THE SCHOOL FOR GOOD AND EVIL – THE LAST EVER AFTER by Soman Chainani

“‘How do you turn your back on your best friend? How do you leave them behind?’ Sophie and Agatha thought their ending was sealed when they went their separate ways. But will their story be rewritten? With the girls apart, Evil has taken over. The villains of the past have come back with a vengeance and the forces of Good are in deadly peril. Can anyone stand in the way of Evil’s deadly reign – and the Last Ever After of all? Action, adventure, laughter, romance and more twists than ever before in this extraordinary conclusion to the School for Good and Evil series.

What is the book about?

Agatha and Sophie are living out their ending apart, each with the boy of their dreams, but things don’t seem quite happy and they doubt their happy ending once more. The Storian won’t move on from their story because they keep wishing to reopen their fairy-tale and now the fate of the world depends on finding the correct ending as soon as possible. But Agatha and Sophie aren’t the only ones looking for their Ever After. The School Master has returned and he has a plan that will make Evil invincible, the Schools have changed once more and Good and Evil may never be balanced again. Fairy tales are being rewritten, the end of the world nearing, and all because of a two students. Can Agatha and Sophie find The Last Ever After of their fairy-tale before it’s too late?

What were your initial thoughts on the book?

Once I had finished the second School for Good and Evil book, I right away grabbed the third book ready to read it. As I had loved both the books before The Last Ever After, I knew without hesitation that I would find this book just as incredible. I was really looking forward to reading the book because as this was originally the last book of the series I knew that it would be particularly amazing as this ending to Agatha and Sophie’s fairy-tale would finally be the right one, so I was really anxious finish it. Something that really kept me reading the book was seeing the back of the book and that it said that there was going to be many twists in this book so I was in suspense waiting for an astonishing change to the story or for a mysterious character to appear. This book also started right away and got me hooked as soon as I read the first page, so I immediately got interested and soon I was nearing the end.

Who was your favourite character and why?

In this book, my favourite character was Agatha because of how Good she is. I really liked her because of the fact that she was willing to let Sophie have a chance to take her prince away from her for the sake of everyone else. She was willing to doubt her happy ending so that Sophie would destroy her ring and save everyone from death. Another reason I like Agatha better is because although she is a princess, she is unique and isn’t like all the other princesses. She doesn’t believe that she is queen material and she doesn’t think that she is the most important person just because she was chosen by the best prince ever. I like this about her because it shows that she is truly Good as she doesn’t think f herself before others and this proves that she will be the best queen ever. Although Sophie was more Evil than ever before, I still really liked her at some parts of the book and thought that it was really brave of her to finally do the right thing ever though it meant destroying what she thought was her only chance at love. I also understood why she had chosen to stay with the School Master in the second book and I realise that it must have been difficult to see her best friend try and send her away while she stays with her prince, the prince she thought was hers, this is why when she decided that she was going to be happy alone and finally let Agatha have her happy ending I thought it was really kind.

What was your favourite part of the book and why?

In my opinion, the best part was when Sophie and Agatha were in the Brig in the School for Old. Although they were trapped and the sun was almost gone, this was still a really good part because of the unexpected history lesson that they were taught, hence the name of the chapter. I liked the part because of the sudden, unpredictable change to Agatha and Sophie’s story. Usually I see things coming or I have my suspicions about what is going to happen next or the relationship between people but this was completely new to me and left me really shocked, I loved the surprise and it really did leave me on the edge of my seat. I see why Soman Chainani wanted to end the School for Good and Evil series there but I am glad that he didn’t because I really want to read more about Agatha, Sophie and all their friends. I can’t wait to read the forth book!

What was your overall impression of the book?

Like the first 2 School for Good and Evil, there isn’t much that I wouldn’t change. I found that it was all really good and that, as always, everything was important and each chapter had something that irreplaceable. One thing that bothered me a bit was that in a couple parts of the book I found that it felt like it was almost the end but there was actually a lot more left, this confused me as there were so many twists that made the story change but once I got used to it I began to really like it. One thing that I really liked was meeting the old fairy-tale heroes because I always heard about the old students of the School for Good and Evil but never met them or was told about what they were doing now that their stories were over, meeting a few of them was a really good addition to the book. One of my favourite things was learning about Agatha and Sophie’s mothers fairy-tale. I liked this because I had always wanted to know more about Sophie’s mother ever since the second book when the wish to see her mother proved to be important and once I heard about her all my questions were finally answered. This was also when the surprising change to Agatha and Sophie’s story occurred so it was an extremely important part of the book.

Which book did you like better, the first, the second or the third?

