The second I got the news that there would be an eighth Harry Potter book I knew that I had to have it. And that I HAD to read it, of course. But it took me some time before I could make it; probably because I heard so many different things about it. Not every HP fan loved it; in fact, it seemed to polarize the Harry Potter fans. Well, guess I belong definitely to those fans who liked very much what they read in this script. Okay I had to get used to this script style and it took me a while to find my reading rhythm, but after that, it was actually pure fun.
Harry Potter And The Cursed Child
by J. K. RowlingHarry Potter Series #8
Publisher Little Brown Book UK on July 31, 2016
Genre Young Adult
Pages 343
Format Hardcover
Source Purchased
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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.
Story
Albus Severus Potter is not happy about being the son of the famous Harry Potter. And his relationship with the famous father isn´t the best either. The more Harry Potter tries to get to his son, the more Albus rejects him. And when the rumor says that a Time-Turner was found, Albus sees his chance to change something for the better. Unfortunately, not every change is really for the better. And so Albus and his father have to learn that the Dark sometimes comes from a totally unexpected place.
Style
This book is written in the style of a script. There isn´t much of a scene description here and the only thing that stands out is the dialogues. In them, the fun, the humor and the irony Hermione brings to life are well shown. The language is simple, a lot of magical things are part of the plot and of course, you will see some figures from the previous books. It was actually kind of amusing to read about Harry´s thoughts as a forty-year-old man who has a lot of work at the Ministry and who tries to be a good father to all of his three kids.
Characters
The author has made some changes when it comes to her main figures. During the ongoing story, you will see sides of them that weren´t shown in the previous books. Hermione and Ron as well as Draco change and it is kind of weird to see them acting together. But it is part of this book and it becomes quite clear, not only to the acting figures that the improper use of a Time-Turner does not come without side effects.
So don´t expect much depth in the figures. And for certain not that they are the same as you have them memorized. But still, some of them are lovely characters, and they all have one in common: the well- being of the children and the magic world.
Conclusion
Good, I would have loved a real Harry Potter novel way more, I admit that, but this was kind of fun to read for me too. So if you don´t mind reading in script style and that this book contains some scenes from the previous books, then you should definitely read it.
Happy reading
J.K. Rowling
J.K. Rowling is the author of the bestselling Harry Potter series of seven books, published between 1997 and 2007, which have sold over 450 million copies worldwide, are distributed in more than 200 territories, translated into 73 languages, and have been turned into eight blockbuster films. She has also written two small volumes, which appear as the titles of Harry´s schoolbooks within the novels. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them and Quidditch Through the Ages were published by Bloomsbury Children´s Books in March 2001 in aid of Comic Relief. In December 2008, The Tales of Beedle the Bard was published in aid of her Children´s charity Lumos and quickly became the fastest-selling book of the year.