The School for Good and Evil
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Cover for the first book in the series | |
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The School for Good and Evil | |
| Author | Soman Chainani |
|---|---|
| Cover artist | Iacopo Bruno |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Children's fiction, fantasy and friendship |
| Publisher | HarperCollins |
| Published | 2013 - current |
| Media type | Print, e-book, audiobook |
| No. of books | 3 |
The School for Good and Evil is a New York Times Bestselling children's fantasy book trilogy by Soman Chainani.[1] The first book, The School for Good and Evil, was first published on May 14, 2013 through HarperCollins. The series is set in a world where every four years two children are chosen to attend a prestigious school where fairy tale heroes and villains are made.[2]
Film rights to The School for Good and Evil have been purchased by Universal Pictures with the intention to turn the series into a film trilogy.[3]
Synopsis
Much of the plot takes place at The School for Good and Evil In the village of Gavaldon. Initially, the protagonists are best friends Agatha and Sophie. The two are very different, but share a strong bond over feeling different from others. Agatha is awkward and morbid while Sophie is beautiful but vain. Sophie hopes to get selected to attend the School for Good, one of two legendary academies that prepare children to become fairy tale characters, the other being the School for Evil. Every four years, two children are kidnapped from the village to be enrolled in either school. The children are never returned, but appear in storybooks that come yearly. The books appear mysteriously at a local bookshop.
When the two girls find themselves whisked away by the mysterious Headmaster of the schools of Good and Evil, known the School Master, Sophie is ecstatic until she realizes that she has been placed in the School for Evil (To become a Never) and Agatha is in the School for Good (To become an Ever). She tries to switch places with Agatha many times to of no avail. Agatha soon finds she can grant wishes for people and nearly turns a gargoyle into a little boy, but it is killed. All she wants, however, is to return home with her friend. Agatha learns that the School Master and his brother were at war and that one of them died in the process, and the dying brother enchanted the Storian, a magical pen, to keep the Woods in balance.
The girls break into the mysterious School Master's tower and see the Storian begin to write their story. The School Master gives them a riddle they are unable to solve for some time. Agatha realizes "The thing Nevers can never have and Evers can't do without" is love.
Knowing that a kiss from true love will end a story, Agatha helps Sophie charm Tedros, the son of King Arthur, into asking her to the Ever Ball by disguising herself as a cockroach and helping Sophie through her classes so she ranks #1. This eventually backfires when Tedros discovers what is going on at the Trial by Tale. Agatha protects Tedros when he is to die, calling out Sophie's name. Sophie plummets into irrational rage and Nemesis Dreams. Sophie then uses her ability for evil to take revenge on Tedros and eventually Agatha, who is revealed to be Sophie's Nemesis that she must destroy. She tries to enlist the Never students in her task, but they are initially reluctant to take part in all of Sophie's revenge. In the evil moat The School Master hurls the Storian, meaning to kill Agatha, but Sophie is speared instead and dies from her wounds. Agatha kisses Sophie, bringing her back to life. Agatha chooses her ending with her best friend/nemesis instead of her soon discovered prince, Tedros, and she and Sophie both return to their village.
When the story, The Tale of Sophie and Agatha is published to the village, the last page ends with a picture of a prince who looks a lot like Tedros walking away, his back facing the page, and it says, They didn't need princes in their fairytale at all.'
A World Without Princes
Agatha and Sophie have returned home and they are accepted as heroes who have returned home. Unfortunately for Agatha, Sophie is taking advantage of this opening. Whereas Agatha wants nothing to do with fame, Sophie puts on many shows. At Sophie's father's wedding, Agatha suddenly wishes for another ending to her story, an ending with Tedros. This wish causes magical arrows to come and messages saying to give Sophie to them. Angry, the town turns into a mob demanding Sophie be given to whoever wants her. The Elders says that they are protecting Sophie, but in reality they are planning to give in to the mob. They tell Sophie to stay in the church alone; and Agatha, thinking that Sophie would be safe, leaves. Sophie is taken into the forest with a message on her chest made from her own blood. She is hung on a tree with the message Take Me and left to die. Agatha finds Sophie and runs away with her trying not to be attacked by the mob. They soon arrive in a fairground and they notice butterflies trying to help them. They get on a train unknowingly bound for the School of Good and Evil.
Arriving at the doors of the School for Good, they are swamped by a herd of girls from both schools robed in blue. As the girls are introduced to their classmates (including a silent girl named Yara) and taken around by the new Dean, Evelyn Sader, they notice that the school has been changed and the fairy tales on the walls have changed as a result, with the damsels in distress now becoming warrior women. Agatha mentions the absence of boys, and it is discovered that after they left, all the girls from the School for Evil were repelled and had to come to the School for Good seeking refuge. The boys from the School for Good were then expelled by an unseen force and had to go to the School for Evil.
