THE SCHOOL FOR GOOD AND EVIL | SOMAN CHAINANI | HARPERCOLLINS | MAY 2013 |
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…?
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…?
I loved this book, but I'm a little biased. There's something in me - some crazy literature gene or obsession with childhood - that attracts me to any piece of writing that has to do with fairy tales. When I heard about this book, I knew I had to read it. There wasn't any way that I could ignore it. Chances are, I probably would have found something about it that I loved even if the book was terrible. Well, it's not.
That doesn't mean there aren't flaws. Sophie is insufferably annoying and the book is definitely on the long side, especially for its age group. However, my dislike for Sophie was made up for by how much I loved Agatha. The two have an interesting connection that kept me reading. How could their friendship possibly survive when they were placed on opposite sides of the fairy tale dichotomy?
Chainani has written an interesting twist to the fairy tale genre. The School for Good and Evil isn't as black and white as it sounds, and the things learned in classes - and the reasons why - are more complex than you might imagine. There were some elements added to fairy tale folklore that I absolutely adored.
The ending is quite open-ended, and it sort of appeared out of nowhere. It's an obvious lead-in to a second book (it has always been listed as book #1 in a series, so that's no surprise) and I really want to know what is going to happen next.
I looked up a few other reviews for this book because there's a scene at the end that really solidified my happiness with this book and I wanted to read what other people thought about it. There's a certain theme laced through the book that I definitely picked up on, but based on some reviews, some people didn't notice it at all. I'm stuck wondering whether the theme is intentional or if it's reading too far into things. I know I'm being vague - I don't want to give anything away - so if you've read the book and want to talk about the ending, let me know (I would love to have a discussion about it).
If you like middle grade fiction, this book is worth a read. You don't like middle grade fiction? Well, read it anyway and embrace your inner child. You're never too old to read a children's book. The book trailer below should entice you enough.
Post a Comment