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The School for Good and Evil #3
Długo i szczęśliwie
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Best Middle Grade & Children's (2015)Zapierający dech w piersiach finał bestsellerowej trylogii Akademia Dobra i Zła, w którym to, co stare, staje się nowe, a Sofia i Agata muszą walczyć z przeszłością i teraźniejszością, by znaleźć najlepsze zakończenie swojej baśni. Sofia i Agata, dawniej najlepsze przyjaciółki, sądziły, że zakończenie ich baśni zostało przypieczętowane, gdy ich drogi się rozeszły. Teraz jednak, gdy dziewczęta zostały rozdzielone, Zło zatriumfowało, a Dobro znajduje się w śmiertelnym niebezpieczeństwie. Czyżby Opowieść o Sofii i Agacie miała zostać napisana na nowo, podobnie jak inne baśnie? Agata i Sofia muszą współpracować, by ocalić to, na czym im zależy, ale czy nie okaże się to zbyt trudne? Czy zdołają ponownie się zaprzyjaźnić? I czy nowe zakończenie będzie ostatecznym Długo i Szczęśliwie, do którego obie dążą? W niezwykłej opowieści Somana Chainaniego, zamykającej jego niesamowitą trylogię, znajdziecie przygody, humor, romans i jeszcze więcej zaskakujących zwrotów akcji niż do tej pory.
528 pages, Paperback
First published July 21, 2015
About the author
Soman Chainani
33 books7,292 followersSoman Chainani’s debut series, THE SCHOOL FOR GOOD AND EVIL, has sold more than 3.5 million copies, been translated into 31 languages across 6 continents, and will be a major motion picture from Netflix in 2022.
Each of the six books in the series — THE SCHOOL FOR GOOD AND EVIL, A WORLD WITHOUT PRINCES, THE LAST EVER AFTER, QUESTS FOR GLORY, A CRYSTAL OF TIME, and ONE TRUE KING — have debuted on the New York Times Bestseller list. Together the books have been on the print and extended lists for 41 weeks.
A graduate of Harvard University and Columbia University’s MFA Film Program, Soman began his career as a screenwriter and director, with his films playing at over 150 film festivals around the world. He has been nominated for the Waterstone Prize for Children’s Literature, been named to the Out100, and also received the $100,000 Shasha Grant and the Sun Valley Writer’s Fellowship, both for debut writers.
Soman’s latest book, BEASTS & BEAUTY, is an instant New York Times Bestseller and will soon be published in 10 languages. It is his seventh New York Times bestseller in a row.
Each of the six books in the series — THE SCHOOL FOR GOOD AND EVIL, A WORLD WITHOUT PRINCES, THE LAST EVER AFTER, QUESTS FOR GLORY, A CRYSTAL OF TIME, and ONE TRUE KING — have debuted on the New York Times Bestseller list. Together the books have been on the print and extended lists for 41 weeks.
A graduate of Harvard University and Columbia University’s MFA Film Program, Soman began his career as a screenwriter and director, with his films playing at over 150 film festivals around the world. He has been nominated for the Waterstone Prize for Children’s Literature, been named to the Out100, and also received the $100,000 Shasha Grant and the Sun Valley Writer’s Fellowship, both for debut writers.
Soman’s latest book, BEASTS & BEAUTY, is an instant New York Times Bestseller and will soon be published in 10 languages. It is his seventh New York Times bestseller in a row.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 3,301 reviews
October 28, 2017
3.5 stars
Zero spoilers for previous books
It's been a while since I did a song review. Anyhoo, put on your cowboy boots, slip on a sparkly dress and let's go back to 2008, when this gem came out.
I took a chance, I took a shot
And you might think you're bulletproof, but you're not
You presented an ending, I took it hard
And down here from the ground I see what you've become
I'm sick and tired of your repetition
I'm feeling like I don't know you
You make Sophie struggle with Good and Evil, like that hasn't been done before
And I need you like a heartbeat
But you know you got a love triangle
Used to be relatable, but now makes me cringe
And here's to you and your padding
Yes, I believe two hundred pages could've been shaved off
And I know that you see what you're doing to me
Tell me why..
You could write a guide on how to ruin an otherwise perfect series
Well, I get so confused and frustrated
Think it should have ended at book one, oh
I'm sick and tired of your reasons
I got no one to believe in
You set the bar so high with book two, then let me down
And I need you like a heartbeat
But that ending was so disappointing
Agatha and Sophie should've both
Here's to you and your sexism
Yes, I'm referring to Guinevere being ordered to stay home by Lancelot
And I know that you see what you're doing to me
Tell me why...
Why... do you have to rehash old problems
So you can have enough material for a third book
Why... do you have to make Sophie seem irrational
So your plot can go the way you want
I'm sick and tired of Hort's vision
I'm feeling like I don't know you
You leave me with Sophie
I'm sick and tired of your 'plot twist'
I can't believe you ruined book one's ending
You set up homosexuality in a middle-grade book, then you tear it down
Here's to you and wasted potential
Yes, I remember the highs of your predecessors
And I know that you see what you're doing to me
Tell me why
Why, tell me why
I take a step back, let you go
I told you you're not bulletproof
Now you know
My review of The School For Good & Evil
My review of A World without Princes
Other song reviews:
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe
Rebel of the Sands
To All the Boys I've Loved Before
The Afterlife of Holly Chase
Pre-review: I'm not saying I'd murder someone to get my hands on this book, but...
Zero spoilers for previous books
It's been a while since I did a song review. Anyhoo, put on your cowboy boots, slip on a sparkly dress and let's go back to 2008, when this gem came out.
I took a chance, I took a shot
And you might think you're bulletproof, but you're not
You presented an ending, I took it hard
And down here from the ground I see what you've become
I'm sick and tired of your repetition
I'm feeling like I don't know you
You make Sophie struggle with Good and Evil, like that hasn't been done before
And I need you like a heartbeat
But you know you got a love triangle
Used to be relatable, but now makes me cringe
And here's to you and your padding
Yes, I believe two hundred pages could've been shaved off
And I know that you see what you're doing to me
Tell me why..
You could write a guide on how to ruin an otherwise perfect series
Well, I get so confused and frustrated
Think it should have ended at book one, oh
I'm sick and tired of your reasons
I got no one to believe in
You set the bar so high with book two, then let me down
And I need you like a heartbeat
But that ending was so disappointing
Agatha and Sophie should've both
Here's to you and your sexism
Yes, I'm referring to Guinevere being ordered to stay home by Lancelot
And I know that you see what you're doing to me
Tell me why...
Why... do you have to rehash old problems
So you can have enough material for a third book
Why... do you have to make Sophie seem irrational
So your plot can go the way you want
I'm sick and tired of Hort's vision
I'm feeling like I don't know you
You leave me with Sophie
I'm sick and tired of your 'plot twist'
I can't believe you ruined book one's ending
You set up homosexuality in a middle-grade book, then you tear it down
Here's to you and wasted potential
Yes, I remember the highs of your predecessors
And I know that you see what you're doing to me
Tell me why
Why, tell me why
I take a step back, let you go
I told you you're not bulletproof
Now you know
My review of The School For Good & Evil
My review of A World without Princes
Other song reviews:
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe
Rebel of the Sands
To All the Boys I've Loved Before
The Afterlife of Holly Chase
Pre-review: I'm not saying I'd murder someone to get my hands on this book, but...
July 21, 2015
HOLY CRAP HOLY CRAP HOLY CRAP HOLY CRAP
THIS BOOK WAS PERFECTION. IT WAS EVERYTHING SOMAN PROMISED IT WILL BE EXCELT FIVE TIMES MORE THAN THAT.
THE CLOSING LINE WAS PERFECT.
Now to the calm portion:
The first two books had this pattern of Sophie and Agatha being placed in a situation of injustice and pointing out said injustice within seconds. This book, however, took it a step further by having EVERYONE who experienced injustice in the course of the series call BS, including Lesso, Dot, Hester, and even Hort (who, in my opinion, had his importance ranking skyrocket, as his role in this book was crucial to the development of all the main characters).
This book talks about everything from fat-shaming (Dot gets a monologue, and it is ON POINT) to the blood feuds that riddled all of the Evil character's stories. And it did it in such a beautiful way, everyone should learn from what this book has to say.
We got to know everyone so much better, and i en ended up taking a liking to a character that I formerly thought had the personality of cardboard.
I could go on, but frankly then I'd just start spoiling the whole book, so I'll leave you all with JUST READ THIS GODDAMN BOOK.
THIS BOOK WAS PERFECTION. IT WAS EVERYTHING SOMAN PROMISED IT WILL BE EXCELT FIVE TIMES MORE THAN THAT.
THE CLOSING LINE WAS PERFECT.
Now to the calm portion:
The first two books had this pattern of Sophie and Agatha being placed in a situation of injustice and pointing out said injustice within seconds. This book, however, took it a step further by having EVERYONE who experienced injustice in the course of the series call BS, including Lesso, Dot, Hester, and even Hort (who, in my opinion, had his importance ranking skyrocket, as his role in this book was crucial to the development of all the main characters).
This book talks about everything from fat-shaming (Dot gets a monologue, and it is ON POINT) to the blood feuds that riddled all of the Evil character's stories. And it did it in such a beautiful way, everyone should learn from what this book has to say.
We got to know everyone so much better, and i en ended up taking a liking to a character that I formerly thought had the personality of cardboard.
I could go on, but frankly then I'd just start spoiling the whole book, so I'll leave you all with JUST READ THIS GODDAMN BOOK.
August 11, 2015
forever pretending the first book in this series was a standalone.
October 3, 2022
Sorry not sorry but this book was insufferable. While not as problematic as the second book, this one is overly long (mostly because the characters never just talk but make grand speeches at EVERY opportunity) and sort of misunderstands what was so good about the characters to begin with. Plus the two men, Tedros and the Schoolmaster (now a walking teenage tantrum) are so irritating its hard to believe Agatha and Sophie are actually into them. Tedros has no redeeming qualities beyond being the heir to Camalot (so I guess once Agatha is queen she can decree him to shut the hell up finally?) and the Schoolmaster is just a walking shitstorm of red flags that Sophie casually ignores because he’s hot. Also Hort is now ripped but a full blown INCEL. Professor Dovey and Lady Lesso still rule, but then there’s the whole ”oh yea by the way I have a surprise son who is a sociopath and now I should probably murder his ass” that is somehow one of the only good parts of the book? And the BIG twist is terrible and the most shocking part of it is that it could be so terrible.
