Harry Potter and the Cursed Child was released back in 2016. I have been meaning to read it for years. I had heard some mixed reviews about this book and didn’t want to ruin in any way my love for the original books and movies. The script of this play was published, in the form of a book. I found the kindle version a few weeks back and thought it was a good time to start reading it.
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child mainly follows Harry’s young son Albus as he goes to Hogwarts. He is sorted into Slytherin and befriends Scorpius Malfoy. Albus is not very happy at Hogwarts and feels the weight of Harry’s legacy. He is tense and feels misunderstood. Harry doesn’t approve of Albus’s friendship with Scorpius as there are rumors about him being Voldemort’s child. Meanwhile, Harry Potter now works at the Ministry of Magic and has to live with his past and its guilt.
The story begins to gain pace when Amos Diggory, visits Harry’s home. Cedric Diggory, Amos’s son was killed by Voldemort because he was with Harry during the Tri-wizard tournament. There is a rumor that the Ministry of Magic has acquired a time-turner that Amos wants Harry to use to save Cedric. He plays on the guilt Harry already feels about Cedric’s death. Harry refuses to validate this rumor. Albus overhears them.
When Albus is leaving for Hogwarts, Harry and Albus get into a big argument and say things in the heat of the moment. Albus runs out of the room. Harry starts having bad dreams soon, and his scar aches. It makes him very restless and worried. Albus and Scorpius dig for information about the time-turner and decide to use it to save Cedric. Inadvertently, changing history.
The play is full of magic and adventure that we associate with the Harry Potter series. There is time travel, and we get to see different alternates to the story we know. Albus and Scorpius have a great friendship even though their parents don’t approve of it. They trust each other. Their actions seem careless but, they are just kids and, they think they are doing the right thing. Harry, Hermoine, and Ron are grown-ups. Their characters have different issues now. It was since getting to know these versions of them.
Albus and Harry share a difficult relationship. Both of them end up miscommunicating with each other. It is realistic in a way, but, at times, can be frustrating because neither of them wants to listen to the other. Albus hates being compared to his father and the weight that Harry’s legacy carries. Being sorted into Slytherin makes him feel alienated from the rest of his family. The themes of friendship, betrayal, trust, and family are at the center of this play which is reminiscent of the world that is already familiar to us.
I think this book as a standalone is pretty good. If compared to the original seven books, it falls a little short but, it is still a good book overall. It is a new adventurous story in a world we already know; some characters we already know so, it is interesting. I enjoyed reading it.
*Get a copy by clicking on the book cover above.
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