#BookmarkMonday (8) -Confucius

"No matter how busy you are, you must find time for reading or surrender yourself to self-chosen ignorance." -Confucius

My library has a constant flow of weird and wonderful cardstock bookmarks and this is just one of many I've picked up from work.

ANY GUESSES ON WHAT BOOK THIS IS?

TTT: Ten Books I Wish Were TV Shows

Top Ten Tuesday is a blog meme hosted by the ladies at The Broke and the Bookish

This week's TTT is TV themed in honor of the fall season start up (woohoo!). There were so many possible lists to choose from. So I wound up doing two. My second -Favorite Cancelled Shows- can be found here.

I knew I had to do a list of Books I Wish Were TV Shows but when I sat down to write it up, the weirdest thing happened. I drew a complete blank.

It was bad. And I knew I could write a really, really good list for it too. I'm almost as obsessive in my TV watching as with my reading. (Okay. YES. Occasionally more so. Occasionally.) I figured I just needed some brainstorming help, so I posed the question to my aunt and my sister to kick-start my brain. It totally worked, too.

Then I basically wound up with three lists, instead of one. Buckle up.

Amanda's Top Picks:

Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer

-Surprising no one, my top series of all time would make a fantastic television series. It's got it all: action, humor, magic, secret civilizations, and 12-year-old criminal masterminds.

The Ever Afters by Shelby Bach

-Again, surprising no one.

Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson

-Seriously, skip the movie talk and go straight to a TV series! Really, anything by Brandon Sanderson could be used.

Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling

-Whether a reboot of the Harry Potter series as a TV show or a completely new story BASICALLY ANY TV SHOW THAT TAKES PLACE IN THE WIZARDING WORLD WOULD BE ABSOLUTELY AMAZING. But especially the Marauders. Right?

Vesper Holly Adventures by Lloyd Alexander

-One of my favorite series and it would work so well as a TV show

Prydain Chronicles by Lloyd Alexander

-Okay. So I still haven't read the entire series. But even I know this would be amazing.

The Hunchback Assignments by Arthur Slade

-I understand there's a film currently in the works, but a TV show would be equally fantastic. More opportunity for character development and more time to spend in the setting and universe.

Robot by Isaac Asimov

-Simple. Just carry on from the I, Robot movie, throw in more details true to this trilogy, and voila! I mean, you already have an audience set up in the fans of FOX's prematurely cancelled Almost Human starring Karl Urban and Michael Ealy (albeit that's a while back now).

Bonus points if Chi McBride is recast as the precinct's lieutenant. Because Chi McBride.

And Mr. McBride totally ties into my other TTT list for the day. Because you can only get so far Googling Chi McBride before the Pushing Daisies images taking over.

 Austenland by Shannon Hale

-I adore the book and the movie was great. But wouldn't it be hilarious to do a 'Fantasy Island' or 'Loveboat' type show based in Austenland, with new characters and stories every week from an ever-changing celebrity cast? Seriously, why isn't this a thing yet?

Pendragon by D.J. MacHale

-I didn't love the ending of this series (I've been wondering if I'd feel differently about it now), but I always remember thinking it would make an amazing TV show, with each book treated as a season.

The Thrawn Trilogy by Timothy Zahn

-Nuff said.

William Shakespeare's Star Wars by Ian Doescher

-Come on! It's like the perfect holiday special wrapped up with a bow!

The Aunt

Jo-D's Top Picks:

Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan (and Brandon Sanderson)

Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis

Dragon Riders of Pern by Anne McCaffrey

Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins 

-but a prequel dealing with the first rebellion, back when there were 13 districts, when Mag and Snow were children.

Little Women & Little Men by Louisa May Alcott

Wildwood Dancing by Juliet Marillier

Wizard of Oz by Frank L. Baum

The Sister

Stephanie's Top Picks:

Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy

Fablehaven by Brandon Mull

-Fabulous idea!

Dead City by James Ponti

Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians by Brandon Sanderson

-See what I mean? Literally any Brandon Sanderson series.

The Last Apprentice by Joseph DeLaney

-She can't even talk about the movie. It's too painful. She feels a TV series would give it the proper treatment it deserves.

Ella Enchanted/Princess series by Gail Carson Levine

Enchanted Forest Chronicles by Patricia C. Wrede

-Could not agree with this more!

