YA Weekend: The School for Good and Evil by Soman Chainani

The School for Good and Evil by Soman Chainani

Genre: Middle-Grade fantasy

Series: Book 1 of The School for Good and Evil

Publisher: HarperCollins

Date of Publication: May 14, 2013

Author Information: Website | Twitter  

 Mogsy’s Rating: 4 of 5 stars – “An original and magical take on fairy tales that will enchant you and make you smile.”

Technically, this one is considered more Middle-Grade than Young Adult, but really, I don’t see why it can’t be enjoyed by all ages. I’m a strong believer in that fairy tales are not just for children, that the stories and characters in folkloric fantasy can appeal to a much wider audience — and it’s especially entertaining when familiar concepts like “fairy tale romance” or “happily ever after” are being parodied or turned on their heads.

That’s the idea behind this book; in a village called Gavaldon, two children are kidnapped every four years, never to be seen again. One was always beautiful and good, the other an outcast and strange. It didn’t take long for the village children to speculate where these missing boys and girls go. They say a mysterious schoolmaster takes them to the fabled School for Good and Evil, where storybook heroes and villains are made.

For as long as she can remember, Sophie has dreamed of being whisked away to the School of Good, imagining a magical world of pretty dresses and handsome princes. On the other hand, she figures her friend Agatha with her homely face and frumpy black clothes would be a perfect fit for the School of Evil. So it’s no surprise then when the two were the ones taken way this year. However, when they arrive at the Endless Woods, Sophie is dumped into the school for Evil, while Agatha ends up in the School for Good! This has to be just a terrible mix-up, right? Or is it?

How cool is this idea? Let’s face it, traditional fairy tales aren’t about character development; off the top of my head, Prince Charming and others like him are good examples of characters that don’t go beyond being a mere caricature. We don’t tend to think beyond what is presented, and that’s what makes this book so great. You know the kind of satire we see in Shrek? It’s similar here, poking fun at how shallow princesses must be for obsessing only about their beauty and who will take them to the formal ball. It also makes you wonder about the villains, like, do any of them have hopes and ambitions other than cooking up nefarious schemes? Who gets to determine what is good and evil, anyway?

Obviously, there also some good messages here. “Beauty is only skin deep” and “believe in yourself” are only a couple amongst many, but it’s presented very well in this original and magical tale, all wrapped up in a whimsical package. There are lovely illustrations scattered throughout the book as well, and I can’t help but feel grumpy now about the lack of pretty drawings in my adult fantasy novels. Is there a rule or something that pictures can only belong in children’s books?! Regardless, this book is so much fun. At once ridiculous and full of heart, I couldn’t help but melt for this story and its characters. Oh so cute at times, but sinister and dark at others, this book will enchant you and make you smile.