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The Life and Times
She was dramatic. He was dynamic. She was precise. He was impulsive. He was James, and she was Lily, and one day they shared a kiss, but before that they shared many arguments, for he was cocky, and she was sweet, and matters of the heart require time.
2455 pages
First published July 8, 2009
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476 people want to read
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November 26, 2020
2020 REREAD UPDATE:
Ah, the words to live by.
As this is one of my favourite stories of all time despite being unfinished, I tend to reread it every couple of years. I’m happy to report this still stands the test of time and in my view remains superior to all Harry Potter fanfiction I’ve read in the last 14 years.
Yes, there is overblown teen drama and slut shaming, but the slut shaming is not validated, as the story also shows its harmful consequences. Also keep in mind this 70s Hogwarts and the characters are 16-17 years old. They are flawed and have a lot of growing up to do. They do grow a lot within the story, which is a delight to read, but some of them, that we end up getting to know in the Harry Potter series as adults - or hear about, at least - never quite overcome some of their flaws. And that is great. It tracks and fits the canon. The characters have their mature moments and their teenage-idiot moments. They are smart but not John-Green’s-talking-like-a-35-year-old-smart. One thing that I agree with is that some of the characters have quite a lot of sex for 16-17 year olds which occasionally makes them seem like college kids rather than teenagers at Hogwarts.
It is worth pointing out that this fic is no longer 100% canon since the release of some extra canon content on Pottermore over the years, for example James Potter’s parents are the author’s OCs but they play a role within James’s character identity and development, so it hardly bothered me. Lily Evans is an absolute delight of a human being but she’s far from a flawless Mary Sue, she holds grudges, can be judgemental and makes mistakes. Mostly she is bright, charming, cheeky and vivacious – like Slughorn described her in the Half-Blood Prince. The characters are not all romantically paired up in school - the only two characters that are shown consistently dating in Hogwarts are Frank and Alice. The others’ respective romantic interests are definitely around and we get face-splitting-grin worthy and pearl-clutch inducing interactions between them. That is hardly something to complain about in my book. I read Lily and James fanfics for the romance after all.
While this is a VERY funny story (I have pages and pages of highlighted one liners that made me laugh out loud), there is lots of angst, family and friendship drama, heartbreak, tragedy, dash of wizarding politics and the ambiance of looming danger of Lord Voldemort and his followers. There are pranks, mysteries, ‘Maraudering’, mischief and teenage shenanigans; tropes galore executed wonderfully. Above all, the romance is the slowest of the most delicious slow burns (which is technically still burning because y’know... no ending, as the author hasn’t updated since 2013 and officially abandoned the fic in 2018) and the most wholesome, warts and all, friendships - the Marauders dynamic is to die for. This is what I imagine their bond to have been like every time I reread HP.
The last thing I have to mention is that one of my most favourite things about this story is the writing. It’s beautiful, vivid and quite… cinematic, I suppose. It makes me picture entire detailed scenes with character mood shifts and expression changes so vividly in my mind. The words are used with such precision and intention to invoke emotions in the reader. I dare say the writing in this story supersedes a good number of NYT bestsellers and definitely the majority of Young Adult fiction I’ve read. I also love how Jules the author plays with the form, chronology and various perspectives to keep the writing interesting for her and a refreshing surprise for the reader. Specifically, Chapter 30 The Worst Day Ever comes to mind, where she retells the events of the same day, September 1st, from the perspectives of 5 Gryffindor 7th year girls. The build-up, tension and character moments in that chapter are just *chef’s kiss*.
Yes, there is a large cast of characters; yes, it’s a very long story with abundant subplots, but I would not edit a single word out of it. I would welcome thousands and thousands moreto get proper closure. Like other readers, I tend to disregard the original characters in fanfiction as I’m there for the canon characters I’m already attached to, but this story is an exception. It made me just as invested in the dozen(s) of supporting characters, including the OCs, who are a satisfactory wink to hardcore Harry Potter fans. In fact, the main reason I’m sad and frustrated we never got a proper ending is that we never learn the fate of the OCs. As if I didn’t suffer enough already knowing that my favourites would die, go to prison for crimes they didn’t commit or wallow in self-loathing in the next few years/decades.
