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The School for Good and Evil #3.5
The School for Good and Evil: The Ever Never Handbook
Welcome to the School for Good and Evil! The greatest of heroes and villains have come through our classrooms before they ventured into the Endless Woods to find their stories . . . and now you will join their ranks.
Use this handbook as a guide to help you navigate through your years at school. Everything you need is inside: what to bring, what to wear, and most importantly, how to stay out of the Doom Room. Here, you’ll learn about your classes, meet your professors, and get an inside look at our first-year traditions like the Trial by Tale, the Circus of Talents, and the Snow Ball. And should you need advice, you won’t have to look far for role models: our most illustrious alumni are here to help—and from—
Evs and Nevs! Forget this official stuff—I’ll tell you everything you really need to know to survive and all the good stuff the teachers won’t tell you.. Plus, I have the secret scoop on Sophie, Agatha, and Tedros. . . . Meet me inside!—Hester
Experience the School for Good and Evil like never before with this must-have companion to the bestselling series. Glorious illustrations invite you to pore over maps, see characters for the first time, and get an inside look at what it’s like to be a student at the most enchanted school of all.
Use this handbook as a guide to help you navigate through your years at school. Everything you need is inside: what to bring, what to wear, and most importantly, how to stay out of the Doom Room. Here, you’ll learn about your classes, meet your professors, and get an inside look at our first-year traditions like the Trial by Tale, the Circus of Talents, and the Snow Ball. And should you need advice, you won’t have to look far for role models: our most illustrious alumni are here to help—and from—
Evs and Nevs! Forget this official stuff—I’ll tell you everything you really need to know to survive and all the good stuff the teachers won’t tell you.. Plus, I have the secret scoop on Sophie, Agatha, and Tedros. . . . Meet me inside!—Hester
Experience the School for Good and Evil like never before with this must-have companion to the bestselling series. Glorious illustrations invite you to pore over maps, see characters for the first time, and get an inside look at what it’s like to be a student at the most enchanted school of all.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published July 19, 2016
210 people are currently reading
6879 people want to read
About the author
Soman Chainani
40 books7,641 followersSoman Chainani’s debut series, THE SCHOOL FOR GOOD & EVIL, has sold over 4.5 million copies, been translated into 35 languages across six continents, and has been adapted into a major motion picture from Netflix that debuted at #1 in over 80 countries.
His book of retold fairytales, BEASTS & BEAUTY, also debuted on the New York Times Bestseller List and is slated to be a limited television series from Sony 3000.
EverNever World, his decade-long franchise of fairy tales and fantasy, continues to expand. Together, these books have been on the New York Times Bestseller List for 50 weeks.
In 2026, Soman unveils a brand new universe with YOUNG WORLD, a global political thriller.
In his career, Soman has visited more than 800 schools around the world, where he continues to share his secret with students of all ages: that reading is the path to a better life.
His book of retold fairytales, BEASTS & BEAUTY, also debuted on the New York Times Bestseller List and is slated to be a limited television series from Sony 3000.
EverNever World, his decade-long franchise of fairy tales and fantasy, continues to expand. Together, these books have been on the New York Times Bestseller List for 50 weeks.
In 2026, Soman unveils a brand new universe with YOUNG WORLD, a global political thriller.
In his career, Soman has visited more than 800 schools around the world, where he continues to share his secret with students of all ages: that reading is the path to a better life.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 292 reviews
July 13, 2016
**THIS IS ELLIE’S SPOILER-FILLED RAMBLE SO**
**BEWARE**
**THERE ARE TONS OF SPOILERS AHEAD**
**READ AT YOUR OWN RISK**
**NO, BUT SERIOUSLY**
**DON’T GO ON IF YOU HAVEN’T READ THE HANDBOOK**
**THIS IS YOUR LAST CHANCE TO TURN BACK**
**I’M NOT KIDDING**
**OKAY, DON’T SAY I DIDN’T WARN YOU**
Oh. My. Goodness.
I recently finished The Ever Never Handbook, and I’m still grinning like a total dufus. The book, engulfed in vibrant color and bursting with a familiar sort of magic, completely blew me and my (rather high) expectations away. I’d anticipated this novel so much over the past year I was a little nervous I would somehow be disappointed by it because of how much I built it up in my head, but I was
Michael Blank’s illustrations are jaw-dropping and absolutely gorgeous. The student portraits inked out the characters I’d spent years imagining on my own and GOSH were they beautiful and perfect. The picture of Sophie’s new School For Evil actually made me gasp because the color practically glowed on the page. The illustration of Tedros’ arrow nearly piercing Agatha was definitely one of my favorites, depicting a moment from book 1 that really stayed with me the past couple years. The pictures of Nymphs, Fairies, Crogs, Spiricks, and Stymphs were spellbinding, terrifying, and whimsical all at once. Oh, and how on earth could one forget the GLORIOUS comic strip portions written by Hort? I could so easily imagine him writing and drawing every part of it, and it made me giggle so terribly hard.
And in addition to the lovely art, Soman’s--and Ami’s--writing was simply AMAZING. I’ve never been so captivated by a Course Catalog! The FAQ section was so exciting and humorous, and having Hester shove letters between the pages was such a clever idea. It was also a bit relatable, since I have an awful habit of slipping important notes, permission slips, and study guides into my books. “An Ever Never Roundtable” was SO. FREAKING. GOOD. I felt as if I were meeting up with a group of old friends as I heard them banter back and forth. It reminded me how much each character has grown through the series and honestly why I love each one. I never expected the Handbook to make me emotional… but it did. Quite a lot.