Lockwood & Company by Jonathan Stroud

Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket

-Don't let us down, Netflix!

Edge Chronicles by Chris Riddle and Paul Stewart

Nightmare Academy by Dean Lorey

The aunt and sister put together such good lists I might have to rope them into all my Top Ten Tuesday posts!

What are you dying to see on the small screen?

TTT: Favorite Cancelled Shows

Top Ten Tuesday, hosted by The Broke and the Bookish, is a weekly book meme. Today's theme is TV shows and I couldn't make up my mind whether to list Favorite Cancelled Shows or Books I Wish Were TV Shows. So I did both.

Top Ten Tuesday is a blog meme hosted by the ladies at The Broke and the Bookish

 
Gone too soon applies to everything on this list. EVERYTHING.

Battle Creek (CBS)

This show really deserved a second chance. (Ironic, considering #2 on this list). My Worth Watching review basically sums up what an amazing show it was -writing, execution, cast, crew- but it's a crying shame this show didn't survive its first season. It racked up good review ratings and die-hard fanbase, but the viewership odds were not in its favor.

Second Chance (Fox)

I fell in love with this show and I fell hard, as my Worth Watching review/spotlight can attest. Much as I love it, at least I can see why it was cancelled.

The Adventures of Brisco County Jr. (Fox)

A rare and beautiful gem among television shows, it ran one season in 1993-94. Starring Bruce Campbell as a Harvard-educated-lawayer-turned-bounty-hunter, Brisco County Jr. made the western/science fiction show a thing long before Firefly. (Sorry, Joss Whedon.)

And I'm laughing now because I just found out this was on Fox.

The Middleman (ABC Family)

This one's hard to describe, so I'll let the internet do that: Struggling female artist Wendy Watson, recruited by a secret agency, struggles to wrap her head around her bizarre new job -- fighting dangers humanity isn't prepared to face -- under the guidance of a handsome and relentlessly wholesome hero who calls himself "The Middleman" in this tongue-in-cheek adventure series.

The funny thing is, the series was literally one episode away from a satisfactory ending. It ran 12 episodes when the 13th would have connected everything together, answered questions we didn't even know we were asking, and finished off the series nicely. While we never did get this elusive missing episode -we did get the next best thing. After the fact, almost the entire cast sat on a Middleman panel at SDCC for a live reading of the episode 13 script, with show creator Javier Grillo-Marxuach acting as moderator and narrator. It was beautiful. It's also on YouTube.

Also, this guy:

And speaking of Mark Sheppard...

Firefly (Fox)

You knew it had to be coming. And no, Universe; we will never get over this.

Life (NBC)

Life was his sentence.

Life was what he got back.

Life is what they cancelled.

If you want to see the bottom lip wobble on any of my family members, just intone that little gem. We all loved this show.

Homicide detective Charlie Crews served 12 years for a crime he didn't commit, but now he's back on the job with a few new quirks -prison habits, a Zen philosophy, and an insatiable craving for fresh fruit. The show is equal parts zany and poignant.

Fun fact? Created by Rand Ravich, who also created my #2 heartbreak, Second Chance.

Forever (ABC)

My dad and I fell in love with this show about an immortal medical examiner. It was fun and I always thought it was pretty clever; what's a crime show without a good quirk now a days? 

Young Justice (CN)

Another show that just shouldn't have been cancelled. But hey -those Netflix season 3 rumors just started up again, so here's hoping.

Agent Carter (ABC)

Admittedly, I haven't finished season 2 yet, but I was disappointed when this wasn't renewed. It had everything -the time period, the snark, so much Marvel origins potential, and Peggy Carter.

Pushing Daisies (ABC)

If you haven't heard of Pushing Daisies, you're hanging out with the wrong crowds. Lee Pace, Chi McBride, Kristin Chenoweth, AND NARRATED BY JIM DALE. (Yes, narrator-of-the-Harry-Potter-audiobooks, THAT JIM DALE.)

With a single touch, Ned can bring the dead back to life. But one more touch will kill them again. Permanently. It's a zany mystery series and love story with fantasy elements, beautiful cinematography, wonderful wordplay, and the occasional musical number. (Because yes, THAT Kristen Chenoweth, too!)