*Sigh* I’m just so glad The Life and Times exist.
____________________________
2016 REVIEW
Forever one of my most favorite pieces of writing ever written.
I am heartbroken that it is probably never going to be finished. Such a shame because it's a masterpiece.
The character development of the core set of flawed characters, following canon 100% and inserting in the blanks with heart pounding events and moments, the growing fear and tension at the beginning of the First Wizarding War, incorporating countless actual Harry Potter characters who were only name dropped in the books and giving them unique personalities, AND making the reader care about them as much as about the main characters, laugh-out-loud hilarious and witty dialogue, the ambiance and atmosphere created making you feel like you are in the 70s Hogwarts yourself with these people you know horrible things are going to happen to, just 2-4 years later.... No words can describe how genius this fanfiction is. It should be its own series of books.
When Jules publishes her own original novel, I will be the first in line to buy it. She has such a unique and BEAUTIFUL voice, I want to read everything she writes.
"Don't chase the Quaffle if you see the Snitch."
Ah, the words to live by.
As this is one of my favourite stories of all time despite being unfinished, I tend to reread it every couple of years. I’m happy to report this still stands the test of time and in my view remains superior to all Harry Potter fanfiction I’ve read in the last 14 years.
Yes, there is overblown teen drama and slut shaming, but the slut shaming is not validated, as the story also shows its harmful consequences. Also keep in mind this 70s Hogwarts and the characters are 16-17 years old. They are flawed and have a lot of growing up to do. They do grow a lot within the story, which is a delight to read, but some of them, that we end up getting to know in the Harry Potter series as adults - or hear about, at least - never quite overcome some of their flaws. And that is great. It tracks and fits the canon. The characters have their mature moments and their teenage-idiot moments. They are smart but not John-Green’s-talking-like-a-35-year-old-smart. One thing that I agree with is that some of the characters have quite a lot of sex for 16-17 year olds which occasionally makes them seem like college kids rather than teenagers at Hogwarts.
It is worth pointing out that this fic is no longer 100% canon since the release of some extra canon content on Pottermore over the years, for example James Potter’s parents are the author’s OCs but they play a role within James’s character identity and development, so it hardly bothered me. Lily Evans is an absolute delight of a human being but she’s far from a flawless Mary Sue, she holds grudges, can be judgemental and makes mistakes. Mostly she is bright, charming, cheeky and vivacious – like Slughorn described her in the Half-Blood Prince. The characters are not all romantically paired up in school - the only two characters that are shown consistently dating in Hogwarts are Frank and Alice. The others’ respective romantic interests are definitely around and we get face-splitting-grin worthy and pearl-clutch inducing interactions between them. That is hardly something to complain about in my book. I read Lily and James fanfics for the romance after all.
While this is a VERY funny story (I have pages and pages of highlighted one liners that made me laugh out loud), there is lots of angst, family and friendship drama, heartbreak, tragedy, dash of wizarding politics and the ambiance of looming danger of Lord Voldemort and his followers. There are pranks, mysteries, ‘Maraudering’, mischief and teenage shenanigans; tropes galore executed wonderfully. Above all, the romance is the slowest of the most delicious slow burns (which is technically still burning because y’know... no ending, as the author hasn’t updated since 2013 and officially abandoned the fic in 2018) and the most wholesome, warts and all, friendships - the Marauders dynamic is to die for. This is what I imagine their bond to have been like every time I reread HP.
The last thing I have to mention is that one of my most favourite things about this story is the writing. It’s beautiful, vivid and quite… cinematic, I suppose. It makes me picture entire detailed scenes with character mood shifts and expression changes so vividly in my mind. The words are used with such precision and intention to invoke emotions in the reader. I dare say the writing in this story supersedes a good number of NYT bestsellers and definitely the majority of Young Adult fiction I’ve read. I also love how Jules the author plays with the form, chronology and various perspectives to keep the writing interesting for her and a refreshing surprise for the reader. Specifically, Chapter 30 The Worst Day Ever comes to mind, where she retells the events of the same day, September 1st, from the perspectives of 5 Gryffindor 7th year girls. The build-up, tension and character moments in that chapter are just *chef’s kiss*.
