The School for Good and Evil

felicisowl - "The only way out is through a fairy-tale.." By opposites' attraction, Sophie and Agatha of Gavaldon are best friends.. Sophie is beautiful, but only on the outside - she only performs her Good Deeds because her greatest dream is to be kidnapped by the School Master and accepted to the School of Good. Everyone in the village calls Agatha a witch because of her not-so-beautiful appearance on the outside, but inside, she has a heart of gold and she's just lonely for true friendship. When the School Master kidnaps both Agatha and Sophie (to Sophie's delight and to Agatha's horror) but to both of the girls' horror, he places them (supposedly) in the wrong school! While Sophie (School of Evil) and Agatha (School of Good) are struggling in their new schools, feeling their destiny has been horribly switched, Sophie falls for a prince in Good, Tedros, King Arthur's son, while Agatha just wants her friend and her home back. Desperate to get back home, Sophie and Agatha pay a visit to the School Master and the magic, story-writing pen, the Storian.. only to be presented with a riddle ("What's the one thing Evil can never have.. and the one thing Good can never do without?") and a very unsatisfying answer to their pleas ("The only way out is through a fairytale.") It seems that the only way to get out of this "dungeon" is through their fairytales.. Agatha as a princess and Sophie as an evil witch. But unexpectedly, both start excelling at their studies - is it possible that there hadn't been a mix-up after all? If they were exactly in the school they were supposed to be? With the upcoming Circus of Talents where Good boys ask Good girls to be their date for the Snow Ball, Sophie is anxious to be Tedros' date and to receive her true love's kiss.. but Tedros asks the now beautiful and kind Agatha instead to be his date.. In blind rage, Sophie is set on destroying the school that is ultimately destroying her life, and Tedros declares war on Evil. Suddenly.. it seems that Sophie will never become Agatha's friend again, and that they'll never get home to their beloved Gavaldon, ever again. What will happen to the two beloved friends? Read this compelling, magical, absolutely spellbinding book to find out! I loved this book! It is hands down, probably the best fairy-tale twist book I have EVER read! It was extremely captivating, and hooked me on the first page - I just felt a rush as I read it, and I honestly couldn't turn the pages fast enough! This book defies what other books have said - you don't have to be beautiful on the outside to have a solid gold heart on the inside! I've read books about perfect friendships.. but in my mind, those aren't friendships at all. You have to have bumps in the road (very MAJOR bumps for Sophie and Agatha) and it's the strength that takes to rebond, over and over again, to look over each other's faults, to still remain true to each other even when things are rough or when you'll different, and most of all (SPOILERS) to sacrifice yourself for each other. Discover a tearjerking story full of undying, true love, differences, magic, the power to overcome challenges, being yourself, and most of all, it tells you just how important and beautiful true friendship can be! I can't wait to get the second and third books!

June 17, 2013
At first glance, Chainani's debut appears to resemble the trend-following herd. There's the secret school that sorts its students into apparently predestined categories, courtesy of J.K. Rowling. There's the knowing, slightly shocking narration, full of farts and greasy hair, borrowed from Roald Dahl via Lemony Snicket. But Chainani's story gradually takes on dimension. Sophie and Agatha are plucked from their hometown of Gavaldon, where children are voracious readers of fairy tales. A skeletal bird drops them at the School for Good and Evil, populated by the living embodiments of these talesâprincesses, princes, and villains in training. The girls soon discover, however, that these fledgling stereotypes have never read the stories. Sophie and Agatha are the only "Readers" in their classâshunned, mocked, but also feared. While the notion that conventions of good and evil don't tell the whole truth is hardly new, exploring the middle ground moves Chainani's novel out of its own ruts and, in the process, shows readers a hyperactively imaginative way to leave black-and-white thinking behind. Ages 8â12. Agent: Jane Startz, Jane Startz Productions.

June 1, 2013

Gr 5-8-Every four years in the village of Gavaldon, two children are stolen away by a mysterious person known only as the Schoolmaster. These children become students at the School for Good and Evil. One will be taught the ways of goodness, honor, and beauty; the other will be instructed in the ways of darkness and villainy. Twelve-year-old Sophie just knows she's destined to be picked for the school of Good this year, and can't wait to assume the role of a princess and meet her Prince Charming. Her best friend, Agatha, is surely villain material with her dumpy looks, black clothes, and dour demeanor. So how is it that Sophie winds up in the School for Evil and Agatha the School for Good? Now both girls must work to succeed in their new roles or face dire consequences. The girls' friendship will be put to the test in ways they never imagined. This debut fantasy will attract sophisticated readers with a love of fairy tales, particularly the dark side of them. Despite some redundant scenes and pacing issues, there's plenty of action and emotion to keep an audience well entertained. Fans of Adam Gidwitz's A Tale Dark and Grimm (Dutton, 2010) and Shannon and Dean Hale's graphic novel Rapunzel's Revenge (Bloomsbury, 2008) will be swept along in this wild story of good, evil, and two friends caught in between.-Stephanie Whelan, New York Public Library

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