Now my copy is adorned with various small post-it-note sort of contraptions, marking some of my favorite parts. They include things like the hilarious idea of someone possibly using the storian as liquid eyeliner *cough SOPHIE cough* and the supossed Into The Woods reference when Sophie saids “Greens. Greens. Nothing but greens,” (pg. 137). Not to mention when Sophie guessed I was Agatha in a quiz or her perfect song “Some Girls”. Oh, and the AWESOME part where not only did Agatha write to Hester, but also reveal in her letter that she, Tedros, and Sophie were frequently corresponding. What about when Sophie admitted to Hort she remembered their dance or when Tedros perfectly explained how he and Agatha wouldn’t be having kids anytime soon? What a relief. Oh, and the explosive discovery that a new student named Nicola will soon be arriving to the schools, unaware she’s destined to save them? Couldthispossiblybetheplotofthesecretbook?
Overall, I experienced a rollercoaster of emotions today and am so grateful I got to. To Soman Chainani, Ami Boghani, and Michael Blank--thank you. Thank you
**BEWARE**
**THERE ARE TONS OF SPOILERS AHEAD**
**READ AT YOUR OWN RISK**
**NO, BUT SERIOUSLY**
**DON’T GO ON IF YOU HAVEN’T READ THE HANDBOOK**
**THIS IS YOUR LAST CHANCE TO TURN BACK**
**I’M NOT KIDDING**
**OKAY, DON’T SAY I DIDN’T WARN YOU**
Oh. My. Goodness.
I recently finished The Ever Never Handbook, and I’m still grinning like a total dufus. The book, engulfed in vibrant color and bursting with a familiar sort of magic, completely blew me and my (rather high) expectations away. I’d anticipated this novel so much over the past year I was a little nervous I would somehow be disappointed by it because of how much I built it up in my head, but I was
so wrong
.Michael Blank’s illustrations are jaw-dropping and absolutely gorgeous. The student portraits inked out the characters I’d spent years imagining on my own and GOSH were they beautiful and perfect. The picture of Sophie’s new School For Evil actually made me gasp because the color practically glowed on the page. The illustration of Tedros’ arrow nearly piercing Agatha was definitely one of my favorites, depicting a moment from book 1 that really stayed with me the past couple years. The pictures of Nymphs, Fairies, Crogs, Spiricks, and Stymphs were spellbinding, terrifying, and whimsical all at once. Oh, and how on earth could one forget the GLORIOUS comic strip portions written by Hort? I could so easily imagine him writing and drawing every part of it, and it made me giggle so terribly hard.
And in addition to the lovely art, Soman’s--and Ami’s--writing was simply AMAZING. I’ve never been so captivated by a Course Catalog! The FAQ section was so exciting and humorous, and having Hester shove letters between the pages was such a clever idea. It was also a bit relatable, since I have an awful habit of slipping important notes, permission slips, and study guides into my books. “An Ever Never Roundtable” was SO. FREAKING. GOOD. I felt as if I were meeting up with a group of old friends as I heard them banter back and forth. It reminded me how much each character has grown through the series and honestly why I love each one. I never expected the Handbook to make me emotional… but it did. Quite a lot.
Now my copy is adorned with various small post-it-note sort of contraptions, marking some of my favorite parts. They include things like the hilarious idea of someone possibly using the storian as liquid eyeliner *cough SOPHIE cough* and the supossed Into The Woods reference when Sophie saids “Greens. Greens. Nothing but greens,” (pg. 137). Not to mention when Sophie guessed I was Agatha in a quiz or her perfect song “Some Girls”. Oh, and the AWESOME part where not only did Agatha write to Hester, but also reveal in her letter that she, Tedros, and Sophie were frequently corresponding. What about when Sophie admitted to Hort she remembered their dance or when Tedros perfectly explained how he and Agatha wouldn’t be having kids anytime soon? What a relief. Oh, and the explosive discovery that a new student named Nicola will soon be arriving to the schools, unaware she’s destined to save them? Couldthispossiblybetheplotofthesecretbook?
Overall, I experienced a rollercoaster of emotions today and am so grateful I got to. To Soman Chainani, Ami Boghani, and Michael Blank--thank you. Thank you
so
much for creating such a wonderful book and such an magical world your readers can immerse themselves in. I could never imagine my life without the SGE series or the awesome community behind it.
Read
August 2, 2016There are so many little hints to what the fourth book is going to be, I can't contain my excitement!!
October 8, 2016
[small spoilers - nothing major. That said, please be warned!]
I am completely amazed by this handbook. If you're a SGE fan, I definitely recommend buying a copy because of the level of interaction (ex/quizzes).
Graphics: 4/4 (2/2).
All of the drawings were spectacular. Ever wondered what the School for Good and Evil looked like? Drawings of uniforms, the schools, the Trial by Tale, the former students — this handbook has all of that and more. This definitely did not disappoint!
I can say almost with 100% certainty that you'll laugh at some pages. Hort's comics (an attempt at teaching history) are really creative and hilarious. Especially when he tried to tell his 'love story' and changed the names to Lophie and Bort.
Storyline: 3.9/4 (1.95/2).
I love how the events after The Last Ever After were subtly told over the forms of letters, drawings, and at one point, a discussion between the students of Good and Evil.
Exploring more about the other characters (ex/Hort) made this handbook even more fun. (As great as it is to learn about Sophie's life every few pages, it can get a little tiring!) I don't want to give too much away, but there are a lot of surprises with the students!
I've got to take off .1 from this, though, because I don't feel quite completely satisfied with Agatha/Tedros' story. It would have been great to read more from Agatha (this handbook is narrated a lot by Sophie through letters). As it is, I'm mostly content.
Creativity: 2/2 (1/1)
It was definitely refreshing reading this through the official narration, and alternatively, from Hester's point of view. Her funny additions (ex: If a Teacher Sends You to the Doom Room) never ceased to make me smile.
In addition, the new ideas - ex/ letting Readers and Descendants apply for the School for Good and Evil - were brilliantly thought out. And Sophie's new ideas made me shake my head and smile, because they're just.. so her.
Total: 9.9/10 (4.95/5)
Before (6/28):
Counting the days until the copy of this book arrives in the mail!
The previews are absolutely amazing and the trailer is so cute - I have high expectations for this handbook!