Scarecrow and Mrs. King (CBS)

And if you thought the early 90s were as far back as I'd go -you were wrong! It had four season running from 83-87. I've just been introduced to this show and I LOVE it. While it had four great seasons, and they did give us as satisfactory an ending as they could swing with the cancellation, I would have loved to see more of this show.

Don't miss my Ten Books I Wish Were TV Shows!
I understand the pain. Share some of your favorite cancelled shows.

ARC REVIEW: Gears of Revolution by J. Scott Savage (Mysteries of Cove #2)

Gears of Revolution

by J. Scott Savage

Mysteries of Cove #2

Shadow Mountain Publishing

YA/Fantasy
Available: September 20

Ratings
4/5 stars
PG for some fantasy violence
Recommend for anyone who likes steampunk or dragons or steampunk dragons

The Review

[There will be SPOILERS of the events from the first book, Fires of Invention.]

When last we left Cove, super-mechanics Trenton Coleman and Kallista Babbage showed their underground civilization that the outside world wasn't a poisonous death trap of technological pollution. They proved they had been lied to for years. They also proved that inventing wasn't a sin and that machines could be used for great and wondrous things. They learned the true name of Cove -Discovery, once a haven for scientists and inventors. They even killed the dragon that attacked their city.

Right.

DRAGONS EXIST.

That was the other little secret they uncovered.

Then they managed to kill the dragon that attacked their city.

Now, Kallista is determined to find her father, the eccentric and brilliant inventor Leo Babbage, who escaped the city and left another puzzle of clues behind for her to follow. With Trenton's help, they follow Leo's path aboard their majestic mechanical dragon Ladon to a far off city called 'Seattle', dodging dragons of the scales and blood variety along the way.

You're sold on this already, aren't you? I don't blame you. I love, love, LOVE this premise so. freaking. much.

While just as much of an adventure as Fires of Invention, the intrigue for Gears of Revolution really kicked it up a notch. Plus, Savage delves even deeper into the 'steampunk' culture with the introduction of the Whipjacks -technological superior social outcasts with fantastic accents and slang- and their charismatic leader, the 'dimber damber' Cochrane. (Oh yep. Loving it.)

And once again, Savage regales us with new inventions and throws in some political and social discord for Trenton and Kallista to contend with -because obviously dragons aren't enough of a challenge for them. Gears also takes the world on a darker turn, because the city Trenton and Kallista find next is more brutal, more savage. (No pun intended*) This Seattle has a survival-of-the-fittest mentality unseen in the peaceful Discovery and it's interesting watching Kallista and Trenton deal with this unpleasant jolt of reality. It adds a new angle for them and I like the affect it has on their characters, coming from a city where everyone has enough to eat to seeing a place where some have to resort to desperate methods just to keep from starving.

Kallista and Trenton are still awkwardly adorable, since they both relate far better to machines than people (especially each other). They are learning to interact better (which, again, is adorable) but they still need some work on their dealings with others. Which is part of the fun!

Kallista comes a little into her own in this sequel. Up to now, she has been dutifully following the clues left behind by her father, but I like that we see a touch of perhaps not exactly resentment, but the idea that these games her father loved to play aren't exactly her cup of tea. I like seeing this side of Kallista and I'm excited to see where it takes her from here.

One thing I mentioned specifically in my review for Fires of Invention was the portrayal of Trenton's mother, who disapproves of the machines Trenton loves so much, and of the complicated relationship between them, and I have to say, I love it even more in the sequel. Since they reached a better understanding of each other last book, Savage successfully starts deepening their relationship and I love watching every minute -even though there aren't very many! (Next book, maybe. Next book...)

Fires floored me with the reveal of dragons, and Gears wowed me with the further depth of this world. Whereas Discovery had hidden away from the reality of dragons, the city built from the remains of Seattle designed a religion around them. (Whoa is right.) The Order of the Beast is exactly what it sounds like. The core of the religion is a worship of the 'holy beasts' and its role in society is basically the peace they claim to have brokered with the dragons.

I would have loved to see The Order of the Beast explored more within the story; I'm a worldbuilding nerd like that. We do get one of these 'Red Robes' as a prominent character and I devoured the tidbits of this whacked out religion he fed us. He also raised some very interesting -and uncomfortable- questions about the nature of dragons. And Kallista is uncovering questions about the dragons on her own. The deeper Savage takes us into his world, the deeper we see the story go and I love this progression!

