This was the first Harry Potter book since book 4 that I missed the midnight release. I didn’t even pre-oder it! Crazy I know. But as soon as I found an open window to read it, I downloaded the book and closed the door. Deep in my gut, I knew that I would not put it down till I couldn’t keep my eyes open any more. Turns out that point came at 79%. Last night I finished Harry Potter and The Cursed Child and wanted to sleep on my review instead of jumping into it like normal.

With a book like this, avoiding reviews, comments, and criticism is hard. If I watched Game of Thrones (I know shocking that I don’t) I might be more used to such spoilers. I did try to avoid anything that might give the story line away too much and commenced avoiding anything HP related on social media.

Okay so let’s get right down to it. This latest installment was a script for a play. Which as a writer, I can appreciate on a whole new level. The dialog carried the story beautifully. I tend to be a bit heavy handed with the inner dialogue so to speak, so this was refreshing. What I loved about this play, was how it wasn’t afraid to break down walls of what “masculinity” should look like. Toxic masculinity dictates that men must act a specific way, in order to be considered an acceptable man. Not only has this damaged the way that society sees men, but it’s utter crap. TV, movies, and even books have added to this unacceptable macho man expectation we’ve all come to have of what a male to male relationship should look like and anything other outside of this new “norm” is labeled “gay” disparagingly so.

HP Cursed Child is what I consider a normal (wizardness aside) relationship expectations of two 14 year old boys. Why can’t they be kind to one another? Talk about feelings?  Pop culture has created insecurities and shame with regards to any sort of physical intimacy between men regardless of weather or not it is sexual. Meanwhile girls do it all the time and no one bats an eye. Instead of criticizing HP Cursed Child for “queerbaiting” why can’t we stand up and celebrate it instead? Do you know what this book did well, it portrayed a loving relationship between two fourteen year old boys. Weather or not their in love is neither her nor there. What does mater is bonds of their friendship.

Okay stepping off my soap box. See this is what happens when I start to read reviews before I write one. Grrr…

What I LOVED seeing, was the time-terner. I’ve read it as one of the top criticisms of the series. If they existed, why didn’t the ministry simply go back before it all started and stop xyz from happening. I loved seeing this in use and that alternate realities it created, including bringing back Snape, Umbridge, dementors. I loved who the question of weather Ron and Hermione really should be together sort of gets played with. I basically loved it all. I couldn’t put it down. Ron, Harry, Hermione are not the same as Scorpious and Albus. Nor should they be. Every character is who they are inherently are. I was glad to see that there wasn’t a case of reinventing our trio in some new generation.

Love it or hate it, I saw this book as a win. My biggest complaint, it was just too short.