At first the introduction of all the older fairy tale characters seemed cool but they are entirely used only for a “look at how clueless and useless old people are” joke that they beat the dead horse with so many times it becomes super ageist and weird. And the relationships just don’t vibe at all. The Agatha/Tedros one is entirely unconvincing and can’t even pull off the awkward pairing but cute dynamic, and while the Sophie one sort of makes sense with her character it’s a huge bummer she accepts so much abuse after having been such a strong character until now. Her ending is maybe the only thing I actually enjoyed. And maybe some of the kind of creepy parts, there was some good stuff with that.
Well, I read all three of the original arc because it was still fun to read it with my child but even they didn’t like this one. By the time you get to the climax it’s almost impossible to care. Thankfully I read the Netflix adaptation is entirely doing away with anything that comes after the first book so I hold out hope (the first book rules, I still recommend that). This sucked, Tedros is awful, the weird body image stuff is awkward, nothing is charming anymore and it all just falls apart but at least the ending is mostly satisfying. Read the first and then skip to something like The Girl Who Drank the Moon instead.
At first the introduction of all the older fairy tale characters seemed cool but they are entirely used only for a “look at how clueless and useless old people are” joke that they beat the dead horse with so many times it becomes super ageist and weird. And the relationships just don’t vibe at all. The Agatha/Tedros one is entirely unconvincing and can’t even pull off the awkward pairing but cute dynamic, and while the Sophie one sort of makes sense with her character it’s a huge bummer she accepts so much abuse after having been such a strong character until now. Her ending is maybe the only thing I actually enjoyed. And maybe some of the kind of creepy parts, there was some good stuff with that.
Well, I read all three of the original arc because it was still fun to read it with my child but even they didn’t like this one. By the time you get to the climax it’s almost impossible to care. Thankfully I read the Netflix adaptation is entirely doing away with anything that comes after the first book so I hold out hope (the first book rules, I still recommend that). This sucked, Tedros is awful, the weird body image stuff is awkward, nothing is charming anymore and it all just falls apart but at least the ending is mostly satisfying. Read the first and then skip to something like The Girl Who Drank the Moon instead.
October 5, 2015
O my God. I need this right now. Like RIGHT NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
When I saw the date I was like:
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!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
When I saw the date I was like:
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September 7, 2015
Do you ever read a book and have such high hopes, see so much potential...only for it to take you on a ridiculous, nonsensical runaround, completely wasting your time?
Yeah, that's pretty much what you're setting yourself up for if you read this book. The pacing is terrible, the characters motivations don't make any sense and the "big twist" revealed in the final pages of the book has absolutely no bearing on the outcome of the story.
In the first book, we're told that you can find love outside of romance; that friendship is just as valuable. You don't need a prince to be happy, and it's okay to question the traditional idea of a fairy tale.
In the second book, the author apparently changed his mind on this, pitting girls against boys and blaming the feud on the two girls who chose each other over a boy in the previous book. He turned the entire school for girls into man-hating "feminazis" and set the two leads against each other, even though they'd resolved their differences in the first book.
The third book feels like a pathetic attempt at repairing all the damage the second did. Even after finishing the book, I'm not 100% clear on the message he was trying to send. The secondary characters were interesting and watching various characters come to terms with their parents was nice, but none of it was enough to save this insipid book from being an utter waste of time.
Yeah, that's pretty much what you're setting yourself up for if you read this book. The pacing is terrible, the characters motivations don't make any sense and the "big twist" revealed in the final pages of the book has absolutely no bearing on the outcome of the story.
In the first book, we're told that you can find love outside of romance; that friendship is just as valuable. You don't need a prince to be happy, and it's okay to question the traditional idea of a fairy tale.
In the second book, the author apparently changed his mind on this, pitting girls against boys and blaming the feud on the two girls who chose each other over a boy in the previous book. He turned the entire school for girls into man-hating "feminazis" and set the two leads against each other, even though they'd resolved their differences in the first book.
The third book feels like a pathetic attempt at repairing all the damage the second did. Even after finishing the book, I'm not 100% clear on the message he was trying to send. The secondary characters were interesting and watching various characters come to terms with their parents was nice, but none of it was enough to save this insipid book from being an utter waste of time.
September 3, 2015
BEWARE PLOT TWISTS EVERYWHERE!!!!
The Perfect Fairytale Ending.
This is my all time favorite Juvenile series. Mr. Chainani has forever filled my High School girl heart with good and happiness. If a person creates a series that was meant for juveniles and hooks a high schooler to the point of her dying for the book releases, buying his books, crying at his books and even having it as her phone wallpaper.. Well that person deserves a medal.
Once Upon A Time there was a girl named Kylie who fell in love with a book with a gorgeous cover and interesting synopsis.
She started reading this book and fell in love with one of the main characters. A spunky, hilarious tomboy named Agatha. Soon a handsome yet sometimes foolish boy named Tedros entered Agatha's life. Kylie was first skeptical about this new couple, but as time went on she shipped them like she never did before and wanted Agatha to be the next queen of Camelot with Tedros as her king.
Then theres Sophie. Backstabbing, selfish, annoying, girly, AND EVIL, Kylie did not like her AT ALL. She couldn't stand the way Sophie would do anything to get a gorgeous boy who she didn't even love. She never hated a character more than she did Sophie.
The Perfect Fairytale Ending.
This is my all time favorite Juvenile series. Mr. Chainani has forever filled my High School girl heart with good and happiness. If a person creates a series that was meant for juveniles and hooks a high schooler to the point of her dying for the book releases, buying his books, crying at his books and even having it as her phone wallpaper.. Well that person deserves a medal.
Once Upon A Time there was a girl named Kylie who fell in love with a book with a gorgeous cover and interesting synopsis.
She started reading this book and fell in love with one of the main characters. A spunky, hilarious tomboy named Agatha. Soon a handsome yet sometimes foolish boy named Tedros entered Agatha's life. Kylie was first skeptical about this new couple, but as time went on she shipped them like she never did before and wanted Agatha to be the next queen of Camelot with Tedros as her king.
Then theres Sophie. Backstabbing, selfish, annoying, girly, AND EVIL, Kylie did not like her AT ALL. She couldn't stand the way Sophie would do anything to get a gorgeous boy who she didn't even love. She never hated a character more than she did Sophie.
September 20, 2017
2017 Reread: Okay, so maybe the flaws stick out to me a bit too much the second time round! Everyone's speech, including all the secondary characters, are m o n o l o g u e s. I understand why this book is 650 pages long, because everyone speaks in paragraphs, not sentences. Also, the relationship development between Sophie and Agatha doesn't really happen until 500 pages in. The rest is just a repetition of the antics we've seen in the first two books.
I think it would almost be more interesting to read a prequel about the story of Lady Lesso and Clarissa Dovey because they're like the OG Sophie and Agatha.
That being said, I am pumped for Quests for Glory, especially after skimming my way through the Handbook for the clues of what's to come. I guess after two years, though, I'll definitely be changing my rating.
2015: I love this series so much, I'm willing to look past the flaws the final book presented. The development of Agatha and Sophie's relationship is magical, everything about this book is magical in fact. I can't believe I've reached The End of this happily ever after!
I think it would almost be more interesting to read a prequel about the story of Lady Lesso and Clarissa Dovey because they're like the OG Sophie and Agatha.
That being said, I am pumped for Quests for Glory, especially after skimming my way through the Handbook for the clues of what's to come. I guess after two years, though, I'll definitely be changing my rating.
2015: I love this series so much, I'm willing to look past the flaws the final book presented. The development of Agatha and Sophie's relationship is magical, everything about this book is magical in fact. I can't believe I've reached The End of this happily ever after!
August 21, 2022
SGE: 4.75 fairy Golden Stars
1) the School for Good and Evil: ★★★★(★)/5
2) a World without Princes: ★★★★★/5
3) the Last Ever After:
4.75 Golden Stars!
WOW!
what an amazing story!
such a roller-coaster; in every book & especially this one!
I LOVED IT!
this one is my fav in this series!
amazing Plot, full of thrills, & some Nostalgia I've been waiting to see.
all of the books had some similarities about the world but some difference at the same time! we always had 2 groups against each other but in every books, these groups changed. & that was Awesome! & the world spreading beyond the school too, which was surprising!
Agatha was awesome! like always!
I love those series with many lovely characters & this is one of them!
-
World building: ★★★★★/5
Plot: ★★★★★/5
Characters: ★★★★★/5
Written style: ★★★★/5
Idea: ★★★★★/5
1) the School for Good and Evil: ★★★★(★)/5
2) a World without Princes: ★★★★★/5
3) the Last Ever After:
4.75 Golden Stars!
WOW!
what an amazing story!
such a roller-coaster; in every book & especially this one!
I LOVED IT!
this one is my fav in this series!
amazing Plot, full of thrills, & some Nostalgia I've been waiting to see.
all of the books had some similarities about the world but some difference at the same time! we always had 2 groups against each other but in every books, these groups changed. & that was Awesome! & the world spreading beyond the school too, which was surprising!
Agatha was awesome! like always!
I love those series with many lovely characters & this is one of them!
-
World building: ★★★★★/5
Plot: ★★★★★/5
Characters: ★★★★★/5
Written style: ★★★★/5
Idea: ★★★★★/5
March 23, 2017
The best thing about this book (and the series as a whole, in fact) is how often it surprises you. There were many points while reading 'The Last Ever After' that I thought "How on earth are they possibly going to get out of this situation?" or "What on earth is really going on here?" only to find myself, pages or chapters later, wondering, "How on earth did I not work it out?!?!?!". The best twists, I think, are those you didn't work out but, when they are presented to you, they make perfect sense - to the point you feel silly for not working them out sooner. 'The Last Ever After' is full of such twists and I lost count of how many times I shook my head in wonder at Soman Chainani's ability to leave me stunned.
