Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

Original title : Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
Author : JK Rowling
First published in : 2016
Genre : screenplay, fantastic
Edition : Little Brown
Pages : 293
Status : read from 06/21/17 to 06/24/17
Get a copy

Synopsis : When Magizoologist Newt Scamander arrives in New York, he intends his stay to be just a brief stopover. However, when his magical case is misplaced and some of Newt’s fantastic beasts escape, it spells trouble for everyone…
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them marks the screenwriting debut of J.K. Rowling, author of the beloved and internationally bestselling Harry Potter books. Featuring a cast of remarkable characters, this is epic, adventure-packed storytelling at its very best.
Whether an existing fan or new to the wizarding world, this is a perfect addition to any reader’s bookshelf.

Review : I have to say that I am a little bit disappointed by this book. I knew when I got it that it was a screenplay and not a novel, but I thought it would be closer to a real story than to a description of the movie. For me, this is not as interesting as Harry Potter or Harry Potter and the Cursed Child because we don’t really go deep through the story and the universe JK Rowling has created. With the terms like ‘close on’ or ‘POV’, I had the impression of being on set and not reading a book. That is sad because I really liked the story when I watched the movie and I still enjoyed it reading the book but it would have been even more a great book if it had been written in another way than as a screenplay.

Talking about the story itself, I loved this universe and the creatures. JK Rowling has such great ideas and a huge imagination, I don’t know where she finds all these characters! I also loved the relationship between Newt and his creatures. It is so cute how he talks to them and how he takes care of them. Queenie and Jacob are so cute too! I can’t help imagining a love story between them after the end of the book!

There is also the drawings in the book that I really liked. They are beautiful and I love the 1920’s style because it goes perfectly with the story. It gives us an idea of the design of this time and I think it’s great to have designed the book like this, because it gives also clues about the creatures if we don’t remember them all from the movie.

In a few words, I really like the story and the design of the book but I’m kinda disappointed by the fact that this is a screenplay and not a real text like in a novel.

Also by JK Rowling : The Harry Potter series + Harry Potter and the Cursed Child