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

Title: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
Author: J.K Rowling, Jack Thorne & John Tiffany
Genre: YA Fantasy / Play Script 
Publisher: Little Brown Books UK
Published: July 31st 2016
Page Number: 343
Rating: 4/5

Summary:
It was always difficult being Harry Potter and it isn’t much easier now that he is an overworked employee of the Ministry of Magic, a husband and father of three school-age children.

While Harry grapples with a past that refuses to stay where it belongs, his youngest son Albus must struggle with the weight of a family legacy he never wanted. As past and present fuse ominously, both father and son learn the uncomfortable truth: sometimes, darkness comes from unexpected places.

 

REVIEW

 

This review is going to be short and sweet, mainly because it's difficult judging and reviewing a play script when you're not at all used to them. But my main thoughts for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is that it should definitely be seen performed for you to fully understand everything. Reading a script to actually seeing it be acted out are two entirely different things and I definitely feel like you'll get more out of seeing the show.

 

The script itself is decently written. I'm not sure if I did spot a few errors as I was reading along but it wasn't something that threw me from the book and the nostalgia that I was getting. Being able to finally read the life of Harry, Ron and Hermione 19 years later is something that I never thought we'd get to see but J.K Rowling, Jack Thorne and John Tiffany really delivered something good.

 

Albus and Scorpius made the entire script in my opinion. For some reason Harry's character was always trying for it to be about him. He blamed himself about everything and honestly I got bored of him. Harry's character was so horrible, in fact I wonder how Albus is even part of their family because he's nothing like any of them. I was disappointed with the way they ended Albus and Scorpius' relationship because I saw it heading in a gay relationship. They had way too much chemistry for friendship. And I know I'm not the only one who thought so too. So for me I saw it as a huge cop out and definitely something that annoyed me.

 

Overall, I don't think Cursed Child is something that I personally needed in my life but I'm glad I read it. But I'm more excited to see the show next year. I think I'll really be able to grasp everything that did and didn't happen in the script. But if you're on the fence on whether you should read it then my advice would be to go into it with no expectations. This is basically fan fiction. J.K Rowling didn't write any of this and it isn't a novel, it's a play. However, it does still give you nostalgia and missed feelings of Hogwarts.

 

 

 

Book Characters I'd Love to Drown | Top 5 Wednesday

Top 5 Wednesday was created by GingerReadsLainey

 

 

 

Titus from Fire and Flood by Victoria Scott

 

Titus isn't a main or recurring character in Fire and Flood, but he does pop up in the last 100 pages. He's definitely the villain of the series. He abuses his Pandora's, well gets his minion's to do it for him, and he treats people like shit. He's definitely a character you wish you had a giant rock to smack him over the head with. But then again, he's in the game to save someone he loves and you have to do whatever you can to survive.

 

 

Adolf Hitler from Prisoner of Night and Fog by Anne Blankman

 

Who wouldn't kill of Adolf Hitler? He's the most known villain in world history and there's no doubt that I'd love to drown him and kill him off. However, in this book he's not exactly the ruler of Germany. He's on his way to being on top and is also in a secret relationship with a niece (It may be second cousin, not sure).

 

 

Four and Caleb from Divergent by Veronica Roth

 

You all probably think I'd say Eric and Jeanine, but honestly, they're my favourite characters in the series. However, Four and Caleb are just plain annoying, irritating characters that I could see myself stabbing over and over and over. It's a pity that they both never died....

 

 

Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

 

Yeah, do I really have to explain this one? I hate the girl so much, and she's not even real. I just don't see how anyone can relate to her because she's boring. She has no personality and just comes across as stuck up and arrogant. It's sad she not got a spear to the heart during the Games.

 

 

Dolores Umbridge from Harry Potter by J K Rowling

 

I thought she was horrible in the movie, but apparently she's even worse in the book (I've not read it yet, sadly). Wouldn't it be cool if all her kittens inside the plates could move out of them, grow a thousand feet and eat her alive?

 

 

 

 

Which fictional characters would you kill off?

Let me know in the comments

Top 5 Wednesday: Favourite Female Characters

Top 5 Wednesday was set up by Lainey over at GingerReadsLainey. Every week you have a new topic and you pick your top 5 choices for each topic. This is done in Vlogs, but I think it will be great for Bloggers to do as well. Today's topic is Top 5 Favourite Female Characters, which is a topic I'm having a struggle with because I love a lot of female characters, like most of anyone does. But I've tried my best to name my top five.

So without further ado......



FIFTH PLACE: Clary Fray from The Mortal Instruments.

