3.5 stars! 
 To be honest, I had no plans of reading Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. I told my sister and my friend that for me, Harry Potter's story ended in Deathly Hallows. I had no idea what the story or the play was about, and I wasn't that interested, to be honest. 
 However, when I saw an article saying that Draco and Scorpius Malfoy had a significant part in the story, I couldn't resist. As some of you might know, I'm a bit of a Darcy Malfoy fan. Not just because of Tom Felton, but because of the character itself. 
 Anyway, I read the book as soon I was able to get my hands on it. Reading this book felt like seeing and catching up with friends you haven't seen in a long time. Harry Potter has been a huge part of my childhood, and to see them all grown up--married and with kids, too--made me ecstatic. The magic is still there in my heart. 
 We see a lot of familiar faces--Harry, Hermione, Ron, Draco, Professor McGonagall, to name a few--and new ones--Albus Potter, Scorpius Malfoy, the Granger-Weasley kids, the next generation students. 
 This was enjoyable as a standalone, and the script made me want to watch the play, but it was hard to accept as canon. There were a lot of plot holes and some of the characters seemed OOC (out of character). There were times when I felt I was reading a fan fic. Some of it felt like it was written purely for fan service (Am I right, Dramione fans?). 
 The thing that bothered me the most was Draco Malfoy. I've always believed he could have been different if he was given the chance to be Harry and co.'s friend. In this play/script, we were able to see and understand Draco, and I felt bad for him because he wasn't truly evil; just misguided. If he had the right friends, things would have been different. But I shouldn't be lamenting over the past, so I'm going to let it go. It just sucked to be proven right, I guess. 
 There was some consolation though. There was a bit of a redemption for Draco, and Scorpius was a darling. He was a mix of Ron and Hermione, having Ron's sense of humor and Hermione's wit. I think that's what it made him perfect as Albus' best friend. There was also a scene with a beloved character (After all this time?) that warmed my heart. 
 All in all, I was happy I read this, but it wouldn't have been a loss if I didn't. I still hope The Cursed Child would tour someday because I would still like to see it. 
 [image error]