Ever Never Handbook (School for Good and Evil)

by Soman Chainani

[Chelsea]

Initial Thoughts

I heard really good things about this book so my expectations were higher.

My New BFF

I liked Agatha more than Sophie. I found Sophie shallow and annoying which was probably done on purpose. I was annoyed with how Agatha depended on Sophie and was glad when she started breaking away. I liked how much growth we saw in Agatha and was really impressed with how she turned out. I’m looking forward to seeing how much she grows in the next book.

My Crush

I really liked Tedros even though he was a pretty typical male character. He did start evolving farther into the book though which saved him a little. I especially loved how he was absolutely sure he was good and always did the right thing. He is a teenager though so sometimes his emotions got in the way but that made him more realistic than some of the other characters. We didn’t see a whole lot of him in this book but I hope he becomes more prominent during the series.

Writing Style

I loved how we never quite knew what was going on. The character makes you think like their not at the right school but then you have suspicions that they really aren’t. Then the characters do something and you’re so sure they’re in the right schools. It’s all a mess but it was great. I felt like some of the characters weren’t as developed as they should have been but the world building was fantastic.

Closing Thoughts

I think this is a really unique series. I loved that it wasn’t a fairy tale retelling but more of a continuation of the modern day fairy tales. So if you like retellings but you’re getting a little bored then give this series a shot. It is aimed at more of a younger audience but I feel like anyone can enjoy it anyways. The characters are younger but it’s written with a slightly older voice. I’m glad I decided to give this book a shot and I’ll be reading the next one shortly!