(Harry Potter #8)
Publication
Date: July 31, 2016
Hardcover, 320 pages, Arthur A. Levine Books
Genres:
YA, Fantasy
The Eighth Story. Nineteen Years
Later.
Based on an original new story by
J.K. Rowling, Jack Thorne and John Tiffany, a new play by Jack Thorne, Harry
Potter and the Cursed Child is the eighth
story in the Harry Potter series and the first official Harry Potter story to
be presented on stage. The play will receive its world premiere in London’s
West End on July 30, 2016.
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 Review
What in the world can I even say? This is the EIGHTH HARRY
POTTER BOOK! We never in a million years thought we would get this, but we did!
And now it’s over, and I read it too fast, and I don’t know what to do with my
life. *sobs*
I’m not sure how coherent this review will be. I really just
wanted to share my thoughts so I can see them later. I never wrote reviews for
the original Harry Potter books when I read them (in a galaxy far, far away,
many years ago), and I wish I had something to show me what I thought at the
time. So, here we go…
First off, it was absolutely amazing to be back in the
Wizarding World! So much love for the characters! I even enjoyed the new
additions—Albus, James, Scorpius, and Rose. Unfortunately, we didn’t see much
of the other offspring; however, getting to see Harry, Ron, and Hermione all
grown up and parenting was so weird! I strangely just wanted more of their
day-to-day routines, simply to see what their lives are like.
As for the real plot of this play script, it was definitely
different from the Harry Potter books. It had a lighter tone (of course, that
could be because of the form it’s written in), and the characters are struggling
with issues that are (sort of) separate from the ones Harry went through. Albus
and Scorpius’s misfit-itus is ridiculously relevant to every one of us, and
Harry and Draco’s inability to connect to their kids is very relatable. I do
wish Harry hadn’t said certain things though. It made me very upset and sad for
poor Albus. On the complete opposite spectrum, Scorpius is just an adorable,
magnificent character, don’t you agree?
Because of all this lack of communication and
feeling-sharing, Albus and Scorpius make some poor choices. (I’m really trying
not to spoil things here, can you tell?) These choices lead to a very strange
and disturbing revelation that I’m not quite sure how to feel about. I didn’t
expect Rowling to go where she did with Voldemort’s you-know-what, but once it
was mentioned, I immediately knew what the you-know-what was. However, I had
fun getting to the end and watching characters connect once again.
All in all, I think seeing the play live would be 10 times
better than reading it alone in my room in the wee hours of the morn, but I
still very much enjoyed every second of this fantastic addition to the Harry
Potter world. And, while I know Rowling said there will be no more, I’m
crossing my fingers and making wishes on stars that another book will be
released in the future.
*Note: I purchased
a copy of this book for myself (as did most of the world's population).
I got my copy of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child book today.
ReplyDeleteI brought it on Amazon and I got it in just 2 days!
Amazon link:
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Parts 1 & 2, Special Rehearsal Edition Script