Harry Potter and The Cursed Child by J.K. Rowling, John Tiffany, and Jack Thorne

I was as excited as most Harry Potter fans when the play was announced, and was thrilled when I was finally able to get my hands on a copy of the script-turned-book. It was wonderful being able to revisit the amazing world J.K. Rowling had created for all of us, and to be able to read about Harry, Hermione, Ron, Ginny, and Draco in their new rolls as adults in the wizarding community, as well as the dynamics between their children, namely Albus and Scorpius, sons of Harry and Draco respectively.

The story opens on a well beloved scene, the farewell at Platform 9 3/4, which was oozing nostalgia, with Harry quoting Mrs. Weasley's exact words to him before his first year. Then Albus Potter and Rose Granger-Weasley, daughter of Hermione and Ron, board the train. Rose is immediately concerned with making the most of her fame, and is annoyed when her cousin deigns to sit with Scorpius Malfoy. Not only does Scorpius have the weight of the Malfoy name on his shoulders, but it is widely speculated that he is not the son of Draco after all, but rather, that his mother had been impregnated by Voldemort himself, by means of a Time-Turner. Rose refuses to associate with Scorpius at all, but Albus becomes immediate friends with him.

Both boys are sorted into Slytherin upon their arrival at Hogwarts, and Rose into Gryffindor, a fact that I find ridiculous, as she is the most ambitious of the three of them. Scorpius would have fit well in Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, or Ravenclaw, as throughout the book he is shown to be selfless, brave, loyal, and an absolute nerd. In fact, cunning and ambition seem to be the only qualities he does not possess. As far as I've noticed, Albus doesn't seem to have an abundance of any one of the defining qualities of any house, but he's reckless and clever and spontaneous.

The first half of the book goes quickly, focusing on one event per year, until Fourth Year. At this point, neither of the boys seem to have a very good home-life. To follow the popular theme of HP fanfiction of this second-generation, the sins of the fathers haunt the sons. Albus and Scorpius end up thrown in with Delphi, an intriguing witch in her twenties (who seems to be a poor imitation of Tonks at first glance), and together they do all sorts of illegal, exciting, idiotic things.

This results in the boys creating an alternate timeline in which Ron and Hermione never married, and Albus is in Gryffindor. Albus realizes that his problems with his father are deeper than he thought, and they go back to change the past again. This time, they find a timeline where Cedric Diggory became a Death Eater, causing Voldermort to win, Harry to die, and Umbridge to become headmaster. *Shudders in horror*

Of course, since Harry never survived his teen years, Albus no longer exists. Scorpius is on his own now, in this terrifying other world. But, he receives help from a well beloved character, who fans will be devastated to watch die (again). 

Eventually, time gets straightened out, and there is a Happy Ever After (obviously).

Although I loved it, this book fell short in many areas for me. I understand that it's due to the fact that it is a play, and they can't fit every thing in, but there were some obvious presences missing. Teddy Lupin seems to be nonexistent, along with all of the Weasley cousins. James Sirius and Lily Luna, as well as Hugo Granger-Weasley only make momentary appearances. Other beloved characters who were altogether excluded from this story include Luna Scamander (Lovegood), Seamus Finnigan, Dean Thomas, and Neville's wife (who is mentioned only once and it was so random, that I had to go back and make sure she hadn't been mentioned before). I also would've liked to see what else has changed at Hogwarts since the war. Are Muggleborns more or less common? Are there fewer stipulations on muggle technology? Who are the heads of the houses now? No one knows... except J.K. I suppose.

The writing it's self was pretty good. Since it's basically a script, its really only dialogue. I don't have much to say about how it was written. You can tell it was J.K.R., but you can see the influences of Tiffany and Thorne. I really appreciated the acknowledgement of Dumbledore's flaws. I've always felt he was unfairly hailed as a saint. I also liked how similar Scorpius was to his father in the first few books. If you've only watched the movies, you wont recognize this, but if you've read the books, you'll probably be able to see what similar personalities Draco and Scorpius have.

In my opinion, the highlights are definitely being able to see our favorite characters in their adult lives. We get to read about teacher!Hermione, rebel!Hermione, and minister of magic!Hermione, each equally glorious. We're told about Draco's relationship with his wife Astoria, and how much they truly loved each other (thank Godric!). We get teased with the notion of Ron's mysterious son Panju. We get to watch the brilliant dynamics that Hermione and Ginny have with Draco. And, of course, we have to endure Harry's difficulty with fatherhood.

I don't want to rant too much about that last one, but let me just say I do not agree. And don't get me started on the 'villain'.

My absolute favorite things about this story were, however:

1. McGonagall is put in possession of The Marauders Map
2. Albus is a Slytherin
3. Scorpius Malfoy. (really, he alone is enough reason to read this book)

Altogether, The Cursed Child is very good. I was disappointed in some areas, but others far exceeded my expectations. I cried hideously through six scenes, which is a quality I always look for in books. I would highly recommend all HP lovers to read it.