Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by J.K. Rowling, John Tiffany, & Jack Thorne

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by J.K. Rowling
Genre: Fantasy, YA, Fiction
Format: Hardback
Rating: +++
Bought at Barnes and Noble
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

Summary:

Nineteen years after the Battle of Hogwarts.....

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 a father to three school-age children.

While Harry still 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:

When I heard the play was going to be turned into a novel I was so excited. I couldn't wait for this book to come out and I made sure I put it on reserve at Barnes and Noble (unlike a lot of other folks). I got the book the day after it came out and I cracked it open. I had such high expectations. That was my error.

Since I had high expectations for the book, it kind of ruined it. I was craving a new view into the Harry Potter universe and I was a bit disappointed.

It took a while to get used to the format since it is in play format with who's talking and a brief description of the scene at the beginning and no more. Once I got used to this, I enjoyed the book more. The book is separated into Part One and Part Two. Each part has two acts. Part One was really good, I enjoyed reading it and it kept me interested.

Part One has some predictable moments but I enjoyed it. I found myself laughing at parts and getting upset at other parts.

Part Two was not as good. It was predictable and the plot felt rushed and dragged out. It felt like they were trying to squeeze everything in and yet adding on to make it to two acts. I kind of wished they had stopped the book either before Part Two or after act three.

Part Two really had a bad fan fiction feel to it. I think I would've enjoyed watching the play instead of reading the book. I wished they had made the book more like a novel instead of the published play script. This book may have had J.K. Rowling's name on it but I did not hear her in the writing at all especially in Part Two.

Overall:

The book was somewhat predictable, rushed, and drawn out. At times it felt more like bad fan fiction than a novel written (or at least partially written) by a renowned writer.

If you have no imagination whatsoever, this book will be very difficult for you to read since there are short scene descriptions. You have to use some imagination to "see" what's going on. If you read in images and not words, this book will be easier for you to read. (If you don't know what this means, it means that when you read it's like you are watching TV. It's easier to see what's going on and you can read faster than reading each individual word. Sometimes you may think you are watching a movie and get confused if you put the book down for a while).

Should you read this book? If you are a Harry Potter fan, yes. Just go into the book knowing it's not your standard J.K Rowling Harry Potter book and it's not going to have the same novelty. If you go in with this mind frame, you will probably enjoy the book.

Suggested For:

Harry Potter fans. Fans of fiction. If you like young adult or novels based on plays this book is for you. If you are a Harry Potter fan, you definitely need to read the book even though it's not as well written.