There a couple of great new characters in this book. Aside from the aforementioned Cochrane, head of the motley eccentric Whipjacks, we also get Ander -a member of the dragon-worshiping Order of the Beast who has questionable motives- and Plucky -a young Whipjack with awesome mechanical leg braces who has questionable motives. You might be sensing a theme here.

But even with all this fantastic new content, one of my very favorite moments in this book actually involves old faces, specifically Mr. Darrow and his son, Angus. It's not much of a spoiler. So I'm going to tell you about it.

As you might recall, Angus isn't much of a fan of Trenton and Kallista. He's actually a bit of a bully, just like his father. Angus has always intrigued me, though, and he's one of the characters who really stuck in the back of my mind. There is a moment in Gears when Trenton finds his path blocked by Mr. Darrow and this happens:

"You're a coward and a fool," Trenton yelled as he ran past. "And one day, your son is going to realize it."

Remember that Trenton isn't much of a people person; I don't feel like this line is spoken out of spite or even that Trenton is lashing out. This is just the truth as Trenton sees it.

So why am I so hung up on this? It's a tiny moment. A single line. It's never addressed again and, to be honest, Angus and his father are barely in this story, so it's not that important in the grand scheme of things. But I'm really excited to see the aftermath of this single line. Because it makes me realize WHY I'm so interested in Angus Darrow. This kid has a great core. He has good instincts and qualities -like wanting to protect his people at all costs and vehemently opposing any threat- he just has a bad example in his bully father and has been taught too many lies.

What Trenton says here is painfully true. It's exactly why I'm chomping the bit for book 3. Because some day Angus IS going to realize it and that might very well be the day a Great Character is born. That's a day I want to see.

So, Angus:

I loved how Savage ended this book. It's an epic finale and I cannot wait to get my hands on book 3. Gears of Revolution, with its new setting, new characters, and whole plethora of dragons has been a blast. But it's also a build up. The deeper we dive into the world of this series, the closer we get to the really meaty question, and it is waiting for the answer to that that has me on the edge of my seat.

Overall, it's a fantastic continuation to the series and even more fascinating than its predecessor. The whole time I was reading this, my big recurring thought was: I can't wait to see how that unfold next time!

Oh, right. Did I mention that blessedly beautiful AIRSHIP?

An ARC of this ebook was provided courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review

*Okay. Pun totally intended.

#BookmarkMonday (7): Austen Party

#BookmarkMonday
hosted by Aloi @ GuiltlessReading

#BookmarkMonday is a weekly meme that started in 2009.
Click the widget for more details!

One of the perks of working in a library -at least for me- is finding the notes left by my friend and coworker with thoughts on the book I happen to have on hold. Little does she know I keep them all. Muahahahahahaha!

This is my newest addition, found tucked into The Jane Austen Handbook by Margaret C. Sullivan:

It reads: Hahaha! You're hilarious. Now you have to have an Austen party.

Well, it wasn't my plan -I'm actually researching Regency England- but apparently now there's no getting out of it. Anyone know some good British recipes? (Seriously, send them to my Pinterest account.)

What's your favorite Austen novel?
I'm going to be totally cliche and say Pride & Prejudice, though I will admit, my current favorite Austen adaptation is the Emma Thompson Sense & Sensibility because Alan Rickman's Colonel Brandon somehow became my Austen soulmate within the last year. (When did that happen?!)

You know what, I don't even care. Ya'll can have Darcy. Brandon's mine.

Harry Potter Moment of the Week #5 -Which Character Outside the HP World Would Do Well at Hogwarts?

Harry Potter Moment of the Week

started and hosted by Leah @ Uncorked Thoughts

& co-hosted by Micheline @ Lunar Rainbows

Which character outside the Harry Potter world would do well at Hogwarts?

1. Artemis Fowl

Admit it. The thought of little Arty -criminal genius known for exploiting magical creatures- wandering around with a wand sent a chill down your spine. Can you imagine the adventures? The mischief? We got a taste of what Artemis would be like with magic, but I'd love a longer look at that. He would dominate every class Hogwarts offered; Hermione Granger would become a name of the past. And obviously he'd be sorted into Slytherin, so I imagine he'd be a new favorite of Professor Snape. (Though I think Artemis would secretly prefer McGonagall's dry wit.)
I seriously love this.
 