Yes, there is a large cast of characters; yes, it’s a very long story with abundant subplots, but I would not edit a single word out of it. I would welcome thousands and thousands more
*Sigh* I’m just so glad The Life and Times exist.
____________________________
2016 REVIEW
Forever one of my most favorite pieces of writing ever written.
I am heartbroken that it is probably never going to be finished. Such a shame because it's a masterpiece.
The character development of the core set of flawed characters, following canon 100% and inserting in the blanks with heart pounding events and moments, the growing fear and tension at the beginning of the First Wizarding War, incorporating countless actual Harry Potter characters who were only name dropped in the books and giving them unique personalities, AND making the reader care about them as much as about the main characters, laugh-out-loud hilarious and witty dialogue, the ambiance and atmosphere created making you feel like you are in the 70s Hogwarts yourself with these people you know horrible things are going to happen to, just 2-4 years later.... No words can describe how genius this fanfiction is. It should be its own series of books.
When Jules publishes her own original novel, I will be the first in line to buy it. She has such a unique and BEAUTIFUL voice, I want to read everything she writes.
January 29, 2015
Another year, another excuse to read TLAT.
March 15, 2015
I am SO GUTTED that I'm caught up with The Life and Times! I now begin the long wait for the author to update again (and she hasn't done since 2013!!) I think I'm going to go into book/fanfic mourning, nooooooo :(:(:(
Anyways, this is going to be short and sweet because I feel kind of weird doing a review of something that isn't even finished yet but what can you do?
I absolutely adored this fanfic... Although to be honest you, 'adored' is such an understatement because if it was up to me, I would totally marry this fanfic, thats how much I'm in love with it.
So, let me just point out that the Marauder's era of Harry Potter is my favourite thing about the whole world (I mean, Lupin is my favourite character anyway so how could it not be?!) and The Life and Times was absolutely perfect, it was exactly how I imagined all of the characters - they were hilarious and adorable, and I'm not gonna lie, I would totally date young Lupin... (and also James obviously, but I wouldn't want to come in-between him and Lily.)
I never ever wanted this to end as I know there is going to be a huge wait in-between chapters but I just don't think I can live without it!
I DEFINITELY recommend this to anyone who loves the Marauders because if you thought you loved them before... You will love them even more after The Life and Times.
PERFECT.
Anyways, this is going to be short and sweet because I feel kind of weird doing a review of something that isn't even finished yet but what can you do?
I absolutely adored this fanfic... Although to be honest you, 'adored' is such an understatement because if it was up to me, I would totally marry this fanfic, thats how much I'm in love with it.
So, let me just point out that the Marauder's era of Harry Potter is my favourite thing about the whole world (I mean, Lupin is my favourite character anyway so how could it not be?!) and The Life and Times was absolutely perfect, it was exactly how I imagined all of the characters - they were hilarious and adorable, and I'm not gonna lie, I would totally date young Lupin... (and also James obviously, but I wouldn't want to come in-between him and Lily.)
I never ever wanted this to end as I know there is going to be a huge wait in-between chapters but I just don't think I can live without it!
I DEFINITELY recommend this to anyone who loves the Marauders because if you thought you loved them before... You will love them even more after The Life and Times.
PERFECT.
December 12, 2014
Don't believe the hype. Sub-plot ridden, clichéd popular girls with very adult characterization, Mary-Sue, perfectly adorkable Lily, one token POC with a nasty attitude and a very immature, drawn out fight between Sirius and James where they act like eleven-year-old girls instead of teenaged almost-brothers. It was ridiculous. Chock full of slut-shaming and virgin-shaming, too - a girl can't win with this story.
James is wildly out-of-character, barely acting interested in Lily in some parts. He's less the spoiled, sometimes gawky but show-offy popular kid we see in the books, and more of a wannabe James Dean instead. In fact, James in this story is more how I would have imagined Sirius acting.
And of course Sirius is a shallow ladies man! It wouldn't be a typical Marauder's Era fic if he wasn't bonking the entire school, even though the HP books imply that he didn't really notice girls much.
