Reviews with content warning for Alcoholism - Beyond the Wand: The Magic & Mayhem of Growing Up a Wizard

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Beyond the Wand: The Magic & Mayhem of Growing Up a Wizard by Tom Felton

272 reviews

bethanyrh's review against another edition

emotional funny reflective medium-paced

4.75

Let’s be real, I was always going to rank this book pretty highly. I loved getting to glimpse behind the scenes of the Harry Potter films and hearing about Tom’s anecdotes about his fellow cast members, but I also enjoyed that it included stories about his non-Potter works (we were, after all, looking beyond the wand) and a deeper look into the effects of fame.

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xelasrecords's review against another edition

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dark funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

Just as we all experience physical ill-health at some stage in our lives, so we all experience mental ill-health too. There’s no shame in that. It’s not a sign of weakness.

I really think Tom's memoir saved me a little. I came away feeling more inspired and validated about my mental struggles, which is saying something since these past few months I largely feel nothing. It's funny, raw, tender, and sincere. You can tell Tom Felton is humble and appreciative for all the things and people that have brought him here—a far cry from Draco Malfoy whose cockiness he admits he used to share.

The Dramione chapter where he lauds Emma Watson is really sweet, and Emma's foreword gives us an insight to how deep their love for each other goes. I saw my friendship with my closest friend in their bond. It's funny that the heartwarming chapter with Daniel Radcliffe isn't titled "Drarry" though, simply "Draco and Harry". We know who you ship, Tom. I enjoyed the chapters about Alan Rickman, Maggie Smith, Robbie Coltrane, and Rupert Grint too.

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cristinar1800's review

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emotional funny inspiring lighthearted medium-paced

4.0

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inkystardust's review against another edition

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inspiring lighthearted reflective medium-paced

3.5

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juliemariesmith3's review against another edition

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funny inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.0

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macaronsandmermaids's review

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funny lighthearted relaxing medium-paced

5.0

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r_j_setser's review

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emotional funny inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

In Beyond the Wand: The Magic and Mayhem of Growing Up a Wizard, Tom Felton (Draco Malfoy) recounts his acting career up to the point of this publication and gives special attention to his time at Hogwarts (filming the Harry Potter movies). Any fans of the Harry Potter series should consider this memoir a "must read" as it is both full of behind-the-scenes and nostalgic memories of the movies.

Tom's memoir is everything I hoped it would be. I laughed so much at his forward and no-nonsense way of telling stories. Listening to the audiobook (which he narrates himself) felt like listening to theatrical takes from the set of the Harry Potter movies. Many of his stories had me laughing out loud and I loved this rare glimpse into the life of a child actor. He was very good about explaining things that aren't common knowledge, so I feel that I learned a lot about the acting industry by reading this book, as well.

After the first half of the book, which is where spends his time describing his Harry Potter experience, the book takes a more personal turn and focuses on his life after the films and his journey through rehab and finding himself again. While there are a few chapters that made me incredibly sad and worried for him, I feel that with the conclusion of this book, he's doing much better now.

I will caution readers who haven't finished the Harry Potter series that there are many spoilers to the series mentioned throughout this book! Tom Felton assumes that his readers have watched all the movies and talks about the endings often, so don't read this if you're trying to avoid spoilers!

Overall, I enjoyed this audiobook so much and recommend it to anyone who loves Harry Potter or even just if you'd like to read about the behind-the-scenes of filmmaking!

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