The Cursed Child

I wish I lived in the world of Harry Potter. Though I'm American and would go to Ilvermorny (Thunderbird, woo!), I've always pictured myself at Hogwarts. I'm a Hufflepuff (though Pottermore insists I'm Gryffindor).

J.K. Rowling is a genius, if I'm an authority on what makes a genius. Those seven books changed my life, as I'm sure they changed many others. I've always had an imagination, but those books contained a story unlike any I'd read before, opening a whole new world to me. Though I've always been a writer, I longed to be even better, to write fantastic things like Rowling.

Those characters were my friends, my loved ones, and I think a little bit of me died every time I forced myself to remember that they were fiction. That the world didn't exist outside of myself.

It was sad when the series reached its end; it felt like a goodbye. Not a forever one, as I'd always be able to return to the story, but a farewell nonetheless.

When it was announced we'd be getting a copy of the script Harry Potter and the Cursed Child in book format, I was pretty excited. Perhaps a tiny bit hesitant, as I wasn't certain what would happen inside that story, but still--returning to that world? Sign me up! I went to the midnight release with some friends and suddenly I was holding a book claiming to be the 8th story.

The cover says:

BASED ON AN ORIGINAL NEW STORY BY J.K. ROWLING

JOHN TIFFANY & JACK THORNE

A NEW PLAY BY JACK THORNE

At first my thoughts were: So J.K. Rowling didn't exactly write the whole thing, but her help is at least implied here, so it's canon! I'd gladly accept this as the official "what happens after book 7."

Then I read it.

Do not get me wrong! I read it in one sitting. There were many humorous moments. Many things I totally loved. But there were problems I had that made me decide this is not an official "8th book" for me. People could argue if they want, or they could agree if they want. I don't care either way. It was a good story, probably an amazing play, but I didn't love it nearly as much as the 7 books and I view this as mainly people other than J.K. Rowling asking, "Well, what if this happened? How would this go?"

I've decided to make a list on what I did and did not love about Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. The following does contain SPOILERS.

What I Loved:

1. Scorpius Malfoy

This precious child needs to be protected at all cost. He's very sweet, very kind, and I believe Draco would love this child with all his heart. It's probably the best thing Draco's ever had a hand in. Everything about his character was great to me, and this is how I'm going to picture Scorpius until the day I die.

2. Albus and Scorpius's friendship

These two make an excellent pair. There is potential for both of them to have some issues being the children that they are; a son of the Chosen One and the son (and grandson) of a Death Eater. I love them being best friends.

3. Angst-ridden Albus Severus Potter

Let's face it. Being the child of Harry Potter would be difficult, especially if most the students and teachers at Hogwarts are comparing you to your father. Albus is immediately set apart by being Sorted into Slytherin (yes!), He doesn't appear to be born with the natural Quidditch talent either. He doesn't view Hogwarts to be the home it was for Harry. I love these differences. I love some of the tension between Harry and Albus. I picture that being a real thing with them. With James, I see him being so carefree that he doesn't care about anyone's expectations. I picture Lily being the same way. But Albus cares, Albus wants to be accepted, and Albus feels so much pressure of being the son of Harry Potter, and the bearer of the names Albus and Severus. (But the angst was applied a little too thickly. He was very, very angry a lot.)

4. Draco being friendly

Since Scorpius and Albus are buddies, they end up getting into some trouble. Draco pairs up with the other parents to try and help the boys. I like the idea of that long-standing feud evaporating. I wanted Draco to change, even just a little, so that the adults could do more than just stare at each other from a distance. 

6. Voldemort having an heir

In the play, it is revealed Voldemort had a daughter with Bellatrix Lestrange. I thought it fit; her husband would have thought it an honor for his wife to carry the child of the Dark Lord. But as interesting as I thought that would be, I don't know how accurate it could be. Voldemort feels so inhuman that part of me wonders if he could even be capable of having children, much less willing to be intimate with someone. 