The reason why I like Clary so much is because she shows both sides of being weak and strong. She's not perfect and kick-ass in the first book, like some female characters are that it makes it realistic. Plus Clary is a character that everyone can relate too, she's a normal teenage girl who's got a somewhat hard life and struggling to make a choice between boys. (I also like Maia from this series, but she was only in the last few of them, not from the beginning.)





FOURTH PLACE: Luna Lovegood from the Harry Potter Series.

Luna is one of those characters that would be my best friend if I was in those novels. She's weird, which I like, but she's mysterious and kind, and has a gentle soul. Plus she can be a different person with a wand. My only dislike to her is her father because he is all kinds of creepy, but she, herself is a pretty cool chick. I still hate that she ended up with Neville, I thought her and Ron would've made a cute couple.






THIRD PLACE: Kat from the Burn for Burn Trilogy.

In the first book I wasn't so fussed on Kat. I liked her, but not enough for her to be my favourite character. In the second book, Fire with Fire she's so much better. She's a loyal friend, who deserved a lot more chapters. Plus I liked the fact she was a tomboy who kind of flirted with everyone. But please the lord, can she get with Alex. They're super adorable together and her whining is kind of getting on my nerves. In a good way.





SECOND PLACE: Christina from the Divergent Trilogy.

Everyone knows that I never really connected with Tris and Four in the whole trilogy, but I did with Christina. She's another person I'd be friends with and not because she tells the truth, but because she's got attitude and sass, something Tris doesn't possess. She also shows herself to be a worthy friend and I like that. I still have a question for Veronica Roth though. What happened to Tris' personality?





FIRST PLACE: Eleanor from Eleanor and Park.

I connect with Eleanor in so many ways. She's a character that I want to see more of in Young Adult fiction because it's real life. Not every girl happens to be stick thin and perfect, some stick out in society and it should be celebrated. For me, Eleanor is the character you can relate to in some way, but she's also very lovable. You connect with her and her life and then.....BAM! She stabs you in the heart and kind of ruins the whole story (in a good way). I would like to know what Eleanor would look like as an Adult.

 

So who are some of your favourite female characters? Let me know in the comments, so we can discuss them!

The Ultimate Book Tag

I saw this tag over at libertyfallsdown. I've been meaning to do a few blog book tags and I thought this one was almost perfect. It'll be fun and simple. Plus I can still sip away at my tea while typing out my answers. I'm drinking PGTips if anyone was wondering. Without further a do....here are the questions.

Questions:

1. Do you get sick while reading in the car?
 All the time. I'm one of those weird teenagers who feel sick in a car anyway after being in there for more than thirty minutes. The only thing I can do without feeling sick is either fall asleep or sing my heart out, which annoys my family, which is also why I love doing it. But if there was a tablet that could allow me to read without being sick in a car then I would take it.

2. Which author’s writing style is completely unique to you and why?
 I have two authors come to mind: Teri Terry and Susan EE. Teri Terry writes specifically towards a Dystopian world. Her pro's are beautiful, but weird and her characters almost speak like they're prone to feelings. Susan EE has a short sentenced structure to her books. Each sentence could be three words long and you'd still love it. I tend to think it adds more personality to the book.

3. Harry Potter Series or the Twilight Saga? Give 3 points to defend your answer.
You will all hate me, but I've not read the Twilight Saga and I'm only four books in on Harry Potter. As a child I would've loved Harry Potter, but I'm nearing nineteen now and the books aren't really fun. They're very slow. However I also think that I would've loved Twilight back when I was a pre-teen. Vampires are something I've always loved. I'll have to read them one day.

4. Do you carry a book bag? If so, what is in it (besides books…)?
Nope. I never had time to spare in school, so what would be the point. Plus I'm OCD when it comes to my books. If a book gets damaged I have a rant and then buy a new copy.

5. Do you smell your books?
One hundred percent. But not before spraying my Lady Gaga perfume on them.

6. Books with or without little illustrations?
 I'm not bothered about it. A little illustrations can be cute, but I prefer books to only have illustrations on the beginning chapters. I don't want to be distracted from reading by a few drawn pictures.

7. What book did you love while reading but discovered later it wasn’t quality writing?
 I don't actually know. I only got into reading a little over a year ago, but if I find that book then I'll let y'all know.

8. Do you have any funny stories involving books from your childhood? Please share!
 I remember smacking someone in the face at a school book fair because they were about to get the last book on the shelf that I wanted. But it turned out that they had more in their cart. I was shouted at, but I wasn't bothered. I got the book!

9. What is the thinnest book on your shelf?
Probably Blood Brothers or Private Peaceful by Michael Morpurgo. I always thought Private Peaceful was quite a big book when I was twelve. When I saw it after five years I was merely shocked.

10. What is the thickest book on your shelf?

City of Heavenly Fire. It's 733 pages long. But I do have A Game of Thrones in my wardrobe because it makes my bookshelf look a mess.

