The highly anticipated book of the year, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, was a big let down to a large number of doting fans. As a highly awaited sort of sequel to the life changing Harry Potter series, it did not live up to it’s greatest potential under any circumstances. If anything, it was good at best.
“The Cursed Child” is a play written about how Albus Severus Potter, “The Boy Who Lived’s” son, goes through many trials and tribulations on his journey through Hogwarts and growing up in the shadow of his father, facing not only near death experiences, but time travel itself. Along with his best mate, Scorpius Malfoy, Albus is able to overcome these obstacles one at a time. The play covers Harry Potter’s struggle through early fatherhood and the relationship challenges with his middle son.
Ever since the stage play had first been announced, I had allowed myself to develop very high expectations on how the script would turn out. I had never let it cross my mind that maybe it wouldn’t be as amazing as everyone had anticipated it to be.
Don’t get me wrong, it was good, but not as good as I had originally thought it would be. The way they portrayed Potter, Weasley, and the Malfoy families, was exquisite but it almost seemed a bit too rushed and that they tried too hard to make it super spectacular so it would rise above our standards. All that it did was let down fans.
Many fans agree that the story felt like fan-fiction rather than the books, which include a genuine, well-developed plot full of twists and turns. Though the play does contain minor plot twists, the script becomes repetitive and predictable about halfway through.
One of the biggest disputes about the plot is that the main protagonist, Albus Severus Potter, and his best friend, Scorpius Malfoy, are left as just friends, rather than ending up in a romantic relationship by the end of the story. This could have been a breakthrough for the LGBT+ community, as the author of the original Harry Potter series, J. K. Rowling, had previously confirmed characters, like Dumbledore, as gay. The script leads readers to believe that the two boys care very much for each other, as they both feel out of place and remain each other’s only friends throughout the story. While it may have been a missed opportunity for the overall plot, the friendship shared between the boys creates a deeper meaning to the theme of the play.
In conclusion, it was a good book, even though it did have some minor plot holes and left readers with many unanswered questions. Fans of the original series are sure to enjoy the script, but for those who are unfamiliar with the story may not find it as thrilling.
Rating: 7/10
Katelyn Payne// Copy Editor
Kayleigh Haight// Business Manager