2. Princess Cimorene

by Alecueous (via Deviantart)

Cimorene has determination and skill in spades. What she wants, she goes after, no matter what. Even being called a 'Mudblood' wouldn't phase her. She'd douse that wizard with soapy lemon-scented water. Our unconventional princess has already shown a penchant for magic and I would love to see her duel Professor Snape.

3. Charles Wallace Murry

Why not? The kid seems to grasp the inner workings of the universe without blinking. Just make sure he doesn't experiment too much with the Dark Arts; wouldn't due to have him come under someone else's influence again.

4. Toph Beifong

Mostly, I want to see her hanging out with Fred and George. Peeves could take some lessons from her.

5. Georgiana Darcy

An education at Hogwarts should, of course, be a pinnacle in the upbringing of an accomplished lady. (Let the fanfictions commence.)

EDIT: BONUS CHARACTER
I woke up this morning and realized I missed someone very important.

6. Inigo Montoya

Our favorite vengeful Spaniard could definitely learn a thing or two at Hogwarts to further his quest for revenge, though I think we all know he couldn't in good conscience simply revert to using and Avada Kedavra spell. There's no honor or skill in that, but a few divination spells would certainly narrow down that search time. (And Hogwarts training could definitely be useful in the life of the Dread Pirate Roberts.)
I haven't decided yet whether Inigo would be sorted into Slytherin or Gryffindor, because he's got qualities for both.

This was such a fun question to do! I've been giggling the whole time. ^_^
Who do you think would do well at Hogwarts?   

Ten Books That Have Been on My Shelf From Before I Started Blogging

Ten Books That Have Been on My Shelf From Before I Started Blogging That I Still Haven't Read Yet

Top Ten Tuesday is a blog meme hosted by the ladies at The Broke and the Bookish

Oi! Hello, you lot! I saw this topic for today last minute and couldn't resist because -sadly- I know it will be a really quick and easy one for me to write up. (ouch)

1-3. I, Robot; The Naked Sun; The Robots of Dawn by Isaac Asimov
After seeing -and loving- the film I, Robot starring Will Smith, I found the title at my local used bookstore. This would have been, gosh, six or seven years ago? Yikes. Of course, once I got the book home I realized it wasn't the story of which the film is based -it's an anthology of short stories all based off Asimov's Three Laws of Robotics. With a little research, I did learn that Asimov wrote a series of sci-fi/mysteries, starring an old-school police detective, Elijah Baley, partnered up with a robot, R. Daneel Olivaw. Now, the first book of this series, The Caves of Steel, I DID READ AS SOON AS I BOUGHT IT. I even liked it, though it's still about as different from the I, Robot film as the anthology of the same name, just on the other end of the spectrum.
So why didn't I finish reading the series if I liked it?
Because I'm insane and have too many books, that's why.

4-10. The Young Unicorns; Troubling A Star; A House Like a Lotus; An Acceptable Time; The Arm of the Starfish; Dragons in the Waters; Meet the Austins by Madeline L'Engle
Right. So I discovered A Wrinkle in Time at an early age -arguably my first exposure to science fiction- and listened to that probably four or five times before I realized it was a quartet. I don't think I ever got around to finishing the quartet, specifically Many Waters until my late teens. Possibly early 20s. It's been awhile. (The change of main characters to Sandy and Dennis, the jumping back in the timeline, the different tone of the story -it all threw me off for awhile. But it's good!) Obviously, this didn't stop me from collecting as much of L'Engle's work as I could. I know these books are part of at least two different series; more accurately, following different genealogies. As I recall, these books all take place in the same 'universe'. Some are about the Murrys and Calvin and their successive generations and there's also a series about the Austins. Once upon a time, I could tell you the order, even if I hadn't read them.
It is far past that time.

11. Sahara by Clive Cussler
Again. Saw the movie. Loved the movie. I started reading this book -even got a decent chunk into it, I think. I don't remember why I stopped. Other books at the time with due dates, probably. I do that a lot. But I have read at least one other Cussler -Valhalla Rising- and I keep telling myself I'm going to start this series because I love so many things about it.
As a side note, Sahara and National Treasure make for a fantastic double feature!

