My first two thoughts were:
1) I feel really old
2) Yes! I can relive my childhood!
So taking advantage of the first thought, me and my friends went to a Waterstones midnight launch party so I could queue up and get my book the moment it was released - the night was fun with Azkaban themed photos, golden snitch cupcakes and a Harry Potter quiz.
But most importantly, once I got hold of the book, did it live up to expectation?
The first thing to be clear on is that it is a play script - not a novel, so this makes the reading experience very different, which it seems some fans who were expecting a full sequel weren't prepared for. Play scripts have less description and characterisation, two things that were very important in the writing of the Harry Potter series.
However, the play does capture how the characters have developed and the relationships between them very well. Equally, while some have criticised the plot, I found it compelling and was eager to read ahead. For some who were hoping for a serious novel I can see how the plot would feel clumsy and trite but, for many people taking a trip down memory lane, it offers rose-tinted nostalgia.
More importantly however, is how they managed to stage this adventurous, magic-filled plot. Without wanting to give away spoilers it is hard to imagine some of the scenes on a stage - but the positive reaction performances have had so far would prove my imagination to be limited.
The plot does move forward incredibly quickly, and in some ways it was sad to leap so much time, but it was also necessary, as part of the development of the characters' personal problems and relationships. This journey was actually really moving, with some really sweet and other terribly sad moments, and it was this emotive, heart-warming and heart-breaking aspect of the books that made me love (and sometimes loathe) the original series.
It should go without saying that you need prior knowledge of the series to understand this play, it isn't a stand-alone book. But for many it will be a welcome revisit to the characters who have been missing from our lives for 9 years.
I do wish that Rowling had made it a novel, as I feel like it would have given the book a lot more weight and let readers really dive into the characters. However, you can't judge anything as something it is not, so overall, this was a well-written exploration of the characters and their children twenty years later and a very nostalgic trip down memory lane which has made me incredibly keen to see the play.
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