What I Didn't Like: 

1. Time travel that goes back years

Everyone knows that the time turners were destroyed in the 5th book. They cover that, but there are a couple that were made that can take a person back years opposed to just a few hours. I hate time travel. The idea that someone can launch themselves in the past and change events to totally reshape the present has always made me a little uncomfortable. In this, Harry confiscates such a time turner, and later Albus and Severus steal it from Hermione's office (because the brightest witch ever--who is the Minister of Magic no less--would definitely hide a forbidden time turner so simply that kids could find it--but this is a play, so it wasn't like they could spend several acts showing the kids trying to figure it out). Their goal is to go back in time to save Cedric Diggory. In an earlier scene, Albus overheard Cedric's father demanding Harry go back in time himself, and Albus is trying to fix it by doing what his father won't. Of all the story lines to go, this one seemed far-fetched and random. 

2. The realities that come from saving Cedric

Albus and Scorpius keep Cedric from winning the first task in the Triwizard Tournament. They come back to a reality where everything is the same (with Cedric still dead), except now Albus is in Gryffindor. That and Hermione never married Ron, and instead of being Minister of Magic, she's the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. She's also mean. I hated that because it implies that Hermione only was nice and became Minister of Magic because she was able to be with Ron. It seemed like her character relied too heavily on her feelings for Ron. As I was reading it, I wondered how just her not marrying Ron made it so she'd be the next Professor Snape. Besides, Defense Against the Dark Arts wasn't even her best subject! If anything, I could at least see her being the Headmistress at Hogwarts, or perhaps the Charms or Transfiguration teacher. The other reality comes when the boys keep Cedric from winning the second event in the tournament, and Scorpius pops back into the present completely alone. Dolores Umbridge drags him out of the lake and he finds himself in a world where Harry Potter's dead and the Dark Lord rules. They have a blood ball--or something like that. And it's Voldemort Day. The coolest part about that reality is that Snape helps save the day--and I'm no Snape lover, but his character is really awesome here, but I won't go into detail. This reality happens because Cedric didn't die in the tournament, but ended up becoming a Death Eater??? And he killed Neville??? What??? In the end, these realities were just strange and didn't make a lot of sense to me.

3. Harry Potter and some of his parenting skills

There is no perfect parent. There is no perfect Harry Potter. But Harry Potter would never, ever, ever tell his child he sometimes wished Albus wasn't his son. He knows what being unwanted and unloved feels like! To be fair, Albus told Harry sometimes he wished Harry wasn't his father first, but I see Harry pulling away more than biting back like that. In the reality where Albus is now in Gryffindor, Harry forbids him from hanging out with Scorpius and proceeds to threaten Headmistress McGonagall that if she doesn't use the Marauder's Map to keep those two from being around each other that he'll bring the force of the Ministry down on her. Not only would Harry Potter never talk to Minerva McGonagall like that, she would definitely not allow it. But this version of McGonagall did allow it. And Ginny was horrified but she doesn't really call him out like I wanted her to.

4. Rumors about Scorpius

In the beginning, there's a rumor that Scorpius is really the child of Voldemort, that Malfoy couldn't have kids so they sent his wife back in time to have Voldemort's baby. I thought that was overkill. They could have created the same dramatic feel just by having him ousted for being a Malfoy. But I think they were trying to do this to set up the whole "Voldemort has a child, oh and there are time turners that can take you back years" story line.

5. Harry's scar starts hurting again

What with the time travelling going on, and Voldemort's child being a thing (she pretends to be a member of the Diggory family and is helping Albus and Scorpius save Cedric--just so she can get her father back), Harry's scar starts to hurt again. That didn't exactly make sense because Voldemort wasn't back in his reality. Albus and Scorpius end up getting stuck in the past, on the night Voldemort killed James and Lily Potter and gave Harry his scar. The adults manage to find their way back, to save them, and defeat Voldemort's daughter. Harry gets to watch his parents die the second time, too, so he gets the bonus of more emotional scarring!