12. Interworld by Neil Gaiman and Michael Reeves
It was cheap. I'd heard the name 'Neil Gaiman' a lot. It had a cool cover. Still haven't gotten farther than that.

I'm stopping here, but believe me when I say this barely makes a dent. And considering all the unread books I've bought since I started blogging?
This is why I'm finally -FINALLY- going to instigate a TBR A Month feature into my reading schedule to start cleaning those out. Though I'm probably going to get a cooler name for it. You know. Me and cool names. Suggestions are totally welcome, by the way. ;)

Thanks for stopping by!

What are some of your oldest unread books?

SPOILER-FREE REVIEW: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by J.K. Rowling, Jack Thorne & John Tiffany

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
Concept: J.K. Rowling, Jack Thorne & John Tiffany
Script by: Jack Thorne
3/5 stars

First off, no. I wasn't just lazy getting this review up. In truth, I read Cursed Child through in a few hours last weekend, and haven't really finished it since. I couldn't bring myself to go on to a new book, instead pulling this out and re-reading my favorite bits over and over again. Now that I've finally been able to start something new, I think I can write up a decent review.

And yes. I still re-read my favorite scenes every day.

I have mixed feelings about this story, but let me premise it by saying this: I don't regret buying this. I like it enough that I will read it again. There are things in this story -scenes, characters, moments, emotions- that I love, that I adore, that I wouldn't part with for the life of me. I readily -even greedily- accept these as canon.

The plot, on the other hand, is basically terrible. There are so many issues with it, I am forced to file it under 'fanfiction' in my brain because there's no way. No. Way.

I read this through in one night, banging my head on many, many occasions. By the end, I was pretty exasperated by the cliches. It's not a great story. It's fun and exciting, and I admit it completely enthralled me -but the major components really frustrated me. So much so, I had almost written it off.

Then I went to work. And for hours, I couldn't stop thinking about it.

About then I had to admit that Cursed Child did some things right.

WHAT I LOVE ABOUT CURSED CHILD

SCORPIUS.

Merlin's beard, Scorpius.

I ADORE HIM.

Unabashedly, completely, ardently, earnestly adore him.

Almost from the moment he opened his mouth, he stole my fangirl heart. His personality and his entirety is definitely accepted as canon. He is, quite possibly, now my favorite character in the entire Wizarding World.

I KNOW, RIGHT?!

More than that, I love the friendship between Albus and Scorpius, because they're so much fun together! I loved them in this story, even if the story itself has issues. They have great chemistry, they're fantastic characters, they'd be terrific co-leads because they play off each other so well, and their unlikely friendship absolutely rules this story. But there's substance to it too. Not to mention the depth it gains from and the ripples it causes with their parents.

I love them so much, in fact, that I'm crossing my fingers Rowling will give them their own series. Something focused on them and their adventures but isn't shy to remember who their families are. There is definitely something solid here that could be built into something incredible.

I liked Albus, too. At least, I liked the Albus I could see when he wasn't angry at or hating his father. I could grow to love this character. In another story.

Ron and Hermione are unbelievably adorable. AND I love how the story winds up yanking their chains, even if it falls under that cliche, fanfiction heading. Because it's adorable. Incidentally, it's also more of a running joke than crucial to the plot, so...

There are other moments I love [spoilers], even some of the super fanfiction-y ones. And so many of the emotions generated even by the worst parts of the plot are powerful but, because they are tainted for any number of reasons, they become unsatisfactory and bitter. There's a lot going on here, good and bad.

But what really takes the cake is Draco. I love Draco in this. The story managed to satiate some of my fan cravings as far as Draco Malfoy that never saw the light in the original series, so yeah. I loved that. He is freaking awesome in this story, and I would love to see a little more of adult Draco in anything.

More than that, I feel that Draco of all the original characters had the best and most believable development within those nineteen years since Deathly Hallows. There is a story here, a fantastic story, and I would love to see Scorpius and Albus learn more about it.