~ Previews ~
The artist that drew these is honestly so amazing! (Michael Blank - search him up :D)
And finally - doesn't this just make you want to laugh?
Note: if you order this handbook before July 12th, you can get a signed copy! (Go on Soman's website to see more details)
I am completely amazed by this handbook. If you're a SGE fan, I definitely recommend buying a copy because of the level of interaction (ex/quizzes).
Graphics: 4/4 (2/2).
All of the drawings were spectacular. Ever wondered what the School for Good and Evil looked like? Drawings of uniforms, the schools, the Trial by Tale, the former students — this handbook has all of that and more. This definitely did not disappoint!
I can say almost with 100% certainty that you'll laugh at some pages. Hort's comics (an attempt at teaching history) are really creative and hilarious. Especially when he tried to tell his 'love story' and changed the names to Lophie and Bort.
Storyline: 3.9/4 (1.95/2).
I love how the events after The Last Ever After were subtly told over the forms of letters, drawings, and at one point, a discussion between the students of Good and Evil.
Exploring more about the other characters (ex/Hort) made this handbook even more fun. (As great as it is to learn about Sophie's life every few pages, it can get a little tiring!) I don't want to give too much away, but there are a lot of surprises with the students!
I've got to take off .1 from this, though, because I don't feel quite completely satisfied with Agatha/Tedros' story. It would have been great to read more from Agatha (this handbook is narrated a lot by Sophie through letters). As it is, I'm mostly content.
Creativity: 2/2 (1/1)
It was definitely refreshing reading this through the official narration, and alternatively, from Hester's point of view. Her funny additions (ex: If a Teacher Sends You to the Doom Room) never ceased to make me smile.
In addition, the new ideas - ex/ letting Readers and Descendants apply for the School for Good and Evil - were brilliantly thought out. And Sophie's new ideas made me shake my head and smile, because they're just.. so her.
Total: 9.9/10 (4.95/5)
Before (6/28):
Counting the days until the copy of this book arrives in the mail!
The previews are absolutely amazing and the trailer is so cute - I have high expectations for this handbook!
~ Previews ~
The artist that drew these is honestly so amazing! (Michael Blank - search him up :D)
And finally - doesn't this just make you want to laugh?
Note: if you order this handbook before July 12th, you can get a signed copy! (Go on Soman's website to see more details)
September 15, 2020
3.5 stars
I would say I enjoyed it, and I think I would recommend this companion book to anyone that just wants something extra to read from this world, and wants to know more. It is filled with details on how the school runs, it's students, teachers, deans, alumni, and how quests work.
⚠️DISCLAIMER- if you have not read the first 3 books, and decide to read this, you will be spoiled for a lot of stuff
Personally some parts I found funny and enjoyable to read ( Hester's additions, student information) and others I found boring or annoying ( Sophie's additions and letters, Rules of the school, class information). The parts I found boring I just skimmed over, but even if I didn't, this is an incredibly fast read that you could probably finish in a sitting. The art was really interesting and really added a lot to the book, though I must admit, based on my taste, not all the pieces were my favorite. But to quote litterly every teacher I have had " I am not an artist" so I don't think I should be critical of that.
-A big thing I also want to point out is this book has plot holes, including the fact that in this book, Sophie knows about the quest to find the new school master before Hester Dot and Anadil go on it, but she doesn't in the original series, until later on when it's accidently reveled to her.
- Sophie is especially annoying and arrogant in this. So if you are the person that perhaps isn't her biggest fan, than I would advise you to just skip or skim her parts.
end of review
I would say I enjoyed it, and I think I would recommend this companion book to anyone that just wants something extra to read from this world, and wants to know more. It is filled with details on how the school runs, it's students, teachers, deans, alumni, and how quests work.
⚠️DISCLAIMER- if you have not read the first 3 books, and decide to read this, you will be spoiled for a lot of stuff
Personally some parts I found funny and enjoyable to read ( Hester's additions, student information) and others I found boring or annoying ( Sophie's additions and letters, Rules of the school, class information). The parts I found boring I just skimmed over, but even if I didn't, this is an incredibly fast read that you could probably finish in a sitting. The art was really interesting and really added a lot to the book, though I must admit, based on my taste, not all the pieces were my favorite. But to quote litterly every teacher I have had " I am not an artist" so I don't think I should be critical of that.
-A big thing I also want to point out is this book has plot holes, including the fact that in this book, Sophie knows about the quest to find the new school master before Hester Dot and Anadil go on it, but she doesn't in the original series, until later on when it's accidently reveled to her.
- Sophie is especially annoying and arrogant in this. So if you are the person that perhaps isn't her biggest fan, than I would advise you to just skip or skim her parts.
end of review
March 24, 2022
Tohle jsem si fakt užila. Main sérii miluju a tohle je must have doplněk.
4/5*
4/5*
July 8, 2022
this book was phenomenal and it took me straight back to when i was 8 years old and falling in love with fantasy novels, especially this particular series.
the intricate details of this add-on was able to present the readers with the nostalgia and memories that were promoted upon the release of the first novel, and the inside jokes and key details that were included in this book truly made it worth the read. if it was a little more... organized then i would have given it the full 5 stars, but for now it gets 4.5 stars for tugging on my heartstrings and making me reminisce almost 10 years later.
also seeing my darling Hort again made me tear up because I love and missed him so much
the intricate details of this add-on was able to present the readers with the nostalgia and memories that were promoted upon the release of the first novel, and the inside jokes and key details that were included in this book truly made it worth the read. if it was a little more... organized then i would have given it the full 5 stars, but for now it gets 4.5 stars for tugging on my heartstrings and making me reminisce almost 10 years later.
July 21, 2020
Reading this book for the third time was a must after I finished re-reading the first three books in this series. And I am so glad I read this precious thing again. It took longer than I remembered, haha. But so worth it. It is a book that shares details about going to the school for good and evil. A handbook about surviving it all.
