Harry Potter & the Cursed Child (Book Review)

Hi everyone! 

My first book review, enjoy! Definitely not the last.

Harry Potter & the Cursed Child Book Review

This is a story written by J.K. Rowling, John Tiffany & Jack Thorne. 

Based on the screenplay i.e. official script of the West End Production, it was first first previewed on 7 June, 2016 and it is truly impressive at how no spoilers managed to leak it's way onto the internet.

This is a Spoiler free review by the way.

I can describe this book as many words, so many that I googled "amazing synonyms" and came up with 

astonishing, astounding, surprising, bewildering, stunning, staggering, shocking, startling,
stupefying, breathtaking, perplexing, confounding, dismaying, disconcerting, shattering;
awesome, aweinspiring, sensational, remarkable, spectacular, stupendous, 
phenomenal,prodigious, extraordinary, incredible, unbelievable; wonderful, marvellous; thrilling,exciting; informalmind-blowing, flabbergasting, supercalifragilisticexpialidocious,amazeballs; literarywondrous; raredumbfounding

It was also emotional and literally all these synonyms are applicable.


poignant, moving, touching, affecting, powerful, stirring, emotive, heart-rending,heartbreaking, heart-warming, soul-tirring, uplifting, impassioned, dramatic; harrowing,tragic, haunting, pathetic; sentimental, over-sentimental, mawkish, cloying, sugary,syrupy, saccharine, lachrymose; informaltear-jerking, soppy, mushy, schmaltzy,weepy, cutesy, lovey-dovey, gooey, drippy; informalcornball, sappy, hokey, three-hanky

Nine years after writing Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows, J.K. Rowling is back with the Harry Potter character and the writing in the script is as haunting and stunning as ever and even more so. The plot twists at the end of Act 2 and in Act 3 & 4, were jaw dropping at how well they were done and at how well they ultimately fit the story to a stage.

To begin with, because this is a script of stage production, the "book" is divided up into four acts, Part one, Act one & two, Part two, Act three and four. And each Act has many gorgeously described scenes.
Act one - 19 scenes.
Act two - 20 scenes.
Act three - 21 scenes.
Act four - 15 scenes.

I will admit I have never sat through a stage production, but reading this book has made me unbelievably excited to see it live. Seeing that I'm from Trinidad and Tobago, makes seeing it live slightly problematic, we'll have to work that out in the future, in addition keeping an eye on how long it's going to be shown for on the stage. 

The connection of this story to the original seven books was impressively done, and since this is a magical world we're talking about, anything is possible, anything!

This book sucked me in and I blew it away in about two and a half hours, it was that good! Can I get a Harry Potter 9 and 10? Pretty please J.K. Rowling?

Act one starts off slowly, introducing the new character of Albus Severus Potter and the trials and tribulations of being the son of Harry Potter, the chosen one. It is soon revealed that a powerful piece of magic, long since thought to have been destroyed still exists in Albus's world. This, amazingly is used as the primary plot device as it is linked to everything, and causes everything, and ultimately fixes everything. Cryptic? Yes, I know, I also said that this is a spoiler free review. :-)

Act two picks up speed after an amazing end to Act one, and sets up effortlessly Act's three and four. This is where connections are made to the original story and intriguingly, just knowing that particular people are cast to play a certain person or that a certain person pops up in Act 2 are spoilers. It's surprising how little I can gushingly say about this book without giving away anything, other than it was a page turner (I read it on my Kindle by the way). The end of Act two leaves audiences in bewilderment, as it is meant for the play to be show over two evenings, and it is a perfect cliff-hanger to leave spectators and readers alike captivated and want to know more.

Starting Act three, I knew I had to finish the book last night in one reading and I was fascinated by every page at how quickly the story was progressing. Act three was the defining moment of the story for me and I was breathless in anticipation over the unfolding drama. Lies, deception, long-dead characters, gasp! 

Act four, why did it have to end? We could've gotten another 7 books! Why?? The conclusion to this story was epic in scale and at the same time the minute attention to every detail, was wow! We learn who is actually the Cursed Child at the start of Act 4 and boy, was I wrong in my guesses during Act 1 and 2, so very wrong. 

A few things I will leave the reader with
1) Not every thing that the reader encounters in the book is critical to the overall story, but it's the things that are least expected.
2) This is a story that will touch the hearts of all fans, young and old, the first generation 19 years ago with Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone and all the successive generations of fans since.
3) I give the book 6 stars out of five, it was that good.
3) Love blinds us... 

I also wait in anticipation of the movie which surely has to come out in a few years after Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them trilogy is done and dusted.

Omigosh... 

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