The length of this fic is equal to several Harry Potter books combined without ever reaching a climax. SPOILER ALERT! Despite the summary which claims it is the love story of Lily and James, you get little to no love for hundreds upon hundreds (and hundreds) of pages (each chapter is like 30-40 pages and there are 36 of them. Let that sink in.) I kept waiting for them to get together, but.... not until the bitter end is there a glimmer of hope for them. Good thing I wasn't holding my breath or I'd be passed out about 400 pages in. Can we say get to the point?
There are sooooo many characters, and we have to read about every detail of all their personal lives. It's just too much. Even ensemble casts have fewer characters than this. And most of these side-characters are in or get into very adult-like relationships. Not all sixteen-year-olds are in long term committed relationships, but in this fic, it seems odd if someone is single. They've all paired off with their life mates in high school, which is a pretty rare occurrence in reality. Alice has been with Frank since she was 14 in this story, (aaaaand he cheats on her and she takes him back.) I mean, it's all just so unrealistic and cringe-worthy.
The only good point was no Blackinnon, which is the most ridiculous ship in the HP fandom, since Marlene is mentioned in a letter, not even by her first name. How anyone gets that Sirius had a relationship with the woman is beyond me. However, she is featured in a drawn-out subplot with an OC that bored me to tears.
The technical writing was good(sentences formed properly, paragraphing, punctuation, flow, style....)but the plot? What about the plot?
Oh yeah, the overuse of the words "bloke" and "bird" was aggravating. As someone who lived in England, I can assure you, normal people do not use these words that frequently. "Bird" is like calling a girl a "chick" so it's quite degrading. And bloke is used once in a while for a man you don't really know. So many other words, but in this never-ending story, it's bloke bloke bloke, all the time bloke.
And it's not finished? WTF? I'm not sure how an unfinished "book" ended up on Goodreads.
Not my thing. Sorry not sorry.
James is wildly out-of-character, barely acting interested in Lily in some parts. He's less the spoiled, sometimes gawky but show-offy popular kid we see in the books, and more of a wannabe James Dean instead. In fact, James in this story is more how I would have imagined Sirius acting.
And of course Sirius is a shallow ladies man! It wouldn't be a typical Marauder's Era fic if he wasn't bonking the entire school, even though the HP books imply that he didn't really notice girls much.
The length of this fic is equal to several Harry Potter books combined without ever reaching a climax. SPOILER ALERT! Despite the summary which claims it is the love story of Lily and James, you get little to no love for hundreds upon hundreds (and hundreds) of pages (each chapter is like 30-40 pages and there are 36 of them. Let that sink in.) I kept waiting for them to get together, but.... not until the bitter end is there a glimmer of hope for them. Good thing I wasn't holding my breath or I'd be passed out about 400 pages in. Can we say get to the point?
There are sooooo many characters, and we have to read about every detail of all their personal lives. It's just too much. Even ensemble casts have fewer characters than this. And most of these side-characters are in or get into very adult-like relationships. Not all sixteen-year-olds are in long term committed relationships, but in this fic, it seems odd if someone is single. They've all paired off with their life mates in high school, which is a pretty rare occurrence in reality. Alice has been with Frank since she was 14 in this story, (aaaaand he cheats on her and she takes him back.) I mean, it's all just so unrealistic and cringe-worthy.
The only good point was no Blackinnon, which is the most ridiculous ship in the HP fandom, since Marlene is mentioned in a letter, not even by her first name. How anyone gets that Sirius had a relationship with the woman is beyond me. However, she is featured in a drawn-out subplot with an OC that bored me to tears.
The technical writing was good(sentences formed properly, paragraphing, punctuation, flow, style....)but the plot? What about the plot?
Oh yeah, the overuse of the words "bloke" and "bird" was aggravating. As someone who lived in England, I can assure you, normal people do not use these words that frequently. "Bird" is like calling a girl a "chick" so it's quite degrading. And bloke is used once in a while for a man you don't really know. So many other words, but in this never-ending story, it's bloke bloke bloke, all the time bloke.
And it's not finished? WTF? I'm not sure how an unfinished "book" ended up on Goodreads.
Not my thing. Sorry not sorry.
