Latest ‘Harry Potter’ book lives up to hype

Photo by Morgan Bonner

Story by Maddie Gerrald, viewpoint editor

Once again with the help of J.K. Rowling, readers get to travel to the world of Harry Potter. They get to experience the magic once again, with the characters they grew up alongside in “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.”

Offering a bigger glimpse into what happened 19 years after the Battle of Hogwarts, the story revolves around Harry’s second son, Albus, and how he deals with living in his father’s shadow. Albus resents how his father’s fame affects his life and feels as if he will never be seen as anything other than “The Slytherin Son of the Boy Who Lived.”

On the other hand, readers get to see a different, more realistic side of Harry as he struggles with being an over-worked Ministry worker, as well as a father of three. He must realize that his son is different than him before Albus gives up on him completely. The plot of this story is mainly dependent on this conflict as Albus struggles to deal with his friendships, family and his father’s past that soon comes back to haunt the present.

Something a bit different with this book is that it’s written into the form of a play, which is a sore spot with some and the opposite for others. Traditional readers wanted more of a sounder novel that backed the rest of the series, whereas others loved the new format and the fact it was performed at the Palace Theatre in London the night before the book was released.

After years of waiting for a development in the series, seeing the play rather than novel form was a bit shocking. Nonetheless, the character development and plot make up for the change. The book shows us sides of the story that we, as young readers, never got to experience.

J.K. Rowling, with the help of John Tiffany and Jack Thorne, allows us to relive what so many of us fell in love with at a young age. With the compelling plot that grows more immersive by each act, they gave the readers the in depth glimpse of Harry’s world they’ve been wanting for years.