I came across this article today about the next book in this series, and it made me so angry all over again that I'm finally going to write a review of this book. 
 Steer clear of series! It reinforces some pretty terrible morals for kids, and I cannot for the life of me understand why it's so popular. Despite the author attempting (I think?) to convey that looks and boys are not everything, the plot reinforces the exact opposite constantly. 
 Quote from the author from this article: 
 "And show them a way of thinking beyond the Disney good and evil matrix, which I am convinced is corrupting so much of the way kids think." 
 No. We do not want to show kids a way of thinking that is narcissistic, shallow, and ruthless. Your book is corrupting the way kids think. 
 Another quote from the author from this article: 
 ...he tried to move away from the warm safety of the Harry Potter books. "There was no way that series was going to end with Harry in a pool of blood and Voldemort kicking his heels into the sunset, right? Because it just had such a strong kind of moral spine to it," he says. "I thought kids needed something that felt more unstable and that reflected that uncertainty, not just of the world, but of junior high and high school where kids lie all the time and bad kids win all the time. I wanted all the readers to feel slightly uneasy the entire way through." 
 No, no, no, no, no! There is a reason HP is written with a strong moral spine. Because we want to show kids and readers that racism is wrong! Ugh! We want to show kids that people lying and being bad is WRONG! Not just "the way things are." It is so unbelievably irresponsible of a middle grade author to teach such terrible morals. This book went beyond just being edgy and dark. Plenty of edgy and dark books don't teach terrible things. Whether we realize it or not, a lot of our world view and morality comes from the media we consume throughout our lives: movies, books, tv, etc. And we consume a great deal of media. The author needs to go back and reread HP and learn how to create beautifully complex stories that reinforce the best of humanity. 
 The morals this book actually teaches: 
 (view spoiler)[-when Aggie or evil characters act good they get more beautiful and when Sophie acts evil she gets more ugly -> therefore looks reflect your inner self and if you're not beautiful and skinny you should be shunned and are evil. 
 -The main boy only likes the most beautiful girl, regardless of personality -> therefore if you're not beautiful no one will ever love you. 
 -The school is utterly ruthless. Failing an assignment means you will be killed. Seriously. This is for kids? Also, the students of good and evil are constantly trying to murder each other and the teachers don't even care -> therefore trying to kill your rivals is ok. 
 -The boys conspire to go to the ball with each other rather than take the ugliest girl even though it means the girl will die for failing to get a date. -> therefore, if you're ugly you deserve to die. 
 -The ending, the only saving grace of this messed up book, when Sophie and Aggie choose each other over boys, is subverted in the 2nd novel when Aggie goes back to be with Teddy -> therefore, you will regret it if you choose your best friend over a boy. (hide spoiler)]