Inner Mind Geekness || Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Review

Initial Thoughts:

I will say this: I cannot WAIT for all the fan fiction that’s going to result in this book. And honestly, I’m pretty damn sure there already WAS fan fiction regarding a few characters ever since the epilogue in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

HARRY POTTER AND THE CURSED CHILD

by J.K. Rowling, John Tiffany, Jack Thorne
Little Brown Books, July 2016
Children’s fantasy
Rated: 4 / 5 cookies

Based on an original new story by J.K. Rowling, Jack Thorne and John Tiffany, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, a new play by Jack Thorne, is the first official Harry Potter story to be presented on stage. It will receive its world premiere in London’s West End on 30th July 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 feelings when this book was announced as the “eighth Harry Potter book” was lukewarm at best. I mean, yes, I still added it to my TBR, and I was excited that there’d be more story in the HP world, but a play about Harry and his friends during their 30s? I wasn’t sure how to feel about it. But the anticipation started coming closer and closer, and by the time I finally got myself a copy (and attended a few of the launch parties littering the city–and I mean, egads, there are a LOT of HP fans out there who came to celebrate), I knew I was going to have to read the book ASAP. And discuss it with the numerous HP friends I’ve made over the years.

And boy, was it great to get back into the wizarding world. In fact, the whole book (which is in a screenplay format) made me want to re-read the first seven all over again, because The Cursed Child was just NOT ENOUGH OMG. I wanted more. MORE I TELL YOU. I wanted more Scorpius. I wanted more of the trio. I wanted more McGonagall and Albus and Hermione Badass Granger. Lawd, I just wanted more. Most of all, I really want to see this play live. Because omg it sounds amazing.

So this review isn’t going to be like my  normal reviews, only because I don’t want to dwell on super-spoilery things. It is, after all, a screenplay worth watching on stage. Below is pretty much just my inner mind commentary for when I was reading the book.

Inner Mind Geekness

• We didn’t actually get confirmation at the epilogue about which house Albus Severus Potter gets into. I wonder which house he will get into…and I do hope it’s not Gryffindor… (that would make things boooooring).
• OMG. THE FANFICTION THAT WILL BE WRITTEN. THE BROMANCING. #SNOWBAZFOREVER
• “He dials 62442.” You’d think after all this time, with the whole “Magic is Might” Ministry breach thing during the Battle of Hogwarts, that they’d have changed the code to get inside. (Yes, it’s the same damn number. I’d know this because I’m a friggin’ nerd?)
• Though I suppose a lot of things that get mentioned is due to an homage to the original seven books. And some of it is really taking me down Nostalgia Central.
• I love Scorpius.
• Holy shit. The grownup witches and wizards are even more intense now with their problems.
• *sing-song “The Schuyler Sisters” melody from Hamilton* Hermione….Ron Weasley….and Draco. The…Potter friendsies?
• Are they ever going to mention Teddy? Or…er…no?
• Every time Bane’s name shows up I hear his dialogue in Tom Hardy’s voice. No, seriously, I hear him as The Dark Knight Rises Bane.
• Harry, you can’t stop the rhythm of two hearts in love. (I’m totally not borrowing this from Hairspray…nope…)
• OH GOD, YOU TWO. JUST SNOG AND HUG IT OUT. #SNOWBAZFOREVER
• I frelling LOVE Scorpius.
• Act Two, Scene 19: The many euphemisms in this scene just destroyed my brain.
• FOR V AND VALOR. (Totally Pokemon-related as well.)
• Okay, can we just talk about how badass Hermione was in the original series? Well, she’s even MORE BADASS in her 30s.
• Did I mention how much I LOVE Scorpius?
• Ugh. I just WATCHED characters die in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 the other day. Now my emotions are getting hurled all over the place again!
• Er…things get all wibbly wobbly timey wimey nonsense on me. Not sure how I feel about that as the main premise.
• I LOVE SCORPIUS SO MUCH.
• And on another note, honestly, who the hell wants to sex Moldy Voldy anyway? (Don’t ask why THIS particular thought even came up…)
• Ugh. What? Slight copout there, JKR. All that buildup and then….fwoosh. Something else happens. Sigh. #SNOWBAZFOREVER

So okay. It wasn’t my favorite story of the HP world, but honestly, it was still fabulous in its own way. Now excuse me while I scour the Internetz for some lovely slash fanfiction. Hem hem.

4 out of 5 cookies!