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

1. It's Great To Be Back In This World

For all of its flaws (which there are a few, and I'll discuss in more detail shortly), it's very easy to go along with the ride Cursed Child takes you on, and it's a story that makes you want to spend time with it.

Part of that is down to the characters and the emotional beats it hits, but those are in turn part of something bigger: that it's just great to be back spending time in the incredible world J.K. Rowling created.

The book starts off at King's Cross, and before long we're on Platform 9 3/4, the Hogwarts Express, watching the sorting ceremony, and we're sucked straight back into the wizarding world, like we've never been away.

In truth, we haven't, not really. Rowling has continued fleshing out the mythology of her universe for years through Pottermore, adding in various backstories and interesting pieces of information. Pottermore, however, doesn't really compare to having a book titled 'Harry Potter and the...' in your hands again (maybe part of that is how difficult Potions lessons are - you just don't get that struggle with a book).

It's a wonderful feeling to be plunged back into the world of magic, and see the return of characters we grew up with now embracing their own adulthood, while experiencing some new corners of it, different spells, in a new way. J.K. Rowling created a universe that was magical in every possible way; a return is more than welcome.

Now, onto those aforementioned flaws.