.
But when the two
girls are swept into the Endless Woods, they find their fortunes
reversed—Sophie’s dumped in the School for Evil to take Uglification, Death
Curses, and Henchmen Training, while Agatha finds herself in the School For
Good, thrust amongst handsome princes and fair maidens for classes in Princess
Etiquette and Animal Communication.. But what if the mistake is actually the
first clue to discovering who Sophie and Agatha really are…?
The School for Good
& Evil is an epic journey into a dazzling new world, where the only way out
of a fairy tale is to live through one.
My Review
Plot: While a little lengthy for younger
readers, I felt the story was jumped into as quickly as possible with little
hesitation. The characters are immediately revealed to be Sophie and Agatha, a
truly unlikely pair of friends. Immediately, I was enthralled with their
struggles which reminded me vaguely of my own worries about school. They each
struggle with the expectations placed on them by society, but are still filled
with the incredible capability to hope. In fact, I think their very age and
naivety drove the plot forward. Only with their brilliant schemes were they
going to achieve their dreams. The schools were both so vividly described and
completely engaging even for the casual reader. While nothing is allowed to be
original anymore, I eagerly compare the plot to that of Lord of the Rings, The
Chronicles of Narnia, and also the musical, Wicked. Even the mystery at the end
was very well-played.
Characters:
Sophie: I
despised her from the beginning. Even as “good” and as beautiful as she was, obviously,
her thoughts revealed a deep streak of menace. Cunningly, she manipulates
everyone around her in a way I find most impressive, but despicable. As such an
under-estimated femme fatale and villain, she inspired me, and I actually found
myself rooting for her at times.
Agatha: A
loving, gracious girl who demonstrates wit and kindness. She adapts fairly well
and is definitely the “level-headed” one out of the pair. Very admirable and
courageous as well as relatable in her efforts to preserve order and peaces as
well as astute in her observations of others.
Relationships/ Romance: Sometimes,
the relationships in the story got a little tedious! But the kiss at the end,
wow, a pretty big shocker! Not spoiling between which two characters the kiss
is between, but it was pretty magical.
Writing Style: The style
was also a bit tiresome and dull at parts since the sentences did not always
flow as smoothly together as I would have liked. Several times, I had to
re-read a paragraph or two back because I had lost the author’s train of
thought. Overall, a little confusing.
Best lines/Favorite part: When
Agatha is saving Sophie from the School Master. Honestly, the book was worth it
for just this one scene.
Ending: Cliffhangers! A
little exasperating that there are so few answers at the end, but still enjoyable.
I have my own prediction that the two are transported back home, and I can’t
wait to find out if I’m right in the sequel. The ending is not as satisfying as
it could be, but I am definitely anxious to get my hands on any meta I can.
The Star-worthy Aspects: A magical
and enchanting story with two great female leads and a possible queer romance!
The detail in this world is to die for.
The Deficiencies: Very long
novel, a little confusing to read at times. A lot of secondary characters on
the good side were not as fleshed out as the ones on the evil side.
Rating and Closing Remarks: This book receives a respectable 4/5 from me because though I loved it thoroughly
and even recommended it to many of my friends, it could still have used some
improvement.
#Bonus
Points: A sequel
called A World Without Princes has already come out, and I
can’t wait to get my hands on a copy of it.
Also, the book is becoming a motion picture produced
by Universal Studios planned for 2015! Honestly, I would love to see certain actresses
play Agatha and Sophie… and if any producers want to contact me about my
choices or about needing help on the script, I wouldn’t really mind. ;)
I’ve actually got some great book recommendations based
off my enjoyment of this including, Etiquette & Espionage by Gail
Carriger and The Dark Lord of Derkholm by Diana
Wynne Jones.
