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

Rating: ★★★★★

I cannot believe that I just read a brand new Harry Potter book. I repeat I CANNOT BELIEVE I JUST FINISHED A BRAND NEW HARRY POTTER BOOK. It never crossed my mind in the years that follow since the books and movies have ended that I would find myself reading more adventures about Harry and the gang again particularly after Deathly Hallows. I worshiped the films as a child, I saw the 1st movie twice in the same day of its released and I played all the video games, dressed up like Harry for Halloween, except participate in the midnight release parties because I never read the books until High School.

I wished my passion for reading would have started way sooner because I would have been the million of fans waiting in line in costume waiting for the final book to be released and be part of the conclusion of this beautiful story. Now that the play was being released I was able to participate in that chaos of waiting for the book as millions of fans got to reunite in a bookstore speculating what the play is going to be about and whether this will the end or the continuation of the franchise. 

More than a year ago when this play was announced I had no clue what the plot was going to be about because if you are one of the millions who have read Deathly Hallows, the ending is self-explanatory. I figured maybe it will be about Harry Potter as an adult kicking ass for the ministry of magic and trying to make the Wizarding world a better play but then the title was released and it became Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. The title alone speaks volumes and endless possibilities what the play was about and then I realized that the main focus is going to be about the kids and I was right.

In many ways Harry Potter and the Cursed Child has many implications in the play which I found fascinating because it implied many characters and their relationships to one another and I am glad that J.K. Rowling still has the magic touch even though she didn't write the play.

Before I begin writing about what the play is about I need to remind everyone before reading this book: HARRY POTTER AND THE CURSED CHILD IS A PLAY NOT A NOVEL. IT IS NOT A NOVEL SO DON'T HAVE FALSE HOPE WHEN READING IT! THIS IS NOT YOUR TYPICAL HARRY POTTER BOOK SO PLEASE ENTER THIS PLAY WITH FRESH EYES AND REALIZE THIS IS NOT A NOVEL IT IS A PLAY! I REPEAT IT IS A PLAY!!!! DO I NEED TO KEEP REPEATING MYSELF???

For the millions who have devour this play already, I've seen the reviews and for the most part they either loved it, liked it, or hated it which is perfectly fine. Not every book is going to be a blockbuster for others. But what I've noticed in many reviews from different people in the literary community, they leave out the fact that they went into this book expecting a novel and for many this is the first time reading a play so I can understand their frustrations but if you enter this play with fresh eyes and no expectations this could be a magical experience for you.

The play is divided into two parts with a total of 4 Acts. It begins immediately where Deathly Hallows ended which is Harry and the gang dropping off their kids for the first time on the express train to Hogwarts. We meet James, Lily, Rose Granger-Weasley, and the main character Albus Severus Potter. He is Harry's second child and he is scared up to his wits about Hogwarts because he has big shoes to fill being the son of Harry Potter.

Immediately I fell in love with Albus because he reminded me so much of his father and the stubborn-side of the Weasleys and his cousin Rose is almost an exact replica of Hermoine except the annoyance level reaches a new high. Immediately I wanted to smack her because she enters the train with this cocky attitude that because her family is famous she can use that to her advantage when picking friends that made me think of her as a mean girl.

We can tell that Albus does not like the pressure especially how his family wants to recreate the same experience as when they were children because it's impossible to live the life of your father especially since the circumstances that Harry never knew he was a wizard until he was 11. Somehow history repeats itself and Albus makes a new friend on the train which is Scorpius Malfoy. I can just see the reactions of fans all around the world saying WHAT? Draco and Harry were mortal enemies how can this happen? Well it did happen, it's awesome, and they are my new favorite characters and besides Scorpius is hilarious. We learn he's an outsider because of his last name but it doesn't matter to Albus; just because your last name belongs to a horrible family doesn't mean you are a horrible person.

We get to see them arrive at Hogwarts and the sorting hat ceremony commences and Albus greatest fear happens which is he gets sorted into Slytherin with Scorpius and everything goes downhill from that moment on as he fails at everything that his father succeeded in Hogwarts. Albus basically is fighting two major wars: the war of what people expect him to be as Harry Potter's son and fighting the ghost that you will never be as successful as your father and we see the dilemma hurting him as the years go by. 

