Cover Blurb
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
I struggled with whether or not to write a review of this for a few days after I read it. To be honest, I'm certain this review is not at all objective. I love Harry Potter, and have since I was in elementary school - my sister tried for ages to get me to read it, and I wouldn't, until finally she brought me with her to see one of the movies in theatres (I did watch them out of order, I'm sorry!). I fell in love with the story and the characters and the world instantly, and devoured the books immediately afterward. As soon as I finished the seventh book, I was longing for a story about the next generation - was The Cursed Child what I expected? Not quite. Did I enjoy it? Yes.
To avoid spoiling as much as possible, this story is probably not what you'll expect. The style itself is very different from Rowling's usual style, but that's to be expected since it's a script. The characters don't really behave like you might expect either (looking at you, Harry). The plot itself is complicated and has more than one 'oh what the heck' moment, but it's also very original and I found it interesting.
I was surprised by how much I actually liked Scorpius Malfoy, as well. I thought he would be more like his father (or worse, his grandfather), and I was actually quite happy he wasn't. Albus Potter was a lot like I was expecting, however; he's a lot like his dad. Beyond the new generation, I was happy to see the other characters, like Hermione and Ron, in action as well. Finding out Hermione was Minister of Magic was awesome; it actually felt like seeing an old friend get a much-deserved job.
My major problem with The Cursed Child is that there wasn't enough of it. I would have loved to see more of the other kids and learn more about them. Of course, if I had my way J.K. Rowling would write a seven-book series about every single one of the next generation, and maybe some spin-offs about other characters from the original series, and I'm sure many of my fellow Potter fans will agree with that sentiment. In a way, though, I think I understand why Rowling didn't include all of the characters in the play - one, the stage would be horrifically overcrowded and the plot was too convoluted, and two, this way it allows the fans to continue to develop their own theories and ideas about the characters without too much being set in stone.
Overall, I enjoyed this story as a continuation to the Potter series. It wasn't perfect, of course, but I'm such a die-hard fan that almost nothing could be enough for me.
4/5 stars!
