Friday, August 19, 2016

Review: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

Book: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
Author: J.K. Rowling, John Tiffany & Jack Thorne
Series: Harry Potter #8
Genre: fantasy
Publisher: Arthur A. Levine Books
Pages: 328
Release: July 31st, 2016



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.





I began reading this book without many expectations. Though it wasn't as epic as the original Harry Potter series, this book did not disappoint!

This book picks up literally off the very last lines of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. We begin right off with Albus Severus Potter's departure to his first year at Hogwarts, as he voice his concerns about ending up in Slytherin to Harry. From there, the story takes us through the years, alternating between Albus' storyline and Harry's.

I unfortunately can't go too much into detail without giving spoilers, so aspects of this review may be a bit vague. However, there will be a spoilery part somewhere in the middle of my review, but I'll give you tons of warning before hand so you can skip it if you haven't read it yet!

Albus was such a neat character. It goes without saying that Harry casts a very large shadow over his son. Albus was trying his best to either live up to his father's legacy, or to find a way to escape it. However, it becomes abundantly clear within the first few pages that Albus is very different from Harry when he was Albus' age. I felt like I was experiencing the same shock as the rest of the characters were with Albus, but immediately wanted to kick myself for assuming--for expecting--Albus to be like Harry. Albus' main struggle was trying to prove to others that he wasn't his father, that he was his own person, with his own goals, friends, struggles, and triumphs. And when you think about it, being Harry Potter's son, the pressure would definitely be high. I can't imagine how hard it was for Albus, and completely understand why he would come to resent Harry.



Albus: [...] Everyone talks about all the brave things Dad did. But he made some mistakes too. Some big misacts, in fact. I want to set one of those mistakes right.



My favourite character of this book was Scorpios. I mean, how could I not love Scorpios? He was friendly, funny, intelligent, awkward, and so very different from what you would except a Malfoy to be. Like Albus, Scorpios was living with the Malfoy name branded on his back. As if the Malfoy name wasn't bad enough, the rumours that he was actually Voldemort's child only made it worse, causing further distance between him and others. But Scorpios didn't let that get him down, and in a way, made his character that much more sadder. He always remain his cheerful self, seemingly unaffected by other's words, to prove to the rest that he was different from what people expected him to be.




Scorpius: The what? The where? Look, I am as excited as you are to be a rebel for the first time in my life--yay--train roof--fun--but now--oh.



Albus and Scorpios' friendship was absolutely priceless. The duo's relationship to one another was the best thing about the book: Albus' brash and moody personality was offset perfectly with Scorpios' bright and logical personality. They are both outcasts: both bear the weight of their fathers' names on their backs, and both are the polar opposites of who society expected them to be. It's because of this that those two bonded so closely, that they were able to help each other through hard times. Even when world turned against them, they always had each other. You really got to see the extent of their relationship when they were apart, and how hard it was for both of them. Their friendship is something that I sincerely hope grows into something more, because to be honest, they are adorable together. Surely I'm not the only one who ships them together?




Scorpius: There's nothing. Still, if I had to choose a companion to be at the return of eternal darkness with, I'd choose you.



It was really nice to see some old characters again! Obviously we see Harry, Ron, and Hermione, but we also got Professor McGonagall, Draco, Hagrid, even Dumbledore (as a portrait self). And even more of a surprise were a few other familiar characters, whose names are spoilers, so I won't say. But let's just say that I was more than satisfied with the reappearance of specific characters!

This book really examined what it meant to have a proper relationship between father and son. Both Harry and Albus felt lost, unsure how to act or feel towards one another. Harry wanted desperately to protect Albus, resorting to some extreme measures (which sometimes infuriated me), while Albus didn't want anything to have to do with his father. Neither of the two wanted to embarrass the other, which often led to both not knowing what to do to mend their deteriorating relationship. But they both learned acceptance of one another, which ultimately strengthened their bond further.