There were moments that felt forced, there were characters who felt like they weren't written very accurately, and yes, this was kind of bare bones especially when you consider the development of character and plot in the 7 Harry Potter books. But this was a play! It can't go over every minor detail. And yes, I was hoping for an indication of brand new evil. Voldemort can't be like the bad guy in horror movies that keeps showing up again and again after they're supposed to have finally been killed, but this is a single play, and J.K. Rowling already announced she's not planning on doing anything more with Harry's story. So this should be the end. 

If I look at it as just a play, just someone's creative vision of what happened after the 7th book, it's fun and exciting! I loved being back in the world.

But this will never be the story after the 7th book. This will never be what I visualize happens after "all was well". But I can appreciate the script for what it is. There was definitely a lot of talent invested in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. 

Three Recent Reads

Things have been hectic in my life so that I'm really slacking where blogging is concerned. One, my dog Diego has been having some problems. We have him on medication for his back, which there was a possible slipped disk and muscle damage (common in dachshunds), and that's on top of his heart medication (he has an enlarged heart). But in the end, he's a fourteen-year-old puppy, so he's going gray and his health is slipping. He's my furry baby, and I hate to see it, but that's what happens with pets.

I also have a kitty now. My brother, Braden, got him for my nephew. Kason's been watching The Lion King and absolutely loving it (we've seen it many times now), so he named the kitten Simba. Unfortunately they ended up not being able to have Simba where they live and needed to find a new home; now I have him. I love Simba, but he's a lot of work because he's energetic and tiny and I want to keep a good eye on him.

That being said, recently I've finished three books.

The first one was Infinity + One by Amy Harmon. I had high hopes for it because Harmon wrote one of my favorite novels, Making Faces. This one, however, did not meet my expectations. It was written well, I don't doubt Harmon's abilities not for one second. But I couldn't get into it. In fact, out of the two main characters (Bonnie Rae Shelby and Finn Clyde), I couldn't stand Bonnie. I struggle when I find the main voice irritating.

Bonnie is a country star, and though she has a lot at her finger tips, there is one crucial thing she doesn't have: the will to live. She stands on a bridge with every intention of throwing herself off, but then a stranger stops her.

Finn was on his way to the future, hoping to free himself from his past, when he spotted Bonnie on the bridge. He has no idea who she is, but he saves her. And now he's stuck with her.

Trusting this stranger, Bonnie hitches a ride with him. They're two very different people--she sings, and chats while he's usually quiet and very good with numbers. 

The thing that bugged me about Bonnie was her inability to understand consequences. She would make a decision on how to act without once thinking about what it would mean, especially for Finn. In ways, I think that was done on purpose because she's been a celebrity for so long, she forgets what reality is. She doesn't know how to take care of herself really, and she was pretty selfish a lot of the time. There were good qualities about her, too; kindness for one. 

This probably isn't one I'll ever pick up again. I didn't feel the chemistry of the love story, and I had to force myself to keep turning pages.

The second one was an S.E. Hinton novel called That Was Then, This Is Now. I loved The Outsiders and was happy to finally try another one of her books. This one centers around Byron, whose best friend Mark is as good as his brother. But their relationship is challenged when they seem to be taking two separate roads. 

Some people didn't like how bleakly it ended. But here's the thing: that's life sometimes. You grow apart from friends, maybe you even betray your friend in hopes that you're doing the right thing. It was powerful, it stayed with me, and maybe it even taught me something.

I liked this. Not as much as The Outsiders, but enough so that I'd happily read another one of her novels. The thing that always sticks out to me with her books is how strong the narrative voice is, along with amazing supporting characters. It pulls you right in, into their lives, and you feel like you're one of them, that you're surrounded by people just like them. (Also Ponyboy's in it for a little bit. I wish I could read a lot more about Ponyboy, Darry, and *swoon* Sodapop).

