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eliise_talts's review against another edition
2.0
And it continues. The author has improved when it comes to writing a half-decent paragraph, and only somewhat. There is still the abundance of sexism, this time so much I'm not sure I can continue to call it "casual". The entire plot (if you can call this mess of a hole-y Swiss cheese tied together with string cheese a plot) seems to be built up on it, and only once it the whole book does a character acknowledge that calling all girls "manipulative" and "plotting" and comparing boys to "smelly animals" might be slightly backwards.
The friendship of Agatha and Sophie is co-dependent and built on them chasing after each other. And for some reason still fighting over Tedros (or Teddykins, as my friend very sarcastically keeps calling him) who might be the character with worst victim complex ever (at least of those I've encountered) and spent most of his time blaming Agatha and Sophie for his problems and pitying himself, instead of doing something about it. Truly a bore to lug through every paragraph he is in.
But in all fairness, Sophie did improve much compared to her last book self and kept getting in some good one-liners. If I can criticize a book, it's only fair I can give a compliment.
The friendship of Agatha and Sophie is co-dependent and built on them chasing after each other. And for some reason still fighting over Tedros (or Teddykins, as my friend very sarcastically keeps calling him) who might be the character with worst victim complex ever (at least of those I've encountered) and spent most of his time blaming Agatha and Sophie for his problems and pitying himself, instead of doing something about it. Truly a bore to lug through every paragraph he is in.
But in all fairness, Sophie did improve much compared to her last book self and kept getting in some good one-liners. If I can criticize a book, it's only fair I can give a compliment.
yani_b's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
this book feels weaker than the other books (by this i mean books 1 & 3)
agatha’s character was more passive in this one, and i feel like her personality and intellect was clearer on book 1. she was definitely a little watered down in this one. which sucks because i love agatha so much. through out the book i believe the author would’ve followed the “show dont tell” principle more. for example they kept talking about how amazing hester was, and shes great but dont tell us show us. it woulve been better if we saw what was going on in the woods, because it would make their situations feel more real. it kept telling us (the reader) about the terrible things going on in the woods instead of showing it. it made tedros, agatha, and sophie’s decision hold less water or mean less because we didnt see the effects it had on the fairytale world
all that being said i still enjoyed the book though it had a few short comings. i read it during the busiest time of the school year and it gave me an escape. big thanks to the author for creating characters i’ve grown so fond of
agatha’s character was more passive in this one, and i feel like her personality and intellect was clearer on book 1. she was definitely a little watered down in this one. which sucks because i love agatha so much. through out the book i believe the author would’ve followed the “show dont tell” principle more. for example they kept talking about how amazing hester was, and shes great but dont tell us show us. it woulve been better if we saw what was going on in the woods, because it would make their situations feel more real. it kept telling us (the reader) about the terrible things going on in the woods instead of showing it. it made tedros, agatha, and sophie’s decision hold less water or mean less because we didnt see the effects it had on the fairytale world
all that being said i still enjoyed the book though it had a few short comings. i read it during the busiest time of the school year and it gave me an escape. big thanks to the author for creating characters i’ve grown so fond of
madimoss's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
quinnie007's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
bookmar0's review against another edition
3.0
j'allais mettre 2 étoiles parce que le plot était incroyablement ennuyeux (après je suis plus le public visé mais quand même) et les personnages étaient trop chiants avec leur régression de malheur là mais il était bien mieux écrit que le premier tome et les derniers chapitres sont passés vraiment vite même si ça tournait beaucoup en rond et qu'on a l'impression que tout ce que les personnages ont fait dans le tome 1 a servi à rien, bref j'ose espérer que la suite/fin relèvera le niveau
cbswelcomehome's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
book_dragon88's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
karrama's review against another edition
4.0
It's a magical boarding school story that is really dramatic. The emotions jump off the page: every fight, every argument, every wish, and every evil deed. What's inside counts, and it's counted and judged by people and the soul of the school differently. At least it was in the first story. In the second, well, Sophie and Agatha are back home, but they didn't fulfill every wish. The Witch is after Sophie and it's up to Agatha to save the day. Afterall, what kind of princess would you be if you needed a prince to save you?
That said it's not for everyone. I would definitely put it in the 13+ books, but that's my personal preference. While I still think the series misses it's age mark for violence and "appreciation of shirtless princes," I can't say no to a heroine who wants to take down the system.
