One of these days, Goodreads will allow 1/2 stars... To be fair, this one is a 3 1/2 for me. I knew going into this that I could either love it or hate it. Thankfully, I didn't hate it. I knew it wasn't written fully by J.K. Rowling, but rather that she was consulted on it and more or less approved it. I knew that it was a script for a play and wouldn't read like a normal novel. I wasn't not surprised by either of those things. I've sat on my opinion for a couple of days to give myself a chance to really rate it fairly. Here are my conclusions...

1. The play format did not bother me as much as I thought it would. This was actually my primary reservation prior to reading. I was afraid that the script outline would put me off. But it worked. I was able to read it and hear/see the script in my head just as I would have with any other book. There was nothing in that approach that detracted from the rating for me.

2. It was very clear that J.K. Rowling was not the sole author. The writing style was different, not quite as magical as the original series. The level of detail that had been present in prior books really was a bit lacking. That bothered me. The fact that she hadn't written it alone...not an issue. The fact that it felt so obviously "off"? That did. I tried not to let it affect my view, but let's face it...if it's just not as magical, it's just not as good.

3. The book condenses far too much into one plot. This made some things seem overly rushed and mildly irritated me. I get it...it's a play and it has to be done all at once, but it just felt awkward in some places.

4. The female characters were overly disappointing. I'm frustrated greatly by this. Rowling has always been very good at keeping equality in her novels, both with heroes and villains. That didn't happen here. Hermione and Ginny were notably less...themselves and seemed far too much at the whim of the primary male characters. They were not the powerful and independent female characters that were so lauded in the original books. I really wish this had been different. It is a large portion of the reason for my discounted rating. It could have been done better. I'm disappointed in Rowling for this one...she should have spoken up for her characters and kept them true to themselves.

5. The relationship between Harry and Dumbledore was wildly tainted in this plot. This not only disappointed me, it angered me. Harry came off as far too bitter and resentful -- not the Harry I've come to know and love over the years. And Dumbledore...I don't even know who this character was. He felt nothing like the headmaster present in Rowling's wonderful series. This made me angry and nearly caused me to stop reading the book.

6. I'm not sad or regretful at having read it. It was nice to have a little addition to the story and to relive a little bit of the Potterverse. It definitely reads more like fan fiction than authentic Rowling, but I'm not sure I could have expected much more unless Rowling herself had taken the reins solo once again. It was worth the read...I just wish she had pushed for more for her characters and the legend of The Boy Who Lived.