My favourite book so far is unmistakably the third book, but I did find all three really interesting. I liked The Last Ever After more because of all the surprises and twists there were. I really liked this because it made the book more intriguing and make me want to keep reading, every time there was another unexpected turn in the story the book just seemed to stick to my hands even more. I also really liked the ending to this book, I know that I have said this for every School for Good and Evil book but it was true for every single book, especially for this one. I liked it because everyone got a happy ending or the right ending for them, I feel as though it is a very good end and that it is finally the right one for Agatha and Sophie’s fairy-tale. I think this is what made the book my favourite because the ending of a book had always been extremely important for me. This is because a wrong ending can ruin the whole book but the right one can make the book even better, so when a book has such an amazing end it really makes the book extraordinary.

Would you recommend this book?  

I absolutely loved The Last Ever After, it is undeniably one of my favourite books and I would definitely recommend it. If you have read any other School for Good and Evil books then this should go on your reading list, also if you like action or adventures full of mystery and romance then do not hesitate to try this book, I assure that you will love it.

Summarise the book in one sentence. (Verdict) 

Another wonderful adventure at the School for Good and Evil with more unexpected twists than ever before.

 Reviewed by Jimena Gutierrez Reviriego

 

THE SCHOOL FOR GOOD AND EVIL – A WORLD WITHOUT PRINCES by Soman Chainani

“‘There is an uneasiness that remains after your best friend tries to kill you…’ Best friends Sophie and Agatha are back in Gavaldon, living out their Happily Ever After, but Agatha is missing her prince. In a moment of weakness she makes a wish, which once more opens the gates to the School for Good and Evil. Agatha and Sophie are sucked back into the world they escaped from – but everything has changed. War is brewing between the School for Girls and the School for Boys. Can this Ever After end happily for anyone?”

What is the book about?

Agatha and Sophie are back in Gavaldon and they both seem happy living out their Happily Ever After with each other, but Agatha feels empty inside missing her prince. Once more the girls are pulled back into the world they escaped from, all because of a wish Agatha now regrets. But everything in the School for Good and Evil has changed. Agatha and Sophie are trying to return home all over again but it has proven impossible with the new Dean overhearing every word. Agatha and Sophie are back where they started trying to win the Trial by Tale but their lives are now on the line. Will the girls return home together or will their fairy-tale ending be rewritten?

What were your initial thoughts on the book?

As soon as I had finished the first School for Good and Evil book, I immediately grabbed the second book to start reading it. I had really liked the first book and although it didn’t end on a big cliff-hanger I still wanted to read more. Once I had read the blurb I wanted to read it even more than before because of all the questions going through my head. I wanted to know why the school had changed to the School for Girls and School for Boys and if Sophie and Agatha would still end up together, so I began to read it. Just like the first book, this one started right away and didn’t have any recap or too much description like most books so it got me hooked right away, an just like the first book this one had an important part that would change the ending but you wouldn’t see it coming.

Who was your favourite character and why?

Unlike in the first School for Good and Evil book, I found that I liked both my favourite characters equally. Although I think that Agatha and Sophie made mistakes I think that they both made the same amount of mistakes as the other. I think that it wasn’t right for Agatha to want to ruin Sophie’s happy ending by sending her back to Gavaldon alone as she should have considered Sophie’s feelings but I also think that Sophie shouldn’t have tried to prevent Agatha’s happy ending. Even though Sophie felt as though Agatha was abandoning her she should have tried to understand that everyone is different and that maybe Agatha wasn’t happy being with just her for the rest of her life. Agatha and Sophie were also good at some parts and that is what made me really like them. I found the fact that Sophie agreed with turning into a boy was really brave and that Agatha was also really brave when she went to the School for Boys without Sophie’s acknowledgement to try and stop Tedros from trying to kill her.

What was your favourite part of the book and why?

My favourite part in this book was the Trial by Tale, I know that this Trial goes over quite a few chapters but I fell as though those last chapters were the best parts. I really liked them because all the little clues that Agatha and Sophie had pieced together were finally coming together and I was able to understand why the Dean had been able to enter the school again and why she was a part of Agatha and Sophie’s story. I think that the best part of the Trial was at the end when the villain of the story was revealed and the two girls were pulled in different directions because it answered the questions that I had and left a bit of suspense for the next book.

What was your overall impression of the book?