Shifting now to Harry life and its interesting to see him as an adult working for the Ministry. He obviously misses the days of Hogwarts and I believe while he had horrible moments growing up I believe deep down everything was perfect and innocent before the Battle of Hogwarts and now we see that grief and guilt affecting him as a grown adult. He is finally a father which doesn't help because he has no experience on what it means to raise a child and teach them about life when your own parents were murdered and you had awful relatives who treated you like garbage.

One day while working on the job, Hermoine and Harry come into possession of a time-turner which supposedly were all destroyed and the difference with this particular time-turner is it can go back in time to days or even years compare to Hermoine's in Prisoner of Azkaban. It's absolutely dangerous and should be destroyed but Hermoine holds on to it. Already the wheels start spinning for me and by then the plot became predictable but I was still entertained. 

Somehow word gets spread around and one evening Amos Diggory (father of Cedric Diggory aka Robert Pattinson in the 4th movie) visits Harry asking if he can use the time-turning to rescue his son and Harry says no. Albus overhears the conversation and cannot believe that his father won't help Amos. Albus is outraged by it and not being in good terms with Harry pushes him over and he decides he's going to take matters into his own hands and will retrieve the time-turner and save Cedric during the Triwizard tournament. While he knows the basic story of what happen in the tournament, he won't realize the repercussions of his actions till it's too late and not even considering the possibility that he can bring back Voldemort.

This is where I leave off for those who haven't read the play. I haven't spoiled much of the plot and trust me there's so much action that you won't believe it! Plus you shouldn't be reading a review for a book that you haven't read yet but are going to. Now I am placing a warning because the rest of this review will be about my thoughts and beliefs about the play going forward. 

***WARNING SPOILER TERRITORY WARNING SPOILER TERRITORY***

This was a phenomenal play and I would love to see it in London because there were scenes like Albus and Scorpius jumping off the train, the time turner sequences, and trying to retrieve the time-turner that made perfect sense with CGI on film but on stage with a live audience that must be difficult and spellbinding at the same time if they did those scenes correctly.

I love this play and I cannot rave enough about it but if I am being completely honest: I wish this was a novel. In a play there is so much you can do with bringing characters together in scenes and I disliked how there wasn't enough scenes about Rose, Hugo, James and the other siblings. If this were written as a novel we would have gotten more action with these characters but because of time constraint and plot we got mini snippets with them and the main focus was Albus and Scorpius which makes sense since they are children of Draco and Harry. 

There were many scenes that needed explanation and in a novel J.K. Rowling could divulge plenty information about Hogwarts now, the characters, and the time-turner. Plus we got no scenes of Hagrid in the present tense which made me felt like he had died because he's not referenced except in scenes of Harry as a boy. But in the end I realize that J.K. Rowling didn't want to write a book because I know millions would automatically believe that she is setting everything up for HP Books 8-15. So by having this play acted out it leaves the readers to interpret the scenes and accept everything in face value until you see the play live in person.

Another major issue that I had in the book and I hope I wasn't alone was Albus and Scorpius relationship. These two characters reminded me a lot of Aristotle and Dante!! They way the communicated to each other, express their feelings, and how they bond it felt familiar to me and I was heartbroken when we finally reach the end and it all went to shit when Scorpius asked Rose out.

I do not know where I went wrong because 9/10 I am always right when it comes to gay romance in books and because they extremely similar to Aristotle and Dante I thought finally J.K. Rowling made a bold move and show gay romance in the Wizarding World. Some may say well Dumbledore is gay. Yea he is but it's not directly mentioned in the books and I guarantee you if someone had read just the books themselves without any outside knowledge they wouldn't have known that fact.

I felt like we got this organic relationship blossoming between these two characters and then rushing towards the end they try to make the friendship appear similar to Harry and Ron and ruined the moment. Harry and Ron are definitely straight based on the writing and the way they communicate to one another. But there were awkward scenes where Albus hugs Scorpius about 2-3 times throughout the play and they are long embraced hugs. There were countless homoerotic undertones that suggest they are a couple and if she decides to continue this series I hope this relationship is true and it's just a matter of Albus and Scorpius accepting their identity.