Some great characters are introduced in this book. Whimsical Merlin, with his wonderful hat (I want one!) was probably my favourite new character. Rafal, on the other hand, was probably my least favourite new character (or, well, sort of new, I guess--though also old--haha!), simply because I found him rather annoying, rather than scary like his previous 'old' incarnation. Nonetheless, I did laugh when his insecurities showed, especially when
A character I would have liked to have learnt more about was the Good Brother. . I was interested in his relationship with Rafal. Then again, I don't feel any worse for not knowing.
Some people may find themselves a bit unsure of the messages the book puts across. Some might find the book too conservative, others too progressive. Throughout the book, I was constantly in debate with myself as to whether the messages of the story were positive or negative (from a liberal viewpoint)--certainly, most were positive, in my opinion, (and delightfully progressive at times too!) but I'm still mulling over Agatha's fate and whether I liked it or not. Whatever the case, I like a book that makes me think, and this is certainly one of them. And it IS more progressive than not, especially for a kid's book, which is great to see. Good and evil, male and female, old and young--all these concepts are challenged in this seriously cool book.
Sophie's ending was especially well done, and I really loved her relationship with Lady Lesso, who is now one my favourite characters. Sophie has always been a great character, so cruel yet so lovable at the same time. Even though on many an occasion I found myself screaming at her for acting idiotically, I understood why she behaved the way she did. Now I come to think of it, the ring, in a way, represented the vicious cycle she was caught in This was a nice touch, and I reckon Sophie will inspire kids who feel like they are trapped in a way of life from which they cannot escape to believe in themselves and break free.
There is probably more I could say, but this is already fairly long and it's nearly 1am. In conclusion, I gave this book five-stars because any kid's book that can keep a nineteen-year-old student gripped to the point they only force themselves to put it down when they realise it's four in the morning--picking it up again as soon as they wake up, of course--is a winner.
OH!
And one last thing.
The last line is beyond fabulous. It captures the character of who says it so well--and it also captures the ultimate message of the story: Be yourself, love yourself, have faith in yourself. Maybe the end of your tale doesn't involve running off into the sunset with a prince, but that doesn't make it any less of a happily ever after.
...THE END
17/05/2016 EDIT
Changing this to four stars after much thought. Still love the twists, the humour etc but at the same time I feel the book could have been a wee bit shorter. Also, I do wish the possibility of an LGBT+ relationship had been explored further - it's so rare in middle grade. I'll end on a positive note though: the more I think about it, the gladder I am Sophie didn't end up with Hort, as much as I liked him as a character. A guy doesn't deserve a girl just because he is nice to her, and it seemed obvious to me Sophie didn't like him as much as he liked her. Soman Chainani handled that very well, I think :)
Some great characters are introduced in this book. Whimsical Merlin, with his wonderful hat (I want one!) was probably my favourite new character. Rafal, on the other hand, was probably my least favourite new character (or, well, sort of new, I guess--though also old--haha!), simply because I found him rather annoying, rather than scary like his previous 'old' incarnation. Nonetheless, I did laugh when his insecurities showed, especially when
A character I would have liked to have learnt more about was the Good Brother. . I was interested in his relationship with Rafal. Then again, I don't feel any worse for not knowing.
Some people may find themselves a bit unsure of the messages the book puts across. Some might find the book too conservative, others too progressive. Throughout the book, I was constantly in debate with myself as to whether the messages of the story were positive or negative (from a liberal viewpoint)--certainly, most were positive, in my opinion, (and delightfully progressive at times too!) but I'm still mulling over Agatha's fate and whether I liked it or not. Whatever the case, I like a book that makes me think, and this is certainly one of them. And it IS more progressive than not, especially for a kid's book, which is great to see. Good and evil, male and female, old and young--all these concepts are challenged in this seriously cool book.
Sophie's ending was especially well done, and I really loved her relationship with Lady Lesso, who is now one my favourite characters. Sophie has always been a great character, so cruel yet so lovable at the same time. Even though on many an occasion I found myself screaming at her for acting idiotically, I understood why she behaved the way she did. Now I come to think of it, the ring, in a way, represented the vicious cycle she was caught in This was a nice touch, and I reckon Sophie will inspire kids who feel like they are trapped in a way of life from which they cannot escape to believe in themselves and break free.
There is probably more I could say, but this is already fairly long and it's nearly 1am. In conclusion, I gave this book five-stars because any kid's book that can keep a nineteen-year-old student gripped to the point they only force themselves to put it down when they realise it's four in the morning--picking it up again as soon as they wake up, of course--is a winner.
OH!
And one last thing.
The last line is beyond fabulous. It captures the character of who says it so well--and it also captures the ultimate message of the story: Be yourself, love yourself, have faith in yourself. Maybe the end of your tale doesn't involve running off into the sunset with a prince, but that doesn't make it any less of a happily ever after.
...THE END
17/05/2016 EDIT
Changing this to four stars after much thought. Still love the twists, the humour etc but at the same time I feel the book could have been a wee bit shorter. Also, I do wish the possibility of an LGBT+ relationship had been explored further - it's so rare in middle grade. I'll end on a positive note though: the more I think about it, the gladder I am Sophie didn't end up with Hort, as much as I liked him as a character. A guy doesn't deserve a girl just because he is nice to her, and it seemed obvious to me Sophie didn't like him as much as he liked her. Soman Chainani handled that very well, I think :)
November 5, 2022
I don't want to talk about this shit. I'm done with this fucking series.
The one star is only for Hort and Rafal.
The one star is only for Hort and Rafal.
June 17, 2014
There's a cliffhanger ending at the end of book 2.
In other words:
I CANNOT WAIT FOR THIS BOOK TO BE PUBLISHED!!!!!!!
In other words:
I CANNOT WAIT FOR THIS BOOK TO BE PUBLISHED!!!!!!!
December 19, 2015
I have been in a reading slump for two and a half weeks! That's crazy, I can't believe I haven't read in so long. Nowadays, I have so many things to catch up on but there is NO TIME! Before I get too into my ranting, I want to talk to you about something. It's something that I have been thinking about for awhile.
There are so many books and movies that have Good vs Evil. And if you think about it, MOST people, not all, support Good. While others support Evil, but in the end, Good always wins. But, have you ever thought about a world without Good? A world full of Evil, murders and crimes? Scary right? If there is no Good to stop the terrible acts, are the Evil really Evil? If there was a planet that had all Evil people and there were no Good people, were they considered to be Evil? Or is it normal to be Evil in that planet.
I know what you must be thinking, over the past two and a half weeks, I went bonkers. And now I am back with a crazy brain thinking about weird scenarios and questions. I have always wondered what it would be like if there was no such thing as Good. If the world was Evil, what would happen? Wouldn't it be normal to be Evil in a world of Evil?
Anyway, I really want to talk about this in more depth, and I could go on all day, so I am going onto the review. :)
“Of all the tales in all the kingdoms in all the Woods, you had to walk into mine.”
The School for Good and Evil is a trilogy and this is the final installment to the series. Every year, two kids are chosen/kidnapped from Gavaldon to a place. This year, Sophie and Agatha are chosen and are led to a school which has two different parts, the School for Evil and the School for Good. Sophie, the blond pretty girl strongly feels that she will be put in the School for Good while Agatha, the girl who is ignored with short, black hair feels that she might be put into the School for Evil. But instead of these things happening, the two girls are put unexpectedly in different schools. Sophie is in the School for Evil and Agatha is in the School for Good. The two girls go on a wild adventure in order to find out who they really are.
“But sometimes to keep Evil from getting in, you have to let Good out.”
After reading this book, it answered most of my weird questions that I asked at the beginning of this review. It showed me how a world would be like if it were Evil. I loved seeing the different details that made a difference to the world. It was interesting to see the different fairy tale villains, I loved it so much. Reading this book was so much fun and I am so sad that the series is finished.
“Dear girl, it will be a very long road if you spend more time looking backwards than forward.”
Another part of this book was the confusion between Agatha and Sophie and which one of them was going to be left out. Which girl did Tedros want to be with? Who was going to be left out, the third wheel? And it was really painful to see both of these characters suffering because they felt so alone. I felt like I could relate to these characters in this situations because I always feel alone. Maybe not in the same way as them, but the feelings that they went through were things I went through or currently go through. I hate that feeling and I kept thinking about how these characters should just forget everything and move on.
I loved all of the characters except for Rafal, of course. Tedros is super nice, although him and Agatha argue a lot. Agatha is a character that I most relate to and I understood her feelings of confusion for her future. Although Sophie was a bit annoying, I still loved her. Hort was hilarious and I couldn't stop laughing at him. I don't know why but Merlin reminds me of Dumbledore. There are just so many characters, it is hard to name all of them. But Rafal was so annoying and I just wanted to finish him off right away. He's so old, like he's older than my grandparents and yet he is flirting with teenagers. UGH!
“This was about two sides warring for love."
Although the ending was sad, I loved it because everything ended perfectly. All of the conflicts were solved and we got to see a bit of everything. I wished I could read more, because there could have been a little bit more with Tedro, Agatha and Sophie and how they are in present day. But I loved the ending and it was such a solid conclusion. Soman Chainani did an awesome job on finishing this trilogy and I am so happy to have come across it.
“To find a happy ending with someone else, first you have to find it alone.”
There are so many books and movies that have Good vs Evil. And if you think about it, MOST people, not all, support Good. While others support Evil, but in the end, Good always wins. But, have you ever thought about a world without Good? A world full of Evil, murders and crimes? Scary right? If there is no Good to stop the terrible acts, are the Evil really Evil? If there was a planet that had all Evil people and there were no Good people, were they considered to be Evil? Or is it normal to be Evil in that planet.
I know what you must be thinking, over the past two and a half weeks, I went bonkers. And now I am back with a crazy brain thinking about weird scenarios and questions. I have always wondered what it would be like if there was no such thing as Good. If the world was Evil, what would happen? Wouldn't it be normal to be Evil in a world of Evil?
Anyway, I really want to talk about this in more depth, and I could go on all day, so I am going onto the review. :)
“Of all the tales in all the kingdoms in all the Woods, you had to walk into mine.”
