Friday, July 26, 2013

The School for Good and Evil (The School for Good and Evil #1) by Soman Chainani

 Title:The School for Good and Evil
Author:Soman Chainani
Published: May 14th 2013 by HarperCollins
Book Description
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 thoughts:

I was hesitant to read the book at first because I’m afraid that I won’t like it. But as I read further on… I was mesmerized. The story is affluent and imaginative. It somewhat reminds me of Harry Potter, it’s magical! Also, the illustrations are superb! It’s lively and intricate and it truly depicts the theme.

The story is a fairy-tale like no other. Gavaldon is plague by a mysterious thief, a thief that swiftly kidnaps children. Children that is ever lost and never to be found, unless one reads a story book. Sophie dreams of becoming a princess. She’s primed to be one, pretty and graceful. But does she have a good heart? Agatha, doesn’t like to socialized. She’s reserved and loves everything in black, a quality of a witch. But does the façade tell you who she truly is? Now the story took a warped turn when they found themselves being kidnapped and placed in a school for good and evil.  Friendships will be tested and love will be found. Buy a copy now!

The world-building is impressive! The book has a map of the school. It is very well made, colorful and mind-blowing. You get to see first hand the world Soman had created.
The story is also told in third person. Imagine a voice that tells a magical story as you listen and get lost into the world. In my case, I imagined Gandalf’s LOL. Not a drop of boredom there! Soman took his time in describing and explaining the magical world, providing you with vivid imagery that will surely satisfy your imagination. I’ am blown away. Plus the humor is exquisite; there are loads of funny scenes that will tickle you, like these subjects: uglification, henchmen training, animal communication etc… put my old college subjects down to shame. What an interesting curriculum!

What made this book shine are the lessons and realizations. I learned many things about friendship, trust and camaraderie.

The characters are awesome! They are unpredictable in a way that will make you more curious to get to know them more. I also love that there’s character development. From spoiled to giving, timid to outgoing, monotonous to exciting, restraint to freedom...whew!
The characters are diverse also. Sophie has the physical attributes of a princess, gold hair and alabaster skin. But her personality is in reverse, plastic to be exact. Agatha, is the epitome of an emo, in modern world. She hates drama and loves to wear dark colors. Two different girls put in opposing section. Which one is truly good and evil? Also the side characters are awesome! They gave the story a great depth. We have the prince charming, storian, friends and enemies. There is a wide array of personalities!

The love-angle is okay. Not much highlight is given, it was confusing at first. But if you like a conservative romance portrayed innocently then this you will enjoy this book.

Overall, The School for Good and Evil is a nice read! I recommend this book for all ages who seeks adventure and humor.

 I give this, 4.5 not quite good and not quiet evil whales.
 

9 comments:

  1. Hmmmm..... You had me at pictures! I really love books when they have pictures I think it has something to do with how I will probably always be a five year old at heart.... Awesome review though. I think having a book full of great character is sooo important!!! Great review! :)

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  2. The cover, trailer, and premise of this book all sound amazing! Awesome review. I can't wait to read this one. :)

    Kyle @ The Selkie Reads Stories

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  3. Oh my gosh, Dani, this sounds good! And that map?? I love! I trust you when you say that the world-building is superb. :) I will check this out! Thank you for the great review!

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  4. Everytime I hear about this book I just want to read it more and more! Great review! I want to find out which one of these girls is good and which is evil!

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  5. This sounds great! The characters all seem amazing and this is one middle grade I think I'll definitely pick up. Great review :)

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  6. This sounds so amazing. * ^ * After reading your review I seriously just wanted to run to the nearest bookstore and just rob it from the shelves. That map is so breathtaking--COLORS! A map with colors! The whole idea of dividing people between of good and evil with the two schools sounds like such an original idea.

    I want this so bad!!

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  7. I loved The School of Good and Evil! It was a really awesome book! And if you like reading about fairy-tale schools, have you heard of Ever After High? I just read it and it's quite good.

    ^_^

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    1. Anonymous6:50 AM

      No, but I will look at the review for Ever After High, sounds good and perfect timing too! I was just looking for another book to start, I've read all of mine so it will be exciting to finally read another!

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  8. Anonymous6:48 AM

    I love this book, I have read it over and over, never tired of it. Soman Chainani has transported me to a world filled with betrayal,but also heart, courage, love, and the claim that kindness will always outshine beauty.

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