Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by JK Rowling 3.5/5 stars

Hey, guys! I found a beat-up copy of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them that my library was giving away (because the condition was so terrible). It was exactly what I expected. 

Official Description:
A copy of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them resides on almost every wizarding household in the country. Now, for a limited period only, Muggles too have the chance to discover where the Quintaped lives, what the Puffskein eats, and why it is best not to leave milk out for a Knarl.

Proceeds from the sale of this book will go to improving and saving the lives of children around the world, which means that the dollars and Galleons you exchange for it will do magic beyond the powers of any wizard. If you feel that this is insufficient reason to part with your money, I can only hope most sincerely that passing wizards feel more charitable if they ever see you being attacked by a Manticore.

-Albus Dumbledore

My Review:
Fantastic Beasts is a copy of a textbook from Hogwarts. While more interesting than most textbooks I've read, it reads like a textbook. It really wasn't very entertaining. In 60 pages, it covers seventy-five beasts. Each beast has about a paragraph of a description. There is no real depth to it. 

The most interesting part of this book was the introduction. It describes the process of classifying beasts vs. being, among other things and was long enough to do into some details. 

This "textbook" was exactly what I expected. A lore-dump of quick descriptions of magical creatures. A lot of creativity went into it's production. I just wish it focused less on the number of creatures and went more into details about each.

Phrase: XXXXX MOM rating

If you're looking for a good book, check out my Suggestions Page!

Happy Reading!

Twitter: https://twitter.com/BookshelfSecret

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BookshelfSecret

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by JK Rowling, Jack Thorne, and John Tiffany 4/5 stars

Hey, guys! After refusing to acknowledge Harry Potter and the Cursed Child as I considered it to be a money-grab on the part of JK Rowling and thought it may ruin my memories of the series, a friend changed my mind. She convinced me to give it a shot. I waited on my local libraries waiting list from spot 167 to 1, and I finally read it.

The Cover:

The Cover:
It shows Albus Severus Potter sitting alone in what I believe is a fragile snitch. The more I look at the cover, the more I like it. It conveys the tone of the play, the fragility and constant inner turmoil. An A cover.

Official Description:
Based on an original new story by J.K. Rowling, Jack Thorne and John Tiffany, a new play by Jack Thorne, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is the eighth story in the Harry Potter series and the first official Harry Potter story to be presented on stage. The play will receive its world premiere in London’s West End on July 30, 2016.
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.

My Review:
I would have hated Harry Potter and the Cursed Child if I had read it immediately after reading Deathly Hallows. It focuses on Harry's inability to be a good father. However, about seven years after my first Harry Potter reading, I kind of enjoyed it. I'm not under the impression that it is a continuation of the "canon" Harry Potter story, but it is an interesting exercise in What If? Considering that JK Rowling had a larger role as an advisor than writer in the creation of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, I do not consider it a "Harry Potter book". Yet, I did enjoy the story.

It follows Albus and Scorpius (Draco's son) as they become friends and try to alter history and understand their fathers. The Cursed Child offers a separate perspective on the Hogwarts experience and even on Harry and Draco themselves.  

The characters were lovable, if misguided, and the story itself was actually action-packed and attention grabbing. Once I started, I couldn't set The Cursed Child down, and I imagine that it could have been even better when seen on a stage. 

I would recommend reading Harry Potter and the Cursed Child if you have distanced yourself far enough from the original Harry Potter story. It is a play, so if will only take a few hours to read through. The word that comes to mind when thinking about this play is "interesting". I cannot give a blanket recommendation for reading this play, since I know that the reactions will be dramatically different. The Cursed Child did not ruin the Harry Potter series, but it does change it.

Phrase:
The Spare

If you're looking for a good book, check out my Suggestions Page!

Happy Reading!

Twitter: https://twitter.com/BookshelfSecret

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BookshelfSecret

Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling (Awesome)

This is my first review, so I'm making it about a very well known book, but since it is so well known, everything I say, you probably know, but hang in there.  Harry Potter is the series that made me start liking to read.  It is a wonderfully written story about a boy named Harry Potter who is in at least ten life threatening adventures over the series.  The characters are really well developed with both their good qualities and the bad ones.  It made them all very realistic.  That and the plot are probably what has made this book so massively popular.  The story in essence, is about a boy who is a wizard and ends up going to a school for witches/ wizards called Hogwarts.  He makes some good friends and plays a very different kind of sport.  Then things turn weird, and Harry has to save the day or else the world as we know it will end.  Over the rest of the series relationships come together and break and things turn sour multiple times.  This is a really good book, if you doubt me, ask anyone who has read it.  You will hear complete love for this book.  It is a must read that will surprise you with its twists and turns and you won't be able to put it down.  I know I couldn't.  This is one of those series that you can read six times and still love it.  (I know that from experience.)  If you haven't read it, go find it and you may be pleasantly surprised.