It’s July 31, 2016. It seems like an ordinary day, but a Harry Potter fan would tell you that it is Harry’s 36th birthday and the release of "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child," the long awaited eighth book (screen play) in the series. I, like the thousands of other fans, bought the book the day it came out. I had originally pre-ordered the book, but I could not wait to read it and ended up cancelling my order with Amazon after I bought the book in person. I read the screen play in a few hours’ time, pausing for hours at a time to prolong the length of time it would take to read it; I wanted to savor this final piece of Harry Potter’s story. I disappointingly finished the screen play a little before midnight; I did not want it to end!
"Harry Potter and the Cursed Child" begins with the epilogue from "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows." Harry is sending his sons James Sirius and Albus Severus to Hogwarts. It is Albus’s first time and he was nervous about being sorted into Slytherin. Harry tries to alleviate his fears. When Albus boards the train, he meets his soon-to-be best friend, Scorpius Malfoy. The ironic Potter and Malfoy duo are the misfits of Slytherin and get into trouble when Albus tries to redeem himself in his father’s eyes using a time-turner. This only alienates the father and son more. Eventually everything is straightened out, after a long and difficult journey with surprising allies and enemies.
This eighth story in the Harry Potter series was phenomenal. I absolutely loved Scorpius Malfoy; he was easily my favorite character. I loved the storyline; it picked up where "Deathly Hallows" left off. The father-son relationship between Harry and Albus was at times frustrating and absolutely heartbreaking. I’m glad the two worked out some of their issues. The format of the story, the screenplay, took some getting used to, but by the second act I did not even notice it because I was so wrapped up in the story. There are some critics who complain about the format and that JKR is just using this book to get more money. What I found when I read this delightful and at times suspenseful story was a portal back to my childhood. I first read the series when I was 12. It took me a week to read all seven books! "The Cursed Child" brought back those warm and fuzzy feelings from the first time I read Harry Potter.
I give "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child" five out of five stars. The plot was unique, with surprising twists and turns. The familiar characters were just as I remembered them and the new characters were a delightful surprise. My only complaint is that I wish it was longer. Had this been written in a novel format, it would have been longer and the reader would be able to see inside the characters more. I recommend this book to all Harry Potter fans and anyone interested in this wonderful story about loyalty, friendship, and family.
