About This Book
Reach for this book when your child is navigating the complex transition into middle school, especially if they are struggling with the pressure to be 'perfect' or feeling pigeonholed by their peer group. It is an ideal choice for the child who feels like an outsider or who is beginning to realize that people are more than the labels assigned to them. The story follows two best friends, beautiful Sophie and cynical Agatha, who are kidnapped and sent to a magical school where heroes and villains are trained. When they are placed in the 'wrong' schools (Sophie in Evil and Agatha in Good), they must confront their own identities and the true nature of their friendship. While the setting is fantastical, the emotional core deals with the messy reality of jealousy, vanity, and the discovery that kindness and cruelty can exist in the same person. It is a sophisticated subversion of fairy tales that encourages readers to look beneath the surface of appearances and social status.
