Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald: The Original Screenplay (Fantastic Beasts The Original Screenplay Series, book 2)

By J.K Rowling

Blurb: 
At the end of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, the powerful Dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald was captured in New York with the help of Newt Scamander. But, making good on his threat, Grindelwald escapes custody and sets about gathering followers, most unsuspecting of his true agenda: to raise pure-blood wizards up to rule over all non-magical beings. In an effort to thwart Grindelwald’s plans, Albus Dumbledore enlists Newt, his former Hogwarts student, who agrees to help once again, unaware of the dangers that lie ahead. Lines are drawn as love and loyalty are tested, even among the truest friends and family, in an increasingly divided wizarding world. This second original screenplay from J.K. Rowling, illustrated with stunning line art from MinaLima, expands on earlier events that helped shaped the wizarding world, with some surprising nods to the Harry Potter stories that will delight fans of both the books and films.

Review: 
I went to the midnight release at Waterstones for this book with Lauren (the other blog author) and I have got to say it was an amazing experience and I would 100% do it again.

I also have to say that this was one of my personal best reading goals, I read this book in 2 hours, 5 mins and 20 seconds. Yes I timed it! Only because by the time I got home from house hunting and doing chores I only had 4 hours before going to the cinema to see the film, and I was determined to finish it before I watched it otherwise I'd have changed the screen time. I'm so proud to have finished it in a shorter time to the movie too, but all thanks goes to the dog for sleeping for sleeping and allowing me to read stress free.

Right review time!

This book was amazing! It really was, I wouldn't say it was as great as the first one but it is quite close and there was a lot more things I liked in this book compared to the first.

So obviously this was a book/screenplay of the movie The Crimes of Grindlewald and if you haven't watched it yet, I'd suggest you stop reading now unless you don't mind spoilers. But throughout this review I will try to keep them to a minimum.

*SPOILERS*
The starting scene is where Grindlewald is in his prison cell with his baby chupacabra, this is a part lizard, part homunculus. This animal is blood sucking. Grindlewald is being moved to a different prison because has a way with words to make his guard release him from his cell or gets things that he wants but he isn't allowed.

The next scene is when he is being moved from the prison to his new one. We discover that Abernathy has drank a poly juice potion to allow him to escape and inside the box that the guard believes to be Gridnlewalds wand is actually his blood sucking pet. This all plays out quite well in my opinion and it just shows that the poly juice works to a great extent and is 100% believable.

Grindlewald seems to struggle with how he feels at times in my opinion, because with the pet he said that it was too clingy, but then it wonder why he kept with him in his prison cell for such a long time, surely he must be able to feel some sort of love and feelings towards it. Then with Abernathy he obviously seen him as a person he could trust as he allowed him to know his plan, and Abernathy obviously thought what Grindlewald had in mind for his plan was worth it. Also he seems to care about Credence quite a lot too but as we seen in the first movie he was also a bit emotional and didn't know how to actually treat him. This makes me think that Grindlewald is either a psychopath or suffering with bi-polar. 

From the general story of the screenplay I understand why he is obsessed with Credence and is trying to get him back under his wing  so that he can get his own way.

I feel sorry for Credence as he is obviously confused with how he is feeling because he has never been loved before, hence how has became an obscurus. Throughout this screenplay he is trying to discover who his true mother is and get to know her after seeing hr name on his adoption papers. During his time in the circus he became close to a girl called Nagini, who is Voldemort's snake in the Harry Potter series.

When Newt went into his house and the baby niffler was on the champagne bottle that was just so cute, and when he went flying I was just laughing and really couldn't wait to see that moment in the cinema. In the cinema I loved this part the best.

When I read that he went downstairs to the woman who helped his magical creatures, they aren't beasts! I was so upset I thought he was in a relationship with her, when in fact I later found out that he wasn't and that he still loved Tina. OMG!

I realise that these events happened in a different order but this is how I technically rank them in a way. Also by now you would have realised I'm really rubbish at remembering characters names unless I adore them. Opps...

But generally the story line of this screenplay was amazing, the way that Grindlewald tries to get followers by trying to see what they want from life and him saying that he can offer those things. I felt sorry for Kowalski an Queenie as you can tell that they love each other lots but they aren't sure what to do for the best because their friends and family are trying to have an input and the illegality of marriage.

I also enjoyed that it was actually set in Paris as I find this a lovely city and I really wish I was back there. I though the setting was just perfect and that all the characters seem to be so at ease with their actual roles and how they put themselves across to one another.

I'm not going to spoil the ending but if someone could maybe answer a few questions about the end of the screenplay/movie that would be great. How is Credence the person who he really is? How come he got separated from that family? Why was he on the ship to begin with?

I feel really sorry for Leta as she had to hold all that guilt in her for years and has now had to tell her half brother the truth because she was under pressure. I also understand why she sided with Grindlewald in the end as she thought it would be better that way.

Newt on the other hand was just amazing, I love how his character is portrayed, I love how he is so obsessed with his creatures and cares for them so much.

I found this screenplay better in the aspect that there more creatures that I discovered, which I now also love. But I still love a niffler, they're just so adorable and so cheeky.

The only downside I found of this screenplay was nothing. I honestly did enjoy it a lot but the first one was just more exciting with the amount of missing creatures and the adventures they had to get them. But then I also really enjoyed the Crimes of Grindlewald because it was following a proper story line which had a meaning, which I really enjoyed because I loved discovering new things about characters that have come across before. I also loved the different plot twists and change of people's opinions. 

I apologise for the confusing review, with everything all over the place, bits of the screenplay before thing happen or way after things happen. I should have probably warned you this review would be a bit crazy, I'm still slightly hungover from it, it was a great screenplay. 

I'd totally recommend this book to anyone who likes fantasy, is an original Harry Potter fan, as well as just a Fantastic Beasts fan, also someone who loves things set in the past. As well as an adventure story with a few love stories. 

Favourite Characters: Newt

Read: 16/11/18

5 stars out of 5

Written by Sammie