Reading Reflections: SGE

Entry by: Raven

Such a pretty cover. My hands traced over the art on the smooth, laminated cover of the book. Two girls looked back at me, one in a soft pink dress and blond hair cascading down her shoulders and the other all dressed in black with raven, black hair. I flipped to the first page, excited to read The School For Good And Evil by Soman Chainani. After a few minutes passed, a yawn left my mouth and just like that I put away such an amazing book.

Years later, I found it again, this time I saw a teacher reading it intently. Maybe I should read it again, I wondered, but the thought left my mind like a puff of smoke. Then, it came to me again, this time in the form of book trailers. It felt as if it was begging me to read it, and it was persistent. Finally, I decided to give it another chance.

This time, something just clicked, and soon I found myself finishing each book in the series within days. Each one was around 400-500 pages, but it was so hard to put down. Soon, I reread the books over and over again until I had memorized the events by heart. I feel like the reason I enjoyed it so much is because I could relate to the characters and it was almost effortless to imagine the SGE world.

The author created an incredible fairytale world, but preserved the uncertainties and obstacles of real life. It was refreshing to read a fairytale story that had that realness to it. It made the characters all the more relatable and interesting. For example, the book showed the complexity of the characters' relationships and how external obstacles often affected them.

Also, Agatha, one of the main characters in this story, inspired me so much. She grew significantly over the course of the series, from an insecure teen to a strong leader. Also, she’s well-known to be brave and smart when the characters face obstacles in the story. I strive to be just like her and find the strength to face even the toughest battles in life. (Though her battles are significantly worse as they are filled with bloodthirsty and power hungry villains)

Overall, this series has found a special place in my heart as one of my most treasured books. I loved the lessons in this story, one that especially stood out to me is that even ‘good’ people have dark sides to them just as ‘bad’ people have good sides. **Spoilers** (In the story, Sophie, Agatha's best friend, is overcome with loneliness when Agatha leaves her behind. This leads her down a dark, twisted path with one of the most dangerous villains in the story.)

No matter what, we are all human beings, imperfect, meaning we are capable of both wonders and destruction. Our unique, complex life experiences play a huge part in our choices, but we always have the option to change.

Book Cover:

https://schoolforgoodandevil.com/books/the-school-for-good-and-evil/