February 5, 2021
Fourth reread and I finally highlighted my physical copy! This is the best fanfic I’ve ever read, it’s a masterpiece. The relationships between each and every character are all so detailed, and the events of their sixth and seventh years are fleshed out so well. Jules writes amazing relationships, and she depicts the turmoil between lily and james better than I could have ever imagined. This is such an amazing story, and it means so much to so many people. It will forever pain me that it isn’t finished, but I will continue to reread the chapters we have over and over again. I miss James and Lily and Sirius and Remus and Mary and Marlene and Adam and Donna already.
5th reread and I’m so sad it’s over I love this story :(
5th reread and I’m so sad it’s over I love this story :(
Read
January 16, 2020I can't tell you why I decided to read this classic HP fanfiction from way back in the day but WOW it brought back some memories I forgot I had until now.
Anyway, I HATEEE how this fanfic characterises Lily and I highkey skipped most of the sections about the side characters. There is SO MUCH slut-shaming in this fanfic its wild but I guess all fanfic was kinda like that back in the day. However, there are some scenes and moments were I genuinely love what they did with it so like, I have to give that to it.
10/10 for memories brought back and nostalgia, like a 4/10 for the actual story lmao.
Anyway, I HATEEE how this fanfic characterises Lily and I highkey skipped most of the sections about the side characters. There is SO MUCH slut-shaming in this fanfic its wild but I guess all fanfic was kinda like that back in the day. However, there are some scenes and moments were I genuinely love what they did with it so like, I have to give that to it.
10/10 for memories brought back and nostalgia, like a 4/10 for the actual story lmao.
July 3, 2015
There are a lot of Marauders Era fanfictions out there, but The Life and Times is - in my opinion - the best of them all. To me, TLAT's characters are more three dimensional and realistic than in any other story, and the relationships between the characters (I would like to highlight that of Lily and James because it is the main romantic relationship) are as complex and compelling as the story itself.
There are many people who dislike The Life and Times based on its a) length b) elements of teen drama c) characters and c) plot. I would like to address each of these complaints in turn and at the same time show my love for this incredible story.
First and foremost, it's important to remember that this is a work of fanfiction, and therefore cannot be accurately judged against other, published works. It is an unrealistic standard to which almost all stories of this genre will inevitably fall short. So bear that in mind. Most of the authors are not published and given the nature of this type of writing, mistakes and grievances will happen that wouldn't if you were reading a book.
This ties into the TLAT's extraordinary length. Fanfictions are updated one chapter at a time (usually) with a break in between, and are often not written all at once and then published, but chapter by chapter. In that respect, fanfiction has much more in common with television than it does with books. They are simply not designed to be read like books. Given that you can't physically turn the pages to check and see how much farther you have to go, fanfictions are also much more disorienting when it comes to judging their length, meaning that many VERY LONG stories are published without most people feeling as though they're long at all. Yes, when you put in terms of pages it may seem ridiculously lengthy, but when you're actually reading (and scrolling, making it impossible to tell how many pages are in, say, a chapter) it may not feel like a 2000 page story.
Okay, on to the complaint that TLAT has a too much teen drama. Personally, I didn't find the teen drama at all distracting, in fact I didn't even notice it, but when looking back I can sort of understand where those complaints are coming from. Friendships get messed up, people break up, there are heated arguments - none of this should be unfamiliar when reading fanfiction, and given that this is ALL ABOUT TEENS and not focused on their adult lives, I think it's becomes slightly more excusable if it does pop up every once in a while. However, even if some of the situations that arise are reminiscent of a shitty teen soap opera gone wrong, the way they are handled and the maturity of the characterization proves the story AS A WHOLE to be the very opposite.
The characters in TLAT are the best I've ever seen in a fanfiction. In my opinion, each of them is written to (almost) complete perfection. The tropes that haunt so many stories in this Era, and this GENRE are not present in my mind, or are at least twisted so that they are almost a parody. I don't really have anything more to say on the characterization, only that I don't believe them to be anything other than three dimensional.