Finally, the book that I'm still a little confused about: Me Being Me is Exactly as Insane as You Being You by Todd Hasak-Lowy 

The reason I'm confused is I'm uncertain exactly how much I loved it. I gave it a 3 out of 5 on Goodreads, which I think is fairly good! 

This book is written in lists. I loved that. It was new and quick to read through. It stars Darren, who is going through a lot all at once, and oh boy can he be a flawed character! Everyone around him is some degree of screwed up (aren't we all), and there were many times that I either wanted to hug him or shake him good. 

The language in it was a little overboard for me, but that is the style as it's realistic to teens these days, but I really thought that some of the descriptions of teen sex could have been done without. It was a little longer than I thought it needed to be, but I loved the ending and the messages I took from it. Definitely would recommend it to anyone (with a warning on some inappropriate scenes).

Hopefully I'll be better in the future about keeping up with what I'm reading! 

Auggie & Me: Three Wonder Stories

I read R.J. Palacio's Auggie & Me: Three Wonder Stories a bit ago, but I decided today to finally sit down and type up a review. I gave it 4 out of 5 stars on my Goodreads account, because while I was not as in love with it as Wonder, it was still very well written. I loved getting to see the points of view from characters whose P.O.V wasn't as vital to the story line in Wonder.

This story shows you the world of three people who all interacted with Auggie at one point or another. The first is Julian, the bully throughout Wonder. In the beginning, Palacio states that this isn't to excuse his behavior; Julian is a bully, that much is true, but it gives him more depth (and it also shows a potential change of character). I found that one to be the most interesting, though the other two included in the book were also entertaining and showed how Auggie affected other people's lives.

If anyone has read and loved Wonder, I definitely recommend checking this out next if only to immerse yourself into that world again. I hope Palacio writes more in the future, because she does her craft so beautifully. 

Dumplin' by Julie Murphy

Willowdean Dickson's mother won the Miss Teen Blue Bonnet beauty pageant once upon a time (can still fit in the dress in fact), and has happily helped run the pageant ever since. But Willow herself is--and she'll be the first to say it--fat. Fat to her is just a word, a description, nothing else. Nothing to make her feel bad about herself, and it certainly doesn't prevent her from deserving good things. Like love, right?

But then she starts working at a fast food restaurant and meets Bo, who is handsome and laid back and who happens to show interest in Willowdean. His affections, however, don't add to her confidence. It makes her feel insecure.

Plus her best friend, Ellen, who has been by her side for many years seems to be distancing herself, and her mom just doesn't seem to get who Willow is, and how she can hurt Willow (she calls her "Dumplin'" and has her watch reality TV shows about losing the pounds, not exactly subtle). Under the weight of all these troubles, Willow decides that what her confidence needs is to strut its stuff before the judges of the Miss Teen Blue Bonnet beauty pageant. 

What I Liked About It:

• Willowdean was well-written. She had a lot of good sides to her, but she also had many flaws, and part of the journey is her tackling her weaknesses, going through changes
• The supporting characters were awesome. I loved Bo, and I absolutely adored Millie, a girl heavier than Willow who signs up for the pageant when she hears Willow is going for it
• There were emotional moments, but there was a lot of humor, too, and I like a book with a balance
• Willow and Ellen are obsessed with Dolly Parton--and though I don't know much about her, it was fun reading about it, and seeing the characters so passionate made me feel a little passionate, too
• The message I took away from it. I had a confidence boost myself
• It made me want to visit Texas

What I Didn't Like:

• Willow sometimes drove me nuts, but in the same way your best friend does when they're in the wrong. You love them, but you also want to give them a shake
• Her mother! Ugh. I loved how she was written, and she's not a terrible human, but she's one of those good-intentions-but-poor-execution characters

Overall, this book was sweet, funny, and very well done. I recommend it. 

**Book contains language and reference to teenage sexual activity (mild)

Welcome to Night Vale

Once upon a time, I had never heard of a town called Night Vale, but then I noticed some posts about it with the tumblr community when I was more active on that site. I discovered Welcome to Night Vale was a podcast--though I wasn't certain at the time what that meant.