And so not really a complete book with a story, but still all kinds of incredible. And I loved reading it again so very much. It is still perfect. And there is still so much to learn from reading it, which I loved. The writing is stunning, as always. It is filled with precious artwork. All of it completely beautiful. This book was fully unique.
In a very good way. There is so much to learn in this one. What happened to all of the characters after the ending of book three. Although a lot of this is changed after book four to six came out too. But even so. This handbook is a must-read for every fan of these books after having finished book three. It is all kinds of fun and exciting too. I so loved seeing artwork from every part of the school. The trial by tale. The snow ball. Many of the characters from the books. It was all so awesome. And the illustrations were simply too good. There were entries by Hester too. Which I very much loved. That girl was too amazing. We learn more about Sophie and all the others too. Which was also the best. I might be growing to love Sophie and Hort more, as I always do, ha.
This book shared details about the school for good and evil. It shared about the different classes the new students would take, which was not really included that much in the three books, since they were at war more than they were in classes. Learning more about it all was all kinds of interesting. I so loved learning more about what they all do after their third years. And learning that the students that would be animals and plants were not that upset about it, haha. And they got a second chance after book three, thankfully.
There is so much to love about this handbook. I shall not share more about it. But gosh, The Ever Never Handbook is a must-read for every fan of this series. It is so much fun and interesting and so good. And fully beautiful as well. It's a peek at what happened after the first three books. But then we got three more books, eee. Which is even better, ha. But this small book was still so very much worth reading. All of the drawings of the different creatures were my favorite part of this book, I think. All of it was simply amazing.
The Evil attack. The Good defend.
The Evil punish. The Good forgive.
The Evil hurt. The Good help.
The Evil take. The Good give.
The Evil hate. The Good love.
---
I first read this book on July 31st 2016. See my review here: http://carinabooks.blogspot.no/2016/0...
I read this book for the second time on October 6th 2017. See my book recommendation post here: http://carinabooks.blogspot.no/2017/1...
I read this book for the third time from July 17th to 21st 2020. See my new review here: https://carinabooks.blogspot.com/2020...
And so not really a complete book with a story, but still all kinds of incredible. And I loved reading it again so very much. It is still perfect. And there is still so much to learn from reading it, which I loved. The writing is stunning, as always. It is filled with precious artwork. All of it completely beautiful. This book was fully unique.
In a very good way. There is so much to learn in this one. What happened to all of the characters after the ending of book three. Although a lot of this is changed after book four to six came out too. But even so. This handbook is a must-read for every fan of these books after having finished book three. It is all kinds of fun and exciting too. I so loved seeing artwork from every part of the school. The trial by tale. The snow ball. Many of the characters from the books. It was all so awesome. And the illustrations were simply too good. There were entries by Hester too. Which I very much loved. That girl was too amazing. We learn more about Sophie and all the others too. Which was also the best. I might be growing to love Sophie and Hort more, as I always do, ha.
This book shared details about the school for good and evil. It shared about the different classes the new students would take, which was not really included that much in the three books, since they were at war more than they were in classes. Learning more about it all was all kinds of interesting. I so loved learning more about what they all do after their third years. And learning that the students that would be animals and plants were not that upset about it, haha. And they got a second chance after book three, thankfully.
There is so much to love about this handbook. I shall not share more about it. But gosh, The Ever Never Handbook is a must-read for every fan of this series. It is so much fun and interesting and so good. And fully beautiful as well. It's a peek at what happened after the first three books. But then we got three more books, eee. Which is even better, ha. But this small book was still so very much worth reading. All of the drawings of the different creatures were my favorite part of this book, I think. All of it was simply amazing.
The Evil attack. The Good defend.
The Evil punish. The Good forgive.
The Evil hurt. The Good help.
The Evil take. The Good give.
The Evil hate. The Good love.
---
I first read this book on July 31st 2016. See my review here: http://carinabooks.blogspot.no/2016/0...
I read this book for the second time on October 6th 2017. See my book recommendation post here: http://carinabooks.blogspot.no/2017/1...
I read this book for the third time from July 17th to 21st 2020. See my new review here: https://carinabooks.blogspot.com/2020...
December 31, 2018
This is all that matters.
WEDDING.
WEDDING.
July 22, 2021
I am very disappointed by this. “Though we prefer boys to play boys and girls play girls for the sake of simplicity”. I have followed this series for years and this was extremely upsetting to read.
March 28, 2017
Companion books are usually of the lame variety. I’ve read many and the only thing that made me enjoy them was my love for that series, not because the novella itself was spectacular. There are exceptions, of course, like Ryan Graudin’s Iron To Iron and… “The Ever Never Handbook” by Soman Chainani, because
OH.
MY.
GOODNESSSSSSSSS.
What a bundle of fun! I speak with utmost honesty and from the bottom of my heart, it is delightful.
a) It does a STELLAR job of exploring the history of the School for Good and Evil.
b) It cleverly answers some of the most frequently asked questions about this series at the end.
c) We get to know what happened after The Last Ever After.
d) Sophie’s awful narcissism and awesome renovations to her school after assuming the responsibilities of Dean are on full display. They’re hilarious.
e) The illustrations are RAD. (Although, I still prefer the Tedros of A World Without Princes cover to the one illustrated here)
f) There are hints and foreshadowing of what’s to come and it is KILLING ME.
g) Every topic feels related and adds more to the series, addressing the things we wanted to know about the school, its faculty and the fairytale world in general.
I personally ADORED the following things:
a) The evolution of the School uniforms.
b) The changes Sophie made to the School of Evil.
c) The illustration of the School of Evil.
d) Soman Chainani’s incredible creativity visible throughout but especially noticeable in the weird and quirky names he invented for every person, place or thing.
Here are the things I wasn’t much thrilled by:
a) Hester’s commentary.
b) The three-year school curriculum.
c) Hort becoming a history professor. Seriously?
