Harry Potter and the Cursed Child – Book Review

Title: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

Author: John Tiffany, Jack Thorne, J.K. Rowling

Number of Pages: 309 pages

Publisher: Arthur A. Levine Books

Publication Date: July 31, 2016

Purchase: Thriftbooks//Amazon//Book Depository

My Rating: 3/5 stars

Synopsis from Goodreads:

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 Thoughts:

I bought a copy of this when it first came out so this is probably the oldest book on my TBR shelf. I was able to read part of it before I loaned it to my then best friend and of course, the friendship went sour and I never got it back which is really sad but it happens. My sister gave me her copy while visiting here and I am forever grateful that I was able to finish reading it.

I keep thinking, what the hell did I just read? I had already felt that way when I had first started reading this way back when it first came out.

I don’t mind reading plays, I love to in fact, this one just felt like it jumped all over the place without the proper indications. I had to reread parts because I found it confusing and trying to figure out how they got to the place that they did.

I love Scorpius and thought Albus was a bit of a jerk, but that would not be the word I would actually use. I felt like some of the main characters lost their personality or parts fell through the cracks which really sucked. I understand that they changed because they got older and the war, but I felt very let down with where they were at. The original characters felt dismissed in a way, they were acknowledged but not much care went into developing them much further.

I’m sorry, that big twist that was thrown in at the end came out of complete nowhere. I fully get that it’s based off an original story by Rowling, but how? Nothing in anything Harry Potter related indicated that it was a possibility and that’s one of my biggest issues.

I never tell people not to read a book; however, I don’t know if I would ever recommend this. I bet it’s fantastic as a play but as a book, it leaves little to be desired. At the same time, any Harry Potter fan will probably read this just to say they have.

Have you read this? If so, what were your thoughts?

What are you currently reading? Any recommendations?