Heather Adores Books's Reviews > Beyond the Wand: Growing Up a Wizard

I don't read too many biographies/memoirs, but if I do it's on a celebrity. Since my daughter and I read the Harry Potter books together a few years ago I thought it'd be nice to read this one together.

Sometimes we think actors are really just like their characters and I will admit I wasn't a fan of Draco ~ he's the character you love to hate. And I'm not really sure if I have seen him in any other films. Luckily he wasn't the big meany pants that we were used to seeing on screen. I loved reading how they were really all a big family.

He tells his story of being in the public eye and his struggles with alcohol and drug use. Of course I wasn't aware of his struggles, since I don't follow him, so I appreciated his candor and willingness to get help.

I love what he said about Neville and how he very much looked the part, until "each year, when we all congregated to make the next film, Matthew was ever so slightly hunkier, which meant that -physically speaking - he was ever so slightly less Neville-like." They had to give him a wedge behind his ears, fake teeth and a little fat suit to stop him looking like the hunk he was becoming. I mean HELLO, have you seen him lately? If not, google Matthew Lewis if you need some 33 year old eye candy. Luckily I'm not too old that I sound creepy saying that.

I grabbed a physical copy from my library too so I could leaf through it. I enjoyed looking at the pictures that showed his life growing up with his family, and on sets, and the lifelong friendships he made along the way.

I love that it was narrated by Tom. I feel it gives his story a little more oomph. It's 6 hours and 36 minutes. I am used to listening at 2-2.5x, but my daughter is not, so we mostly were around 2x. With his accent it is a little difficult to understand him at super speed, so 2x was a sweet spot.

Daughters thoughts ~ it was good. She's a lady of many words 😂

Here's my side note ~ there is quite a bit of swearing. I know this is an adult book, but I feel that maybe some parents would read/listen to this one with their Harry Potter loving children, just like I did. Yes my daughter is older and it's not anything she hasn't heard before, but it might not be suitable for the younger ones.

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