The School for Good and Evil is a trilogy and this is the final installment to the series. Every year, two kids are chosen/kidnapped from Gavaldon to a place. This year, Sophie and Agatha are chosen and are led to a school which has two different parts, the School for Evil and the School for Good. Sophie, the blond pretty girl strongly feels that she will be put in the School for Good while Agatha, the girl who is ignored with short, black hair feels that she might be put into the School for Evil. But instead of these things happening, the two girls are put unexpectedly in different schools. Sophie is in the School for Evil and Agatha is in the School for Good. The two girls go on a wild adventure in order to find out who they really are.
“But sometimes to keep Evil from getting in, you have to let Good out.”
After reading this book, it answered most of my weird questions that I asked at the beginning of this review. It showed me how a world would be like if it were Evil. I loved seeing the different details that made a difference to the world. It was interesting to see the different fairy tale villains, I loved it so much. Reading this book was so much fun and I am so sad that the series is finished.
“Dear girl, it will be a very long road if you spend more time looking backwards than forward.”
Another part of this book was the confusion between Agatha and Sophie and which one of them was going to be left out. Which girl did Tedros want to be with? Who was going to be left out, the third wheel? And it was really painful to see both of these characters suffering because they felt so alone. I felt like I could relate to these characters in this situations because I always feel alone. Maybe not in the same way as them, but the feelings that they went through were things I went through or currently go through. I hate that feeling and I kept thinking about how these characters should just forget everything and move on.
I loved all of the characters except for Rafal, of course. Tedros is super nice, although him and Agatha argue a lot. Agatha is a character that I most relate to and I understood her feelings of confusion for her future. Although Sophie was a bit annoying, I still loved her. Hort was hilarious and I couldn't stop laughing at him. I don't know why but Merlin reminds me of Dumbledore. There are just so many characters, it is hard to name all of them. But Rafal was so annoying and I just wanted to finish him off right away. He's so old, like he's older than my grandparents and yet he is flirting with teenagers. UGH!
“This was about two sides warring for love."
Although the ending was sad, I loved it because everything ended perfectly. All of the conflicts were solved and we got to see a bit of everything. I wished I could read more, because there could have been a little bit more with Tedro, Agatha and Sophie and how they are in present day. But I loved the ending and it was such a solid conclusion. Soman Chainani did an awesome job on finishing this trilogy and I am so happy to have come across it.
“To find a happy ending with someone else, first you have to find it alone.”
February 9, 2017
Pretty good finale, loved the ending - but could have easily been told in about 200 pages less.
March 29, 2021
this series is the representation of my childhood
January 26, 2016
This would have gotten a higher rating if it hadn't been so bloody long. And angsty! -_-
Full review to come.
Let me tell you that this book starts in an amazing way: Have you ever wondered what happens after a supposedly "happy ever after"?
Well look no further, this story's beginning definitely focus on that part of Agatha and Tedros story.
Is it all flowers and fluffy kittens?
Well... no.
After all Agatha does live in a cemetery and her cat
So once again the author picks up in a bunch of stereotypes and gives them a swift kick in the head.
It's great! ;)
By now you're probably wondering if I found this part so great, why did I gave it only a three star rating...
Well,... THE STORY IS BLOODY LONG!
And it gets being long, by constantly undermining all that is happening. It got frustrating. It got tiresome.
By the middle of the thing I was ranting with the book: there was a couple of dozens of pages... strike that, make that two/ three hundred pages that should have been cut!
Longer isn't better, when you start getting annoyed by the constant back and forward sentimental activity
The introduction of the "old" fairy tale characters was a good point: the interaction between our new heroes and the others provided some comic realief... exception made to the moments that were heartbreaking.
I liked that once again the author made sure to spread a lot of positive messages throughout the whole story:
_ No to body shaming.
_Yes to friendship.
The biggest problem for me and the reason why this gets only a three star, is that despite all the positive messages that this has, I cannot help ignore, that the main subject of the book, the relationship between Agatha, Sophie and Tedros ended up being a big mess. Especially when it comes to Sophie's part. After all that she had been through, I was expecting more from her: More growth, less idiocy.
What she does to her "friends" is not something a friend would do. And if that could be explained by where she ends up by the end of the story, I was never fully convinced of what ends up happening.
As for other positives, there was this twist, that I never saw coming, and that I loved.
Really well done, that.
Author's Official Site
August 10, 2015
Ohhh so many things I want to say about this book, but I can't even find the right words to it!
What a big mess! Sorry but, all the three books has the same end: no matter what, Sophie is evil and never will get what she wants.
Which I think is really bad because, as Sophie try so hard to be good, which makes her be even more evil, it's like seeing evil winning, in the end!
So, what good message does this book brings?! None!
It's full of violence and no true love at all! A son killing his own mother (Alric and Lady Lesso), a father trying to kill her own daughter (Stephan and Agatha)... how "nice", huh? But it's ok, since we have the excuse that are the Good and Evil sides, here!
I just read this book, because of curiosity to know how would end it. And I was hoping that, atleast, it was going to have a true happy ending but, like I said, everything just repeated as happened in the previews books.
The writer reaaally didn't make it works! C'mon! The two girls, best friends, had their kiss in the end of the first book and now, to worse, they are sisters?!
I love retellings, but the writer ruined with everything, here! Cinderella wanting just their stepsisters' love.. ok, I can accept that, but being killed by axe by his stepmother... WOW! That's really too much!
Which also reminds me how this book is a "good" reading to children!
Honestly... what a hideous book!
What a big mess! Sorry but, all the three books has the same end: no matter what, Sophie is evil and never will get what she wants.
Which I think is really bad because, as Sophie try so hard to be good, which makes her be even more evil, it's like seeing evil winning, in the end!
So, what good message does this book brings?! None!
It's full of violence and no true love at all! A son killing his own mother (Alric and Lady Lesso), a father trying to kill her own daughter (Stephan and Agatha)... how "nice", huh? But it's ok, since we have the excuse that are the Good and Evil sides, here!
I just read this book, because of curiosity to know how would end it. And I was hoping that, atleast, it was going to have a true happy ending but, like I said, everything just repeated as happened in the previews books.
The writer reaaally didn't make it works! C'mon! The two girls, best friends, had their kiss in the end of the first book and now, to worse, they are sisters?!
I love retellings, but the writer ruined with everything, here! Cinderella wanting just their stepsisters' love.. ok, I can accept that, but being killed by axe by his stepmother... WOW! That's really too much!
Which also reminds me how this book is a "good" reading to children!
Honestly... what a hideous book!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 26, 2017
That was a little above 3.5 stars which I’ll graciously round up to 4 because I’m a good person and also because the book was extremely easy to read, the silliness and hilarity helping despite being comparatively less amusing.
I won’t be using phrases like “fitting finale” or “spectacular conclusion” to describe this last book in the trilogy owing to the fact that it was not. It wasn’t bad by any means. Fitting, perhaps, but certainly not spectacular and herein lies my disappointment. It was just plain odd.
A major thing that contributed to me being significantly less satisfied, charmed and more ‘meh’-ed was the back and forth in this series, particularly in the last one. There was just SO much repetition when it came to the question of characters’ personalities and their allegiances. The first one and maybe even the second one gave more than enough ground to cover that but to my EXTREME annoyance, it continued throughout this one too.
All it did, to me at least, was to make the protagonists, especially Sophie, murkier and more confusing than they were before. I couldn’t quite grasp what her actual deal was, though not for lack of trying. One second she’s Good, next she’s Evil, one second she’s complex and conflicted with a lot of grey areas, the next she’s just simply awful. I said it before and I’ll say it again, MAKE UP YOUR DAMN MIND. If it isn’t about who we are but what we do then why did Sophie despite trying her level best to be Good, kept doing bad things because she was Evil from the inside. Dude, that is the EXACT opposite of your actions making the difference, it’s who you are from the inside DICTATING your actions.
SO. MUCH. BACK. AND. FORTH:
Agatha and Tedros. Tedros and Sophie. Sophie and Agatha. Agatha and Tedros. Tedros and Sophie. Sophie and Agatha. My brain, my brain, MY TINY BRAIN. Ugh. It hurts.
The book was darker than the previous ones but even though it tried to be more mature (through teenage angst, no less), the juvenile ‘air’ still lingered. All three of our heroes are 16 now but try as I might, I could not take them seriously. The irony here is amazing. I read the School for Good and Evil thinking that they were sixteen when in fact they were thirteen or fourteen. Here, they were actually sixteen but I kept seeing them as thirteen or fourteen.
The most mysterious and intriguing thing was Sophie and Agatha’s parents’ past and that kept me excited to know more. That and why the school master was interested in Gavaldon. These revelations made sense but I wasn’t completely blown away, ya know?
I also noticed two things that kept happening throughout the book:
a) Tedros and other guys are mostly shirtless in every scene.
b) Tedros and some other people (Agatha and Sophie) sweat up a storm like they have faulty skin that leaks too much.
But mainly, Tedros did both of these things and he did them again and again and again. Oh, look at Tedros and his perfectly ripped, tan stomach. Oh look, Tedros is sweating, his rumpled shirt is drenched in sweat, showing off that smooth, jacked up body… I have a question: WHY?
Hester and Anadil came a long way, from being despicable villains to adorable witches. Hort and Dot went through some staggering transformations during the three books but both remained the loveable fools we knew them to be. Which is why I was beyond dismayed by how Hort was treated overall. He may have acted like a sycophant before (and with good reason) but he more than proved himself here and still that wasn’t enough. Poor baby.
These books try to add to the concept of happily ever after and transform it to include more than just a girl meeting a boy. It’s a nice message, that girls don’t always or necessarily need boys to be happy. They can manage that well enough on their own if they want to. And that realizing your worth and being true to who you are is more important. But… it gets lost in the befuddlement of it all!
Here’s Agatha and Sophie’s entire journey as I saw it:
So there you go. I hope that clears up why I was so frustrated the entire time.
Sophie and Agatha’s “relationship” throughout the book had me like:
And Sophie being Good or Evil:
Sophie and Agatha’s track is a fine example of writers not planning the end game and making it up as they go. I was way past the point of caring about them being together and that too a long time ago (because I shipped Tedros and Agatha) but I didn’t expect to be given something that would completely trump whatever came before it. Like, are we seriously expected to believe that?