P.S: If Sophie turns out to be the villain in the fourth book, I. WILL. HURL.
December 12, 2019
Of course, this is actually not a real book, but I had a busy day today and I needed something light and quick and easy and funny and after reading the first four books in this series, I was quite certain that this book would be exactly what I needed today.
And I was absolutely right. This book is exactly what it says it is: It’s a guide for a first year student on what to expect from the school for good and evil and it’s hilarious at times and quite insightful too. Not only do the characters get the chance to display their funny side in letters, notes, remarks and even cartoons, but the illustrations help to bring this fantasy world to life.
More than once I’ve been laughing out loud, mostly because Sophie’s additions to this book are a times truly ridiculous, but also because Hester’s notes seem way more informative and helpful and Hort’s cartoons were just downright amazing. And I also loved all the nods and winks to the old and well known fairytales we all grew up with.
If only there was truly a school for good and evil. I’d surely apply to become the next princess and queen of some kingdom and I’m sure I’d find a nice prince to share this adventure with! (And a couple of amazing friends and animal companions!)
And I was absolutely right. This book is exactly what it says it is: It’s a guide for a first year student on what to expect from the school for good and evil and it’s hilarious at times and quite insightful too. Not only do the characters get the chance to display their funny side in letters, notes, remarks and even cartoons, but the illustrations help to bring this fantasy world to life.
More than once I’ve been laughing out loud, mostly because Sophie’s additions to this book are a times truly ridiculous, but also because Hester’s notes seem way more informative and helpful and Hort’s cartoons were just downright amazing. And I also loved all the nods and winks to the old and well known fairytales we all grew up with.
If only there was truly a school for good and evil. I’d surely apply to become the next princess and queen of some kingdom and I’m sure I’d find a nice prince to share this adventure with! (And a couple of amazing friends and animal companions!)
July 13, 2016
UGH, so disappointed! I know Sophie is Soman's spirit animal, but all the Sophie stuff got super boring after awhile. Wasn't the whole point of her transformation at the end of LEA that she matured so she wouldn't be the same selfish brat from SGE? (-1 star)
And then the illustrations! Not a fan of Michael Blank's work, especially compared to the wonderful illustrations of Iacopo Bruno. Agatha, Sophie and Tedros all looked weird (as in proportions). (-1 star)
My biggest complaint was Agatha's letter from Camelot. Seriously, WTF?! So Sophie and Tedros are having an affair via love letters? Agatha is miserable and has to write...Hester. All of the publicity leading up to the book was like "Learn what happens to Agatha at Camelot." She's supposed to have her happy ending, not shoveling poop from toilets and thinking her prince is emotionally cheating on her. Some of us love Agatha and want to see her actually have her happily ever after. SMH (-1 star)
And then the illustrations! Not a fan of Michael Blank's work, especially compared to the wonderful illustrations of Iacopo Bruno. Agatha, Sophie and Tedros all looked weird (as in proportions). (-1 star)
My biggest complaint was Agatha's letter from Camelot. Seriously, WTF?! So Sophie and Tedros are having an affair via love letters? Agatha is miserable and has to write...Hester. All of the publicity leading up to the book was like "Learn what happens to Agatha at Camelot." She's supposed to have her happy ending, not shoveling poop from toilets and thinking her prince is emotionally cheating on her. Some of us love Agatha and want to see her actually have her happily ever after. SMH (-1 star)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 20, 2018
I'm such a completist I even borrowed this companion handbook out of the library... Sigh. That being said, this is great if you're a true blue fan of the series. Really gorgeously illustrated and imagined throughout, bringing the book and characters and world to life in a quite lovely way. Chainani packs in a lot of wry humour and detail via some well observed character voices/insights, which is fun (especially accompanied by Michael Blank's truly wonderful illustrations). It does tend to drag on a bit though, and can get interminable even when skimming through. Fans will love it!
February 4, 2023
Hester notes are slaying
dnf
November 10, 2019This book just didn't do it for me. I only got through a few pages before I started skimming and then I gave up. I just wasn't interested at all. I don't care about or even really like the characters. I was more annoyed than anything at the hints to the sequel series because these books should've remained a completed trilogy. At this point I think I'm done with the series.
October 26, 2022
The Ever Never Handbook
Pretty self-explanatory from the title. It's the School of Good and Evil's handbook/yearbook.
My Thoughts:
This was charming! I couldn't be more satisfied with buying this. It's the closest I'm going to get for illustrated editions of these books. Which is truly a shame! Maybe I should message the author and put the thought in his head. Now there's an idea.
More gorgeous artwork! This time in color! I'll talk about some of my favorites. The one that stood out the most (and was the reason behind me buying this, and if you know me that really says something) is the one of the makeovers of Evil's School (commissioned by Sophie). ABSOLUTELY STUNNING! (A NEW VISION OF SOPHIE). I want to blow this up and hang it on my wall. That's how beautiful this 2 page illustration is!
The (EVER AFTER & NEVER MORE) illustrations were nicely done showing the contrast of soft, light, airiness of the colors of Tedros and Agatha's wedding, to the sharp, dark, and bright colors of Sophie's portrait with Evil's castle in the background.
I also liked the sharply, detailed, illustration of (THE FRIENDS OF GOOD/EVIL).
The content is fun. There are sketches of the school’s uniforms throughout different eras. All the Ever girl's uniforms (any age) are horrible, ruffly, nightmares. I could have done a better design. The Ever Boys are slightly better. The Never look I liked best was from Sophie's era.
I liked reading about the Groom Rooms (Evers and Nevers) and all the additions and the cute ways they made them tie in with some of the fairy tale characters like Rapunzel's Hair Salon, Goldilocks Hair Dye, and Cinderella's shoe rental (Clever). I wish there would have been illustrations included of these.
