Beyond the Wand: The Magic and Mayhem of Growing Up a Wizard by Tom Felton
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Genre: Non-Fiction, Memoir
Rating: 5 stars
Reviewed by Nymphaea

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 Potter movies. 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.

He’s a wizard, maybe, but he’s a lot more and fascinating, too.

I will admit here and now that I’m not a Potter-head. I read every one of the Harry Potter books, but I didn’t get into the movies as much as others. I waited until they were on TV or didn’t watch them. I had other things to do. But I did like the books and I read them because I was told they were good books.

I came across the actor Tom Felton through the TV show “The Flash”. The family watched it, so I did, too. That’s when I noticed him. He plays a good bad guy. I know that sounds odd. He’s good at being the heavy. So, when I saw this book recommended at my local library, I had to check it out. I’m glad I did.

This book talks about his Harry Potter days. I mean, it should. He spent a lot of his life doing it. But there’s so much more. It’s about him as a person. His struggles, his depression, his bouts in rehab. It’s not flowery or fancy. It’s a guy who happens to be famous writing about his life and struggles. It’s like talking to a friend through a book. That’s how it reads–very relatable.

If you’re looking for insight into Harry Potter or want inside scoops on the filming, you might not get what you’re looking for. If you are wanting a book about an actor who could take or leave acting, who has had ups and downs and is still standing, then this might be the book for you. I recommend it highly.