BEYOND THE WAND (Tom Felton) – Thoughtful Memoir from Draco Malfoy

A Deep Love for All Things Harry Potter

Our love for Harry Potter runs deep (Check out our multi-part reviews here, here, and here). It gives me all kinds of fuzzy feelings; inspiration; and warm memories that a good book series should. When I saw that Tom Felton – Harry Potter’s “baddie” Draco Malfoy – wrote a book on his memories, I was delighted. I read his funny, quirky, thoughtful memoir Beyond the Wand: the Magic and Mayhem of Growing Up a Wizard in a single afternoon. 

A Spoiler-Free Summary

Beyond the Wand is quite straightforward as it tells the story of Felton’s adolescence, up to and during the Harry Potter filming years. Felton discusses:

• Landing the role of Draco Malfoy
• First meetings & budding relationships with other actors on set, including:
  • Daniel Radcliffe
  • Rupert Grint
  • Emma Watson, and other members of Hogwarts’ classrooms
• His interactions and lessons learned from British acting royalty, including:
  • Dame Maggie Smith
  • Alan Rickman
  • Ralph Fiennes
  • Sir Michael Gambon, and more.

• Anecdotes and details from set to tickle the fancy of every Potter fan out there (Example: how the infamous hug from Voldemort in Deathly Hallows came about)
• Shares behind-the-scenes tidbits, including:
  • What set was like
  • Notable set pieces (McGonagall’s chess set, anyone?)
  • Being tutored on set
  • The filming process

Revealing His Life Beyond the Wand

Felton doesn’t limit his memoir to only Harry Potter trivia. He opens with several chapters regarding his family, which he described as quite the opposite to the Malfoys: loving, warm, and chaotic.

Felton also includes some very candid and honest stories of his time post-Potter. He reveals his struggle with alcohol abuse, his time in rehab, and how he managed to find the “real Tom” again after reeling with the fame and stardom of Potter.

I was moved by just how vulnerable Felton was in sharing this, while still maintaining his wonderful sense of humor. 

Stand Out Aspects of this Magical Memoir

I would say my favorite parts of the book were his relationships with the cast and how those developed and evolved over the years. Felton discusses each of his costars with such respect and love, and it was refreshing.

(Also, the forward is written by Emma Watson, and her thoughts on Felton and his book were equally lovely). I find friendship to be such a beautiful thing!

From a technical standpoint, there was nothing groundbreaking or profound about Felton’s writing or style. His tone is lighthearted, comical, and decidedly British. The chapters are short but fairly well-organized.

There is some swearing to be mindful of (more than I personally would let just any ten year old Harry Potter fan ingest). Felton occasionally threw in a story laid out in script-format, which I thought was a cute and clever touch. 

Final Thoughts

I think most Harry Potter fans will be satisfied with what Felton shares. He doesn’t spend his entire time on Potter specifically, but it does take up the bulk of the memoir. His memories are fond, and he navigates certain subjects – like the difficulty for these child actors growing up in the limelight – with tact and grace.

All that to say, I certainly recommend Beyond the Wand for an easy read and for those who love Harry Potter. While not a perfect book, it was heartwarming, funny, and honest. I so appreciate Tom Felton sharing his unique story with the world!

Content Rating: Moderate

for some language and mention of substance abuse and rehab

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Copyright Tom Felton and Grand Central Publishing. Image from Amazon.