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A review by jazzofmine
Beyond the Wand: The Magic and Mayhem of Growing Up a Wizard by Tom Felton
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
3.5
This was a good book, but in my opinion not super memorable. So I started with ⭐️⭐️⭐️ but couldn’t quite justify ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ since this is probably my least favorite of the books I’ve read/listened to recently. It was fine enough to listen to on my commutes one week.
Part of the appeal was listening to it narrated by the actor. I read and watched all the Harry Potter books as they came out when I was younger. So when I came across it (having not heard of this book previously) I was intrigued. I think if I was reading it physically I might not be hooked enough to keep reading.
Part of what isn’t sitting right for me with this book is that a tone of forced modesty came across to me throughout most of the book. It was fascinating to hear about some of Tom’s experiences, especially relating to his role in Harry Potter. So I wouldn’t hype this up a ton to a friend - however, kind of a fun read for a HP fan looking for a nostalgic, non fiction read.
Oh - apparently Tom Felton struggles with mental health problems and the second half or so of the book turned toward that. So to his credit, I’m sure writing this was part of him being self reflective and working towards healing. ❤️🩹 There are some vulnerable bits as he shared some of his experiences when he hit a rock bottom and got rehab for alcohol and marijuana use.
Part of the appeal was listening to it narrated by the actor. I read and watched all the Harry Potter books as they came out when I was younger. So when I came across it (having not heard of this book previously) I was intrigued. I think if I was reading it physically I might not be hooked enough to keep reading.
Part of what isn’t sitting right for me with this book is that a tone of forced modesty came across to me throughout most of the book. It was fascinating to hear about some of Tom’s experiences, especially relating to his role in Harry Potter. So I wouldn’t hype this up a ton to a friend - however, kind of a fun read for a HP fan looking for a nostalgic, non fiction read.
Oh - apparently Tom Felton struggles with mental health problems and the second half or so of the book turned toward that. So to his credit, I’m sure writing this was part of him being self reflective and working towards healing. ❤️🩹 There are some vulnerable bits as he shared some of his experiences when he hit a rock bottom and got rehab for alcohol and marijuana use.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction, Alcohol, and Drug use