Also, let me take a paragraph to express how utterly PISSED I was that Tedros and Sophie had started considering each other best friends? ARE. YOU. NUTS? They spent legit 3 days and 3 nights together half of which were spent as enemies. The other half consisted of trying to stay alive and like, 15 minutes sitting on a balcony together and saying deep things. 15 minutes. 15 MINUTES. And might I add, the second Tedros found out that Finn was actually Sophie, he immediately FLIPPED OUT and rejected her. BEST FRIENDS, MY FOOT.
Oh, sweet Catharsis. I feel so much better now.
I’ll say it again if anyone’s having trouble deciding whether this is a positive or a negative review: It’s a bit of both. The rating stars and review BOTH reflect how I feel, not just the stars. I enjoyed reading the Last Ever After but I had my problems with it and what better way to share those problems than write them up as long and vehemently as possible in your review? My review, my fingers, my rules.
September 13, 2020
Re-read(9-12-20)
This book was good. It really tied everything together so nicely and gave a very satisfying ending. My problems with this book were mostly that so much was happening that is could have been spread out into two books and given us more fleshed out scenes and details. And if not, shortening the book would have been acceptable, because this book book felt too long. A litteral brick. The pacing was also kinda wonky, with some parts feeling repetitive and slow, and other parts passing by too quickly when I wanted more. Overall I honestly would have been happy if this book was the finale of the series, but I am excited to re-read the Camelot years and I hope they exceed my expectations or at the very least meets my already existing expectations from my first read.
Also, I don't know how many times I have to say this but I need more Hester, Anadil, and Dot!
This book was good. It really tied everything together so nicely and gave a very satisfying ending. My problems with this book were mostly that so much was happening that is could have been spread out into two books and given us more fleshed out scenes and details. And if not, shortening the book would have been acceptable, because this book book felt too long. A litteral brick. The pacing was also kinda wonky, with some parts feeling repetitive and slow, and other parts passing by too quickly when I wanted more. Overall I honestly would have been happy if this book was the finale of the series, but I am excited to re-read the Camelot years and I hope they exceed my expectations or at the very least meets my already existing expectations from my first read.
Also, I don't know how many times I have to say this but I need more Hester, Anadil, and Dot!
July 14, 2017
I have one question that I think completely summarises my thoughts:
WHY THE FUCK IS THIS THING 650 PAGES LONG?!
Seriously. I could end my review there and I think it would be adequate. But I'm not going to do that because I actually have a lot to say about this book. My list of complaints is quite lengthy so prepare yourselves.
BUT FIRST, some background information. I think the first book in this series was excellent! Its commentary on Good vs Evil, destiny, friendship and happy endings was top notch and would make a great animated movie. The second book was much less good; it was Boys vs Girls and instead of making interesting observations about gender roles it was just super stereotyped and stupid so I didn't enjoy it all that much. I went into the third book not expecting anything great and I was still, somehow, let down by it. So let's get this review going!!
Problem number ONE is the characters! We have three main characters in this book and I only like one of them, Agatha. Agatha is balanced, kind, passionate and caring but also struggles in realistic ways (as any protagonist should). Tedros is honestly ridiculous for most of the story. I'll admit that by the end of the book he had somewhat redeemed himself but for the majority he was a spoiled child with a temper. He was rude to the girl he loved and . He was also quite sexist a lot of the time and just not an attractive character in general.
Then there is Sophie. Where do I even START with Sophie! This book would have been 300 pages shorter if Sophie wasn't such a self-absorbed and impulsive character. And yes, I am well aware that she is meant to be Evil. But her characterisation was incredibly inconsistent and the change in her personality between scenes was often a little crazy. The thing is I really wanted to like Sophie; I really wanted to root for the character who is struggling to find and love herself but she just hopped between a few different personalities for what felt like the convenience of the plot. Things are slowing down? Sophie is good again! Nothing for the characters to talk about? Well, better make Sophie Evil again! And on and on and on like that... It was just infuriating.
Much like Sophie's character development, the plot also went in CIRCLES! For a 650 page book there wasn't a whole lot that happened. A whole bunch of new characters were introduced, both sides train for the upcoming war, the three main characters struggle with their identities aaannnddd that's about it. There's bits and pieces of fighting but a lot of the story is based around whether Sophie is Good or Evil and which side she is going to take in the war. It was interesting at first but there is only so much repetition I can handle. Especially when the outcome of the story is so predictable... I mean, it's a middle-grade story so .
So yeah. I could keep complaining about this. I don't think the writing was great. The side characters weren't all that well-developed and the magic system was as vague as ever. There were also some side characters who seemed WAY more powerful than anyone else. Some POSITIVES to end the review though:
- This final book does manage to have a darker tone and I really admire the author for doing that! There were some moments that completely took me by surprise.
- I think Agatha is an excellent character and she is what kept me reading! She is really well-developed and so lovable.
- The concept and creativity of this series! I may not have loved this book but there are a lot of cool bits and pieces in there.
WHY THE FUCK IS THIS THING 650 PAGES LONG?!
Seriously. I could end my review there and I think it would be adequate. But I'm not going to do that because I actually have a lot to say about this book. My list of complaints is quite lengthy so prepare yourselves.
BUT FIRST, some background information. I think the first book in this series was excellent! Its commentary on Good vs Evil, destiny, friendship and happy endings was top notch and would make a great animated movie. The second book was much less good; it was Boys vs Girls and instead of making interesting observations about gender roles it was just super stereotyped and stupid so I didn't enjoy it all that much. I went into the third book not expecting anything great and I was still, somehow, let down by it. So let's get this review going!!
Problem number ONE is the characters! We have three main characters in this book and I only like one of them, Agatha. Agatha is balanced, kind, passionate and caring but also struggles in realistic ways (as any protagonist should). Tedros is honestly ridiculous for most of the story. I'll admit that by the end of the book he had somewhat redeemed himself but for the majority he was a spoiled child with a temper. He was rude to the girl he loved and . He was also quite sexist a lot of the time and just not an attractive character in general.
Then there is Sophie. Where do I even START with Sophie! This book would have been 300 pages shorter if Sophie wasn't such a self-absorbed and impulsive character. And yes, I am well aware that she is meant to be Evil. But her characterisation was incredibly inconsistent and the change in her personality between scenes was often a little crazy. The thing is I really wanted to like Sophie; I really wanted to root for the character who is struggling to find and love herself but she just hopped between a few different personalities for what felt like the convenience of the plot. Things are slowing down? Sophie is good again! Nothing for the characters to talk about? Well, better make Sophie Evil again! And on and on and on like that... It was just infuriating.
Much like Sophie's character development, the plot also went in CIRCLES! For a 650 page book there wasn't a whole lot that happened. A whole bunch of new characters were introduced, both sides train for the upcoming war, the three main characters struggle with their identities aaannnddd that's about it. There's bits and pieces of fighting but a lot of the story is based around whether Sophie is Good or Evil and which side she is going to take in the war. It was interesting at first but there is only so much repetition I can handle. Especially when the outcome of the story is so predictable... I mean, it's a middle-grade story so .
So yeah. I could keep complaining about this. I don't think the writing was great. The side characters weren't all that well-developed and the magic system was as vague as ever. There were also some side characters who seemed WAY more powerful than anyone else. Some POSITIVES to end the review though:
- This final book does manage to have a darker tone and I really admire the author for doing that! There were some moments that completely took me by surprise.
- I think Agatha is an excellent character and she is what kept me reading! She is really well-developed and so lovable.
- The concept and creativity of this series! I may not have loved this book but there are a lot of cool bits and pieces in there.
October 4, 2022
I genuinely don't know what to think. I may write a longer review one day, but I don't have the energy for that right now.
I don't like this book. But I don't hate it. It has a lot of potential and all that potential is just thrown away.
I don't like this book. But I don't hate it. It has a lot of potential and all that potential is just thrown away.
December 30, 2021
The Last Ever After Review
Book Rating: 5 stars out 5.
Storyline: 5 stars out of 5. The last book in the School for Good and Evil trilogy. (I know there is a fourth one coming out! That starts a new chapter in the series! I'm excited for it!) It was a long journey. Sophie decided to be with the young school Master. Agatha and Tedros were in Gavaldon. The village tried to kill them. They went through Sophie's mother's grave to get back to the woods. They were met by Red Riding Hoods wolf and Jack's giant. Princess Uma rescued them. She was bringing them to the league of good heroes. They met Cinderella, Peter Pan, Hansel and Gretel, etc. Agatha had to try to get Sophie to destroy the ring. That would kill the School Master. Sophie questions if she actually loves him. Tedros' name appears on her skin. Sophie runs away with Agatha and Tedros. She tries to convince Tedros to go out with her. He still loved Agatha. His mother, Guinevere, is also found as long as Lancelot. They shelter them from the School Master. Tedros asks Sophie why she wants to be with him. She doesn't tell him that she loves him. Tedros leaves her in the cave. She ends of going back to the school master. The league trains with the new heroes for the Good and Evil war. Sophie and Agatha find out through Professor Sader that they are sister's. That Vanessa was evil because she wished to be with Sophie's father when he was in love with Honora the whole time. Her mother gave birth to Sophie and Agatha. Agatha being the ugly one and Sophie being the beautiful one. Good and Evil go to war. Sophie decides to finally destroy the ring. The ending was interesting. There was a whole bunch of events. I loved this whole story. I can't wait to read the 4th one. I want it released right now! (It's released, but still haven't purchased it. I really should do that.)
Characters: 5 stars out of 5. I loved Agatha the most out of this series. She was amazing. I loved her attitude. I'm glad that she got her prince in the end. She made so many sacrifices. She had more depth than Sophie. She was the good one. Always will be.
Tedros was arrogant a lot, but he showed that he loved Agatha. He made some sacrifices as well. I didn't like him the first book. He got better in the last book. He was sweet at times. He was hard at times.
Sophie...I wanted her to die. She was the worst character in this whole story. She should have been happy for her friend, but she wasn't. She was a brat that tried to steal her friends love. She thought she was amazing, but she was nothing. She was stupid. I really wished she died at the end.
Favorite Quotes: “Dear girl, it will be a very long road if you spend more time looking backwards than forward.”
“No one can hide from their fate without a price.”
“To find a happy ending with someone else, first you have to find it alone.”