Now to one of my beliefs that has made people outraged. It is revealed Voldemort apparently has a daughter and the mother is Bellatrix Lestrange. The whole baby drama was being foreshadowed from the very beginning but with the wrong child. The character Delphi was extremely obvious she was a villain from the first moment we laid eyes on her. I do not believe she is Voldemort's daughter and here is my reasons why:

1. Voldemort thought he was going to successfully kill Harry Potter and therefore didn't need an offspring to avenge him. Plus if he had a child he would have that fear that the child would try to destroy him and that's a big no no for him.

2. Voldemort did not know the meaning of love. That was the whole point because he never felt genuine love and was never raised with compassion and empathy, he always felt like an outcast and went into a dark place where he made the sick connection that he can be powerful without human emotions and that's why he tried every possible course to remove all that is human about him including his name.

3. You do not have to be in love to have sex with people but regardless having sex with someone makes a connection whether you acknowledge or not. While I have no doubt that Bellatrix would gladly sleep with her master, I do not think Voldemort would be capable enough to sleep with anyone. He's crazy, angry, and lack all human emotions so he couldn't bond with someone sexually even if he wanted to. I could see if Voldemort had succeeded in killing Potter that he would help raise the child under his image as the first child under his new regime.

4. Plus I believe her real parents are Bellatrix and her husband. Her Husband was sent to Azkaban after the Battle of Hogwarts and I believe by having his child hidden from the world, he could teach her how to become powerful and try to resurrect the Dark Lord and what better way then telling her that Voldemort is her father and this made up prophecy.

5. From my understanding, all prophecies either end up being recorded and stored in the Ministry of Magic or a famous prophet like Trelawney (thanks to her ancestors) would have spoken about a prophecy years ago to Dumbledore or someone of high position so I believe the prophecy was made up by Delphi to cater to her own agenda. 
I was excited to see familiar faces again especially Snape and I wanted to tear up when he mentions how he took up the cause for Lily but along the way he found himself and love Harry Potter. Plus how he was proud that Harry named his second child as Albus Severus Potter after the two names of one of the respected and powerful wizards. Dumbledores scenes are still as powerful in the books and we got to see a vulnerable yet wise side of him even though he was a painting. It was intense between him and Harry and I love how in many ways he still helps Harry even though he is dead and his painting is speaking for him. I wanted to cry when Albus and Scorpius met Cedric during the maze and couldn't do nothing except watch him run to his death but at least he knew his father loved him.

Then the moment where the flood gates opened and couldn't hold it in which is Harry watching his parents being murdered and he couldn't do nothing about it. He had visions growing up of the murder but it's always been distorted and he only remembers his mothers screams and trying to protect him. But this time around he saw his father getting killed instantly and then his mother pleading for his life. We read those scenes countless before but when I was reading it I felt like I was part of the scene and got caught up in the moment and it felt real. I cannot describe the experience but I felt like my heart was being ripped out while reading and watching that scene being played out in my head. 

Harry and Albus are extremely similar and I believe that is part of the reason why it was difficult for both of them to bond because Harry saw himself in Albus and his son thought of Harry as the savior and not a human being. Living under your fathers or any parents light can be quite difficult when you want to stand out from the crowd and hearing all these tales of your father saving the day makes it seem that he is this perfect savior and that makes you more of a task and not a person and that really affected Albus and the way he approaches his father. The other issue is Harry wants Albus to experience everything that Harry missed out in his life like his parents, growing up not knowing he was a famous wizard, and growing up in a happy household that it backfired on Albus who knows everything about his family past. One quote that fits perfect with this is when Harry is speaking to Draco and says:

"Love blinds. We have both tried to give our sons, not what they needed, but what we needed. We've been so busy trying to rewrite our own pasts, we've blighted their present." 

Can I quickly mention how bad I want to see the scene on stage of Draco and Harry fighting each other in the kitchen? It reminded me of when they were kids and it brought back warm feelings in that intense moment until Ginny comes back. Also Hermoine as Ministry of Magic? CONGRATULATIONS GIRL! I see you moved up the ranks and I guarantee you she will be one of the best Ministers in history! Plus I love how when Albus and Scorpius was messing with time, she became essentially Snape (and Ron is Lily) and then a rebel warrior which was interesting how she survives any obstacle no matter how rough life gets for her. 

