Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - book review

Book rating: ★★★★☆

Just as we were coming to accept the fact that the journey of Harry Potter had come to an end with his son starting off at Hogwarts and that “All was (finally) well”, J.K. Rowling came up with another mind-blowing prophecy which was brought out in the form of a two-part stage play, “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child”.

The script of this play, the first new Wizarding World story in almost a decade, was written by Jack Thorne, J.K. Rowling and John Tiffany and was published as the official eighth Harry Potter story.
           

The seven books by J.K. Rowling about Harry and his world have kept people of all ages mesmerized. In 1997, Rowling opened the doors to the Wizarding World, when she first introduced Harry to the muggle world.
           

            This story is different than the rest of the seven books, firstly because it is in a form of a stage play and published in the form of a script. And secondly, being a stage play script, the book lacks the essence of Rowling’s writing.
           

The story talks about Harry and his struggle with his past that refuses to stay where it belongs, while his youngest son, Albus, struggles with a family legacy he did not ask for. It picks up the story exactly from where the seventh book left it, nineteen years after Voldemort’s defeat, with Hermione Granger as the Minister for Magic, married to Ron Weasley, who manages Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes, with two children, Rose and Hugo. Then, there’s Harry Potter, the Head of Magical Law Enforcement, married to Ginny Weasley with three children, James Sirius, Albus Severus and Lily Luna.
           

The story majorly revolves around Harry and Ginny’s youngest son, Albus Severus. Albus struggles a lot in school as he seems to be a disappointment in not meeting up to the expectations placed on him as Harry Potter’s son. His father’s reputation proves to be a burden in a world where Albus is trying to find a way on his own as he is nowhere near similar to his father, who was, in contrast to Albus, exceptionally good at basic spells and Quidditch. The growing distance between Harry and Albus results in the twists and turns that have the dangerous potential to change the whole of the wizarding history.
           

For us, the factor that distinguishes this Potter book from the rest of the seven is that it does not concentrate on Magic or the Wizarding World as much as it lays emphasis on the relationships between its characters. It mainly highlights the father-son relationship between Harry and Albus. At one end, we have Harry, who is shown to have unintentionally neglected his son; and Albus who has developed a hatred toward his father and everyone else comparing him with his father. Then there is the relation between Draco Malfoy and his son, Scorpius Malfoy. Scorpius is a child who lacks the love of a mother, and has a difficult time at Hogwarts because of the constant rumours of him being the son of Voldemort. Scorpius and Albus become the best of friends, being sorted into the same house, Slytherin. The fact has been surprising for most Potterheads, considering the staunch rivalry and persistent hatred between the boys’ fathers, Harry and Draco.
           

One aspect that we thoroughly enjoyed, is reading the various alternative ways in which the events in the Wizarding world could have affected the story and the characters. The book not only provides a more realistic view on Harry but also shows his side of life that was never seen before, showing Harry to have a human side to him as he struggles his way across parenthood facing his past that comes back to haunt him. He has to be there for his son who carries a family curse and relive certain horrifying events, unable to control anything. Does Harry battle his past and come out victorious? Do Harry and Albus ever reconcile? Do Scorpius and Albus remain best friends? And is there a return of He Who Must Not Be Named? The only way to find out— READ THE BOOK!!!

-Tanisha Rathi and Anuja Tilak