Book Review: The Cursed Child

Title: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

Authors: J. K Rowling, John Tiffany and Jack Thorne

Genre: Fantasy, Drama

Series: The Harry Potter Series #8

Setting: Wizarding World (Britain)

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Note: This review may contain spoilers

Summary:

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.

I’ll admit I didn’t take part in the hype at all. I didn’t buy the book either. For some reason, I had my reservations as this isn’t 100% Rowling and I found that I was perfectly justified after reading the eighth instalment in the Harry Potter series.

I’ll start off with the things I liked. I loved the fact that this was an emotional roller-coaster. The relationship and tension between Harry and Albus is beautifully brought out. The friendship between Albus and Scorpius is heart-warming. I enjoyed watching adult Harry and Hermione settle into their roles in the Ministry. Draco did a very good job of playing the protective father. There are scenes that moved me almost to tears – one between Harry and Albus Dumbledore, and the other between Harry and Albus Potter towards the end.

Then there are the many negatives. I didn’t like the idea of Time-Turners at all. In the canon, all of them were destroyed, yet here they appear (not one, but two) with a new set of rules. Ron had almost no role to play and I was really disappointed because I was looking forward to some more classic Harry, Ron and Hermione moments. I couldn’t accept the parentage of Delphi at all. It seems too far-fetched to me. It reads almost like fan-fiction, which is even more of a let-down because I have read better ones on the Internet.

I love the wizarding world and never miss a chance to return to it time and again. I truly admire J. K. Rowling as a writer. I’m sure that this is exactly the kind of series I would use to introduce my future children to reading. The Cursed Child has a great ensemble of characters and hits the right emotional notes. I’m sure that seeing it live in the theatre would be an unparalleled experience. However, I couldn’t care for the plot, which is why I’m left wondering if marketing this as the eighth instalment in such a brilliant series was a good idea.

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Have you read the book or are you likely to read it in the future? What are your thoughts on it? Do you agree or disagree with the review? Let me know in the comments section. Also, you can connect with me on Goodreads here.

Aside: Today is Teacher’s Day in my country, so I’d like to thank all the teachers in my life who have taught me everything I know and everything else that I’m yet to understand. Special thanks to my school English teachers without whom this blog would never be.