A few 50 more pages wouldn't have hurt at all. Also, I needed one of the Doom room. The maps of the Blue Forest and the Flower ground were helpful. And the Flower Ground amazingly looked like what I saw it as in my head. Although, I don't think I'd want to be suspended in the air by vines as a safe way of transportation. Vines don't give the strongest support. But the rules made me laugh. They're just TOO RIDICULOUS (no spitting, no peeing, no singing). YEAH!
The comic-type history from Hort was a super cute way to tell the history. Hort is doing so good from the little time he was given. Even though I hate how Sophie continues to use and abuse this guy. He's probably one of my favorite characters.
I liked all the little details of the snapshots, and the menus, and random letter's thrown in. They have the BEST sounding food descriptions in these books. OMG! And it was extremely helpful to see what all the characters looked like.
All in all I can't think of one complaint of this whole handbook. It was a wonderful addition to the collection.
RATING 10
Pretty self-explanatory from the title. It's the School of Good and Evil's handbook/yearbook.
My Thoughts:
This was charming! I couldn't be more satisfied with buying this. It's the closest I'm going to get for illustrated editions of these books. Which is truly a shame! Maybe I should message the author and put the thought in his head. Now there's an idea.
More gorgeous artwork! This time in color! I'll talk about some of my favorites. The one that stood out the most (and was the reason behind me buying this, and if you know me that really says something) is the one of the makeovers of Evil's School (commissioned by Sophie). ABSOLUTELY STUNNING! (A NEW VISION OF SOPHIE). I want to blow this up and hang it on my wall. That's how beautiful this 2 page illustration is!
The (EVER AFTER & NEVER MORE) illustrations were nicely done showing the contrast of soft, light, airiness of the colors of Tedros and Agatha's wedding, to the sharp, dark, and bright colors of Sophie's portrait with Evil's castle in the background.
I also liked the sharply, detailed, illustration of (THE FRIENDS OF GOOD/EVIL).
The content is fun. There are sketches of the school’s uniforms throughout different eras. All the Ever girl's uniforms (any age) are horrible, ruffly, nightmares. I could have done a better design. The Ever Boys are slightly better. The Never look I liked best was from Sophie's era.
I liked reading about the Groom Rooms (Evers and Nevers) and all the additions and the cute ways they made them tie in with some of the fairy tale characters like Rapunzel's Hair Salon, Goldilocks Hair Dye, and Cinderella's shoe rental (Clever). I wish there would have been illustrations included of these.
A few 50 more pages wouldn't have hurt at all. Also, I needed one of the Doom room. The maps of the Blue Forest and the Flower ground were helpful. And the Flower Ground amazingly looked like what I saw it as in my head. Although, I don't think I'd want to be suspended in the air by vines as a safe way of transportation. Vines don't give the strongest support. But the rules made me laugh. They're just TOO RIDICULOUS (no spitting, no peeing, no singing). YEAH!
The comic-type history from Hort was a super cute way to tell the history. Hort is doing so good from the little time he was given. Even though I hate how Sophie continues to use and abuse this guy. He's probably one of my favorite characters.
I liked all the little details of the snapshots, and the menus, and random letter's thrown in. They have the BEST sounding food descriptions in these books. OMG! And it was extremely helpful to see what all the characters looked like.
All in all I can't think of one complaint of this whole handbook. It was a wonderful addition to the collection.
RATING 10
October 31, 2017
Full review to come.
Now I really want to reread SGE x3 before Q4G comes out 👀
~~~
My Rating: 4 stars
Full Review: http://livthebooknerd.blogspot.com/20...
[MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS FOR BOOKS #1-3]
Hey, guys!
I've been dying to get my hands on The Ever Never Handbook for the longest time. Thankfully, during the last major bookoutlet sale (that I took part of), I was able to get my hands on a copy. I've been totally in love with this series since the summer of 2015 and I'm so excited for the new spin-off series that will start in October 2017.
This was a great refresher to the last three School for Good & Evil books. It's been about two years since I read the last book, but reading the Handbook really caused me to want to reread the series. Not to mention I already wanted to reread to prep for Quests For Glory. I hadn't realized how much I missed Chainani's world until actually reading the handbook. I found it really interesting when the handbook delved into the actual changes that were brought on by Sophie's new position as the Dean of Evil. There were often moments where events from book 3 were mentioned and I found myself tearing up. This isn't an actual novel, but it still managed to hit me in the feels.
This book was so colorful and captured the aesthetics of the Ever School and Never School so perfectly. I loved every minute of this book. I totally flew through it, but I'm so glad that this book is a thing. This book captures the world perfectly, it answers the questions that I (and other readers) have been asking since book one. I loved getting a glimpse into the lives of the new students and a glimpse into what to expect in book 4. I was a bit surprised to read about Sophie's attitude, but not really. I can't wait to read Quests for Glory! October cannot come fast enough!
If you loved the School For Good & Evil, or if you love fairy tale retellings you'd love this book. I recommend that you read it after the first three books. There are spoilers, so some of the references would go over your head unless you've read the first three.
Now I really want to reread SGE x3 before Q4G comes out 👀
~~~
My Rating: 4 stars
Full Review: http://livthebooknerd.blogspot.com/20...
[MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS FOR BOOKS #1-3]
Hey, guys!
I've been dying to get my hands on The Ever Never Handbook for the longest time. Thankfully, during the last major bookoutlet sale (that I took part of), I was able to get my hands on a copy. I've been totally in love with this series since the summer of 2015 and I'm so excited for the new spin-off series that will start in October 2017.
This was a great refresher to the last three School for Good & Evil books. It's been about two years since I read the last book, but reading the Handbook really caused me to want to reread the series. Not to mention I already wanted to reread to prep for Quests For Glory. I hadn't realized how much I missed Chainani's world until actually reading the handbook. I found it really interesting when the handbook delved into the actual changes that were brought on by Sophie's new position as the Dean of Evil. There were often moments where events from book 3 were mentioned and I found myself tearing up. This isn't an actual novel, but it still managed to hit me in the feels.
