The release of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child book must be the highlight of 2016 for all Harry Potter fans, including me. When it was announced that there would be the eighth book of Harry Potter, I was so excited; but not excited enough to pre-order as the price was quite high for me. Fortunately, the book was short enough for a friend of mine to finish it in just one sitting and that friend of mine was kind enough to lend it to me!

Cursed Child starts at the exact same scene as the epilog from Deathly Hallows. Set 19 years after the Battle Of Hogwarts, the original trio is at Platform 3/4 to watch their children board the Hogwarts Express. Albus Severus is worried that he will be sorted into Slytherin but Harry assures him that it won’t make any difference. This turns out to be a big part of the story of Cursed Child. Albus is sorted into Slytherin and befriends Scorpius Malfoy, Draco’s only child. Him being a Potter in Slytherin becomes a burden for Albus since he feels like he is overshadowed by his father’s greatness (or rather, fame, since Harry Potter grew up to be a troubled man with problems at work who doesn’t get along with his son). To overcome this problem and to prove that he is as great as his father, Albus (accompanied by Scorpius) sets off a journey to the past to correct Harry’s mistake, that is getting Cedric killed by Voldemort. However, every little change in the past makes the alternate present even weirder and weirder. Albus and Scorpius have to make everything right again.

Honestly, I’m not satisfied with this book. It was written by two more people other than J.K. Rowling herself, I don’t know how much of it that she wrote, but the whole book doesn’t have her sound at all. The original trio is written like completely different people. I get it; people change. But the change of the trio is too far away. Ron was quite funny back then, but in this book he was written more like a comic relief. He sounds shallow. We all know that Hermione is the greatest witch of her age, but I’m also sure that the original Ron was bound to be great as well. This new Ron looks like he is overshadowed by his wife who happens to become the Minister of Magic while he manages a joke shop (probably the twin’s shop). I’m very disappointed.

Also, the friendship between Albus and Scorpius screams gay to me. While I think it’s okay if they are actually in love with each other, but the story insists that they are not gays by forcing the subplot that Scorpius has a crush on Rose (Granger-Weasley) and tries to ask her out. It’s as if the writers actually wanted them to be gays but decided to write it off in last minute. It really bugs me. Reading the Cursed Child feels like reading a fanfiction written by a teenage girl who is obsessed with both the Harry Potter series and Rainbow Rowell’s Carry On. I’m sorry, but it is.

That being said, if I get the chance to see the play, I’ll still watch it. Maybe the real reason why I hate Cursed Child so much is because it’s actually a play script. It doesn’t give as much detail as a narrative story. Maybe I’ll like it more if I see it on stage. Now, if only I could take myself to London…

I am a big fan of Agatha Christie’s works. I’ve read most (if not all) of them and it’s hard to pick one as my favourite because I love them all. That’s why I was very excited when I found out that they would publish a new Hercule Poirot novel though it was not written by Dame Christie herself. I was also kind of nervous because I hadn’t known about the author, Sophie Hannah. When it was finally available for purchase in Books and Beyond, I bought it immediately.

The story took place in between Agatha Christie’s original Poirot stories, and though no other characters from those books except for Poirot himself, it doesn’t interfere with the existing timeline of Poirot’s life. When the news of a new Poirot book broke out, people were afraid that Sophie Hannah would try to ‘resurrect’ Poirot from his death in Curtain, but as it turned out they were wrong.

The story is about three murders in Bloxham Hotel, a luxurious hotel in London. The three murders are clearly linked because in each victim’s mouth there is a cufflink with the same initials found. Poirot helps a young policeman, Catchpool, investigating the murders. Before the news of the murders was spread, Poirot was having a supper in a nearby coffee shop where he was interrupted by a young woman telling him that she was about to get murdered. Poirot recalls the strange meeting after he finds out about the murders and he insists that the two incidents are linked while the young policeman is not convinced. Their investigation eventually leads them to a dark story from the past happened in a small village called Great Holling and the connection between the three murder victims, as well as the motive behind it, becomes clear.

While the story faithfully follows Agatha Christie’s original storytelling style, I found myself feeling annoyed by the way Poirot and Catchpool treat each other. Sophie Hannah’s Poirot is arrogant and full of himself while Catchpool seems to be frustrated by every single thing that Poirot says and it comes out as rude. Poirot’s other occasional sidekick, Captain Hastings, is often frustrated too, but he still treats Poirot with respect. For me, this is quite annoying.

All things aside, I’m still hoping that there will be more Poirot and Miss Marple novels in the future. I know it may be a great challenge for newer authors to write equivalent books to the originals, but it can be a good way to introduce Agatha Christie to younger readers as well as quench the thirst of older fans.