When I finally gave Welcome to Night Vale a try, I listened to the first episode probably with the silliest expression of confusion on my face. What. Was. This? First of all, I thought the voice of Cecil (played by Cecil Baldwin) was very pleasant. Soothing, really, and actually pretty attractive. But what was he saying? Something about a dog park and hooded figures in the dog park. And when he said something about the weather, a song played. 

At the end of the episode, I didn't know what to think. So I played the next one.

And then the next one.

And then the next one.

Night Vale is a desert community where you can literally expect nothing and everything. For instance, logic is not your friend in Night Vale. A twisted imagination is, however. I could try and compile a list of things you'd find in Night Vale, but the list would be very long. If you're interested in a nightmare including angels (who do not exist by law), a handsome scientist with beautiful hair, a radio host with a lulling voice, a man in a tan jacket holding a deer skin briefcase that no one can remember, librarians who will literally try to kill you, a faceless old woman who secretly lives in your home, a literal five headed dragon, and expert storytelling that weaves tales horrible, hilarious, and usually that make little sense (if you try to hold onto logic), Welcome to Night Vale is the perfect podcast for you.

When they announced that there would be a novel, I was pretty ecstatic. And today! Today, I finally finished reading it.

Welcome to Night Vale by the creators of the podcast, Joseph Fink and Jeffrey Cranor, follows two women; nineteen-year-old Jackie Fierro who works in a pawnshop and has been working there for what feels like centuries, and Diane Crayton who is a single mother trying to raise her shape-shifting, fifteen-year-old son named Josh. The man in the tan jacket appears in Jackie's pawnshop one day and gives her a paper that says "KING CITY", and the events that take place afterwards completely shake up her life. But no matter what she tries, she can't get rid of the paper. (It reappears in her hand every time).

Meanwhile Diane keeps seeing her son's father everywhere she turns. Josh is moody in a very adolescent way, and he's trying to sort himself out, but he wants to meet his father, who abandoned them both when Diane was just a teenager herself, in love with a man who wouldn't stay. Complications of a parent aside, Diane finds herself also searching for the meaning behind "KING CITY". It has something to do with her family, too, and it will take both the women working together to solve the mystery.

The book includes "The Voice of Night Vale", giving us brief snippets of Cecil's show throughout the story. 

I loved it. The descriptions were awesome. I could really visualize myself in Night Vale (which is rather dangerous, when I think about it, because you're subject to die a gruesome death in that town, especially if you're a Night Vale Community Radio intern). It was so weird! So amazing...

I'm a satisfied reader with this one. And I can't wait to listen to more of the podcast. They're going to be releasing the podcast episodes in book format, too, so you can bet I'll be spending money on those beautiful puppies. 

Thank you, creators of Welcome to Night Vale. You've given me something that means a lot to me.


**Book contains mild language

Recent April Reads

Since I participate in Camp NaNoWriMo in the efforts to write a novel (or in my case this month, just hit 30,000 words), I wasn't sure how much I'd actually accomplish reading-wise. But it turns out this month I've been a better reader than a writer, and though the following books are shorter (the month isn't over yet), I'm pretty proud of what I've completed.

Reasons to Stay Alive by Matt Haig

Matt Haig followed me on Twitter--which was awesome, except for the fact I didn't really know who he was. But I saw he was a writer and followed back. All of a sudden, I started to see his name in several places, especially in reference to a book called Reasons to Stay Alive. It's a personal recount of Haig's battle with depression and anxiety. The reviews were very positive (most the ones I read anyway) and I felt drawn to the topic. I, myself, have my own battles and I was curious to read about someone else's.

I remember a couple reviews talking about how depressing the book was, but I found it to be the opposite. Realistically it wasn't very happy all the time, but what is? Certainly not humanity. He was honest with what he felt, and laying it out for me I found that not only did I have similarities with his battle, there are also plenty of differences, which proves what I've always thought; not everyone experiences mental illness the same way.

