Book Review: Beyond the Wand by Tom Felton

I had so much fun reading this book. I love Harry Potter, of course, and it was so interesting to see a glimpse into what it was like to be a part of the films and the impact they had on Tom Felton’s life.

If you’re a fan of Harry Potter or Tom Felton, I would highly recommend this book. You won’t be disappointed with the journey back into the wizarding world.

Let’s dive into my Beyond the Wand review.

My Beyond the Wand Review Breakdown

Story: 5 Stars

It feels a bit odd rating the story for an autobiography since, while there may be some liberties taken, these are real events in a person’s life. However, I think this is more a reflection of which stories Felton chose to include, the way he told them, and the order in which he told them.

I liked how we jumped through time a bit. The order of events built naturally toward one of the big events that happened after the Harry Potter films were over.

I’m glad Felton shared memories from before he got the part of Draco, while playing Draco, and after the films were over. I loved hearing how he got the part. I can definitely see why the casting director chose him.

Going into the book, I was not expecting it to go in the direction it did, but I found it to be so touching as Felton discussed things like mental health and addiction. I didn’t know a lot about Felton’s life before reading this, but now I feel like I know so much more about his life, but also about the kind of person he is. The book had quite a heartwarming message.

Characters: 4.5 Stars

Again, it’s odd to talk about the people in the book as characters since they are real people—I’m used to reading fiction—but I loved seeing the people in Felton’s life, especially some of the cast from the movies. I love that he calls everyone he worked with during the films his wizarding family.

His muggle family (aka his actual family) was fun to see as well. It’s so funny how none of them realized the impact Felton’s doing Harry Potter would have.

Prose: 5 Stars

I listened to the audiobook narrated by the author, and I loved it. I’m not sure how the prose would come off reading a hard copy or ebook, but Felton gave the audiobook his all (it always makes me happy when authors do a good job of narrating their own books, but I think it works especially well with autobiographies).

I loved hearing which stories made him laugh in his narration and which made him a bit emotional. I think this added another level to helping me feel like I knew him better by the end of the book.

Other thoughts:

It was funny that each chapter had 2 titles. Much of the book was funny. I liked seeing Felton’s sense of humor.

I loved hearing Felton’s insights on Draco Malfoy. Before reading this, I already liked Draco as a character, but it was interesting to hear from someone who spent years thinking about what it would be like to be Draco. I have a newfound appreciation for Malfoy, and especially his journey in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.

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Check out Beyond the Wand if you want to return to the world of Harry Potter. Indulge in that nostalgia and learn about Tom Felton in the process.

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