A Marvelous Fairy Tale | Review: "A World without Princes" (The School for Good & Evil, #2)

Cynthia Ayala ’16 / Emertainment Monthly Staff Writer

One year ago Sophia and Agatha were swept away to the school for Good and Evil, swept away into their own fairy tale.  After a year of fighting against all odds, fighting the Evil School Master, the girls got their Happily Ever After together, the ending they thought they needed.  But with one wish, Agatha reopened the gates to the school and see the changes their ending caused in the realm beyond their worlds.  Now the girls realize they don’t need princes, realize they can be friends with the witches, putting the fairy tale world on the brink of war.  But there is a darkness in the world that threatens to tear the girls apart and unless they can repair their already fragile friendship and fix their happy ever after.
Marvelous.  Heartbreaking.  Spellbinding.  Those are just three words that describe this novel perfectly.  It’s a novel not only about friendship but also about growing up, about coming of age.
The second book in the School for Good and Evil series by Soman Chainani creates a wonderful coming of age novel wrapped up in the fantastical genre in a fairy tale realm.  Published by Harper Collins on April 15 2014, this novel continues the series in such an unexpected way.
Following Agatha and Sophie, the reader sees just how much they have changed since the last novel, how the school for Good and Evil, now the School for Girls and Boys, changed who they were, revealing their inner selves, the Witch and the Princess.  However, more than that, the unexpected fairy tale ending in the last novel, set up such a wonderful premise for this novel in regards to friendship, loyalty, love and what growing up really means.
Throughout this novel the friendship between the girls is put to the test when Agatha makes a wish that undoes their happily ever after, wishing for the Prince that broke Sophie’s heart and tore apart their friendship in the last novel.  Sophie isn’t as selfish as she once was in the last novel, instead she’s just a scared and frightened girl who wants nothing more than to not be forgotten, to not die alone.  It’s a fear that is relatable to any reader.  Then there is Agatha, who has changed a lot from the last novel, growing up little by little and coming into her princess shoes.  She has this inner strength within her, this drive and dedication that propels her into action.
Nevertheless, while the characterization and each individual inside plot are captivating, the truly captivating moment in the novel with the depth of the friendship.  The love that these girls have for each other and the darkness all around will put the reader on edge tearing the reader apart!  The reader and fans of the series are going to be torn with wanting the girls to stay friends but also by wanting Agatha to be with her prince.  All the reader wants is for everything to end happily ever after, like with any fairy tale.  But the forces of evil are stronger than ever in this novel, stronger, more devious and incredibly manipulative than ever before, building the tension in the novel and the wonderful plot that will makes novel incredibly difficult to put down.  ★★★★★ (A+)