I had a marvelous time reading this play and I read it nonstop. I didn't want to take a moment to pause because I felt like I would miss an important detail. I usually tend to not reread books but once I finish reading the Harry Potter series again I will gladly read this play again to see if I retrieve something different that I didn't see the first time around.

Usually I write reviews right after I finish reading the book and yet with this play I wanted to take my time and throughly process everything. Rowling has announced that this is the end for Harry Potter and whether that is true or not I will never know until they make announcement for a brand new Harry Potter story whether it be a play, movie, tv show, or any other form of art that illustrates this magnificent world of magic and storytelling. This play was not enough to fill up my Harry Potter hunger but it's a milestone compare to the epilogue of Deathly Hallows. I feel like I am back at square one when it comes to Harry's future but I am grateful for this journey that J.K. Rowling has taken us on and being kind enough to publish the play for those who are unable to see the play in London.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Harry Potter, #2) by J.K. Rowling

Rating: ★★★★★

It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.

If I could make a statement to showcase how magnificent the Harry Potter series truly is I have to mention that Rowling has the magical ability to keep the reader entertained, knows how to recap the previous book so that way you don't forget important details, and making the reader feel like you are part of Harry's gang watching all the horror and mystery that surrounds his life and Hogwarts.

I was curious recently to discover which is considered the worst Harry Potter book from the fans and remarkably the overall answer was this book which makes no sense because you get to experience the magic of reading the first book again but it takes a darker turn as horrible events are happening all the time at Hogwarts. I can understand how it's a bit too predictable when it comes to the Chamber of Secrets and it doesn't help that the book cover gives it away but in the end I believe it's a marvelous book.

We begin the story with Harry Potter living with the Dursleys in the summer. They do not know that he can't use magic outside of school so they are careful with how to deal with Harry and they gave him a brand new room! Harry is a bit upset because he hasn't received any letters from his friends Ron and Hermoine and wonders if his experience at Hogwarts was a dream. He cannot send letters through Hedwig because Vernon has ordered the owl to stay locked in its cage at all times.

Later on you discover a new magical creature that is absolutely adorable but a pain in the neck at first named Dobby the House Elf. Dobby tells Harry Potter that he must not return back to Hogwarts because evil lurks at the school and his life is in danger. He refuses to answer anymore because as a house elf he's basically a slave and cannot disobey orders. Dobby makes the awful mistake of using magic to get the Dursleys angry with guest over and making it seem that Harry used magic and got a warning from the ministry of magic.

Uncle Vernon discovers that Harry can't use magic and decides that Harry will no longer be returning to Hogwarts and locks Harry bedroom door and window which sounds like the case of calling social services because it's illegal to keep a child as a prisoner. Luckily for Harry, Ron comes to rescue him in his fathers flying car with the help of George and Fred. Harry escapes Privet Drive and enjoys the rest of summer with the Weasleys.

Once they enter Hogwarts again it's pretty much the same plot as the previous novel with Quidditch, Malfoy acting as a little whiny bi%ch, the same magical courses as last year, and the lovely Professor Snape. We meet a new teacher named Gilderoy Lockhart who is the Defense of the Dark Arts teacher and a pain in the ass for everyone except for his adoring fans. While everything is working smoothly in Hogwarts, an evil lurks around that communicates to Harry and one horrible event leads the school into panic as the Chamber of Secrets has been open and there's a chance that Hogwarts could permanently be closed because of the Chamber of Secrets.

If you haven't read the book then I do not want to spoil the plot for you and even though it sounds like I've written a lot in actuality this is just the beginning of the story. I haven't seen the movie version in years but I believe the first two films stay faithful to the book material and then it goes downhill from there until the Deathly Hallows. 

What I love about the first two books is that in every chapter while it may seem tedious learning about daily life at Hogwarts every chapter fills us up with mystery, revelations, and tons of questions that somehow all get answered by the time we reach the ending and makes us ecstatic to read the next book in the series. For the fans who had to wait for years to read the next installment of Harry Potter, I have to commend you on your patience because I would have lost my sh@t if I had to wait 2-3 years for each installment after Prisoner of Azkaban. 