11. Do you write as well as read? Do you see yourself in the future as being an author?
Yes and it is my dream. I write New Adult fiction with characters set in College or University. But I'm also hoping to start writing some Dystopian very soon. You can follow my writing on my Wattpad account: FabulousDoll

12. When did you get into reading?
 I loved reading as a child, but gave up when I was about eleven. I started back reading last year and I've been addicted ever since. I'm annoyed that I gave something up that is now quite a big part of my life.

13. What is your favorite classic book?
 I've only read a few, but Of Mice and Men. I also love Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. I hope to one day get a tattoo inspired by it. The 2010 remake of the film is also very good.

14. In school was your best subject Language Arts/English?
 Not at first. I was always told that my story writing sucked, but I kept at it. When I was in year 10 my writing started to improve and I passed my GCSE's with flying colours. I was predicted an E, I had a B. I also enjoyed Art in school as well as Welsh and History.

15. If you were given a book as a present that you had read before and hated…what would you do?
 If they gave me the receipt then I'd take it back, but if not then I'd donate it to charity or my local library.

16. What is a lesser known series that you know of that is similar to Harry Potter or the Hunger Games?
 I'm not really sure. Most Dystopia get published saying that they'll be the next Hunger Games and it annoys me, but my favourite Dystopian would have to be Divergent, which is very similar. I'd also go with Noughts and Crosses by Malorie Blackman. As for Harry potter? I have none. But just check out anything by Cassandra Clare, she's amazing!

17. What is a bad habit you always do (besides rambling) while blogging?
 I don't think I have any apart from lip syncing when I'm out walking.

18. What is your favorite word?
 LUSH (It's a Welsh thing.)

19. Are you a nerd, dork, or dweeb? Or all of the above?
I'm not any of them. I'm more of a sassy confident bitch. I do have a nerdy side when it comes to writing books, reading and quiz shows though.

20. Vampires or Fairies? Why?
I'm undecided. I've only read a few books with vampires in and I enjoyed them, but I've never read a book with Fairies (Faes). I think I'll like both though.

21. Shapeshifters or Angels? Why?
 If they're human killing Angels then absolutely yes!

22. Spirits or Werewolves? Why?
 DARN! I love Ghosts. Its my dream to go on a Ghost Tour and I've had experiences with the dead. But I like Werewolves too.

23. Zombies or Vampires?
If they're the Zombies from Alice in Zombieland by Gena Showalter then one hundred percent yes. If not then, no.

24. Love Triangle or Forbidden Love
 It depends. If they can pull off a love triangle like Cassandra Clare then continue with it, but if not then I'd prefer them to stop writing them. However, I love a good forbidden love story.

25. AND FINALLY: Full on romance books or action-packed with a few love scenes mixed in?
Once again it depends. If it's a Dystopian or Epic Fantasy then I want action-packed/romance. If it's a contemporary or New Adult then romance.

Feel free to have a go at this tag. I thought it was a fun one to do and I am definitely going to be doing another tag soon. Maybe I'll make it a once every two weeks thing. But...yeah. I had fun.

Book Review: The Vintage Girl by Hester Browne

   Book Name: The Vintage Girl
   Author: Hester Browne
   UK Release Date: Published in 2013
   UK Publishers: Quercus
   Summary:

When Evie Nicholson is asked to visit Kettlesheer Castle in Scotland to archive the family heirlooms, she jumps at the chance. Evie's passion for antiques means that, for her, the castle is a treasure trove of mysteries just waiting to be uncovered.

But in each heirloom lies a story, and in the course of her investigations Evie stumbles upon some long-buried family secrets. Add handsome, gloomy heir Robert McAndrew and a traditional candlelit gala to the mix, and Evie's heart is sent reeling with an enthusiasm that may just extend beyond the Kettlesheer silver...

 

Praise for Hester Browne:

'Fun and flirty.' Glamour

'Just perfect.... you'll love this book.' Jill Mansell

'Deliciously addictive.' Cosmopolitan

Review:

This is actually my second Hester Browne novel. I recently read The Runaway Princess, which I did enjoy but it was too cliché. So having been sent this one by Quercus to review I was confused. I like her writing, but sometimes if you don't like a first book, you'll not like the second.

I ended up being disappointed with this book. My friends raved about this and I didn't enjoy it. The writing was fine, great even. But I did not get a connection with any of the characters. I found Evie to be very whiny and annoying, her sister Rosie was even worse. In fact I couldn't even finish the book because I didn't like it. That's not saying that you guys won't like it, but it just didn't appeal to me.

Overall I gave this book a 2/5 Stars!