Writing Style: 5 stars out of 5.
Book Rating: 5 stars out 5.
Storyline: 5 stars out of 5. The last book in the School for Good and Evil trilogy. (I know there is a fourth one coming out! That starts a new chapter in the series! I'm excited for it!) It was a long journey. Sophie decided to be with the young school Master. Agatha and Tedros were in Gavaldon. The village tried to kill them. They went through Sophie's mother's grave to get back to the woods. They were met by Red Riding Hoods wolf and Jack's giant. Princess Uma rescued them. She was bringing them to the league of good heroes. They met Cinderella, Peter Pan, Hansel and Gretel, etc. Agatha had to try to get Sophie to destroy the ring. That would kill the School Master. Sophie questions if she actually loves him. Tedros' name appears on her skin. Sophie runs away with Agatha and Tedros. She tries to convince Tedros to go out with her. He still loved Agatha. His mother, Guinevere, is also found as long as Lancelot. They shelter them from the School Master. Tedros asks Sophie why she wants to be with him. She doesn't tell him that she loves him. Tedros leaves her in the cave. She ends of going back to the school master. The league trains with the new heroes for the Good and Evil war. Sophie and Agatha find out through Professor Sader that they are sister's. That Vanessa was evil because she wished to be with Sophie's father when he was in love with Honora the whole time. Her mother gave birth to Sophie and Agatha. Agatha being the ugly one and Sophie being the beautiful one. Good and Evil go to war. Sophie decides to finally destroy the ring. The ending was interesting. There was a whole bunch of events. I loved this whole story. I can't wait to read the 4th one. I want it released right now! (It's released, but still haven't purchased it. I really should do that.)
Characters: 5 stars out of 5. I loved Agatha the most out of this series. She was amazing. I loved her attitude. I'm glad that she got her prince in the end. She made so many sacrifices. She had more depth than Sophie. She was the good one. Always will be.
Tedros was arrogant a lot, but he showed that he loved Agatha. He made some sacrifices as well. I didn't like him the first book. He got better in the last book. He was sweet at times. He was hard at times.
Sophie...I wanted her to die. She was the worst character in this whole story. She should have been happy for her friend, but she wasn't. She was a brat that tried to steal her friends love. She thought she was amazing, but she was nothing. She was stupid. I really wished she died at the end.
Favorite Quotes: “Dear girl, it will be a very long road if you spend more time looking backwards than forward.”
“No one can hide from their fate without a price.”
“To find a happy ending with someone else, first you have to find it alone.”
Writing Style: 5 stars out of 5.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 16, 2020
Reading this book for the fourth time and I'm still as heartbroken as the first time I read it. Ha. This third book is still my favorite of them all. It hurts in all the right places. Although I'm not sure my heart can take more. It's also the book with all the best endings. For so many of them. It is a book filled with hope for the future.
At the same time as they watch their world almost be destroyed for good. There is so much going on this book. All of it exciting and interesting to read about. Agatha is still the most precious of them all, always. And Sophie is still fully complicated. I hated her the most in this one. Yet I still love her too, at times. Mostly.
The writing is still perfect, of course. Though I'm still confused about how time is working in these books, ha. It has not passed as much time as they are all claiming. Yet I don't mind this much at all. Too busy focusing on the amazing story. I shall not share too much about this precious book this time. Just sharing a little about how much I love it. It is the book that brings me the most pain. But it is also the book that makes me the most happy. All the Agatha and Tedros scenes are so good. First so painful and hurtful. Then so hopeful, precious, lovely and romantic. Their romance is the best thing. And the friendship between Agatha and Sophie is so good too. Though I may have wanted Sophie dead for most of the book. Oops. But even so. I loved her as well.
This book is about the war between the old villains and everyone else. It is about Agatha learning to love herself like she should. About her learning to set herself first at times, although she pretty much never do this. Agatha is the most good person in all of these books. And I loved her so very much because of this. She deserves all the love and all the happy endings possible. And I still want Tedros to give her the world. So fingers crossed for that in the next books, haha. I just. Agatha is the very best and I love her so much.
Then there was Sophie. Having chosen the young evil school master as her love. This does not go well. And Sophie changes so much. She gets so evil at times. It's heartbreaking to read about. As all she really wants is to be loved. Not to end up alone. But she chooses all the wrong ways to get her happy ending. She hurts many people. Agatha most of all. I will probably never forgive Sophie for trying to take Tedros away from Agatha. And not even feeling a little bit sorry about it. Hmph. Yeah, I am a little angry with her.
But gosh, how good this book is. We see more of the famous fairy tales. Meet some of the older heroes from those tales and their villains too. This book is so dark at times. I loved it so. It focuses on them all trying to save the fairy tale world from ending. Well, the good people trying to save it anyway. So many secrets are revealed. I loved the story about Sophie's mother. Heartbreaking but good. I loved learning everything in this book. So much is revealed. All of it awesome. How I love all of the side characters too.
I could probably talk about this book forever and ever. But not sharing much more about it. I just love it so very much. I love the relationships between them all. I so love the amazing friendships. I love the schools and the teachers. They are all awesome. Most of all I love reading about Agatha. Sigh. Though I feel like maybe the death of her mother should have been bigger, aka more grief. Still. It was still written so well. And I just love this world to death. I cannot wait to read even more about it. So excited for the next books.
The Last Ever After is still the most perfect book to me. Completely heartbreaking and evil. Fully hopeful and good. This book has it all. It still hurts my heart the most to read through the beginning. Agatha is in so much pain. It is the worst. But still the best too. Sigh. I simply love Agatha too much, haha. I cannot stand seeing her in pain. Hmph. But yes. This book still means everything to me. It is still my favorite of them all. Though I haven't read book five and six yet, so it might change. But I doubt it. This is perfection.
There is so much I love about these books. The gorgeous covers. I mean, come on. They are stunning. I love the illustrations in the beginning of each chapter. So precious. I love this fairy tale world. Adore these amazing characters and how different they are. I love that this is a story about good and evil. And how it's possible to be both at times. I'm so glad I found these books. So glad I'm reading them again now. I know that I will still read them again and again. If you still haven't started, you are missing out on the best story.
And because Sophie knew that deep, deep down, in the pit of her soul, Agatha was Good. And when put to the test, Agatha would sacrifice everything to stay true to that Good. Even if it meant surrendering her battle to win the war. Even if it meant giving up her prince. Even if it meant her prince giving up her.
---
I first read this book from August 9th to August 10th 2015. See my first review here: http://carinabooks.blogspot.no/2015/0...
I read this book for the second time from July 27th to July 30th 2016. See my book recommendation post here: http://carinabooks.blogspot.no/2016/0...
I read this book for the third time from October 3rd to 5th 2017. See my new review here: http://carinabooks.blogspot.no/2017/1...
I read this book for the fourth time from July 12th to 16th 2020. See my new review here: https://carinabooks.blogspot.com/2020...
At the same time as they watch their world almost be destroyed for good. There is so much going on this book. All of it exciting and interesting to read about. Agatha is still the most precious of them all, always. And Sophie is still fully complicated. I hated her the most in this one. Yet I still love her too, at times. Mostly.
The writing is still perfect, of course. Though I'm still confused about how time is working in these books, ha. It has not passed as much time as they are all claiming. Yet I don't mind this much at all. Too busy focusing on the amazing story. I shall not share too much about this precious book this time. Just sharing a little about how much I love it. It is the book that brings me the most pain. But it is also the book that makes me the most happy. All the Agatha and Tedros scenes are so good. First so painful and hurtful. Then so hopeful, precious, lovely and romantic. Their romance is the best thing. And the friendship between Agatha and Sophie is so good too. Though I may have wanted Sophie dead for most of the book. Oops. But even so. I loved her as well.
This book is about the war between the old villains and everyone else. It is about Agatha learning to love herself like she should. About her learning to set herself first at times, although she pretty much never do this. Agatha is the most good person in all of these books. And I loved her so very much because of this. She deserves all the love and all the happy endings possible. And I still want Tedros to give her the world. So fingers crossed for that in the next books, haha. I just. Agatha is the very best and I love her so much.
Then there was Sophie. Having chosen the young evil school master as her love. This does not go well. And Sophie changes so much. She gets so evil at times. It's heartbreaking to read about. As all she really wants is to be loved. Not to end up alone. But she chooses all the wrong ways to get her happy ending. She hurts many people. Agatha most of all. I will probably never forgive Sophie for trying to take Tedros away from Agatha. And not even feeling a little bit sorry about it. Hmph. Yeah, I am a little angry with her.
But gosh, how good this book is. We see more of the famous fairy tales. Meet some of the older heroes from those tales and their villains too. This book is so dark at times. I loved it so. It focuses on them all trying to save the fairy tale world from ending. Well, the good people trying to save it anyway. So many secrets are revealed. I loved the story about Sophie's mother. Heartbreaking but good. I loved learning everything in this book. So much is revealed. All of it awesome. How I love all of the side characters too.
I could probably talk about this book forever and ever. But not sharing much more about it. I just love it so very much. I love the relationships between them all. I so love the amazing friendships. I love the schools and the teachers. They are all awesome. Most of all I love reading about Agatha. Sigh. Though I feel like maybe the death of her mother should have been bigger, aka more grief. Still. It was still written so well. And I just love this world to death. I cannot wait to read even more about it. So excited for the next books.
The Last Ever After is still the most perfect book to me. Completely heartbreaking and evil. Fully hopeful and good. This book has it all. It still hurts my heart the most to read through the beginning. Agatha is in so much pain. It is the worst. But still the best too. Sigh. I simply love Agatha too much, haha. I cannot stand seeing her in pain. Hmph. But yes. This book still means everything to me. It is still my favorite of them all. Though I haven't read book five and six yet, so it might change. But I doubt it. This is perfection.
There is so much I love about these books. The gorgeous covers. I mean, come on. They are stunning. I love the illustrations in the beginning of each chapter. So precious. I love this fairy tale world. Adore these amazing characters and how different they are. I love that this is a story about good and evil. And how it's possible to be both at times. I'm so glad I found these books. So glad I'm reading them again now. I know that I will still read them again and again. If you still haven't started, you are missing out on the best story.
