REVIEW: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

ASDFGHJKLPOIUYTREWQZXCVBNM. Incoherent babbling due to overwhelming amounts of excitement.

Let's try again.

I AM SO HAPPY THIS BOOK EXISTS AND NOW I SHOULD TELL YOU WHY!

The Short Story:

If you read the Harry Potter series at any point in your life and still have a great and sincere love for it, PLEASE. READ. THIS. BOOK. If you haven't read Harry Potter, DO NOT READ THIS BOOK. Spoilers out the wazoo. Yes, it is slightly odd to read as a script, but if you really love the series, it shouldn't hinder your love for this book!

The Long Story:

This story picks up precisely where the epilogue of Deathly Hallows ends: Albus Severus Potter's first year at Hogwarts! And the shenanigans start immediately. Albus forms and unlikely (or seemingly unlikely) friendship with Scorpius Malfoy, who lives a difficult life. Fortunately for both Albus, he can relate to having a famous father and how it feels to live in the shadow of what that father did in his own life. I can't give more plot details without spoiling, I think, but these boys embark on a fully ridiculous adventure and it is so fun to follow.
Albus and Scorpius' friendship is one of my favorite things of all time!! They are so fantastic together, and hilarious and supportive. Scorpius cracks me up and Albus is the perfect balance to Scorpius' geekiness.
I loved seeing Harry, Ron, and Hermione in their new roles (EEEP) as adults in the wizarding world! Seeing their jobs and family life and married life, oh boy, so satisfying. And not just them, but other characters from way back in the good ole days returned in awesome ways! Holy guacamole, I got so excited every time we met another character.
Some people are saying they saw the plot twist coming, but wow, I don't know how, because that twist hit me like a fastball to the face! I had to read that section a few times before I realized it actually happened and that really was the right thing. Sheesh.
The writing was so great for this, especially with it being a script book. There were just enough cues and descriptions to fill in the blanks where the dialogue couldn't go. For the most part, it was easy to get a visual because we've had eight movies and seven books to get a picture in our head of these settings and characters! And then we have enough experience with the world that the action and new characters come to life in our minds fairly easily. At least that is how it worked for me.
I highly recommend reading this. If you're feeling nervous because it is a script or because you aren't sure it can live up to your expectations, give it a try anyway. If nothing else, it is a new story in the Harry Potter world! I really think you'll like it :)

6/5 stars. Yes, I know what I typed. That extra star is for nostalgia.

Happy reading!