The School for Good and Evil: Chapters 23–30

by Soman Chainani
Sweet, angelic Sophie and moody Agatha are shocked when Agatha is sent to the School for Good and Sophie is sent to the School for Evil. Did the School Master make a mistake or does he know the two girls better than they know themselves?

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–4, Chapters 5–10, Chapters 11–16, Chapters 17–22, Chapters 23–30
40 words 26 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. solemn
    dignified and somber in manner or character
    With solemn nods, the Nevers skulked to Room 66, hidden in shadow.
  2. propitious
    presenting favorable circumstances
    “Every year, one woeful girl is failed, because boys would rather take half ranks than take her. And such a girl who can’t find a boy, even under the most propitious circumstances...well, she must be a witch, musn’t she?”
  3. broach
    bring up a topic for discussion
    The problem was there was no way to ask Sader anything, even if he was a seer. Besides, to broach the subject, she’d have to admit she broke into his study.
  4. squire
    attend upon as an escort; accompany
    But before they could reveal how exactly they squired these princes, the twelve shrews started bickering as to the correct version of their story, then shouting over each other.
  5. vacuous
    devoid of intelligence
    “Your answers are vain, vacuous, and at times downright villainous! No wonder that Sophie girl made fools of you all!”
  6. excoriate
    express strong disapproval of
    As she went over the tests, excoriating every wrong answer, Agatha shoved hers away.
  7. ruse
    a deceptive maneuver, especially to avoid capture
    But it was all part of her fairy godmother’s ruse.
  8. yawp
    complain whiningly
    “Just get on with it!” Professor Anemone yawped.
  9. entrenched
    established firmly and securely
    “Of course, the Theater hasn’t moved in ages,” Pollux sniffed. “Firmly entrenched by now.”
  10. demure
    suggestive of modesty or reserve
    “Now as to attire, I suggest you wear clothes of humble, demure col—”
  11. recant
    formally reject or disavow a formerly held belief
    If Sophie recanted, if she begged Tedros for forgiveness, there was still hope he’d take her back!
  12. mausoleum
    a large burial chamber, usually above ground
    The Honor toilets looked less like a bathroom and more like a mausoleum, with marble floors, friezes of mermen battling sea serpents, urinals flushing royal blue water, and massive ivory stalls each with a sapphire toilet and tub.
  13. reel
    walk as if unable to control one's movements
    From the Doom Room came a clamor of loud grunts and squeals. Agatha reeled back. “What was that?”
  14. cleave
    make by cutting into
    Soon he had the upper hand and pulled Agatha from the Woods towards the spiked gates, which glowed in recognition and pulled apart, cleaving a narrow path for the two Evers.
  15. shamble
    walk by dragging one's feet
    Tedros looked back at Agatha, who slackened with relief and shambled behind them on her own.
  16. repentant
    feeling or expressing remorse for misdeeds
    With a shy glance at him, she smiled through tears, her delicate face repentant.
  17. grudging
    unwilling or reluctant
    Finally the prince managed a grudging smile in return.
  18. burnish
    polish and make shiny
    Standing at her study window, Professor Dovey looked out at the School Master’s tower, burnished red in sinking sun.
  19. formidable
    extremely impressive in strength or excellence
    “I hear this Sophie child is quite formidable. Can you defeat her?” interjected a crystal princess next to him on a glittering spinning wheel.
  20. anoint
    choose by or as if by divine intervention
    “The 10th-ranked Ever will perform his talent, followed by the 10th-ranked Never. The School Master will anoint a winner and publicly punish the loser.”
  21. deem
    judge or regard in a particular way
    At the end of the Circus, whoever the School Master deems the most impressive talent will win the Circus Crown and his school will win the Theater of Tales for the next year.
  22. placid
    not easily irritated
    The Evil decorations got into the act too, with the walls’ scorch marks depicting him beaten, burned, beheaded, while villains carved into the pews shot him with splinters and sap. Chaddick, blond furry arms folded to his barrel chest, drank all this in with a placid smile.
  23. earnest
    devout or heartfelt
    And as she watched Tedros finally join the sing-along, amused by such earnest devotion, Agatha had to smile too.
  24. flaxen
    pale yellowish to yellowish brown
    She gently took his head by its flaxen hair and peered into his scared blue eyes.
  25. rift
    a narrow fissure in rock
    The foyer quaked beneath their feet, cracked like thin ice, and split open in a hundred places. Stunned Evers fell into each other and tumbled towards the yawning rifts.
  26. bluff
    a high steep bank
    He bounded over rock craters, scaled broken stair pieces, higher and higher towards the marble bluff. With a lunging scissors-kick jump, he dove onto the jagged cliff top, scraped through glass, and grabbed her hand over the opposite edge—
  27. salve
    a preparation applied externally as a soothing remedy
    Inside the packed, musty den, girls snuffled in their Ball dates’ arms, while Beatrix and Reena crept to wounded boys with salve and bandages.
  28. listless
    marked by low spirits; showing no enthusiasm
    The students filled plates with goose curry, lentil salad, and pistachio sorbet, and ate at round tables in listless silence.
  29. hew
    make or shape as with an axe
    In the marshmallow room, Kiko and Giselle lit dozens of torches, while in the gumdrop room, Nicholas and a fleet of boys hewed a battering ram.
  30. treacle
    a syrup made of sugar cane
    With a primal scream, she punched and kicked the door, then rammed the sugarplum desk against it, but the candy didn’t break. She hurled chairs into the brûléed walls, stomped on the treacle floors...but there was only one way out of this room.
  31. bashful
    self-consciously timid
    Ravan’s bunk mates picked up the music on reed violins and more pairs flooded onto the floor, clumsy, bashful, but aglow with happiness, dancing beneath a spangled banner...
  32. specter
    a ghostly appearing figure
    Then the dark shadows parted and a pink specter floated through.
  33. rapturous
    feeling great delight
    She picked up the daisy meant for Agatha’s heart and gave it a rapturous sniff.
  34. lambaste
    censure severely or angrily
    “Our towers aren’t Fair and Lovely!” Agatha lambasted. “They’re Valor and Honor! That's what Good is, you stupid cowards!”
  35. astride
    with one leg on each side
    Dazed, Agatha looked up to see Sophie astride the biggest rat of all, charging for her again.
  36. rampant
    occurring or increasing in an unrestrained way
    With rules broken so rampantly, the students began to change from pink to black, black to blue, ugly to beautiful, beautiful to ugly, back and forth, faster, faster, until no one had the faintest idea who was Good and who was Evil.
  37. alabaster
    of or resembling a white stone
    Then he took off his mask, revealing alabaster skin, chiseled cheeks, and dancing blue eyes.
  38. spurn
    reject with contempt
    In moonlight, she could see Hester’s face, filled with regret for spurning the chance to end this war.
  39. maleficent
    harmful or evil in intent or effect
    He had her same maleficent coldness, the same pain raging in his eyes.
  40. coalesce
    fuse or cause to come together
    Instantly the tiny birds ripped free, blasted into the twilit sky, and coalesced into a glittering silhouette.
Created on Thu Apr 22 13:27:49 EDT 2021 (updated Fri May 21 12:18:52 EDT 2021)

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