** spoiler alert ** 
 3.5 stars, but for my dear friend Harry, I round up. 
 I was very conflicted while I read this and once I finished it. I certainly didn't dislike it - in fact, as I read it kept marveling over the fact that I was finding out how Harry fared after the series ended, something my teenage self never dreamed possible. But I think maybe my teenage self imagined Harry living a carefree life full of rainbows and butterflies, not an average life filled with sadness and regret. 
 I think I feel so conflicted because The Cursed Child made me feel sad, and it also threatened the perfection that was the original series. Having just revisited the books via audio recently, the awesomeness of the originals were fresh in my mind. I loved how those ended - 19 years later, Harry is happy, "All was well." The events that take place right after we leave Harry at Kings Cross render that comforting "all was well" completely dead. Young Albus starts at Hogwarts which sets off a tailspin of events over the next few years that lead to the possible altering of history and the resurgence of Voldemort. Let me list my biggest qualms as I read the story: 
 1. Harry's scar starts hurting again and he has creepy Voldemort dreams, ultimately leading to a race to save humanity. I kept thinking, "This isn't fair! He defeated Voldemort! That was the most epic scene of the whole series!" The victory of good over evil from books 1-7 seemed diminished as Voldemort seemed to still be alive. 
 2. The Time Turner scenes KILLED me as I read them. Altering events of the Triwizard Tournament, a beloved portion of the series, made me very upset as I took it all in. The original stories seemed too sacred to touch. Even when all was put right again, it bothered me knowing that time had been meddled with so drastically. 
 3. Harry is sad. And kinda lost. This made me feel sad and kinda lost. All was supposed to be well!!! 
 Had I rated The Cursed Child immediately after I finished, it would probably only have 3 stars. But I've had some time to reflect on it, and here's what I loved/appreciated about it: 
 1. Harry's sadness decades later upset me, but in the end it wouldn't have been very realistic for Harry to be completely happy and unaffected by his past. If there is one think J.K. Rowling never shied away from, it was being real about emotions. Her characters went through a lot and they were deeply affected by the horrors they experienced. Harry, of course, is no exception. All things considered, he turned out pretty well for someone who willingly accepted death to save the world from evil. Most would be in St. Mungo's after something like that. 
 2. While I really hated all the time-turning, it was incredibly fun to revisit the past. Thorne does a great job at incorporating characters and scenes that readers treasure into this new story. We get to see so many beloved characters, from McGonagall (my personal favorite) to Hagrid to Dumbledore to even Ludo Bagman. We revisit Hogwarts and the Triwizard Tournament and the Ministry of Magic and so many other places. Even the hut on the rock where Hagrid told Harry he's a wizard! 
 3. I personally loved the dialogue. I thought it was well done and true to the characters. There was some that was even pulled directly from the originals! Hermione was still bossy but kind, Ron was still a lovable git, Ginny was still fiery and loyal. And Harry was still the same brave and selfless Harry he always was. It's a little weird reading them as grownups instead of teenagers but once I got used to it, it didn't bother me. Also, kind-of-nice Draco weirded me out, but I'm glad he shed some of his evilness as he grew up. 
 4. Scorpius was great and easily my favorite new character. Wasn't expecting that! 
 5. Seeing Snape in an alternate universe where Voldemort won also helped me to appreciate him more, because even then he is still secretly fighting on the good side. This showed that Snape really was a good guy deep deep deep deep deep down. Still a jerk, but good. 
 6. I love how the importance of Neville Longbottom's place in history was highlighted - without him to kill Nagini, Harry (and therefore everyone) was doomed. Who doesn't love Neville Longbottom!? 
 Overall - could I have done without The Cursed Child? Yes. Rowling ended things perfectly with The Deathly Hallows and I realize now that I didn't need any more than that. But that being said, The Cursed Child was a fun jump back in to the world of Harry Potter, which any Potterhead should be grateful for. And ultimately Harry ends up in the same place he was when "all was well" before - his past will never fully leave him, but he has peace, happiness and love around him through his family and friends, which is all he ever really wanted.