Top 13 Books of 2013

This is based on books I read this year and not ones that were published this year. Some of these books will be self-published as well. Also if a series got rated all the same then I count them as 1 book. If not then I'll just put my favourite book in the list.


13. Silence by Natasha Preston - 3.5/5

This book follows Oakley, who happens to be mute due to something that happened to her as a child. She's been best friends with Cole through-out her entire life and he knows what she's thinking just by looking at her expressions. The book 'Silence' dealt with some serious issues that not many authors would take on and the reason I gave it a 3.5 stars is because there were quite a few spelling mistakes and typos. This book is also self-published.


12. Broken Silence by Natasha Preston - 4/5

This book follows on with Silence, but this time it's fast forward four years. Oakley left for Australia and now she's back for the trial. However, she's not sure how to deal with Cole and the whole 'I still love him' phase. However, this book really closed the book up and made you think just how blessed you are. I only knocked it down because of the spelling mistakes and typo's. Natasha will also be having a book published next year, 'The Cellar' which will be published by Source Books.


11. The Selection by Kiera Cass - 4/5

At first I thought this book would've been terrible. However, it was written beautifully and the characters with brilliant. But the one character that I absolutely could not stand was Aspen. He couldn't decide if he wanted America or not and it happened on more than one occasion
through out the book. I wanted to give it a 5, but I felt like there was something missing.







10. Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone by J.K. Rowling - 4/5

I first read Harry Potter when I was 11 years old. And I loved it. I thought it was full of action, but now as an 18 year old boy, I felt differently about the book. In some parts it was slow and boring, but nearer to the end it got better. However, the character and world development had me hooked. I couldn't believe how brilliant it was.


9. Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins - 4/5

I can see why everybody loved this book. But I have read a lot of cliché and predictable books in the past years and this is included with them. Yes, the characters were great and the descriptions or Paris were amazing. But the book lacked something for me. I wanted more from the characters and the premise. However, it was still a great quick read.






8. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green - 5/5

This book was amazing and at the beginning of the year I would've said that it was my absolute favourite. But then all the other books took over. Yes, this book made me laugh, smile and shed a few tears and it wasn't because it was just about cancer and love. The way it was written was beautiful and I loved John Greens take on Cancer. Overall an outstanding book!




7. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets - 5/5

For me this book was brilliant. Not only that, but it was full of action and had some amazing new characters. I also loved the development of both characters and world because we could see that Harry, Ron and Hermione had matured a bit. We also got to know about the chamber and the girls toilet which, even though isn't relevant, it kind of is. Best book in the series so far! (Only on the 4th book.)



6. Before I Die by Jenny Downham - 5/5

This book is about cancer, love and a girl so desperate to make her last few months left the best and trust me this book was amazing. There were parts where I hated it, but I think that was because I had watched the film (without knowing) before I read the book. The characters we ok and the premise was cliché. I did shed a tear though. One tear that is.





5. Clockwork Prince (Infernal Devices) by Cassandra Clare - 5/5

Best book in the trilogy. I liked Clockwork Angel and I enjoyed Clockwork Princess, but for me this one was the best out of the lot. There was loads of action that kept me wanting to read more and through out this book we got to know the characters a lot more as well as the new ones. My favourite couple out of the series was Gideon and Sophie they're perfect for each other and seeing them develop was the right thing for Miss Clare to do.

4. The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey - 4.5/5


If you're wondering why this has a rating of 4.5 but is 4th on my list then it is because the book was amazing. However, I knocked it down by .5 because of the insta-love. Insta-love is my bookish pet peeve and as soon as I saw him say "I love you" after like 3 days I knew I had to knock it down. If this book didn't have the insta-love then it would've been 2nd or 3rd on my list.







3. Slated and Fractured by Teri Terry - 5/5

Both of these books were incredible. Not a lot of action happens, but where there is no action (Fighting, etc.) there is a lot of tense scenes which just made the book so much better. Also with the way it was written I felt like I was in Kyla's dreams. I was in the book. One thing that shocked me thought that in 40 years 'Slating' could happen.


2. The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare - 5/5


Yes, this one is every single book of the series. I started it thinking I'd hate it, but came out of it obsessed with the series. The world. The characters. It's just mind blowing and I really want to be a shadow-hunter and one day I will. For me, Cassandra Clare is my favourite author of 2013. If you haven't read the series then I suggest you do because once you enter it you won't come back out!





1. Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell - 5/5 (If I could give it 10, I would.)

My original list had The Mortal Instruments as No.1. But I read Eleanor and Park and it was clear that this one had to had the first spot. It was quirky, cute and just amazing written. But what I loved most was the fact that Rainbow took us on a journey of high school, love and the Eighties. This book will probably be my all time favourite book without a doubt!