What if everything you thought you knew about fairy tales was backwards? What if what you thought was good was really evil? And what you thought was evil was really good? That is the premise of this fantastic story.
The two main characters are Sophie and Agatha, best friends from two different worlds. They both live in a small village outside a giant, foreboding woods that no one can escape. Sophie thinks she is a princess. She dresses in pink and has a ridiculous fashion regiment that includes all sorts of weird things. She knows she doesn't belong in the village, but she tolerates it all until her time comes to be what she knows she is: a princess in a fairy tale.
Her best friend, Agatha, is the complete opposite of Sophie. Where Sophie is light, Agatha is dark. Where Sophie is smiles and fluff, Agatha is frowns and seriousness. Where Sophie dresses in pink, Agatha wears only a unshapely, black shift. But Sophie knows they are destined for great things together.
When they are kidnapped by the School Master (who only comes every 4 years to kidnap a good person and evil person), Sophie knows her time has come. Agatha just wants to go home. She doesn't want to be separated from Sophie, and she doesn't want to be evil. Unfortunately, things don't go as planned.
Sophie is dropped off at the School of Evil where wolves control, ugliness rules, and wickedness thrives. Sophie knows she doesn't belong there and does everything in her power to escape to the School of Good across the way. Everyone in her school also knows she doesn't belong either.
While Sophie is at the School of Evil trying desperately to get to the School of Good to be a princess and find her prince, Agatha is dropped off at the School of Good, where everyone agrees she doesn't belong. Her goal is to get Sophie and get home. So they decide to work together.
Agatha helps Sophie, but Sophie's motives are pure. In the end, it is clear that the girls were dropped at the correct schools. Agatha is pure of heart, proving she is a princess. She even finds a prince who sees her beauty inside. Sophie is selfish and wicked, and with every evil deed, she turns even more ugly until she is a hideous witch. The tables keep turning though until there is a surprise ending. Agatha saves Sophie and they are whisked away back to their village and away from Agatha's handsome prince.
What I thought: I thought this was a wonderful book. It was fun and engaging. It had amazing, complex characters that kept you on your toes. You were anxious to find out what happened to Sophie and Agatha and discover how their stories turned out. I can't wait to read the next book in the series. It's a trilogy!!
This is a great book for upper elementary, middle school, young adult, and anyone who enjoys a good story that has fairy tale aspects to it. It's good for boys and girls.
No comments:
Post a Comment