About the Book
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Authors:
- Jack Thorne
- John Tiffany
- J.K. Rowling
Cover Story: Giant Nest
BFF Charm: Best Witches
Talky Talk: Exit, Pursued by a Dementor
Bonus Factors: More Harry, et al, Time Travel
Anti-Bonus Factor: Missing Magic
Relationship Status: Glad We Met, But …
Danger, Will Robinson! Although I refrain from major spoilers in the review below, I think it’s important to #KeepTheSecrets. So, if you haven’t read the script, and want to remain fully un-spoiled, don’t read any further.
Cover Story: Giant Nest
For a child to fit that well inside a nest, they’re either super tiny (think Thumbelina) or the nest is ginormous. I’m pretty dang positive that I wouldn’t want to run across a bird that made that size of nest in the wild.
The Deal:
Nearly two decades after the Battle of Hogwarts, Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and Ron Weasley are grown up, with children of their own. Harry and Ginny’s second son, Albus Severus, is starting his first year at Hogwarts, and things aren’t going exactly as planned or expected, both at school and with family matters. Add to that the rumblings that purveyors of dark magic are on the move, and—yet again—the Potters find themselves right at the center of events with world-changing implications.
BFF Charm: Best Witches
Not only is Albus Severus Potter Harry Potter’s son, which is already a massive amount of name up to, but he’s been saddled with a name like Albus Severus. (I get the honor of it, but come on. His siblings are James and Lily.) His early years at Hogwarts are riddled with instances that divide him from his family, and then he comes up with a plan to fix everything—only, we all know how well plans like that tend to go. Albus could definitely use a Hermione-like friend in his life to tell him when he’s being daft and help guide him back onto the right path.
Swoonworthy Scale: 2
For most of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Albus is on a quest, so he doesn’t have much time for the ladies. But he is a young man, and he has eyes, so.
The adults have a bit more time for the lovey-dovey stuff, but even when Ron’s being a total sweetheart (<3), there isn’t all that much emotion involved. (More on that below.)
Talky Talk: Exit, Pursued by a Dementor
If you go into Harry Potter and the Cursed Child expecting a replica of the previous seven Harry Potter books, you might be disappointed, for a couple of specific reasons. One: The book is a special rehearsal edition of the play’s script, which means that it’s broken up into lines of dialogue and stage directions rather than blocks of prose. Two: The play wasn’t written by J.K. Rowling, but based on a story that she only helped write.
The new story has hints of the series that led to its creation, but it falls short of the feeling of magic that was contained within. I’m not sure if it’s because it’s a script, rather than a novel, but I struggled to feel connected to the plots and the characters, even the ones whom I thought I knew pretty dang well. Nothing about the writing or pacing was particularly bad, mind you, but I just wanted more. I wanted to get lost in the story like I have so many times before while reading books 1–7. I wanted to recognize the young Harry, Hermione, Ron, etc. in their older selves. I wanted to fall in love with Albus like I did with his father and his father’s friends. I just didn’t.
I’ve heard some people liken the play’s story to fan fiction, but, personally, I don’t think that’s the case. Fan fiction is, by nature, often filled with more emotion and heart than the original source material. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child felt more like an outline to me than a fully realized story. I wish I was one of the lucky people who get to see the play live, because I think seeing the lines acted out, with the emotion the actors assumedly bring to the roles, would have a huge effect on my feelings on the whole affair.
Bonus Factor: More Harry, et al
As much as this book didn’t feel like “real” Harry Potter to me, it was fun to revisit the world Rowling created and the characters who mean so much to so many people, myself included. Nostalgia is serious, y’all.
Bonus Factor: Time Travel
For anyone who wanted to see more of Hermione’s Time Turner-fueled trips back in time in the main series—you’re in luck. I’m not saying she’s the one who takes the trips, mind you, but the trips do create clever connections to the past (and therefore the main series) and cause unexpected ripples, both good and very, very bad.
Anti-Bonus Factor: Missing Magic
I touched on this in Talky Talk, above, but I wanted to drive home the point that I felt like something was lacking from Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. And by magic, I mean the rich emotional connection I had/have with this first seven books in the series. There were plenty of actual spells bandied about.
Relationship Status: Glad We Met, But …
You’re not what I expected, Book, and you’re not really what I wanted, either. But I appreciate your existence, and understand that there are some limitations to your personality. I’m sure if we met live I might be more understanding, but as it stands, I’m just going to write our time together off as life experience.
FTC Full Disclosure: I bought a copy of this book with my own money and got neither a private dance party with Tom Hiddleston nor money in exchange for this review. Cursed Child is available now.