As the truth and impact of what they have done settles on the girls, Sophie is horrified to discover that they are back due to Agatha’s wish for a different ending to their tale, mainly that she ends up with Tedros. Agatha denies this and insists that all she wants to do is return home. Agatha and Sophie sneak into the School for Boys and Agatha attempts to speak with Tedros, but discovers that Tedros has turned completely against her, blaming her for his troubles. Eventually, it is decided that one of the girls must become a boy to integrate into the School for Boys to steal the Storian. Sophie is chosen and integrates into the boy’s school. Soon Sophie's name as a boy is Fillip. Fillip and Tedros have problems at first, but soon, Fillip is protecting Tedros. Then they become the best of friends. Filip confesses to Tedros that he (Sophie) would do anything to see his (her) mother again. Tedros says he wouldn't want to see his, because his dad (King Arthur) sent out a warrant for her head (she had cheated on King Arthur with Sir Lancelot), and when he turns 16, he'd have to honor that warrant.
Then later in the forest at the Trial by Tale Agatha is hiding when Fillip comes with Tedros. Soon, Agatha sees that Tedros leans in to kiss Filip, but Agatha only sees their lips almost touch. She blames "Filip." As the three argue, suddenly, the spell wears off and Filip turns back into Sophie. Tedros is confused and angry, but then, the new "School for Girl" teacher Evelyn Sader, sister of August Sader, has her butterflies fly off trees as they carry the Storian and Evelyn to the trio. As she tricks Agatha by giving Sophie symptoms, Tedros and Agatha kiss for Ever After, but instead, Evelyn pricks her finger on the Storian and it very clearly only says "The En". Sophie says she'd do anything for her mother. Evelyn conjures the ghost and her butterflies turn red. Sophie kisses the ghost and as it becomes the School Master, the School Master kills Evelyn and sends Agatha home. The School Master tries to kill Tedros, but just before that happens, Agatha grabs Tedros and takes him with her, and the two schools become a malevolent School for Evil together. For now, as it says, their wishes were granted.
The Last Ever After
This is the third and final installment of the School for Good and Evil trilogy, the Last Ever After, released on July 21st 2015. Villains of the past have come back to attempt to change their fairytales, and this turns into a showdown between the Old and the New.
Everything old is new again as Sophie and Agatha fight the past as well as the present to find the perfect end to their fairy tale.
Once best friends, now enemies, Sophie and Agatha thought their ending was sealed when they went their separate ways. Agatha was whisked back to Gavaldon with Tedros, and Sophie stayed behind with the beautiful young School Master.
But as they settle into their new lives, their story begs to be rewritten, and this time, theirs isn't the only one. With the girls apart, Evil has taken over and the villains of the past have come back with a vengeance. Not only do they want a second chance at their fairy tales, but they mean to transform the old world of Good and Evil into a new dark realm with Sophie as its Queen. Only Agatha and Tedros stand in the way of Evil's deadly reign—and the Last Ever After of all.
Books
- The School for Good and Evil (2013)
- A World Without Princes (2014)
- The Last Ever After (2015)
Reception
Critical reception for the first book in the series has been positive,[4][5][6] and the book has received praise from The Guardian and the Miami Herald.[7][8]
Awards
- Waterstone's Children's Book Prize for Best Fiction for 5-12 (2014, nominee for The School for Good and Evil)[9]
References
- ↑ Rolland, David. "Soman Chainani on The School for Good and Evil, the Dangers of Disney, and South Florida Kids". Miami New Times. Retrieved April 6, 2014.
- ↑ Maughan, Shannon. "Moving On Up: 'The School for Good and Evil'". Publisher Weekly. Retrieved April 6, 2014.
- ↑ Fleming JR, Mike. "Universal Makes Seven-Figure Deal For ‘The School For Good And Evil’". Deadline. Retrieved April 6, 2014.
- ↑ "THE SCHOOL FOR GOOD AND EVIL (review)". Kirkus Reviews. Retrieved April 6, 2014.
- ↑ "The School for Good and Evil (review)". Commonsensemedia. Retrieved April 6, 2014.
- ↑ "Cafeteria food is the least of students' worries in Soman Chainani's 'The School for Good and Evil'". NYDN. Retrieved April 6, 2014.
- ↑ "The School for Good and Evil by Soman Chainani – review". The Guardian. Retrieved April 6, 2014.
- ↑ Levin, Jordan. "Soman Chainani hits jackpot with novel ‘School for Good and Evil’". Miami Herald. Retrieved April 6, 2014.
- ↑ "Chris O'Dowd's wife and actress Emerald Fennell up for Children's Book Prize". Express. Retrieved April 7, 2014.