This book was so colorful and captured the aesthetics of the Ever School and Never School so perfectly. I loved every minute of this book. I totally flew through it, but I'm so glad that this book is a thing. This book captures the world perfectly, it answers the questions that I (and other readers) have been asking since book one. I loved getting a glimpse into the lives of the new students and a glimpse into what to expect in book 4. I was a bit surprised to read about Sophie's attitude, but not really. I can't wait to read Quests for Glory! October cannot come fast enough!
If you loved the School For Good & Evil, or if you love fairy tale retellings you'd love this book. I recommend that you read it after the first three books. There are spoilers, so some of the references would go over your head unless you've read the first three.
September 5, 2016
Fantastic pictures of the main characters and the side characters, filled with insightful background info of the School for Good and Evil world, and gave us a hint of the fourth book to this series. I can't wait!
November 18, 2016
I mean I haven't officially read this because it's Rasya's book (thanks bud) but I've taken a LOT of sneak peeks when I borrowed it and it's SOOO GREAT. The illustrations are beautifully drawn and Hester's notes are simply hilarious. Review to come, after I've officially read it lol :'D
June 11, 2024
Ωραία προσθήκη στη "συμπλήρωση" του μύθου της όλης ιστορίας, αλλά όχι και κάτι που αν δεν μπει στη συλλογή σου δεν θα μπορείς να κοιμηθείς το βράδυ. Παρ' όλα ταύτα, ειδικά αν είσαι και λίγο nerd, σε βάζει σε μια πιο παιδική, ονειρική και παραμυθένια κατάσταση, που δεν κρύβω πως απόλαυσα.
January 22, 2017
it was okay, but i liked the books better
July 31, 2020
Mungkin cuma sekolah The School for Good and Evil yg punya buku pedoman yg super sarkas dan kacaw. Peraturan-peraturannya malah bikin saya ngakak. Apalagi tips-tips utk menjadi penjahat sejati dari Hester- yg dengan bangga hati dijuluki Yang Paling Jahat. Tips dari Sophie juga gak kalah gelo-nya supaya bangga menjadi penjahat.
Oya, saya memang baru membaca buku pertamanya saja. Sedangkan Handbook ini sudah mengetengahkan Clarissa Dovey sbg Dekan Sekolah Ever (Sekolah Kebaikan) dan Sophie sbg Dekan Sekolah Never (Sekolah Kejahatan) yeeeyy.... Walau sptnya terpilihnya Sophie tidak mendapat restu dari Hester dan Anadil, sobat kentalnya.
Di Handbook ini juga diberitahu profil-profil para alumni, guru, pahlawan dsb. Ternyata Hort, si fans garis keras Sophie, terpilih jadi guru sejarah krn jabatan ini lowong (guru sebelumnya mati krn perang).
Semakin membaca buku ini, aku jadi penasaran utk membaca buku kedua, ketiga dst. Walau di buku ini ditutup dgn undangan dari Tedros & Agatha utk Hester. Gimana perjalanan cinta ala Camelot mereka tuh?
Oya, saya memang baru membaca buku pertamanya saja. Sedangkan Handbook ini sudah mengetengahkan Clarissa Dovey sbg Dekan Sekolah Ever (Sekolah Kebaikan) dan Sophie sbg Dekan Sekolah Never (Sekolah Kejahatan) yeeeyy.... Walau sptnya terpilihnya Sophie tidak mendapat restu dari Hester dan Anadil, sobat kentalnya.
Di Handbook ini juga diberitahu profil-profil para alumni, guru, pahlawan dsb. Ternyata Hort, si fans garis keras Sophie, terpilih jadi guru sejarah krn jabatan ini lowong (guru sebelumnya mati krn perang).
Semakin membaca buku ini, aku jadi penasaran utk membaca buku kedua, ketiga dst. Walau di buku ini ditutup dgn undangan dari Tedros & Agatha utk Hester. Gimana perjalanan cinta ala Camelot mereka tuh?
January 2, 2023
Konečne doplnková kniha tak, ako má byť. Zábavný obsah, skvelé grafické spracovanie.
Pri tejto knihe si dal niekto naozaj námahu a vyhral sa s tým.
Ideme ďalej.
V rukách držíš školskú príručku. Dozvieš sa, čo to o histórií školy, pozrieš sa na predpísané a odporúčané pomôcky.
Hort ti predstaví návod na lásku. Zorientuješ sa v cestovných poriadkoch, a to celé je len zlomok toho, čo ťa čaká.
5*/5*
Pri tejto knihe si dal niekto naozaj námahu a vyhral sa s tým.
Ideme ďalej.
V rukách držíš školskú príručku. Dozvieš sa, čo to o histórií školy, pozrieš sa na predpísané a odporúčané pomôcky.
Hort ti predstaví návod na lásku. Zorientuješ sa v cestovných poriadkoch, a to celé je len zlomok toho, čo ťa čaká.
5*/5*
Read
July 28, 2022Ich vergebe jetzt mal keine Sterne, weil es ja „nur“ ein Zusatz zur Reihe ist 😅😂.
Für Fans ist es eine richtig coole Ergänzung, in denen man ein paar Background-Infos bekommt und eine geballte Ladung Hester 🤣. Fands supi und echt schön gestaltet 🥰.
Für Fans ist es eine richtig coole Ergänzung, in denen man ein paar Background-Infos bekommt und eine geballte Ladung Hester 🤣. Fands supi und echt schön gestaltet 🥰.
February 18, 2025
funnily enough, i think this is the book ive read the most times ever. and its not even a proper book! but as a huge fan of the sge series i ADORE this. its so fun to read even for the millionth time. the illustrations are gorgeous, the worldbuilding is incredible, and it really does feel like an actual school's handbook, complete with hester's annotations. i couldnt reccommend this enough to fans of the series!
July 13, 2016
SO I GOT THE BOOK.
AND HERE ARE MY THOUGHTS ABOUT IT.
