Harry Potter And The Cursed Child: 7 Ups & 3 Downs

1. It'd Clearly Be Better As A Play

This one really comes down to what you want and expect from the book, and also how it's marketed and packaged.

The fundamental issue with the book is that it isn't a novel at all; it's not constructed as a novel, it's not meant to be a novel, and it isn't written by a novelist. What it is, is a play. And that's pretty clear when you read it. There's a reason reception to the play has been almost unanimous praise and a showering of five star reviews, while the book has had a more mixed reception, and it's because it's meant to be seen, not read.

The problem with that, however, is that for the majority of people reading it, they're doing so as a book, not a script. It's being sold as "the eighth story," and there's an expectation that it should work as well in this medium as it would on a stage. And, well, it doesn't. There are some stage directions, which are weird and wonderful and have you desperate to see it with your own eyes. Most people won't get to experience that though: they'll only have the book, which is obviously a diluted version.

If you can accept that what you're getting is a script, and that it's not a J.K. Rowling novel, then you should have a great time reading it. But if you go in expecting a proper book, you'll be left feeling at least a little short-changed.

What did you think of the Cursed Child? Let us know in the comments.