Book Review: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

I am a huge Harry Potter fan, and stood in line at midnight many times for the release of the next book in the 2000s, although I was never the sort to stay up all night reading it and could have easily bought it at Target the next morning while running errands. That isn't as much fun, though. Standing in line at 11:35 pm and chatting it up with folks in costume makes a book release an event.

I felt a whiff of that excitement when I saw the new book, "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child", which bears JK Rowling's name and is most definitely based on her body of work, but is actually a play written by Jack Thorne.

Some are put off by the structure, as it is a screenplay, with little detail. At first, I didn't mind it at all. As time went on, I realized I didn't read this book in 24-48 hours like I did the series. While the sparse details and focus on dialogue of the screenplay format made it easier to move the plot, it didn't allow me to sink in and be absorbed in the story in a way that I couldn't put the book down.

That is not to say the story isn't compelling. It is, it really is, but perhaps only to a Harry Potter fan. If you haven't read another Harry Potter book, this one might not make any sense at all. For fans, it is a fun escape to see what might have been, and see some old friends. Although I have heard and agree the exclusion of Luna Lovegood was a disappointment.

The story, itself, is compelling and interesting, and leaves me wondering what will happen next every step (act) of the way. I don't know if I would buy another one (who am I kidding, of course I would!) I also looked into what plane ticket to the UK would cost, just for the chance to see this play on stage.