The Handbook was a beautiful VIVID story that went deeper into the world of S.G.E, like the past characters and the history of the school and basically everything you need to know about School for Good and Evil. I loved all the illustrations, which were BEAUTIFUL! Soman did a wonderful job about retelling tales and giving us a whole new perspective on the world of S.G.E!
There was only one thing I didn't like was...
The handbook was supposed to tell us what happened to the characters afterward. BUT, it really is only about Sophie...the whole entire time. Which was kind of disappointing.... A little bit of Agatha. No Tedros whatsoever. Only the characters that played a minor role in the past series talk a lot, like Beatrix, Kiko, Chaddick, and Hort. Really?? I was so bored listening to Kiko or Sophie blab about school or quests or anything really. Tedros only said one sentence: .
Other then that, I though the book was amazing!
READ IT!
AND HERE ARE MY THOUGHTS ABOUT IT.
The Handbook was a beautiful VIVID story that went deeper into the world of S.G.E, like the past characters and the history of the school and basically everything you need to know about School for Good and Evil. I loved all the illustrations, which were BEAUTIFUL! Soman did a wonderful job about retelling tales and giving us a whole new perspective on the world of S.G.E!
There was only one thing I didn't like was...
The handbook was supposed to tell us what happened to the characters afterward. BUT, it really is only about Sophie...the whole entire time. Which was kind of disappointing.... A little bit of Agatha. No Tedros whatsoever. Only the characters that played a minor role in the past series talk a lot, like Beatrix, Kiko, Chaddick, and Hort. Really?? I was so bored listening to Kiko or Sophie blab about school or quests or anything really. Tedros only said one sentence: .
Other then that, I though the book was amazing!
READ IT!
October 15, 2022
Ak ste fanúšikom série Škola dobra a zla, potom by vás táto kniha nemala minúť. Neslúži to ako samostatný príbeh vsadený do nám už známeho prostredia, ale ako dodatok, ktorý dotvára skvelú atmosféru.
Je síce pravda, že som si ňou vyspoilovala jednu či dve veci, no v konečnom dôsledku ma to neodradí od tretieho dielu, práve naopak. Po tomto ma ešte viac zaujíma, ako sa osudy jednotlivých postáv dostanú tam, kde sú. Práve preto by som túto príručku odporúčala ľuďom, čo už majú za sebou hlavnú trilógiu.
Príručkou nás sprevádzajú Clarissine a Sophiine poznámky, ich pohľady, a popritom do toho zasahuje Hester. Okrem toho, že tu nájdete rôzne pikošky o známych Navekáčoch a Nikdáčoch, tiež tu nájdeme čo to o škole a magických tvoroch.
Kniha je doplnená o nádherné ilustrácie, a, ako som spomínala, tie s magickými bytosťami považujem za jedny z najkrajších. Rovnako s časťami, ktoré sa zamerali na módu v oboch školách. Aby som to skrátila, poviem len toľko, že je to musthave pre fanúšikov.
December 24, 2017
¡NO HE ENCONTRADO EL CUARTO LIBRO EN TODO MONTERREY!
En fin... Mientras lo encuentro, decidí ponerme a leer este libro, que es más bien un complemento para después de finalizar con la trilogía original. Y es hermoso.
Ayuda a que el lector se sienta más conectado con el mundo que Soman Chainani ha creado y para que se prepare para las aventuras y personajes que esperan adelante. A mí me hizo sentir tan interesada que justo estoy abriendo una pestaña para realizar los exámenes en la página web de los libros, ansiosa por ver si sería aceptada y en qué escuela me colocarían ahora que ya conozco más sobre los maestros, materias, criaturas y demás curiosidades que esta peculiar escuela tiene para ofrecer.
En definitiva, un libro que se tiene que leer (SIEMPRE Y CUANDO YA HAYAN TERMINADO CON LA TRILOGÍA, porque contiene muchos spoilers, sobre todo del tercer libro).
En fin... Mientras lo encuentro, decidí ponerme a leer este libro, que es más bien un complemento para después de finalizar con la trilogía original. Y es hermoso.
Ayuda a que el lector se sienta más conectado con el mundo que Soman Chainani ha creado y para que se prepare para las aventuras y personajes que esperan adelante. A mí me hizo sentir tan interesada que justo estoy abriendo una pestaña para realizar los exámenes en la página web de los libros, ansiosa por ver si sería aceptada y en qué escuela me colocarían ahora que ya conozco más sobre los maestros, materias, criaturas y demás curiosidades que esta peculiar escuela tiene para ofrecer.
En definitiva, un libro que se tiene que leer (SIEMPRE Y CUANDO YA HAYAN TERMINADO CON LA TRILOGÍA, porque contiene muchos spoilers, sobre todo del tercer libro).
July 26, 2016
This is definitely the best 'add-on' type book I've ever read, and that's counting the Harry Potter ones.
Taking place after the events of the Sophie and Agatha trilogy this gives us a little insight into what the characters are doing, where they're at and what's going on at the school. We get to see how Sophie has changed the school, implementing some of the most ridiculous rules and costumes. There is also just a hint of possible future stories (or it could be my wishful thinking).
The art in this also deserves a shout out because YES PLEASE. I loved all of it. There were entire pages I tabbed JUST for the artwork.
If you enjoyed the trilogy this is a fun one to read, but it's heavy on spoilers if you haven't read the trilogy.
Taking place after the events of the Sophie and Agatha trilogy this gives us a little insight into what the characters are doing, where they're at and what's going on at the school. We get to see how Sophie has changed the school, implementing some of the most ridiculous rules and costumes. There is also just a hint of possible future stories (or it could be my wishful thinking).
The art in this also deserves a shout out because YES PLEASE. I loved all of it. There were entire pages I tabbed JUST for the artwork.
If you enjoyed the trilogy this is a fun one to read, but it's heavy on spoilers if you haven't read the trilogy.
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