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ashes2ashes's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
5.0
I loved reading this book! Tom's voice as an author and narrator comes across authentically. It felt like a conversation with an old friend. Specifically, one of those long, deep conversations with old friends; full of reminiscing, diving into old memories, sharing new perspectives on old memories, and catching up without shying away from serious topics. Truly an enjoyable read.
alicebme's review
4.0
I really enjoyed this book! It was a quick read. I read it right after Prince Harry’s Spare, which provided an interesting contrast in the experiences of famous Brits. There is a solid Venn diagram opportunity there.
ktjaeee's review
5.0
Reading this brought me back to the days/nights I spent reading the Harry Potter books while in school, I remember one summer my dad brought me to the store and bought The Half Blood Prince the day it came out.
But it wasn’t just the memories of reading the famous wizard story that made me love this so much, it was Tom Felton himself.
I can feel his emotions through every story he tells in his memoir and love how real he got about both his up and down moments.
But it wasn’t just the memories of reading the famous wizard story that made me love this so much, it was Tom Felton himself.
I can feel his emotions through every story he tells in his memoir and love how real he got about both his up and down moments.
melinoedevours's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
4.75
cala_p's review
5.0
Based on my shelves, I can count the number of non-fiction books I have on one hand, but the moment Tom Felton announced this book, I knew. JUST knew I had to read it. Own it. Cherish it.
I hated how slowly I got through it, but it was something I read a couple chapters of over the weekends when I had the time, and thankfully, Tom split his book up into such nice little chapters that it was easy to knock of a few and stop for a few days and then be able to return to his tale right where I left off.
Everything about this, I loved. The forward by Emma Watson nearly had me in tears. HIs early life is so fun and well, normal, but interesting nonetheless. His early years of acting. The first movie I ever saw him in, which was The Borrowers (which I only put together a few years ago).
And of course, Harry Potter. The auditioning. Which, let’s be honest, Tom MADE Draco. He might have tried for other parts but no one was a better Ron and Harry than Rupert Grint and Daniel Radcliffe, and no one could have been a better Draco, so the movie people definitely knew what they were doing. How they knew he was the ideal kid to be Draco, his story behind it, made it all the better. He speaks so fondly of all his cast, not just the main three, but the others, especially the older cast. It’s one thing to be friendly with your child co-stars, but I loved his stories of meeting the adults.
The filming secrets were cool too. Little insights you sometimes hear about on documentaries and such, but I’ve never heard these ones. Such as the filming of when Draco gets injured by Buckbeak in movie 3. Or the fact his grandfather is in movie 1 in the quidditch stands! I lived for Tom’s recollection of these fun facts.
His talk of Emma honestly had me in near tears. It’s a well known fact these two are soul mates, and their friendship is honestly the best and most pure thing you’ll read in here. In her foreword and his chapter about her, the emotion in every single word is THERE. He speaks fondly of all his cast, but I get the sense, some tears and laughs were shed when he wrote about her. It just reads differently--more emotional. More…honest? Just more. I understand and respect their hesitation to ever be more, given their pure friendship, but since she’s uber successful in everything she’s done, and he too, I’d love to see at one point in their lives, even further down the road, them give it a shot. Be the rom-com - one week of trial dating. They’re amazing friends, but love is friendship on fire, and I bet these two would be so good together. Picture their babies… Imagine the Dramoine fics after a real-life situation lol. Although unsaid by both them, you have to wonder if that’s also their hesitation. Its one thing to put aside friendship and see if you can be more but these two are Hermoine and Draco. The media would be NUTS. the Harry Potter fandom would blow up. They’d get hate for “dating the enemy” or they’d get obsessive love for making Dramoine a real thing. Media wouldn’t separate Draco from Tom and Hermoine from Emma, especially if they were dating, and I think it’s sad the celebrity life could be one more thing keeping them apart.
Anyway, this is Tom’s book, not his romantic life. After all the chapters about HP and the actors involved, I hadn’t realized he had such a “moment” post-HP films. I’m glad he’s better now though, and I hope we continue to see him in great things. If not, he’ll forever be apart of HP, and honestly, I rewatch the films so much, it’s like he’ll never be gone…
I hated how slowly I got through it, but it was something I read a couple chapters of over the weekends when I had the time, and thankfully, Tom split his book up into such nice little chapters that it was easy to knock of a few and stop for a few days and then be able to return to his tale right where I left off.
Everything about this, I loved. The forward by Emma Watson nearly had me in tears. HIs early life is so fun and well, normal, but interesting nonetheless. His early years of acting. The first movie I ever saw him in, which was The Borrowers (which I only put together a few years ago).
And of course, Harry Potter. The auditioning. Which, let’s be honest, Tom MADE Draco. He might have tried for other parts but no one was a better Ron and Harry than Rupert Grint and Daniel Radcliffe, and no one could have been a better Draco, so the movie people definitely knew what they were doing. How they knew he was the ideal kid to be Draco, his story behind it, made it all the better. He speaks so fondly of all his cast, not just the main three, but the others, especially the older cast. It’s one thing to be friendly with your child co-stars, but I loved his stories of meeting the adults.
The filming secrets were cool too. Little insights you sometimes hear about on documentaries and such, but I’ve never heard these ones. Such as the filming of when Draco gets injured by Buckbeak in movie 3. Or the fact his grandfather is in movie 1 in the quidditch stands! I lived for Tom’s recollection of these fun facts.
His talk of Emma honestly had me in near tears. It’s a well known fact these two are soul mates, and their friendship is honestly the best and most pure thing you’ll read in here. In her foreword and his chapter about her, the emotion in every single word is THERE. He speaks fondly of all his cast, but I get the sense, some tears and laughs were shed when he wrote about her. It just reads differently--more emotional. More…honest? Just more. I understand and respect their hesitation to ever be more, given their pure friendship, but since she’s uber successful in everything she’s done, and he too, I’d love to see at one point in their lives, even further down the road, them give it a shot. Be the rom-com - one week of trial dating. They’re amazing friends, but love is friendship on fire, and I bet these two would be so good together. Picture their babies… Imagine the Dramoine fics after a real-life situation lol. Although unsaid by both them, you have to wonder if that’s also their hesitation. Its one thing to put aside friendship and see if you can be more but these two are Hermoine and Draco. The media would be NUTS. the Harry Potter fandom would blow up. They’d get hate for “dating the enemy” or they’d get obsessive love for making Dramoine a real thing. Media wouldn’t separate Draco from Tom and Hermoine from Emma, especially if they were dating, and I think it’s sad the celebrity life could be one more thing keeping them apart.
Anyway, this is Tom’s book, not his romantic life. After all the chapters about HP and the actors involved, I hadn’t realized he had such a “moment” post-HP films. I’m glad he’s better now though, and I hope we continue to see him in great things. If not, he’ll forever be apart of HP, and honestly, I rewatch the films so much, it’s like he’ll never be gone…