Tag Archives: good and evil

The School for Good and Evil by Soman Chainani

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Best friends to enemies, learning to adapt to new environments, and creating characters with unique personalities are concepts Soman Chainani effectively intertwined throughout his series, The School for Good and Evil. Sophie, a perfect young girl, and her best friend Agatha, the gloomy lone wolf, are brought into a world much different than their own. They find their fortunes reversed as they land in schools opposite of their personalities.

This series brings much thrill and excitement. Chainani takes you on an adventure full of twists and turns while creating a plot that is both complex and exhilarating. Personally, I enjoyed the different characters and how they were based off of popular fairytales. The description of each individual develops a unique image of them, and their actions throughout the story make them even more enjoyable to read. I also enjoyed the many details that Chainani included in his writing; it always made his work fun to read and easy to picture in your mind.

I would highly recommend this series to anyone who enjoys plot twists, meaningful themes, and a hint of drama and romance. It’s perfect for those who love fairytales and using their imagination. It’s always been one of my favorite series to read, so I would most definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a new book to read.

-Kaiya T.

The School for Good and Evil is available for checkout from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download from Libby.

Renegades by Marissa Meyer

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Fresh out of futuristically twisted fairy tales embedded with machinery and metals and lights surges a new novel series by bestselling author Marissa Meyer. The debut novel in the series, Renegades, diverges from Meyer’s earlier works like the Lunar Chronicles and Heartless in nature – instead of exploring the illustrious what-ifs of princesses and queens, it encompasses the adventures of superheroes.

Bear with me here – this isn’t your average comic book. Meyer takes a turn from the conventional and places her two protagonists on opposite sides of the good/evil spectrum. Nova, bitter and brimming with vengeance, marks herself as a villain. Adrian, the spawn of righteousness and leader of a pack of do-gooders, is a hero to his core. It is this tension and star-crossed drama that creates an air of edge-on-your-seat, an aura of suspense.

It’s a fun concept to play around with, the syzygy of right and wrong coupled with the punch and action of prodigies and superheroes. There’s a clandestine nature of Nova’s job as a spy that makes it secretive, and a lightness of Adrian’s good that brings sunshine to the novel. Add the fact that every character you meet is eccentric and unique, and you surely have the recipe for a good novel.

Execution, however, is another story. Meyer’s writing lacks a flow and poetry that I love to read, perhaps due to the fight-and-flight air of the storyline, and some of the characters land on the verge of strange. Yet, altogether, Renegades is a fun little read – it doesn’t have too much substance and is full of cute little cliches – and so if you’re looking for a good way to fill in gaps of free time, this is your perfect book.

-Esther H.

Renegades by Marissa Meyer is available for checkout from the Mission Viejo Library. 

The School for Good and Evil by Soman Chainani

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schoolofgoodandevil_somanchainaniIn the school for Good and Evil, there are two friends: Sophie, a vain young woman who believes she is good, and loner Agatha who does not like others. They live in what appears to be a perfectly normal town. Except, two kids always go missing once a year, taken to the School of Good and Evil by the school master.

That night rolls along again, with Agatha and Sophie being taken away. But something seems wrong: Sophie, the “good” girl is taken to the School of Evil. Agatha, the “evil” girl, is sent to the School of Good. The girls go through their classes, trying everything in their power to get switched to their rightful schools until they break into the Headmaster’s office who gives them a task that, if completed, will send them home. For example, what is Sophie’s task? Sophie must do something no evil student has done before: Find love.

Soman Chainani weaves a terrific story of love and fantasy and adventure. With plot twists at every turn you never know what is going to happen next. This book is perfect for one of those lazy days when you feel like picking up a long book. It takes you though many adventures and even has you thinking about your own personality. All in all, this is a very well written book.

-Ava G.

The School for Good and Evil is available for checkout from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download from Overdrive.