Reviews tagging 'Transphobia'

The School for Good and Evil by Soman Chainani

7 reviews

mapleleaf_rag's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous emotional sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Holy mother of god these books are like crack. The only issues I had with it was that a lot of moments came off as sexist, homophobic, and weird. So queerbaity, too, I really didn’t realize the extent of it when I read these as a young girl.
Really thought Filip and Tedros would go somewhere. So sad about Yara/Tristan, I loved them so much.
Expand filter menu Content Warnings

elly29's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

I'm over this series. There's a lot of back-and-forth action, and moments of dramatic tension that don't feel so dramatic. And, so many missed opportunities. I liked the first book because it made the choice of friendship over romance; I wanted this book to end with being able to have friendship AND romance, but nope. 

The choice to transform the schools of Good and Evil into the schools for Girls and Boys felt like a continuation of the reductive binary that the fairytale world thrusts us into. I was along for the ride last book, when it seemed to offer a critique of good/evil, and that we all have a little good and a little evil in us. (But then there was switching sides, which got complicated and confusing.) This was written 10 years ago, but I don't think the girl/boy binary will age well. So,
Sophie takes a potion that turns her into a boy, and she becomes besties as a boy with Tedros
, and what could've been a beautiful exploration of gender turned out to be... blah at best, and at worst a complete elision of the trans experience.

Like I said, no more of this series for me, because I don't feel like I get a solid moment of climax, or of growth and reflection, or that there will ever be an ending to these books.
Expand filter menu Content Warnings

hayleythegoose's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous challenging mysterious tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

rumireads's review against another edition

Go to review page

  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

squinnittowinit's review against another edition

Go to review page

Very transphobic/queerphobic.
Also the characters learned nothing during the first book and haven't grown at all.
Expand filter menu Content Warnings

wondereads13's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous funny lighthearted mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

While there are still things I enjoy about this one, it is my least favorite of the series. That is mostly because literally every problem could be solved if Sophie, Agatha, and Tedros sat down and talked for literally two minutes. While the plot is just as interesting as the previous book, there's an overload of miscommunication, deception, and just outright ignoring what people are saying. However, I do think it's important that this book remains in the series. In the first book, Agatha believes Sophie no longer needs her. In this one, it's Sophie's turn to fear that Agatha will leave her behind. The role reversal is critical to their characters, especially in seeing how they react differently to the same situation.

This is one of the books in which the coven, Sophie's roommates and proper witches, Hester, Anadil, and Dot, really shine. Compared to the melodrama that is the main three's relationship, their snide remarks and outside clarity are sorely needed. Also, this book deals with a lot of questions about gender and sexuality that are very intriguing but not explored to their full potential. That may have to do with the fact that this book was released in 2014 when gay marriage was just barely legal, so maybe neither the author nor the audience were ready for that quite yet. 

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

calamitywindpetal's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous emotional mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
More...