He talked about not being able to take pills, so he had to find other ways of coping with his severe depression. I found myself drawn to the idea of finding alternate methods (though he says throughout that medication does work for people, so it's all about finding what works for you). I  took a highlighter to several places. One of my favorite lines was on page 129: "There is this idea that you either read to escape or you read to find yourself. I don't really see the difference. We find ourselves through the process of escaping." I have always said reading (and writing, when I'm in the groove) is the perfect escape for me, and these words were perfect.

This is a must-read for anyone who either suffers from any form of depression and/or anxiety, or for anyone who loves someone who is mentally sick. It's an eye opener, it's a guide, and most of all it's someone who's been at the lowest of lows but managed to get through it. I was very inspired.

Kindred Spirits by Rainbow Rowell

I was worried I'd never get my hands on a copy of this novella since it's out of print. However someone made a copy available to me, and I snatched it right up. The moment it arrived in the mail, I sat down and did not move until I had finished it.

Rowell is so talented, this currently blocked up writer is green with envy. Again. Having read her full length novels, I was very curious about a novella of 62 pages. Not only did I laugh at several scenes, and was probably grinning like an idiot the whole time, I cared about the characters. This was brilliant.

Elena loves Star Wars. Enough so that she's willing to spend four nights sleeping on the sidewalk outside the local movie theater waiting for the newest episode. She's imagining a large line of fellow Star Wars fanatics, but the line is actually two guys, one of them around her age and more likely to ignore her than help pass the time. Short and funny, this novella about a passionate girl was enough to make me wish I loved anything as much as she loves Star Wars. But alas, I'm a woman of comfort and I wouldn't be found sleeping on a sidewalk four nights in a row for anything.

Words with Wings by Nikki Grimes

This was one of those finds on Goodreads (love that app). I believe my friend, Jayna, added it to her To-Read shelf, so I clicked on it to see what it was about. I'm very glad to have purchased a copy and read it.

Words with Wings is written in a poem format, but the language is both simple and beautiful. It's about a girl named Gabby, who has always been a daydreamer but slips out of reality more and more after her parents started fighting and divorce. Each poem shows us her mind, what it's like to live in it, and how the people on the outside react to her. It was heartwarming and sweet, also a quick read but one I'll pick up again several times in the future. 

Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

I read about Me Before You a while ago and marked it To-Read on Goodreads, but never thought much more about it until I saw the movie trailer. With so many novels on my To-Read shelf, I didn't think I'd get to that one yet, but the trailer inspired me to get a copy ASAP.

It was beautiful.

It was also very, very sad, and it made you think what you would be willing to do for the one you love. 

The novel starts with Will Traynor, giving just a glimpse of what his life was like, and the chapter ends with a tragic accident. Then you meet Louisa Clark, who has just lost her job when her boss sells the cafe she's almost always been employed at. Desperate to find work to help and support her parents and sister, she goes through many possibilities until there's a job offer for a caretaker for a young man, a quadriplegic.

Will used to live a life of adventure, and now he's confined to a wheelchair, completely reliant on those around him, including the odd and overly chatty Louisa Clark. She believes he hates her; in fact, he might just hate everyone.

But over time, his walls start to drop, and Louisa begins to care for him in more than just the ways her job demands. And she's on a mission that Will doesn't know about.

One of the things about this novel that I adored so much was how easily I slipped into Louisa's shoes. I related to her. She's twenty-seven years old and not sure what she wants out of life. She's lived in the same place, done the same thing over and over for years, and she hasn't ever asked herself what could make her happy. She doesn't know what she wants to do with herself. 

I also loved Will. I have a thing for bitter and sarcastic characters going soft, but with him I understood his emotions. He suffers pain and humiliation most of his day, and he feels trapped. Life truly wasn't fair to him, and he's angry about it. I loved that.

And while I teared up near the end, while I sometimes felt my heart breaking, the book was amazing and lovely. I know the movie is going to tear me to pieces, and I'll enjoy every second.