Overall I loved the book just as much as the first, it was amazing and from the very first page I found myself wanting to read on. I also found that every chapter was full of action and that it immediately started with Sophie and Agatha planning something or their adventure beginning, even though it might not be obvious at first. It was like the girls never got a moment of peace and were always doing something life threatening. I also really like how something important always happens in the first chapter but them because it isn’t mentioned in the book you seem to forget all about it. Then during the last chapters this important dream or wish changes everything and you never see it coming. The only thing that I would change is the fact that in the book, the last 3 or 4 chapters always have a lot going on so sometimes it gets a bit confusing. This also happened in the first and I think that the end of the book should be a little less action packed or maybe it should be a bit more spread out. Although it can be a bit puzzling, it is also very effective as then when the book finally ends it goes from over the top to nothing at all so it keeps you a little shocked and wanting to read the next book.

Which book did you like better, the first or the second?

Both books are amazing and I absolutely loved them but I think that if I had to pick one it would be the first book because of the endings. I liked both endings but I prefer the first one because I feel as though Agatha and Sophie are great friends and that they should end up together so the way that the second book ended was definitely not what I expected. I knew that Agatha would never be happy without her prince but I thought that they would at least end up in the same worlds, I know that there are other books in the series so I hope that they will be able to see that they are better together and be able to put their differences aside for the sake of their friendship.

Would you recommend this book?  

This book is definitely one to read especially if you have loved the first book as much as I did. I think that if you are over 12 and fantasy books then this should absolutely be on your bookshelf.

Summarise the book in one sentence. (Verdict) 

A fantastic book with a magical new ending.

 Reviewed by Jimena Gutierrez Reviriego

THE SCHOOL FOR GOOD AND EVIL by Soman Chainani

“‘Sophie had waited all her life to be kidnapped.’ Every four years two children are stolen away from Gavaldon, never to return. Most children fear being taken to the School for Good and Evil. But not Sophie… She has dreamt all her life of being a princess and believes the school could be her chance. Her best friend Agatha has other ideas. When the two girls are taken, things don’t quite go to Sophie’s plan. Because sometimes, the princess and the witch don’t look like they do in fairy tales.”

What is the book about?

Two girls, Sophie and Agatha, live in a small village surrounded by nothing but a never-ending dark forest. Every four years two children are taken into the dark woods by the mysterious School Master to the School for Good and Evil. Sophie has been waiting all her life to be taken to become a princess but Agatha just wishes that Sophie would be happy in Gavaldon, with her. One night the two girls are taken and things don’t quite go the way Sophie had expected. The girls try and try to find a way back home but they find themselves trapped in the School for Good and Evil. When they realise that they have been in the right schools all along, they finally begin to understand just how difficult getting back home really is and that their friendship will never be the same again.

What were your initial thoughts on the book?

As one of my friends absolutely loved the books, she kept going on and on about them telling me I should read them. After a while the books started to look interesting and exciting, so as we both like similar books I thought that I would give the first book try. Now this happened a few years ago and I found them a bit confusing but, a few weeks ago, the books started to sound amazing again when my friend constantly spoke about the new book and how excited she was, so I decided to purchase the books so that I would have something new to read. When I first started reading it, again, I found it very surprising because it got into interesting right away unlike quite a lot of the books I have read. I began to really enjoy the book and now I realise that I only found it confusing because I had wanted to know what came next so badly that I skimmed over a lot of important parts.

Who was your favourite character and why?

My favourite character was Agatha because of how kind she was and how much she cared about Sophie. I saw kindness in her because whenever she spoke about getting back home to Gavaldon she always said “we” and never forgot about Sophie, the first person to ever show her any kindness. I really liked Agatha because even though Sophie was the one to start their friendship she was the one who cared about it the most and she was a great example that it is what is inside of you that matters not what you look like. I also, at some parts of the book, really liked Sophie, for example, when she was taken to the Doom Room she finally thought about someone other than herself and willed herself to “Stay alive for Agatha”, but at some parts Sophie seemed to have no kindness inside her and if she could have gone into the School for Good she would have given up Agatha at the drop of a hat, and that is why I didn’t always like Sophie.

What was your favourite part of the book and why?

My favourite part in the book was when Agatha and Sophie finally realised that they had been in the correct schools the whole time and they decided to embrace the true person that they are inside. I really liked this part because the book was getting extremely interesting and most of my questions started to get answers. I also have another favourite part which is the ending as it tells everyone that the love of friendship is just as strong as the love between a prince and his princess. I also liked it because it shows that although everyone thought that it wasn’t true a princess and a witch can certainly be friends, this ending told me that Agatha and Sophie’s friendship was stronger that the urge Sophie had to kill her and that there Happily Never After was with each other. 

What was your overall impression of the book?

