Review: The School For Good and Evil

 The first kidnappings happened two hundred years before. Some years it was two boys taken, some years two girls, sometimes one of each. But if at first the choices seemed random, soon the pattern became clear. One was always beautiful and good, the child every parent wanted as their own. The other was homely and odd, an outcast from birth. An opposing pair, plucked from youth and spirited away.

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.

I've heard a lot of good things about this book which is the reason why I picked it up. I've been trying to get back into reading middle grade again and this book piqued my interest with it being about fairy tales and a boarding school, and honestly? I really enjoyed this book.

The thing I enjoyed most about The School For Good and Evil was the writing. Soman Chainani definitely knows how to write an awesome novel. I felt like I was watching a movie in my head because the book was so detailed and the characters were so vivid. My favorite character was Agatha. Her character developed quite nicely and she stood for goodness and how human beings should be. I think I especially connected with her the most because we're so alike. She's down to Earth, smart, and cares deeply about her friends and not so much herself.

This book really focused in on the importance of friendship. It's sort of a staple for middle grade books to teach readers good morals and I really liked how there was a focus on friendship love and not so much romantic love. It reminded me of what Disney did with Frozen and how in the end the love between sisters saved everyone. (Sorry if that sounds cheesy, haha).

There's actually also a bunch of action in this book (for all those guy readers out there)! The story reminds me of Harry Potter in the way that the kids are taught how to fight and protect themselves (in one way or another). There's a big battle scene at the end which I believe everyone will enjoy.

This is the best middle grade novel I have read and I already bought the second, the only thing I didn't like about the novel was the character Sophie because she was just really irritating and boy-obsessed, however I did like how her character developed backwards...Anyway, LOVED this book and so excited to get to the second.
4.5 Stars!