Recent Reads: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by JK Rowling, John Tiffany and Jack Thorne

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by JK Rowling, John Tiffany and Jack Thorne
Series: Harry Potter #8
Publisher: Arthur A Levine Books
Publication Date:  July 30, 2016

 

Format:  Hardback
Source: Bought/ Own

Rating:
 


 


Goodreads Synopsis: 

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.

Review: 
This is a long one -- but it does NOT have plot spoilers. I do talk about locations and the characters a bit though, so tread lightly if you don't want any information before reading.
 
Ok, so all the feels with this one. I know that many readers had horrible reviews of this and I feel like some of it is that people don't like change and there was a lot of change with this book, I will go into that a little more later.

I actually enjoyed this book. It was a very nostalgic experience and I wanted to run out and get it and read it immediately and swoon over another Harry Potter adventure but once I had it in my hands all I wanted to do was cry - I was SO excited to have another jaunt in Harry Potter land but I was SO sad to also see it go once again. So I tried to read slowly, I was super good about not going on the internet and reading anything anyone had said about it and I read through it in about 2 weeks, although it would have been easier to binge it.

My overall thoughts on this one was that I am very happy with it, you get a glimpse into the world of adult characters, adult problems and now that I am an adult I found that refreshing that the characters are growing with me. You also get an adventure - what is HP with out one? right?! - but in this case you get it with the children of the older main characters. I think that the plot was very interesting, it kept me on my toes the whole time, I laughed, I was shocked, I cried... ok I cried a lot, but COME ON it is the last Harry Potter and there are so many emotional flash backs in this. 

I, for one, also did not mind that it was a script, when I am reading I really enjoy a good lengthy dialogue and that is what this is, lots of talking with some stage notes throughout to set it up a little. I think that if you read the Harry Potter series you won't be missing anything with the lack of descriptions - when it says the 'Ministry of Magic' or the 'Forbbiden Forest' you form the same image in your head as you did when you were reading the originals... you already have that information so why reinvent the wheel so to speak.

So why only 4 stars and not a rave review? Well there were some things that I did not like about it. Firstly, it seemed a bit all over the place and that is purposeful but a pain- the plot is centered on a time turner, but even knowing that it was hard to keep up with some of the scenes, you really had to recall a lot from the series to form a whole picture. Secondly, as much as I liked seeing my favorite characters as adults, it seemed weird and off - Harry is a little too inconsiderate for my taste, Ron was not really there, and Hermione seemed distracted the whole time and they seemed disjointed until the very last few scenes.  And lastly, I have read somewhere (after I was done reading) that this was actually fanfiction and Rowling didn't really write it, and while it is still a very enjoyable story that just kind of makes me a little sad (I am hoping this is not true, but the fact that this note exists somewhere is a downer)... but I will take it, since otherwise we wouldn't be seeing more Harry Potter.

So what did you think? Did you have a chance to read this yet? Where are you on the spectrum? - because there is a lot of emotion with this - did you love it? Hate it? Passionately abstain from the madness?