A review by samantha_06x
The School for Good and Evil by Soman Chainani

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

4.0

Loved the book the author developed the magical lore and world building well, by slowly introducing the elements as the main characters discover the new world we are able to learn and understand with the characters as apposed to being frustrated by their ignorance. 
The book does a good job of making you as a reader become invested in Sophie despite her questionable decisions and ultimately want a happy ending for the 2 main characters. 
Lost a star as
I felt the end was slightly rushed with the appearance of the headmaster which was quickly resolved which did not give me as a reader enough time to experience the shock of the twist fully as the plot swiftly moves on.
 
As well as this when linking being evil to ugliness there will always be some issues as the concept of ugliness is inherently racist/abelist/fat-phobic. I don't think this was handled well with
Sophie's insults towards Dot being fat. If Sophie's comments were evidence of her evilness this would be slightly better. However this is not the case as at the end of the book when the villains are transformed to be good and given 'makeovers' Dot's body is described to transform into an 'hourglass figure'. I was shocked at this unnecessary addition which justified Sophie's comments.


Although the book is written for a younger audience I think anyone who enjoys fantasy books like Harry Potter will also enjoy this book. 
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