And because Sophie knew that deep, deep down, in the pit of her soul, Agatha was Good. And when put to the test, Agatha would sacrifice everything to stay true to that Good. Even if it meant surrendering her battle to win the war. Even if it meant giving up her prince. Even if it meant her prince giving up her.
---
I first read this book from August 9th to August 10th 2015. See my first review here: http://carinabooks.blogspot.no/2015/0...
I read this book for the second time from July 27th to July 30th 2016. See my book recommendation post here: http://carinabooks.blogspot.no/2016/0...
I read this book for the third time from October 3rd to 5th 2017. See my new review here: http://carinabooks.blogspot.no/2017/1...
I read this book for the fourth time from July 12th to 16th 2020. See my new review here: https://carinabooks.blogspot.com/2020...
August 5, 2015
I'm not sure where to begin with this review...
As a whole, I'd give this series 4-stars, with some deep reservations. (I think this was a series with a high-profile premise, that you don't see too often in the genre, and that's what's carried me through the series, despite the almost rushed feel of the actual books.)
Soman Chanani succeeds wildly on several fronts:
-Both Sophie and Agatha (our heroines) are well-drawn characters that you can immediately empathize with, and understand why they're friends, which is crucial to the success of the series as a whole.
-The premise is intrguing, about 2 girls trying to find their place in the world and with each other, while still trying to find love and live within the "Fairy-Tale World" they become embroiled in. (A large part of the series revolves around pushing [or breaking] the boundaries of fairy-tale tropes.)
- Inclusiveness; this book feels very inclusive of all POV's regarding sexuality (while not a "Sexual/Adult" book [it's more about the IDEAL of "Love" in all it's forms], there are defintely undercurrents that were explored in this book, as in all the best fairy tales. (Look at the tale of Red Riding Hood if you doubt.)
-The Ending: Though it took a long time to get there, I thought the ending was perfect, and a much needed change from fairty-tale tropes. [At the risk of dating myself, it reminded me of the Kelly Taylor's "I choose myself" speech from the original Beverly Hills 90210.] And the final line? The perfect underscore for the series.
The author also fails wildly on several fronts:
- Rushed and disjointed set-pieces. The comparison I liken this to is Harry Potter; via the slow-build-up we get to learn about Hogwarts as Harry does, and meet people as he does. The first few books serve as a great introduction to the series, and set-ups up what's to come. With this trilogy, despite the strong opening chapters in the first book, you are thrown right into the action, and it feels like giant pieces are "missing" to get to the next important set-pience of the story. (In particular, lessons and learning are almost incidental; Sophie and Agatha go from "School Newbies" to "Spell-Throwing witches" almost immediately, to the point where even the Teachers can't effectively challenge them.)
-Less delineated secondary characters. WHille there is a core cast of supporting/tertiary characters that recur througout the series, none of them are defined particualrly well, except by their relation to our heroines. (Though they did at least attempt to give Hort a convinving story-arc.) The Teachers are perhaps the most mis-used of this group, as they are almost completely interchangable, uninteresting, and ultimately irrelevant. [AS shown in Book 2, when ALL THE MALE TEACHERS are able to be put into an induced sleep-state for MOST OF THE BOOK!]
-POV: The narrative switch between Agatha and Sophie (when they're not together) happens at random intervals, and, while it's not hard to follow, it does serve to be a little jarring. I [personally] would have preferred an "Alternating Chapter" method to truly show the differences between the two charcters and schools.
All said, though I enjoyed this trilogy more in theory than in actual execution, I would nonetheless recommend this to fans of fantasy & fairy-tales, as well as those who like their fantasy fiction a bit on the subversive side. (Relations and friendships between same-sex characters in fantasy are not often dealt with in such a straightforward manner, and it was quite a refreshing change.)
As a whole, I'd give this series 4-stars, with some deep reservations. (I think this was a series with a high-profile premise, that you don't see too often in the genre, and that's what's carried me through the series, despite the almost rushed feel of the actual books.)
Soman Chanani succeeds wildly on several fronts:
-Both Sophie and Agatha (our heroines) are well-drawn characters that you can immediately empathize with, and understand why they're friends, which is crucial to the success of the series as a whole.
-The premise is intrguing, about 2 girls trying to find their place in the world and with each other, while still trying to find love and live within the "Fairy-Tale World" they become embroiled in. (A large part of the series revolves around pushing [or breaking] the boundaries of fairy-tale tropes.)
- Inclusiveness; this book feels very inclusive of all POV's regarding sexuality (while not a "Sexual/Adult" book [it's more about the IDEAL of "Love" in all it's forms], there are defintely undercurrents that were explored in this book, as in all the best fairy tales. (Look at the tale of Red Riding Hood if you doubt.)
-The Ending: Though it took a long time to get there, I thought the ending was perfect, and a much needed change from fairty-tale tropes. [At the risk of dating myself, it reminded me of the Kelly Taylor's "I choose myself" speech from the original Beverly Hills 90210.] And the final line? The perfect underscore for the series.
The author also fails wildly on several fronts:
- Rushed and disjointed set-pieces. The comparison I liken this to is Harry Potter; via the slow-build-up we get to learn about Hogwarts as Harry does, and meet people as he does. The first few books serve as a great introduction to the series, and set-ups up what's to come. With this trilogy, despite the strong opening chapters in the first book, you are thrown right into the action, and it feels like giant pieces are "missing" to get to the next important set-pience of the story. (In particular, lessons and learning are almost incidental; Sophie and Agatha go from "School Newbies" to "Spell-Throwing witches" almost immediately, to the point where even the Teachers can't effectively challenge them.)
-Less delineated secondary characters. WHille there is a core cast of supporting/tertiary characters that recur througout the series, none of them are defined particualrly well, except by their relation to our heroines. (Though they did at least attempt to give Hort a convinving story-arc.) The Teachers are perhaps the most mis-used of this group, as they are almost completely interchangable, uninteresting, and ultimately irrelevant. [AS shown in Book 2, when ALL THE MALE TEACHERS are able to be put into an induced sleep-state for MOST OF THE BOOK!]
-POV: The narrative switch between Agatha and Sophie (when they're not together) happens at random intervals, and, while it's not hard to follow, it does serve to be a little jarring. I [personally] would have preferred an "Alternating Chapter" method to truly show the differences between the two charcters and schools.
All said, though I enjoyed this trilogy more in theory than in actual execution, I would nonetheless recommend this to fans of fantasy & fairy-tales, as well as those who like their fantasy fiction a bit on the subversive side. (Relations and friendships between same-sex characters in fantasy are not often dealt with in such a straightforward manner, and it was quite a refreshing change.)
July 31, 2015
The Last Ever After is the final book in the School for Good and Evil it takes place just after the end of the second book with Agatha choosing this time Tedros over Sophie for her happy ever after. Leaving Sophie with the young school master who wants to be her happy ever after even if they are evil. However things aren’t as easy for Agatha and Tedros back in her village with him just a normal boy and they are forced to hide of with the village determined to have their heads. Deciding that neither one will be happy without Sophie since she’s their best friend they must return to the school to get her.
It’s only after returning to the school that they learn the fate of Sophie and what it means for their friends as well as the schools. Now that Evil has truly won they schools are both evil even the former Ever’s are evil doing the bidding of the School Master who is determined to win Sophie’s heart so he can use her for his sinister plans. That’s not all that’s changed he’s raised the villains once dead to change their stories slaying the elderly heroes and hunting Agatha and Tedros. Will they be able to save and fix everything before it’s too late or will this be the end of everything that they have known.
I adore Agatha she’s clearly one of my favorites in the series but that’s because she’s such a good person willing to step aside for her best friend. I admit in the book I did have a few moments of wanting to toss it across the room thanks to Sophie and Tedros but they redeemed themselves in the end. I love our little witch coven who worked hard to save the school as well as their friends. I also really enjoyed the old fairy tales it was so much fun seeing old tinker bell and Peter even the white rabbit.
I’ve been impatiently waiting for this moment the conclusion to one of my favorite series came out. Than the moment it did I just wasn’t ready to say goodbye to my favorite world. It was clear right from the start that The Last Ever After was going to be impossible to put down, and I almost finished the whole book in one day. A truly amazing end to a series that has kept me spellbound right from the beginning. The story is captivating with enchanting characters evil sorcery’s princes and even a few witches. I love the characters I was able to connect with them right from the start after all I have been attached to them since the first book. The Last Ever After is an emotional whirlwind just when you think you have it figured out it surprises you full of twists and turns. I honestly love this series and I know for a fact it will be a re-read in the future because I’m going to miss Agatha and Sophie. I feel the author did an amazing job creating a beautifully written series that captured my heart as well as my imagination. If you are a fan of fairytales this is a must for you. I just wow loved the whole series of The School of Good and Evil but this was the best.
It’s only after returning to the school that they learn the fate of Sophie and what it means for their friends as well as the schools. Now that Evil has truly won they schools are both evil even the former Ever’s are evil doing the bidding of the School Master who is determined to win Sophie’s heart so he can use her for his sinister plans. That’s not all that’s changed he’s raised the villains once dead to change their stories slaying the elderly heroes and hunting Agatha and Tedros. Will they be able to save and fix everything before it’s too late or will this be the end of everything that they have known.
I adore Agatha she’s clearly one of my favorites in the series but that’s because she’s such a good person willing to step aside for her best friend. I admit in the book I did have a few moments of wanting to toss it across the room thanks to Sophie and Tedros but they redeemed themselves in the end. I love our little witch coven who worked hard to save the school as well as their friends. I also really enjoyed the old fairy tales it was so much fun seeing old tinker bell and Peter even the white rabbit.
I’ve been impatiently waiting for this moment the conclusion to one of my favorite series came out. Than the moment it did I just wasn’t ready to say goodbye to my favorite world. It was clear right from the start that The Last Ever After was going to be impossible to put down, and I almost finished the whole book in one day. A truly amazing end to a series that has kept me spellbound right from the beginning. The story is captivating with enchanting characters evil sorcery’s princes and even a few witches. I love the characters I was able to connect with them right from the start after all I have been attached to them since the first book. The Last Ever After is an emotional whirlwind just when you think you have it figured out it surprises you full of twists and turns. I honestly love this series and I know for a fact it will be a re-read in the future because I’m going to miss Agatha and Sophie. I feel the author did an amazing job creating a beautifully written series that captured my heart as well as my imagination. If you are a fan of fairytales this is a must for you. I just wow loved the whole series of The School of Good and Evil but this was the best.