Draco has a moment or two that I'll admit scream wish-fulfillment, but he still feels the most in keeping with his character. He's changed, but we can see that change; we have a believable and realistic chain of events for that change and it feels real and vibrant, where so much of what we get from Harry, Ron, Hermione, and even Ginny comes out forced. Draco Malfoy is the only recurring character I could see clearly, could really feel throughout Cursed Child, and so much of this impacts not only Scorpius, but Scorpius' relationship with Albus, and even Harry Potter.

A lot of this is due to the fact that so much of Draco's story wasn't concretely resolved at the end of Deathly Hallows. His story wasn't concluded like Harry's, which makes it much more organic in Cursed Child. It's also an amazing story and I honestly haven't stopped fangirling over it. I love the entire Draco Malfoy family so much. Give me more, please!

While Scorpius is undeniably my favorite thing about this story, Draco is a close second. Together, they make such a huge and powerful impact on the story, on Albus, even on Harry, that -despite a terrible plot- Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is still a worthwhile read.

WHAT'S WRONG WITH CURSED CHILD

As I see it, Cursed Child suffered three major blows, each of which would have easily been fatal to the story, but all three became a Devil's Trifecta against which it never stood a chance of being taken seriously by the brunt of Harry Potter fans.

Cliches

The story was rife with them. You couldn't get through an act without tripping over them and the entire plot basically nests in them. Thus, predictable story, few surprises, a faint sense of 'deja vu', an even bigger sense of 'oh no you didn't.' (But yes. Yes they did.)

This is especially disappointing coming from Rowling. Having just come off Harry Potter for the first time, I happily admit she threw stuff at me from all directions that I never saw coming. Even most of the predictions I made didn't come to pass and she constantly sent me farther down a twist than I expected. Big moments I anticipated were replaced by small moments that were even more powerful. The entire series is a beautifully told masterpiece.

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child isn't. It's good, for what it is, but nowhere near on par with the series.

The cliches are also a HUGE reason so many people -me included- are calling this a glorified fanfiction. The thing about fanfiction is that it's often written for the writer themselves, not for readers. It's more wish fulfillment, than actual good story. This is a generalization. There are excellent stories within fanfiction, and fanfiction that combines both aspects, but the overall purpose of fanfiction is for a fan to get what they want out of a fandom. This often has very little to do with writing a good story.

Fanfiction also tends not to move on from the original. Most fan stories are bogged down in the canon, like a broken-hearted ex refusing to move on from a beau. Exactly like that, really, because in truth, isn't that what fanfiction writers are? We write these because we can't or aren't ready to move on. We continue to explore our favorite worlds any way we can.

This leads to a lot of very specific cliches that I won't elaborate on because [spoilers].

The reason it makes the story weak is because it's not original. Instead of giving us something new, we're simply reliving the same events and emotions through different characters and it leads to familiar characters forced to deal with the exact same issues all over again.

This works great for fanfiction! Not so much for an 'eighth' Harry Potter story.

Will the Main Character please raise your hand. ...anyone? ...Bueller?

I'm exaggerating. Slightly.

Going into this, I fully expected Albus to be the main character. Pretty quick, I realized the prominence with which Harry kept popping up -and since it IS called Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, I figured he was still in the role and/or sharing it with Albus. That works. It's a story revolving around the pair of them, after all, once you get into it.

But then Scorpius winds up dominating a good segment of Act Three -no argument from me, I swear! I had no problem with that entire section nor how it changes both Scorpius and the story. For me, it was one of the better parts -especially story-wise- in the entire play. It just muddied the waters up a bit, because suddenly Scorpius isn't a supporting character anymore, but aside from this short-lived stint, he isn't exactly the main character, either.

The role of Main Character winds up shared -sometimes even torn- between all three of these characters. Sharing the lead is a tact they might have pulled off if they'd narrowed it down to two characters -either Scorpius and Albus, or Albus and Harry- but there just wasn't enough time to satisfactorily use all three in these leading roles -as evidenced by the sudden absence of Scorpius during the big finale and his and Draco's awkward hanging-back in the last big emotional moment, where there was literally nothing for them to contribute.

Focusing in more clearly on a pair, instead of the trio, would have better focused the story itself.

There is just as much clarity around who exactly the 'Cursed Child' is. I'm still not sure, so it feels like an epic click-bait of a title. Good thing there was still so much to love about this, eh?

