The School for Good and Evil by Soman Chainani
Reviewed by Lauren W.
The School for Good and Evil lies deep in the Endless Woods where students are instructed on how to become fairy tale heroes and villains. Sophie is a picture perfect model for a fairy tale princess with her endless amount of dazzling dresses and glass slippers, along with her devotion to good deeds. In contrast, Agatha’s gothic exterior and her pessimistic outlook on nearly everything makes her a perfect fit to become a future witch. However the night the two girls are carried into the Endless Woods, Agatha is dropped into The School for Good, filled with dazzling princes and princesses and magic. While Sophie is dropped into the dark sludge that makes up the School for Evil’s lake, where she is forced to learn uglification and curses. The two girls must fix this mistake and escape the school, however the only way to escape a fairy tale… is to live through it.
The School for Good and Evil by Soman Chainani displays complex characters and settings by showing that looks can be deceiving. The protagonists go on a journey of self discovery through the various confidants they meet at their respective schools as well as their interactions when the two are reunited. The Schools for Good and Evil are separated by a river, however even the river shows the contrast in environment between the schools. The School for Good’s river is sparkling with fairies and has beautiful, clear water, while The School for Evil’s half of the river is filled with oily, dark sludge. This contrast is continued throughout both of the schools, and therefore is able to accentuate how out of place the two main characters are in their respective schools.
The author writes in third-person limited point of view, often switching between the viewpoints of Agatha and Sophie. However, occasionally the author uses other characters’ points of view in order to reveal information to the reader that Agatha and Sophie do not know. The mood of the novel transitions from tense when focusing on Sophie’s experiences at The School for Evil, to exciting and magical at The School for Good. Imagery is used to reflect upon the different values of the schools, with The School for Good emphasizing beauty, and The School for Evil focusing on ugliness. The novel alludes to many classic and well known fairy tales such as King Arthur and Sleeping Beauty.
This novel would best be enjoyed by students in middle school to high school. The writing style allows for easy understanding for preteen students however the complex plot and characters entices teenage readers, therefore making this an enjoyable story for many ages. Readers that enjoy fairy tales would find this book to be a refreshing twist on the classic fairy tale trope. The book also includes unique illustrations of settings to immerse the reader into the magical world the protagonists are in. The School for Good and Evil can be compared to A Tale Dark and Grimm by Adam Gidwitz and TV Series Once Upon a Time. Overall this novel is excellent since the story is very captivating and I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in the world of fairy tales and fantasy.