Hopefully I can finish the series before Harry Potter and the Cursed child is released so goodbye Chamber of Secrets and hello Prisoner of Azkaban...

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling

Rating: ★★★★★

I could never write a worthy review when it comes to Harry Potter and I am not going to even try especially with a series that has inspired children to read, films that has entertained us, and a whole fictional universe that continues to expand daily. I remember watching Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone in 1st grade and watching it twice in the same day and still captivated by the magic of it all. I remember my teacher trying to read the first book and never bothered to read past the first few chapters which is a shame because I know I would have enjoyed the book.

I hated reading as a child and in many ways I am grateful that J.K. Rowling is the reason why I started reading for pleasure. I grew up with the films and never bothered to read the books until 10th grade when they announced that the final book would be split into two films. I thought it was brilliant because I knew the ending was going to be action-packed and it was going to be impossible to put this epic series into one film unless it was going to be a 5-hour film. I remember that I had the first book so I decided to enter my garage and search for it and luckily I found it and decided to invest my time into the series.

Immediately I was addicted to this series within the first chapter because it felt like I was rewatching the film in my head and I believe that is the beauty of Harry Potter that regardless what art form you are using either way you are going to be entertained with the plot, characters, and the whole aspect of magic. Plus what I believe is brilliant about these books is that each chapter is at least 20 pages long so the reading pace is quick and encourages you to finish the book. Besides the final film, I believe the 2nd best adaptation of book-to-film is the Sorcerer's Stone.

I finished the first three books when I saw Deathly Hallows: Part 1 and I knew at that moment that I needed to know the ending before the final film was going to be released and it provided me the enthusiasm and passion to read each book in the series back-to-back. When I reached the final page of Deathly Hallows I could not believe that I finished Harry Potter. I went into a literary depression where for 3 straight months I was unable to read anything because when I read the first page my thoughts would scream, "THIS IS NOT HARRY POTTER STOP READING". I never thought it was possible but I believe books can change your life and I am certain that Harry Potter changed my life forever. It felt like the ending of my childhood and I do not take that statement lightly. I have been wanting to write a review but I believe I could only properly write a review unless I recently read the series and since the play is going to be published on Harry Potter's Birthday I decided to revisit the series.

For those who apparently live under a rock and never heard of Harry Potter let me gladly introduce this fantasy world to you. We are taken back to November 1st, 1981 in England where the Dursley's family is enjoying a normal weekday in the life of Muggles (Human Beings who are not magical). Vernon Dursley heads off to work and notices weird people in strange robes are roaming around the city, owls flying around in the daytime, and strange weather. Vernon ignores it at first until lunch time when he overhears one of these cloaked individuals gossiping about how "You Know Who" is dead thanks to the Potters especially Harry. 

Vernon goes into a panic because he believes they are talking about his sister-in-law's family and he knows thats a topic that shouldn't be discussed in front of his wife Petunia for you see his sister-in-law is a Witch. Later on that night as the Dursleys fell asleep, little did they know a big surprise would await at their front door in the morning. A cloaked bearded old man and cat magically turned into an old woman show up at the house in 4 Privet Drive and discuss about the facts of what happened on Halloween. 

An evil wizard named Voldemort has caused terror and panic in the world for years and he was becoming extremely powerful until on Halloween. He entered Godric's Hallow looking to kill Harry Potter and sadly met his death in the process because Harry Potter's mother, Lily, put a protection spell on Harry making it impossible for Voldemort to kill him and in return Harry has a permanent scar shaped as a lightning rod on his forehead. Harry Potter essentially becomes a famous icon in the Wizarding world and Dumbledore wants him to be protected and makes the decision that he is better off living with his muggle family.

The book shifts immediately t0 1991 and it is Dudley's birthday. We see quickly that the Dursleys mistreat Harry by making him live in the cupboard under the stairs, he barely gets any gifts, and Dudley is a spoiled fat brat. The Dursleys haven't told Harry that he is a wizard and avoids discussing anything related to his parents and how they died until one day a letter arrives to Harry. Vernon refuses to give Harry his letters and the mail pile keeps stacking to the point that the Dursleys rent a house in the middle of nowhere to avoid these letters. Luckily for Harry when he turns 11, this giant named Hagrid breaks down the front door and presents him his letter.

