Review: The School of Good and Evil by Soman Chainani

Publication Date: May 14th 2013
Publisher: HarperCollins
Source: e-galley from publisher
Rating: ★★★★★
Pages: 496 pages

 
Welcome to the School for Good and Evil

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

I love fairytale, it's like a magic word for me that can instantly make me feel happy. And don't ever think that you are too old for fairytale because it's not true. Or if you avoid reading fairy tale because you just don't want to read about girls in puffy dress waiting for their princes at the ball and there's nothing else to them then you don't have to worry. This book is more than that and I am sure you will fall in love with fairy tale at the end of the book.

School of Good and Evil is about friendship and true love. No it's not that kind of true love I know you are thinking now. This love is about what beyond the surface, what's on the outside may not entirely true. You have to see not with the eyes but with the heart. At the beginning I knew that I would love Agatha. She is just a likable character and she is true to herself. She only wanted to go home and she's such a good friend, always there to help Sophie.  I dislike Sophie and sometimes I just want to hate her but I can't.  Her dream is to be a princess and then a charming prince would come and they would have a happily ever after. How can I hate her if after all she just wants to be happy and to be loved. This book made me think a lot about what is good and what is bad. How can you define good and how can you draw the line between good and bad? It's not simply as black and white and this book will prove you that.

Overall, School of Good and Evil will give you the adventure and a lot of amusing moments. It's a quick read with its fast paced and I am sure you will have a good time. I even wanted to live in it, I wanted to go for school of evil because I felt it's more good in it than the other school.  Here's a little definition of both schools for you so you can decide which side are you on ; )

School of Good:
+ To be a princess/prince which means taking EXTRA care of how you look.
+ To smile beautifully and all the problem will be solved "A smile that can broker peace in the greatest wars. A smile that can lead a kingdom to hope and prosperity."
+ To befriend with animals
+ Princess will be looking for her prince and wait for him to rescue her, Prince will learn to be brave and always there to protect his princess.

School of Evil:
+ Look is not important, the only thing matter is power. Having power means having control of who you are and what you want. You will do whatever you wish and don't need anyone to come for rescue. And remember love is always there to blind you, to control your feeling and make you its slave so love is a big no no.

So Who are you? Never or Ever.