I didn't every imagine I would come to like Draco as a father figure as much as I did. I began the story with a set picture of Draco in mind: stern, a bit cold, a grim father, but still loving in his own, slightly harsh way. My enjoyment of Draco was propelled by his reactions to Scorpios' cheerful remarks. We never saw Draco's reaction to kindness in the original Harry Potter series, so seeing him react to Scorpios' love for him was definitely a treat. I mean, who knew that Draco would turn out to be so endearing as a father figure?




Draco: I'm not here to antagonize you. But my son is in tears and I am his father and so I am here to ask why you would keep apart two good friends.



A large part of this story was based around a particular magical item, resulting in some absolutely fascinating outcomes. I never imagined this book would centre around that particular item, and it really brought the story to such vivid imagination, solidifying the endless possibilities in the wizarding world. Albus and Scorpios' interactions with it were both familiar and new, brooding our understanding of a concept we already were familiar with from the original Harry Potter series. Though there were some unanswered questions about just how said item worked, it really took my knowledge to a whole new level!

I was concerned there would be no clear antagonist in the story, but I was wrong. And with all the issues going on between Harry and Albus, it really added a complexity to the bad guy, one that made me truly sympathize. Given the short length of the story, there wasn't much time to really get to know the antagonist, but as a result, it really let your imagination take over and visualize all the unanswered questions. What little backstory we get is enough to point you in the right direction of the antagonist's motivation, even if it isn't explicitly said. 

And now, because I am a true Potterhead and I can't ignore the things that happened in the story, the next portion will be spoilery. I'm sorry! But just skip down to the end of the asterisks. I promise it won't be took long. 

Ready? SPOILERS AHEAD, PLEASE SKIP DOWN TO THE END OF THE ASTERISKS.



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Last chance to leave before the spoilers start! Starting in 3...2...1...

OH MY GOD SNAPE. He was back. He was back! He was back and then he died and I WAS NOT OKAY. *sobs.* Snape was one of my favourite characters. He was so misunderstood, and was a good guy who lost the love of his life and continued to sacrifice everything for Lily's son, including his life. He didn't deserve to die in The Deathly Hallows. So when he reappeared in the alternate world after Albus and Scorpios humiliated Cedric, I was ecstatic. Snape was back, in all his dark and pensive glory. AND THEN. AND THEN. HE DIED. Trying to protect Scorpios. Sending Scorpios off with his Patronus, leaving Snape defenceless against the dementors. Whoever says Snape isn't a hero is wrong. Snape died a hero. No matter what reality, Snape is always a hero.

I didn't see Delphi's betrayal coming, nor her true heritage. I generally believed she was Cedric's cousin. Everything matched up perfectly, from Amos blaming Harry for Cedric's death, to Delphi's genuinely helping Albus with his spells, to her trying to convince Scorpius to seek out Albus after Harry bans the two from spending time together. I never imagined her as Voldemort's child. And to be honest...I can't really imagine Voldemort having a child. Nor Bellatrix. They just seemed too...evil. Too independent. But I won't argue with how or why it happened. Her reasons for wanting to bring Voldemort back is a sympathetic one; she just wants to know her father, a great wizard who was killed in the Battle of Hogwarts. However, I still have quite a lot of questions about her, like who brought her up and how she learned magic, but hopefully Rowling will shed a bit of light on it in the future!


Those alternate realities were quite a doozy, weren't they? First was Hermione and Ron not being married, and ultimately, the erased existence of Rose and Hugo (who never made an appearance?). The mean Hermione was both hilarious yet frightening to read about. When you think about it, she definitely could be a nightmare of a professor, always the smartest, and never letting anyone forget. And I can't say Ron with Padma is something I ship, either. Then we had the other reality, where Voldemort triumphs. Now that was terrifying. Umbridge back? Muggle-borns being tortured? Muggles being killed for sport, their deaths merely a side effect? And a cruel Scorpius? Horrifying. Horrifying, I say. Thank god they never came to pass. But in a way, it was definitely interesting to see what could have happened if we never had a happily-ever-after ending...



