Title: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
Author: Jack Thorne, J.K. Rowling
Publisher: Arthur A. Levine Books
Pub Date: July 31, 2016
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 309
Source: Purchased
Genre(s): YA, Fantasy, Plays
Rating: ★★★
[Goodreads] ● [Amazon]

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Synopsis from Goodreads:

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.

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My review:

“Those we love never truly leave us, Harry. There are things that death cannot touch.”

Let me tell you this: I could not get through the first 50 pages. I tried several times. I just couldn’t do it. There was no immediate sense of warmth and nostalgia. That inexplicable fuzzy feeling you typically experience when reading a Harry Potter book was missing, nowhere to be found. And like many others have already said, the script reads like fanfiction. The kind of fanfiction that isn’t very good. It simply lacks depth.

With all that being said, I was fortunate enough to see Harry Potter and the Cursed Child on Broadway a couple weeks ago… and wow, it was the best six hours of my life. Pure magic. Like, I don’t understand how they were able to do what they did on that stage. It was the most wonderful thing I’ve ever experienced. This is all important to mention because now that I’ve seen the script come to life, I can appreciate it for what it is: JUST A SCRIPT. There are lines and queues and descriptions, but you don’t really feel the emotion and depth of the story until you see it acted out on stage.

So, in conclusion, PLEASE GO SEE THE PLAY IF YOU HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO SO. IT IS MAGICAL.

P.S. I was finally able to read this in one sitting because memories of the play were still fresh in my mind. I thoroughly enjoyed this last attempt at reading it, haha.