📖 Book Review: Beyond the Wand: The Magic and Mayhem of Growing Up A Wizard by Tom Felton

Beyond the Wand: The Magic and Mayhem of Growing Up A Wizard by Tom FeltonBlurb:

From the magical moments on set as Draco Malfoy to the challenges of growing up in the spotlight, get a backstage pass into Tom Felton’s life on and off the big screen.

Tom Felton’s adolescence was anything but ordinary. His early rise to fame in beloved films like The Borrowers catapulted him into the limelight, but nothing could prepare him for what was to come after he landed the iconic role of the Draco Malfoy, the bleached blonde villain of the Harry Pottermovies. For the next ten years, he was at the center of a huge pop culture phenomenon and yet, in between filming, he would go back to being a normal teenager trying to fit into a normal school.

Speaking with great candor and his signature humor, Tom shares his experience growing up as part of the wizarding world while also trying to navigate the muggle world. He tells stories from his early days in the business like his first acting gig where he was mistaken for fellow blonde child actor Macaulay Culkin and his Harry Potter audition where, in a very Draco-like move, he fudged how well he knew the books the series was based on (not at all). He reflects on his experiences working with cinematic greats such as Alan Rickman, Sir Michael Gambon, Dame Maggie Smith, and Ralph Fiennes (including that awkward Voldemort hug). And, perhaps most poignantly, he discusses the lasting relationships he made over that decade of filming, including with Emma Watson, who started out as a pesky nine-year-old whom he mocked for not knowing what a boom mic was but who soon grew into one of his dearest friends. Then, of course, there are the highs and lows of fame and navigating life after such a momentous and life-changing experience.

Tom Felton’s Beyond the Wand is an entertaining, funny, and poignant must-read for any Harry Potter fan. Prepare to meet a real-life wizard.

My Review:

I don’t read non-fiction or autobiographies often but I kept seeing this one everywhere and decided to give it a try. I’m really glad I did!

Tom is humorous, open, generous in his praise of the actors and film industry people he’s worked with through the years, a great storyteller, and shows us that he is far removed from the sneering, cruel character he played on screen for years.

It was fascinating to read about his journey from child actor to present, as we see that not everything was cheery all the time and beneath the humor of his tales of mischief there is something so raw and open about his own personal struggles. On the flip side, it was also very cool to read what they actors he worked alongside were like off-screen.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I’m glad I took a chance on it.

My Rating:

5/5 Stars!