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All in all, I really enjoyed this. The story reads really fast, since it's a script. I feel like this story is more of an add-on to the original series; it's not long enough to have a solid plot nor go too into depth with the new characters. It's also rather family-orientated, dealing with the relationship between fathers and their children rather than wizarding lore, so I can see why some people may not like it as much. It enhances the story, but I don't think is essential for everyone to read. Kind of a nice-to-know, but not necessary. It didn't offer up any world-changing plot twists or anything, and it's kind of separate from the original series with so many differences. 

But regardless, I'm really curious to know how they did all the special effects on stage. How do they cast spells? How do they account for the moving staircases of Hogwarts? What about the lake setting, or the top of Hogwarts Express? I really want to go see the play to get all these mysteries solved! Like with the ending of The Deathly Hallows, I'm sad to see the final chapter of Harry Potter end. But fingers crossed the shows will eventually go international so all Harry Potter fans can have the opportunity to see the show, and let the magic live on a bit longer!




14 comments:

  1. I'm also curious about how they would bring the magic of wizarding world to the stage, but I guess they'll have plenty special effects for that? :D And ohhh that quotes of Draco is really adorable! I think he becomes a really amazing dad because he doesn't want his son to feel what he felt with his father? And I do think the friendship between Albus and Scorpius really adorable! Great review Erika!

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    1. Yeah! Plenty of special effects sounds about right. I've never seen a play with special effects other than just lighting and sound and moderately high-tech props, so I'd be really interested in seeing how it works on stage!

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  2. I have mixed feelings about the plot itself, but I would LOVE to see the play. I love the friendship between Albus and Scorpius too; I find it funny/adorable that Draco has a son with such a sense of humour and openness. Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Erika!

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    1. Scorpius and Draco are two completely polar opposites! I was really surprised to find how different they were, and in a way, I think it works nicely, since it brings the best out of both of them, with Draco wanting to be worth of his kind-hearted son, and Scorpius wanting to try to convince others his father isn't a bad person.

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  3. I know! Scorpius is the best character ever! He's sweet, loyal and basically gay for Albus ;) I thought the build up of their friendship was strong and inspiring, and I was looking forward to them coming out of the closet, but then the ending?! Scorpius loves Rose? How random! :(

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    1. Ehhh, I'm sure Scorpius in love with Rose is just a minor setback ;) I mean, Harry went through Cho before he finally ended up with Ginny, and Ron was with Lavender before getting together with Hermione. So who's to say Scorpius won't eventually get over Rose? :D

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  4. Most of the reviews I've been seeing for have been relatively negative, so I'm so glad that it lived up to your expectations and that you enjoyed it. :) Thanks for sharing and, as always, fabulous review! <3

    ~ Zoe @ Stories on Stage

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    1. Thank you so much! I've seen a lot of negative reviews too, and though I understand their points and do agree, they didn't really stand out to me when I read the book!

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  5. I read most of your review and I'll come back to it once I read HP, but your review made me even more hyped to start reading! Great review :)

    I've also nominated you for a tag if you have time to do it!

    http://lessrealitymorebooks.blogspot.ie/2016/08/pokemon-go-book-tag.html#more

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    1. Ah, thank you so much!
      Haha, no worries, come back when you've finished it :) Hopefully you'll enjoy it!

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  6. Thanks for the first positive review of The Cursed Child I've seen in a while! Definitely going to read it first chance I get :D

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    1. There's definitely been a lot of mixed reviews on this book, but I'm a firm believer of being honest, and I definitely enjoyed it. Hope you'll like it as much as I did! :)

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  7. I'm so glad to hear that you loved this one! I was highly anticipating it, while also being scared to read it. I read a few pages and it didn't have the same "Harry Potter-y" feel that I wanted, so I put it down for now. I hope to get back to it soon and I hope I like it as much as you did. Great review!

    Brittany @ Brittany's Book Rambles

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    1. Thank you! The book definitely was different, since it's a play. It took a bit of getting used to for me! But hopefully you'll be able to pick it up again one day and enjoy it then :)

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