Review of "The School for Good and Evil"

“What happens when Good becomes Evil?”

     Today’s title, Soman Chainani’s The School for Good and Evil, takes a look at the true nature of Good and Evil. When twelve-year-olds Sophie and Agatha are kidnapped from the little town of Gavaldon, they know exactly where they are headed: Sophie for the School of Good, where she’ll become a fairy tale princess, and Agatha for the School for Evil, where she’ll learn potions and spells that will turn her into a fairy tale villain. When Sophie ends up in Evil’s moat and Agatha is thrust into a pink pinafore, they are determined to set things right. But there is more to this school than meets the eye, and if the girls aren’t careful they could be expelled—or worse. Now Sophie must decide how far she is willing to go to obtain her Happily Ever After, while Agatha determines just how much she’s willing to give up to help her.

     The School for Good and Evil is a beautifully written book. With grand landscapes, a sweeping plot, and original, complex characters, Chainani’s little tale is stuffed to the brim with greatness. Sophie is fascinating to read about, with her pretty pink dresses, desire to be Good, and determination to do whatever it takes to become a princess. Agatha stands as a sharp contrast, not because she hates princes or lives with a potion-loving mother but because she stands tall despite her circumstances. Their friendship may have a rocky road ahead of it, but they are dead-set on maintaining it. The love these children possess for their best friend is not only admirable—it ties the story together. When that love is put to the test, the conflict that ensues practically guarantees the pages will keep turning, no matter the hour.

     Chainani inspects both sides of his mythical school with incredible depth. Over the years, the School for Good and Evil has gradually degraded. Although the princes- and princesses-to-be have become more vain and selfish, they always manage to win school-wide competitions. Evil students, resentful of Good’s continual triumph, put little effort into dominating that side of the school. Meanwhile, the teachers struggle to maintain balance between the two sides. Nothing is as it should be, so when Sophie and Agatha are assigned to the wrong schools, everyone begins questioning the School Master’s judgement. If they are to switch schools—or, as Agatha desires, go home—they must prove beyond doubt that they do not belong. But as the situation grows worse, the girls begin to wonder if the School Master was right after all.

     There is plenty of action to be had at the School for Good and Evil. In the School for Evil, wicked classmates plot the demise of a fellow student even as they turn rat leavings into candy. In the School for Good, a morose little girl has to figure out a way to return home without getting killed by gargoyles. And in the class where both sides mix, everyone must work together to learn how to survive the predator-infested forests of their future fairy tales. While there’s no cursing or explicit content, Sophie’s quest for Goodness involves some heart-pounding scrapes with death, ridiculous self-help lessons, and rhinestone-studded uniforms designed to attract princes. Throw in a dash of irony, a handful of exciting plot twists, and a sprinkle of dramatic character arcs, and you’ve got a narrative that is quite impossible to put down.

     I would recommend this book to anyone, young or old, who wonders if heroes and villains always deserve their respective roles. Sophie and Agatha are wonderful characters with plenty of heart, spunk, and willpower. The worldbuilding is fantastic, as is their mission to escape the confines of their predetermined roles. With its action, conspiracies, and unpredictable plot, Soman Chainani’s The School for Good and Evil is irresistibly spellbinding. It deserves five stars and a place on every reader’s bookshelf.