Book Review: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child: Parts One and Two Script Book

Monday, August 15, 2016
I love reading. Books are amazing. They are a form of escapism, yes, but they are also inspiration, joy, and... well. Goodness. I think in some ways I have used my appetite for reading to define parts of my personality, so it made sense for me to review some of what I read! Here we go...




Title: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
Author: J. K. Rowling, John Tiffany, and Jack Thorne
Series: Harry Potter #8 
Publication Date: July 31st 2016

Synopsis: "The eighth story. Nineteen years later.

Based on an original story by J. K. Rowling, John Tiffany and Jack Thorne, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, a new play by Jack Thorne, is the eighth story in the Harry Potter series and the first official Harry Potter story to be presented on stage.

It was always difficult being Harry Potter and it isn't much easier now that he is an overworked employee of the Ministry of Magic, a husband, and father of three school-age children.

While Harry grapples with a past that refuses to stay where it belongs, his youngest son Albus must struggle with the weight of a family legacy he never wanted. As past and present fuse ominously, both father and son learn the uncomfortable truth: sometimes darkness comes from unexpected places."

My thoughts: I'm not sure how I feel about reviewing this. The fact is, I grew up with Harry Potter. Unlike a lot of others, I didn't get into reading because of it, but it did play a huge part in my childhood and also my teens (when the movies started coming out, too). I wasn't really sure I wanted to touch that. To be perfectly honest, I have been avoiding other people's thoughts on this, so I don't blame anyone if you don't want to read my thoughts on it - just close this post and go read something else, no judgement!

In light of the above, I am really just going to be putting my basic thoughts down and then moving on. I am not looking to start a huge debate about this (mostly because I probably won't reply if you are looking to do that :P), but just thought I would voice what I am thinking.

First of all, the format is really different. I know that seems like stating the obvious, but it kind of hits you slowly. The HP books are really strong in their stories and how the flesh out the world and make you feel like you're there, and for obvious reasons a play just isn't really capable of doing that as much - you can get lost in a play, but mostly when you are actually watching it. You need (or at least, I found I did) an enormous amount of focus and imagination to picture what was happening with this format, which can be good but can also be hard if you are just tired. I actually quite enjoyed that different format, but I still found myself missing the beautiful prose that Rowling weaves in the books.

Another point that my husband actually made - I am not sure about the science or the logistics behind certain timey-wimey elements of the story (using a Dr Who quote to avoid too many spoilers...). I personally made the decision not to think too much about it, but it might be a bit of a sticking point for others.

My final point is the attitudes of some of the characters. I was all ready to love Albus, and I kind of did, but I ended up loving Scorpius more in the end... That was nice but also it often felt like a result of just finding Albus kind of... a dick. I am still not sure about this, but I think the character design was very very deliberate, and it ended up working really well, my own slight disliking aside.

Overall, I had a really good time with this. It was like being back in a familiar house, but one that had had a few updates and such that made it kind of more exciting but also made you a bit unsure at the same time. I definitely recommend giving it a go if you're game.



{I received a review copy of this book from Hachette in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!}

You would like this book if: Hard to say. I think you will probably like it if you are a big HP fan, but definitely give it a go to find out for yourself!

Tea to drink while reading this book: My dear friend Chris just got me some Sticky Date Delight tea from T2 - I think this is a tea that would be enjoyed by many in the HP universe! I believe the tea is sold out, but maybe you could get this chocolate instead?

Rating:  9/10

If you'd like to keep up to date with what I'm reading, follow me on Goodreads here!

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