July 29, 2015
WHY DID IT HAVE TO END. WHY. ALL I CAN DO NOW IS READ THE WHOLE TRILOGY OVER AGAIN> NOTHING IS GOING TO CURE MY BOOK HANGOVER.
September 21, 2017
In the latest installment of CHRISTINA MAKES REALLY GREAT LIFE CHOICES, I decided to finish out The School for Good and Evil trilogy (no, I will not continue on to the new series—I hope—please don’t let me). Sure, I didn’t like book one and I hated book two, but I love the narrations and maybe, just maybe the series will end up being as gay as it totally should! Spoiler: this series continues to be frustrating and heteronormative af.
On the plus side, The Last Ever After actually does improve a smidge on the prior books. It’s a wee bit less problematic. Instead of focusing on how important it is for girls to have princes like the first two, Chainani pulls a Frozen in the end. I’m glad Sophie ended up alone, though I could have done without the vision of her marrying the kinda creepy dude (Hort) who has been in love with her for the whole series and in whom she has had no interest. Let her just fly solo for now, it’s fine. Or set up a girlfriend for her. You know.
Chainani also does a better job establishing Agatha and Tedros as an actual couple. They’re still not shippy and I don’t totally get it, but they do eventually start learning to communicate. Tedros opens up about the fact that he likes her because she’s not a perfect princess type and that he really does value her. It doesn’t totally work, but at least Chainani is trying to make it something more than just fated true love.
However, I will forever be frustrated by the fact that the whole thing is about this massive love triangle going all directions between Sophie/Agatha/Tedros and it ends up being the most heteronormative thing ever. Like, in book two, Agatha had to pick between Sophie and Tedros, which is so clearly setting up Sophie/Agatha as a legit ship, but nope they’re siblings turns out. This could have been such a perfect surprise f/f story or OT3 but noooooooo. I’m so angry. Various random gross old heroes pair up in the background too, all m/f obvs, but who cares.
The plot absolutely did not need to be 655 pages/20 hours of audiobook long. There’s so much unnecessary stuff in this book. Like, the School Master is actually kind of pointless because really the only plot is Sophie’s desperate hunt for a prince (specifically STILL gunning for Tedros after hundreds of pages). It’s just weird and awkward and hard to believe. Like the rest of the series, there are some really cool in ideas in there (like the unhappy ending resulting in old tales rebooting) but Chainani doesn’t do anything particularly exciting with them.
This whole series was a waste of my time. Some people need to get writing some lgbt fairy tales ASAP please. I need them. I’m so thirsty for them I suffered through 80 million hours of this bullshit because the set up was SO PERFECT for it but it was never going to happen and yeah it did not happen.
On the plus side, The Last Ever After actually does improve a smidge on the prior books. It’s a wee bit less problematic. Instead of focusing on how important it is for girls to have princes like the first two, Chainani pulls a Frozen in the end. I’m glad Sophie ended up alone, though I could have done without the vision of her marrying the kinda creepy dude (Hort) who has been in love with her for the whole series and in whom she has had no interest. Let her just fly solo for now, it’s fine. Or set up a girlfriend for her. You know.
Chainani also does a better job establishing Agatha and Tedros as an actual couple. They’re still not shippy and I don’t totally get it, but they do eventually start learning to communicate. Tedros opens up about the fact that he likes her because she’s not a perfect princess type and that he really does value her. It doesn’t totally work, but at least Chainani is trying to make it something more than just fated true love.
However, I will forever be frustrated by the fact that the whole thing is about this massive love triangle going all directions between Sophie/Agatha/Tedros and it ends up being the most heteronormative thing ever. Like, in book two, Agatha had to pick between Sophie and Tedros, which is so clearly setting up Sophie/Agatha as a legit ship, but nope they’re siblings turns out. This could have been such a perfect surprise f/f story or OT3 but noooooooo. I’m so angry. Various random gross old heroes pair up in the background too, all m/f obvs, but who cares.
The plot absolutely did not need to be 655 pages/20 hours of audiobook long. There’s so much unnecessary stuff in this book. Like, the School Master is actually kind of pointless because really the only plot is Sophie’s desperate hunt for a prince (specifically STILL gunning for Tedros after hundreds of pages). It’s just weird and awkward and hard to believe. Like the rest of the series, there are some really cool in ideas in there (like the unhappy ending resulting in old tales rebooting) but Chainani doesn’t do anything particularly exciting with them.
This whole series was a waste of my time. Some people need to get writing some lgbt fairy tales ASAP please. I need them. I’m so thirsty for them I suffered through 80 million hours of this bullshit because the set up was SO PERFECT for it but it was never going to happen and yeah it did not happen.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 7, 2015
When I opened this book I was hoping for a story about Agatha and Sophie and how, despite adversity, their friendship overcomes all odds. And for 99% of the book I was glued to the pages, excitedly reading the story. Unfortunately, when I reached the ending, I was sorely disappointed. It was really the story of Agatha and Tedros and how they vanquish evil (Sophie). Honestly, Disney could have come up with a more original ending. I suppose the author had to come up with a traditional ending to insure a movie deal, but as a reader it left me sorely disappointed. My advice is, read book one and forget the other two.
Read
February 1, 2021Spoiler alert ok I think agatha and tedros will try to save the schools and end the war to be back to the schools. The school master and Sophie will rule the school for evil and agatha and tedros will rule school for good
June 20, 2023
Segunda lectura: 07/05/23
Mis opiniones siguen siendo iguales: que manera de terminar la historia (para ese entonces). The Last Ever After es ÉPICO. Hay muy pocos finales de serie que sienta que estén tan bien logrados como este.
Sí, ahorita que lo releí la serie me di cuenta de muchas cosas. Hay ciertos elementos en estos primeros tres libros que, por falta de una mejor palabra, me parecen problemáticos. Pero incluso es notable la evolución del autor en estos tres, y ni se diga del salto del tres al cuatro. Por más que esas cosas me molesten, siento que el crecimiento es notorio.
¿Podría ese libro ser más corto? Sí. ¿Agatha y Tedros se pelearon por cada tontería y mucho del conflicto era angst innecesario juvenil? También. ¿Acaso Sophie no sabe hacer otra cosa más que servir CUNT y ella nunca estuvo equivocada porque literal es perfecta? Correcto también.
Lean estos libros.
Primera lectura: 29/06/17
Around the year in 52 books: 18- A really long book (+600 pages)
MA HEART MA SOUL.
Si tuviera que describir este libro en una sola palabra seria: PERFECTO.
Soman Chainani hizo un trabajo excepcional cerrando cabos y dandole un final a cada personaje de esta serie. Todo lo que ocurrió en este libro fue absolutamente increíble y todo al final tuvo sentido y se hizo un circulo perfecto. Me cuesta mucho trabajo no considerar esta trilogía mi favorita de todos los tiempos.
La historia que The school for good and evil me presentó me dejo maravillado. Desde el primer libro supe que esta historia, estos personajes y absolutamente todo lo que estos libros contienen se iban a quedar conmigo por mucho tiempo, y este tercer libro libro me lo confirmó.
Los últimos tres capitulo de este libro me dejaron boquiabierto. Las revelaciones, el final, los sucesos, todo fue hermosamente escrito y perfectamente desarrollado. El autor logró cautivarme y dejarme con un buen sabor de boca.
Estoy en extrema felicidad porque la historia no se acaba aquí y el autor va a escribir tres libros más con estos personajes *llora*. Estoy muy emocionado de que voy a estar mucho más tiempo con estos personajes y que esta historia que se ha ganado mi corazón aun no llega a su fin.
No puedo evitar decir que esta trilogía se la recomiendo a absolutamente todos y que no se van a arrepentir de darle una oportunidad.
Mis opiniones siguen siendo iguales: que manera de terminar la historia (para ese entonces). The Last Ever After es ÉPICO. Hay muy pocos finales de serie que sienta que estén tan bien logrados como este.
Sí, ahorita que lo releí la serie me di cuenta de muchas cosas. Hay ciertos elementos en estos primeros tres libros que, por falta de una mejor palabra, me parecen problemáticos. Pero incluso es notable la evolución del autor en estos tres, y ni se diga del salto del tres al cuatro. Por más que esas cosas me molesten, siento que el crecimiento es notorio.
¿Podría ese libro ser más corto? Sí. ¿Agatha y Tedros se pelearon por cada tontería y mucho del conflicto era angst innecesario juvenil? También. ¿Acaso Sophie no sabe hacer otra cosa más que servir CUNT y ella nunca estuvo equivocada porque literal es perfecta? Correcto también.
Lean estos libros.
Primera lectura: 29/06/17
Around the year in 52 books: 18- A really long book (+600 pages)
MA HEART MA SOUL.
Si tuviera que describir este libro en una sola palabra seria: PERFECTO.
Soman Chainani hizo un trabajo excepcional cerrando cabos y dandole un final a cada personaje de esta serie. Todo lo que ocurrió en este libro fue absolutamente increíble y todo al final tuvo sentido y se hizo un circulo perfecto. Me cuesta mucho trabajo no considerar esta trilogía mi favorita de todos los tiempos.
La historia que The school for good and evil me presentó me dejo maravillado. Desde el primer libro supe que esta historia, estos personajes y absolutamente todo lo que estos libros contienen se iban a quedar conmigo por mucho tiempo, y este tercer libro libro me lo confirmó.
Los últimos tres capitulo de este libro me dejaron boquiabierto. Las revelaciones, el final, los sucesos, todo fue hermosamente escrito y perfectamente desarrollado. El autor logró cautivarme y dejarme con un buen sabor de boca.
Estoy en extrema felicidad porque la historia no se acaba aquí y el autor va a escribir tres libros más con estos personajes *llora*. Estoy muy emocionado de que voy a estar mucho más tiempo con estos personajes y que esta historia que se ha ganado mi corazón aun no llega a su fin.
No puedo evitar decir que esta trilogía se la recomiendo a absolutamente todos y que no se van a arrepentir de darle una oportunidad.
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