The sequel to The School for Good and Evil, A World Without Princes, was very engaging, but It had problematic gender representation. In this book, Sophie and Agatha begin in their village, but when Agatha wishes for the prince that she left behind, the two friends return to their former fairytale school. The only problem is that the school has changed due to the unique ending to Sophie and Agatha’s story; it’s no longer a school for good versus evil, but rather a war between boys and girls.
The main problem is the sexism that plagues the story throughout; there is no equality, girls are either portrayed as superior or inferior to boys, there is no in-between. This negative representation is exemplified by Agatha’s character transformation from the first book. She lost the wittiness and intelligence that made her so captivating in the first novel; she was more frustrating than lovable this time around. However, Sophie’s character becomes more complex, which I loved. This story was terrific, but it becomes troubling if I look at it for any more profound meaning.