Hagrid is the gatekeeper at Hogwarts. He gets angry when he connects the dots and figures Harry is clueless about everything. He finally spills the beans and tells Harry that he is a wizard and he has been accepted to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Harry cannot believe that this real and learns how awful his family has truly become and the Dursleys refuses him to attend but they have no right when it comes to Harry following his destiny as a Wizard. The next morning Hagrid takes Harry to London where they enter a secret entrance that leads to Diagon Alley which is the shopping district for Wizards and helps Harry buy all his supplies with the massive fortune that his parents left behind for him. Once all that is settle and done Harry has the rest of the summer to enjoy his free time until September 1st which is the day he is supposed to take the train to Hogwarts.

September approaches and Uncle Vernon drops Harry at the train station and Harry enters a panic because he is trying to locate Platform 9 and three quarters and unsuccessfully cannot find it until he overhears this woman telling her kids to hurry up and learns that you have to run through a wall to enter the platform and Harry discovers the magnificent train that will take him to Hogwarts. While boarding the train, these twins from that same family help him with his luggage and they made the quick connection that Harry Potter is him thanks to his scar and the whole train loses their shit because he is the most famous wizard in the room.

To avoid anymore discussions, Harry enters one of the boarding rooms and makes friends with Ron Weasley who is the youngest brother out of the Weasley's to attend Hogwarts. Another passenger enters and her name is Hermoine Granger who actually has Muggle parents and later on Neville Longbottom who is this shy and nervous kid looking for his pet toad. While they are getting settled in their seats and what is to come here enters a character that Harry will despise for the rest of the series. Draco Malfoy. Harry Potter met him in the school uniform shop and dislikes Malfoy's attitude of superiority and opinions on topics that Harry is clueless about and knows that Draco is the wrong person to be friends with and that spark of hatred begins in the train and it will last for eternity.

Once they arrive Hogwarts everything becomes magical and unbelievable that this castle is a school.



Before the grand feast begins all first year students must be sorted into one of the four houses at Hogwarts:



Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. In order to get properly sorted, each student gets called alphabetically and sits in a stool and puts on the sorting hat who determines everything. When I took the Pottermore test years ago I had the option of selecting one out of two houses and guess which one I selected:



GRYFFINDOR MOTHER F%(#%KERS!!!!!

Harry, Ron, Hermoine, and Neville got into Gryffindor and Draco got accepted to Slytherin.

For now I will end my summarizing of the book because I believe everyone should read this series particularly this book which started this phenomenon. There is plenty of drama and plot that it will surprise you how easily J.K. Rowling makes it when it comes to putting a whole school year into one book without making it boring and you get to learn new discoveries in this magical world like Quidditch, Invisibility cloak, trolls, dragons, magical broomsticks, and more. 

When it comes to my favorite Harry Potter books it goes by this order: 7,6,4,5,1,2,3.

Till this day I do not know how Rowling made the writing seem effortless because between describing this magical world, keeping the reader entertained, and maintaining a steady flow in the plot is remarkable and difficult. Looking back I believe the first 3 books are meant for middle schoolers and younger because you learn more about Hogwarts and the Wizarding world whereas 4-7 deals with more background information about Harry, Dumbledore, and Voldemort. Each book gets darker which is why the last book in my favorite even though the 6th book I read it in 8 hrs. 

I worship Harry Potter and I hope someday J.K. Rowling decides to invest in the series again and write more Harry Potter books. I am satisfied that she wrote 7 books and yet there are still millions of questions floating in my head after finishing the series and I hope someday they can all be answered properly. I listen to Jim Dale as the narrator of the audiobooks (US Editions) and I applaud his handwork into making each characters voices unique and the only one voice I extremely disliked was Hermoine. He made her sound extremely annoying that I wanted to punch her in the face. Hagrid was beautiful and spot on while Dumbledore made him more cartoonish. 

Hopefully I will continue on this journey again and explore the magnificent and beautiful world that is known as Harry Potter...