Review: A World Without Princes (The School for Good and Evil #2) by Soman Chainani

SUMMARY FROM GOODREADS:

In the epic sequel to the New York Times bestselling novel, The School for Good and Evil, Sophie and Agatha are home, living out their Ever After. But life isn’t quite the fairy tale they expected.
When Agatha secretly wishes she’d chosen a different happy ending, she reopens the gates to the School for Good and Evil. But the world she and Sophie once knew has changed.
Witches and princesses, warlocks and princes are no longer enemies. New bonds are forming; old bonds are being shattered. But underneath this uneasy arrangement, a war is brewing and a dangerous enemy rises. As Agatha and Sophie battle to restore peace, an unexpected threat could destroy everything, and everyone, they love—and this time, it comes from within.
Soman Chainani has created a spectacular world that Newbery Medal-winning author Ann M. Martin calls, “a fairy tale like no other, complete with romance, magic, and humor that will keep you turning pages until the end.”

MY TAKE:
While I didn't enjoy this as much as the first book, it wasn't bad at all.

In A World Without Princes, Agatha wishes to be with Tedros and suddenly she and Sophie are sucked back into the world they thought they had left behind. However, the world is significantly different than when they left it, and finding their new happy ending may be harder than they thought.

Unlike with the first book, there were no significant surprises for me here. There were new mysteries that cropped up, and not all of their answers were revealed, but I already have some predictions for what the answers are. I'm just not sure how they'll fit into the last book in the trilogy.

The whole boys-vs-girls theme was unexpected for me, but I actually liked it. The whole vibe at the girls' school reminded me a little bit of an all-girls' school I attended. The courses and the books seemed like fun, but I wasn't a fan of the manhating going on. It seemed a little extreme to me at times.

Sadly, I had a love-hate relationship with both Agatha and Sophie in this book. Agatha would do something nice, and then she'd show her naivete to the point of ignorance. With Sophie, she'd do something nice and then she'd do something selfish and despicable. Strangely, though, I still want to learn how their story ends.

THE GOOD:

1. There are new mysteries to solve.
2. The secondary characters are interesting.
3. The love triangle isn't your usual one. 

THE BAD:

1. Sophie and Agatha can be exasperating sometimes. 

READ IT IF:

1. You loved the first book.
2. You think princesses shouldn't have to wait for princes to rescue them.
3. You've been torn between a boy and your best friend.

RATING:


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