Book Bingo: A World Without Princes

A World Without Princes is the second book in The School for Good and Evil series by Soman Chainani. Some of you may remember the first book from my review here. In this sequel, Agatha finds herself unhappy with what is supposed to be her perfect life. Through a series of uncontrollable events, the girls find themselves thrust back into the fairytale world. But everything has changed, and the darkest threats to happiness might be those people and things they trusted the most.

(picture taken from Goodreads)

First Impression: I'm surprised by how Chainani starts this one, but that is partially because I forgot how he detailed the ending of the first book. He also likes to take risks and do unusual things with his characters, which he continues here. Agatha is still my favorite character, although she seems less sure of what she wants this time around. Her inner self is at war. Unlike last time, I have no idea what the future has in store for Sophie or Tedros, and I'm eager to see what will happen. I don't like the new evolution of the storybook world, so I hope the girls (or others) bring it crumbling down or re-instate the old ways.

Conclusion: Agatha's whining and indecisiveness bothered me in this book. She was so sure and pure-of-heart in the first one--her inability to take action in this one was a bit frustrating. Tedros was, as always, bothersome in his lack of self-assurance, but he continued to be loyal to his friends and ideals. Sophie was the most confusing one this time. Is she good; is she evil? Who knows? And Evelyn Sader was Chainani's most brilliant creation yet, although I still can't help but hate her. I think it was the fact that she tampered with the books in the school library! Speaking of which, there's a giant turtle librarian! I loved it. I probably would have ended the storyline of the series with this book (or maybe even the first one). I love Chainani's originality, but I'm curious why you never see books with just one sequel. And it's frustrating being left hanging! I had finality with the first book since I thought it was a stand-alone...albeit a tentative, barely constructed finality. The author's specialties seem to lie with the cliffhangers and the edgy, unique characters. I'm extremely fascinated to see how it will finally end.

Recommendation: This book will only make sense within its series, so I recommend reading it if you liked the first one.

The School for Good and Evil: A World Without Princes is my fourth "New Release" choice for the 2014 Book Bingo Challenge. How are everyone else's challenges going? Don't forget to comment and subscribe for further updates on the challenge! Who knows, maybe I'll get that blackout after all!