Overall I think that the book was perfect and that there is nothing in the School for Good and Evil that I would change. I found that this book had a bit of everything and that every chapter was filled with mystery and that, unlike some books, every chapter was important. I loved that everything that happened had some kind of meaning and that the mystery and adventure started from the very beginning when Sophie dreamt of her prince. I also think that the ending was perfect too, it had just enough suspense to keep me wanting more but it didn’t have too much keeping me from being frustrated and with questions to answer, I think that this is now my new favourite book.

Would you recommend this book?  

I would 100% recommend this book for absolutely anyone, but specifically for children from 12-15 and if you like fantasy then this is definitely the next book you should read.

Summarise the book in one sentence. (Verdict) 

An amazing, fantasy adventure into the most magical school in the world.

 Reviewed by Jimena Gutierrez Reviriego

GOTH GIRL AND THE SINISTER SYMPHONY by Chris Riddell

 

“Lord Goth is throwing a music festival at Ghastly-Gorm Hall, with performances from the finest musicians in the land. Ada can’t wait, but it’s quite distracting when her grandmother is trying to find her father a fashionable new wife, there’s a faun living in her wardrobe, and Maltravers is up to his old tricks. Ada must make sure everything goes to plan, and luckily help is at hand from a very interesting house guest…”

What were your initial thoughts on the book?

Initially I kept trying to read more and more books before this one trying to delay it as much as possible because I didn’t want to read the last book and have no more adventures to go on with Ada and her friends. Finally I had no more books to read and decided to stop procrastinating and read the last book of the Goth Girl series. Although I was sad to read it, nothing could stop me from loving the book. Like all the books I found the beginning a bit boring as there was a big recap of stuff, for example, her governesses where listed at the beginning of every book and re-reading them over and over again was a bit of a nightmare.

Who was your favourite character and why?

My favourite character was Ada because of how kind and adventurous she is. I really liked that she didn’t mind her father remarrying like most people usually do and that all she wanted was for her father to be happy. I also really like how brave she is and that she never gives up even when times get tough. I love that she always looks out for her friends an that she always likes making new friend no matter what creature it is; this has proved true in all books as she has always made interesting friends. One of my favourite things about her is that she has really good balance and that one of the things she likes doing is tightrope walking on the roof, which I found very funny and interesting, this hobby makes Ada a very amusing person.

What was your favourite part of the book and why?

I really liked the ending of the book but I would say that it was my favourite part, I think that I don’t really have a favourite part in this book but the best part was probably the ending. I always liked the endings of these books because they end with no intentions of there being another book after it so it never ends in a cliff-hanger like most of my books or anything like I have read. I never liked cliff-hangers because if I hadn’t bought the next book I would get very annoyed and want to read the next book but these books never left me like that. I also found that the endings were also kind of bad because like the beginning doesn’t really capture my attention the ending should make you want to read more but they never did. I liked the ending to Goth Girl and the Sinister Symphony because I found it really cool that it ended in THE END as no books I have read end like that and it also helped tell me that there wouldn’t be a 5^th book because if it hadn’t have said that it would be difficult to tell.

What was your overall impression of the book?

Overall I really liked the book and I think that it was great. The book was amazing at some parts but also a bit boring at others. I found that I had very different thoughts about the beginning and end of the book. I loved the end and found it really happy, I think that it was what made the book so amazing but the beginning did the opposite. I hated the beginning because there wasn’t much happening, the book just went over what happened in the other books and told us a bit about Ada and her family. I hated it because it didn’t really catch my attention and if I hadn’t loved all the other books I would have probably stopped reading it. The middle of the book was where most of the mystery took place and I really liked that part so I think that if the start had just been a bit more intriguing it would have been an amazing book.

Which was your favourite book in the Goth Girl series? (1, 2, 3 or 4)

My favourite book was the very last one, Goth Girl and the Sinister Symphony, because, it really of the amazing ending! Although I still think that all the other books end really well, I think that the ending to the last book was better because it shows that the book series is compete so Ada will finally get some rest after all the adventures she has been on and mysteries she has had to solve. I can tell that Ada’s adventures have come to an end because of the fact that this book ends with the words THE END and the other three do not. This is good but bad too, good because Ada finally gets an extremely happy ending but, also bad because it is the end of the series and although I do wish there was more; I think that Chris Riddell was right to end the series there. 

Would you recommend this book?  

I would absolutely recommend this book for children over 11 who like mysteries and if you have read the first 3 Goth Gil books you definitely want to read this book to end the series on the happiest ending of all.

Summarise the book in one sentence. (Verdict) 

The forth book of the creative and mysterious series, Goth Girl.

 Reviewed by Jimena Gutierrez Reviriego