Tuesday, May 14, 2013

ARC Review: The School for Good and Evil

Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Title: The School for Good and Evil
Author: Soman Chainani
Publication Date: May 14, 2013
Genre/s: Young Adult, Middle Grade, Fantasy

Synopsis:

At the School for Good and Evil, failing your fairy tale is not an option.

Welcome to the School for Good and Evil, where best friends Sophie and Agatha are about to embark on the adventure of a lifetime.

With her glass slippers and devotion to good deeds, Sophie knows she'll earn top marks at the School for Good and join the ranks of past students like Cinderella, Rapunzel, and Snow White. Meanwhile, Agatha, with her shapeless black frocks and wicked black cat, seems a natural fit for the villains in the School for Evil.

The two girls soon 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 among 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 and 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 Thoughts:


In fairytales, Good always defeat Evil but what if the balance was tipped over? What if the Good became Evil and the Evil turns out to be Good? Will Evil finally win or will Good still prevail?

The School for Good and Evil is a fairytale you’ve never read before. It’s a story full of witches, princes, princesses, magical creatures, talking animals, magic spells, enchanting places, important lessons, and happy endings. And in this Hogwarts for fairytale characters, not everything you see is what they seem to be. 

Agatha and Sophie are both imperfectly perfect character which made them realistic and relatable.

Sophie was the pretty girl who dreamed of becoming a fairytale princess but was put in the School for Evil to learn the ways of a witch. From the very first time I saw Sophie I knew immediately that she was the Evil one. She’s doing good deeds like it was a chore or something. She’s not really sincere in helping others. But to be honest, there were a few times where I admired her character. She’s has great determination and she’s a go-getter. I also love how she’s so dedicated in her daily Lunchtime with Sophie. She’s trying to make a difference in the school by teaching the other witches on how to be presentable. So as Evil as she may be, she still has some qualities worth admiring.

On the other hand, Agatha was the introvert girl who was put in the School for Good to become a fairytale princess and she was my favorite. I can easily relate to her character because we were so much alike. We both like weird stuff, we’re not squeamish, love to wear black, hate anything that is pink and girly, and we do anything for our friends.

I just don’t like whenever she doubts and underestimates herself. She’s letting other people dictate her and she believes them more that she believed herself. And it really makes me sad. Good thing, Cinderella’s fairy godmother is there to give her some advice and a good, old-fashioned makeover. Soon enough, she realized that she has nothing to be insecure about. Her self-confidence improved and she finally embraced who she really is.

I really had fun with this book. I enjoyed their classes like learning how to make potions, casting spells, communicating with animals and surviving fairytales. The Trial by Tale was really awesome. It’s like a fairytale version of The Hunger Games with magical creatures and enchanted traps.

Overall, this book is AMAZING! The characters where well-developed and jumping right out of the pages, the plot was original, the setting was magical and enthralling, and the ending was unexpected. This is a book I would recommend to ALL ages. It’s definitely a must-read.


My Rating 

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