Scan barcode
aeryn_sun's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
sleepy_panda1's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty
Moderate: Blood
Minor: Violence
valpyre's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
technically a reread -- i think i must have read this in high school at some point and reading it now was a whole new experience (i didnt remember a whole lot anyways).
i personally vibed with this book -- it was fantastical and nonsensical enough without being actually unreasonable, if that makes sense. something about it just grabbed my attention and held it there.
i will say i wouldn't go as far as to recommend this book though -- it gets really tiring hearing about how Evil people are different, and ugly, and lonely, etc. as opposed to Good people (especially with the enforced gender roles) are beautiful, and only they can have/deserve love. i honestly think this book could have unpacked and subverted those notions more -- we only really saw those rules fall apart in the climax.
im interested to see how comphet this series will turn out cause if romance will fix these characters problems, i feel like there is a simple queer solution lol. also aren't all the characters like 12-ish? some of the content was reeaaal weird (lookin at you school master)
i personally vibed with this book -- it was fantastical and nonsensical enough without being actually unreasonable, if that makes sense. something about it just grabbed my attention and held it there.
i will say i wouldn't go as far as to recommend this book though -- it gets really tiring hearing about how Evil people are different, and ugly, and lonely, etc. as opposed to Good people (especially with the enforced gender roles) are beautiful, and only they can have/deserve love. i honestly think this book could have unpacked and subverted those notions more -- we only really saw those rules fall apart in the climax.
im interested to see how comphet this series will turn out cause if romance will fix these characters problems, i feel like there is a simple queer solution lol. also aren't all the characters like 12-ish? some of the content was reeaaal weird (lookin at you school master)
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence
maya_b's review against another edition
adventurous
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
3.25
Das Buch hat mich positiv überrascht. Es ist mir eher zufällig in die Hände gefallen, weshalb ich nicht zwingend hohe Erwartungen daran hatte, aber da ich gerade gerne Bücher für eine jüngere Zielgruppe lese, bin ich irgendwann auch bei diesem angekommen, und irgendwie war es dann doch von Anfang an erstaunlich gut.
Agatha und Sophie sind beides sehr interessante Hauptfiguren, und ich habe von beiden gerne gelesen. Die Geschichte ist nichts komplett neues, und gerade das Setting wirkt doch sehr bekannt, die Umsetzung war aber durchaus etwas anderes als erwartet, und da man beim Lesen von Anfang an recht gut durchschaut, was Sache ist (oder auf jeden Fall erging es mir so), war es durchaus interessant zu lesen, wie genau sich die Dinge entwickeln, wenn man selbst so viel mehr weiß, als die Figuren, da diese eine ganze Weile brauchen, um auf den gleichen Stand zu kommen.
Die Witze waren oft nichts für mich, und auch die "echte" Liebesgeschichte konnte mich nicht wirklich überzeugen, da alles sehr oberflächlich war, der Plot selbst und alles was dazu gehörte konnte mich allerdings schon überzeugen, und auch der übergreifende Inhalt/die Message vom Buch selbst fand ich nicht schlecht. Weiterlesen werde ich die Reihe voraussichtlich nicht, da mir das Ende eigentlich ganz genau so gefällt, wie es ist, und ich nicht wirklich das Bedürfnis verspüre, viel mehr zu erfahren, bis hierhin waren Agatha und Sophie aber zwei ziemlich coole Protagonistinnen und ich hatte durchaus meine Freude an dem Buch!
Agatha und Sophie sind beides sehr interessante Hauptfiguren, und ich habe von beiden gerne gelesen. Die Geschichte ist nichts komplett neues, und gerade das Setting wirkt doch sehr bekannt, die Umsetzung war aber durchaus etwas anderes als erwartet, und da man beim Lesen von Anfang an recht gut durchschaut, was Sache ist (oder auf jeden Fall erging es mir so), war es durchaus interessant zu lesen, wie genau sich die Dinge entwickeln, wenn man selbst so viel mehr weiß, als die Figuren, da diese eine ganze Weile brauchen, um auf den gleichen Stand zu kommen.
Die Witze waren oft nichts für mich, und auch die "echte" Liebesgeschichte konnte mich nicht wirklich überzeugen, da alles sehr oberflächlich war, der Plot selbst und alles was dazu gehörte konnte mich allerdings schon überzeugen, und auch der übergreifende Inhalt/die Message vom Buch selbst fand ich nicht schlecht. Weiterlesen werde ich die Reihe voraussichtlich nicht, da mir das Ende eigentlich ganz genau so gefällt, wie es ist, und ich nicht wirklich das Bedürfnis verspüre, viel mehr zu erfahren, bis hierhin waren Agatha und Sophie aber zwei ziemlich coole Protagonistinnen und ich hatte durchaus meine Freude an dem Buch!
nightwithbooks's review against another edition
1.0
1 star because every fart and poop "jokes"
besides that maaaybe 2,5. 3 if I am generous
https://www.instagram.com/p/ChALf0FoxIt/
besides that maaaybe 2,5. 3 if I am generous
https://www.instagram.com/p/ChALf0FoxIt/
siah_2013's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
lauraborkpower's review against another edition
4.0
I heard an interview with Chainani on NPR a few months ago, which piqued my interest, both about the series and about the author. I can see why the series didn't gain as much popularity as the Harry Potter books -- it's impossible not to compare other magical school stories to Rowling's books. All other books fall short of the brilliant, original world Rowling created, even excellent books. And Chainani has written a really excellent book here.
The story is original while being based in a world most readers (Western readers) will be totally familiar with: a world of fairy tale princesses and witches. But Chainani plays with the tropes in fun, surprising ways, and he has a spot-on sense of pacing and action.
Polly Lee narrates this audiobook and she does a perfect job -- like, really perfect. I'm going to very quickly download the second and third books and spend the next week finishing this series.
The story is original while being based in a world most readers (Western readers) will be totally familiar with: a world of fairy tale princesses and witches. But Chainani plays with the tropes in fun, surprising ways, and he has a spot-on sense of pacing and action.
Polly Lee narrates this audiobook and she does a perfect job -- like, really perfect. I'm going to very quickly download the second and third books and spend the next week finishing this series.
noemi1010's review against another edition
4.0
Sophie and Agatha are two girls from the village of Galvadon. Every four year a good child and a bad child get kidnapped and sent to the School for Good and Evil. The former for princesses and the latter for villains. Sophie has always wanted to be a princess so she gets ready to be kidnapped, but when her best friend Agatha tries to protect her, they both end up at the school but Sophie as a villain and Agatha as a princess. Sophie can't stop feeling that there has been a mistake as she should be the princess, and while Agatha tries to help her friend, she realises along the way that she's not as ugly and bad as she has always thought. However, when a boy pikes the interest of both friends, Agatha and Sophie needs to figure out if their friendship is stronger than a boy's love and they can become the first princess and villainess to be friend.
I really enjoyed reading this book. Although the world of the two protagonists has clearly defined rules on what is good and what is evil, Agatha and Sophie fight against those rules because them and their classmates are humans, with both good and evil inside them. I can't wait to read the rest of the series.
I really enjoyed reading this book. Although the world of the two protagonists has clearly defined rules on what is good and what is evil, Agatha and Sophie fight against those rules because them and their classmates are humans, with both good and evil inside them. I can't wait to read the rest of the series.