That said it's not for everyone. I would definitely put it in the 13+ books, but that's my personal preference. While I still think the series misses it's age mark for violence and "appreciation of shirtless princes," I can't say no to a heroine who wants to take down the system.
illusie's review against another edition
2.0
This was just very bad. School for good and evil are gone, but instead it's the girls who rule while the boys turn agressive. Sophie keeps being thrown into the evil corner, even though she tries. I didn't like this book, so won't continue the series
bookph1le's review against another edition
2.0
These books are so frustrating for me. There is just so much stuff going on in them that I feel like I'm suffering from whiplash, swiveling my head from left to right in an attempt to follow the action. I want Chainani to just take a breath and slow down every once in a while.
The frenetic pacing is, in my opinion, to the books' detriment. This is because Chainani is so busy stuffing it full of flashy moments that he does not pay enough attention the the quieter moments. I have never, ever bought into the supposed friendship between Agatha and Sophie, because although the author tells me they're friends for reasons, he never shows me. I can buy that friend-starved Agatha hangs on Sophie at the beginning of the first book, but once the girls get to the school, all bets are off. In both the first book and this one, I can't point to a single thing that feels like a thread of friendship between these two girls. Instead, this is easily one of the most toxic relationships I can think of in books.
I also flat-out can't stand Tedros. As if it's not bad enough that he's hell-bent on killing both Agatha and Sophie in this book, he is the most fickle character ever. He veers from one girl to the other without any real rhyme or reason, and I can't see why either would want him, since he doesn't seem to feel any particular loyalty to either of them. There's also more than a whiff of toxic masculinity about him, with his whole rejection of feelings and his insistence that girls are weak and delicate and boys are strong and brave. I get that he's grown up in a twisted world, but this is what I mean when I say that Chainani doesn't spend enough time on the quiet moments. He's so busy rushing from one plot point to another that character development is sacrificed, particularly when it comes to Tedros.
The other thing that annoys me about both books is that the plot is so contrived, all of it hinging on the fact that these two supposed friends are more or less never honest with one another. I found that especially irksome in this book, because after the events of the first, I would have thought they might have learned a thing or two about communicating with one another rather than lying. But, no, neither of them is clever enough to avoid the same mistakes they made the first time around.
My overall assessment of the series so far is that the story is getting away from the author. Things happen because the plot demands they happen, not because there's any organic sense of things unspooling. There are also elements that really rub me the wrong way, such as the obsession with beauty, which extends out to rampant fat phobia and shaming of boys who don't fit a certain masculine standard. While I do think the author is at times trying to tear down these constructs, the books also tend to contradict themselves. I absolutely hate the way everyone in the series treats Dot, who may well be the kindest, most clear-sighted, and best character in the books.
The frenetic pacing is, in my opinion, to the books' detriment. This is because Chainani is so busy stuffing it full of flashy moments that he does not pay enough attention the the quieter moments. I have never, ever bought into the supposed friendship between Agatha and Sophie, because although the author tells me they're friends for reasons, he never shows me. I can buy that friend-starved Agatha hangs on Sophie at the beginning of the first book, but once the girls get to the school, all bets are off. In both the first book and this one, I can't point to a single thing that feels like a thread of friendship between these two girls. Instead, this is easily one of the most toxic relationships I can think of in books.
I also flat-out can't stand Tedros. As if it's not bad enough that he's hell-bent on killing both Agatha and Sophie in this book, he is the most fickle character ever. He veers from one girl to the other without any real rhyme or reason, and I can't see why either would want him, since he doesn't seem to feel any particular loyalty to either of them. There's also more than a whiff of toxic masculinity about him, with his whole rejection of feelings and his insistence that girls are weak and delicate and boys are strong and brave. I get that he's grown up in a twisted world, but this is what I mean when I say that Chainani doesn't spend enough time on the quiet moments. He's so busy rushing from one plot point to another that character development is sacrificed, particularly when it comes to Tedros.
Spoiler
I mention this as an aside, because I could write an entire essay about this topic alone, but the fact that Agatha forgives him because true lurve, even though he wanted to kill both her and her best friend, is problematic, to put it mildly.The other thing that annoys me about both books is that the plot is so contrived, all of it hinging on the fact that these two supposed friends are more or less never honest with one another. I found that especially irksome in this book, because after the events of the first, I would have thought they might have learned a thing or two about communicating with one another rather than lying. But, no, neither of them is clever enough to avoid the same mistakes they made the first time around.
My overall assessment of the series so far is that the story is getting away from the author. Things happen because the plot demands they happen, not because there's any organic sense of things unspooling. There are also elements that really rub me the wrong way, such as the obsession with beauty, which extends out to rampant fat phobia and shaming of boys who don't fit a certain masculine standard. While I do think the author is at times trying to tear down these constructs, the books also tend to contradict themselves. I absolutely hate the way everyone in the series treats Dot, who may well be the kindest, most clear-sighted, and best character in the books.