Book Shelf: (Spoiler Free) Thoughts on "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child"

As a long time Harry Potter fan (the youngest of three, I grew up with a love for the stories that was passed along from my older brothers, so I've literally always loved Harry and the gang) I was ecstatic to hear about Harry Potter and the Cursed Child--along with more than a little bummed that I don't live in London to see it live on stage. Another look into the Harry Potter universe? Getting to see the characters I love nineteen years later? Getting to know the next generation? Sign me up! Like so many Potter fans, I preordered the book on Amazon as soon as I could, and when it finally arrived at my doorstep I read all 308 pages in just a few hours.

There's a lot of controversy over the latest piece of the puzzle JK Rowling created so long ago, and I think that some readers had no idea that the story is in fact a script. It's the script that is being brought to life on stage in London, meaning that it is not a book. I know, that's such a basic fact, but I know there are people out there who looked over that detail in the release statements. So that's the first thing I want to say. 

The book is, of course, a great piece of fiction. It's engaging, thrilling, and absolutely entertaining. Once again, I was swept into the magical world that I've loved for so long. HOWEVER, it is not, in my eyes, the eight Harry Potter book. It's a companion story, an adaptation for a stage like the stories proceeding it were adapted for the screen. I love it like I love the movies: it takes me into that world, it gives me another glimpse into the story, but it doesn't necessarily follow every rule and guideline that JKR set for herself when writing the original seven. Things were slightly different, details were a bit off, but it was enjoyable all the same. I was on my toes the entire time, immersed in the story completely. I don't regret reading the script at all, and I can just hope that the production comes to Broadway in the future so I can see it live.

Regarding all of the comments that I have been seeing that say that it feels like a fanfiction, well, I can't totally disagree. It kind of does. But I think that it is due to a combination of the fact that it doesn't follow all of the specific details and guidelines JKR used previously (like I said before) and that this is the first "official" detailed look at what the future brought for these characters, so it's bound to feel like a fanfiction because it's not the same storyline that took seven books to arch and finish. 

All in all, I do recommend reading: just don't think of it as the eighth book, more like the script for the ninth movie. And remember that it's a script. ;)