And the Final Death Blow? The most fatal of all?

Harry the Eighth I am, I am

The more I think about what's wrong with Cursed Child, the more convinced I become that the flaw lies in what made it such a big deal in the first place.

The Eighth Story.

In truth, we didn't need an eighth Harry Potter story. After reading this, I think I'm safe to say most of us didn't want an eighth Harry Potter story. Harry Potter is concluded, and what a spectacularly beautiful conclusion it was. I wouldn't change that for the world.

The problem with Cursed Child is that it does change that conclusion. Taints it, even. In order to make this truly an eighth story for Harry Potter, Cursed Child regurgitates a lot of things he's already suffered, but the way these issues return makes them feel they were never truly resolved in the first place -which, according to the series, they were.

This irked me. It more than irked me. It made me mad. Harry made peace with so many things -lies, betrayals, loss, misunderstandings, and his role in it all. But in Cursed Child, it doesn't feel like Harry ever made peace with it. He feels damaged. And I understand that what Harry went through will always be with him, like his lightning bolt scar, but in Cursed Child I don't see scars: I see still-gaping and -seeping wounds that are continuing to harm him and those around him long after the death of Voldemort.

That hurts. It's a terrible thing to do to Harry, to think that he has lived like that for nineteen years, but it's worse because by the end of Deathly Hallows we were led to believe that he had healed.

Cursed Child took that away. It changed the ending of the series, it changed how we see Harry's next nineteen years, and I don't love this version.

In this respect, Cursed Child most resembles a fanfiction, for slitting open what we thought were healed scars to squeeze in one last story before the wound closes over again.

So if Cursed Child shouldn't have been an eighth Potter story, what should have it been?

An Albus and Scorpius story, of course.

Like I said, we didn't need an eighth Harry Potter story. What we want -I should perhaps say, what I want- is a new story in the Wizarding World that happens to involve the beloved Harry Potter characters just enough for them to remain a part of our lives as we watch them move on in theirs, while still getting a new adventure without feeling guilty about putting those same beloved characters at the forefront of an entire such adventure all over again.

The more I think back on and re-read scenes, the more I am convinced that having Harry take such a leading role really hurt the story. That is the source of most of the cliches that crop up throughout Cursed Child. Letting Albus and Scorpius take the lead could have saved the entirety of it. I honestly feel like the only times this plot trips over itself is when it attempts to contort itself into the touted Eighth story; almost like the story itself is fighting what it becomes. I think if that focus had been shifted just enough, it would have taken the story in a different, better direction.

Now. This is the part where I point out that this last Death Blow also happens to be the basis of the first two.

#1: If Cursed Child wasn't the eighth Harry Potter story, it wouldn't have leaned so heavily on so many of these cliches -especially the really fatal ones; they would have probably given way to a more original plot befitting a new set of characters.

#2: If Cursed Child wasn't the eighth Harry Potter story, Albus and Scorpius could have slipped very comfortably into a co-lead for the story and solved the awkward Main Character triangle, providing better focus for the entirety.

Also, The Villain

No.
No.


Believe it or not, there were even more flaws than this. They were just less detrimental.

• Friction between Harry and Albus. Considering this was a driving force of the plot for both characters, it was both forced and not well-founded. It doesn't have a clear point of origin or progression until it suddenly explodes, setting off the entire story. It wasn't terribly believable; Harry acts completely out of character; it doesn't seem to fit Albus much better.
• Ginny. Ginny has good moments. I love Ginny. But if Ginny had been fully in-character, there's no way things would have gotten so bad between Harry and Albus.
• Ron. Ron has fun moments and great lines -but not much else. His role seemed mostly degraded to comic relief. Ignoble, really.
• Amos. I hate, hate, hate how he is portrayed in this. It's beyond uncharacteristic. It's darn near despicable.

For all its bad, there is so much I love in Cursed Child that I can't regret reading it or even buying it. I hope we're rewarded down the line with more stories of Scorpius and Albus because this is just too short for such amazing characters! Given the chance, I would see the play in a heartbeat.

Also, I have to stress -for as terrible as the story feels for a canon story, as incredibly cliche and fanfiction as it gets- it's as exciting as it is weird and unbelievable. It really is fun to read. 

It's even more fun to talk about.

What did YOU think of it?