I believe that TLAT is not for everyone, I believe that fanfiction is not for everyone, and I respect that if you didn't like this story you have every right to explain why, but I would definitely encourage anyone who hasn't yet read it or is on the fence about starting or who has AGES ago and can't remember if they liked it, to please try it out. It is a wonderful example of the incredible things that can be created through fanfiction, something that a lot of people think requires little talent and doesn't produce anything worth reading.
So please, read this story and join the club that rereads it every year and cries when they remember that it hasn't been updated since 2013.
There are many people who dislike The Life and Times based on its a) length b) elements of teen drama c) characters and c) plot. I would like to address each of these complaints in turn and at the same time show my love for this incredible story.
First and foremost, it's important to remember that this is a work of fanfiction, and therefore cannot be accurately judged against other, published works. It is an unrealistic standard to which almost all stories of this genre will inevitably fall short. So bear that in mind. Most of the authors are not published and given the nature of this type of writing, mistakes and grievances will happen that wouldn't if you were reading a book.
This ties into the TLAT's extraordinary length. Fanfictions are updated one chapter at a time (usually) with a break in between, and are often not written all at once and then published, but chapter by chapter. In that respect, fanfiction has much more in common with television than it does with books. They are simply not designed to be read like books. Given that you can't physically turn the pages to check and see how much farther you have to go, fanfictions are also much more disorienting when it comes to judging their length, meaning that many VERY LONG stories are published without most people feeling as though they're long at all. Yes, when you put in terms of pages it may seem ridiculously lengthy, but when you're actually reading (and scrolling, making it impossible to tell how many pages are in, say, a chapter) it may not feel like a 2000 page story.
Okay, on to the complaint that TLAT has a too much teen drama. Personally, I didn't find the teen drama at all distracting, in fact I didn't even notice it, but when looking back I can sort of understand where those complaints are coming from. Friendships get messed up, people break up, there are heated arguments - none of this should be unfamiliar when reading fanfiction, and given that this is ALL ABOUT TEENS and not focused on their adult lives, I think it's becomes slightly more excusable if it does pop up every once in a while. However, even if some of the situations that arise are reminiscent of a shitty teen soap opera gone wrong, the way they are handled and the maturity of the characterization proves the story AS A WHOLE to be the very opposite.
The characters in TLAT are the best I've ever seen in a fanfiction. In my opinion, each of them is written to (almost) complete perfection. The tropes that haunt so many stories in this Era, and this GENRE are not present in my mind, or are at least twisted so that they are almost a parody. I don't really have anything more to say on the characterization, only that I don't believe them to be anything other than three dimensional.
I believe that TLAT is not for everyone, I believe that fanfiction is not for everyone, and I respect that if you didn't like this story you have every right to explain why, but I would definitely encourage anyone who hasn't yet read it or is on the fence about starting or who has AGES ago and can't remember if they liked it, to please try it out. It is a wonderful example of the incredible things that can be created through fanfiction, something that a lot of people think requires little talent and doesn't produce anything worth reading.
So please, read this story and join the club that rereads it every year and cries when they remember that it hasn't been updated since 2013.
August 3, 2017
As a "book" it gets 2.5 stars. As a fanfiction it deserves 4.5 or 5 stars, but my 4 or 5 stars are reserved for great books, and fanfic, even great one as this, does not compare. This version of James was the best one I have ever read, and same is probably true for Lily, although I can't say that with certainty. I was however disappointed in Sirius (who is my favourite Marauder era character), I expected more. It seemed that the author crossed the usual flat, one dimensional character that most fanfics use for James, but did not bother to do the same with Sirius (yes I know he wasn't main character, but still...) But all in all this was one of the best fanfics EVER.
August 20, 2016
This is the best fanfic I've ever read. By far.
Only problem I have with this book is that it's not finished BUT THE AUTHOR HASN'T UPDATED IN 3 YEARS? Where is u? Pls don't leave me in despair? Pls?
Only problem I have with this book is that it's not finished BUT THE AUTHOR HASN'T UPDATED IN 3 YEARS? Where is u? Pls don't leave me in despair? Pls?
April 18, 2024
je vais continuer de prétendre que je l'ai lu juste pour mon projet de littérature comparée (Lily est fan d'Austen ici) mais honnêtement ? j'avais juste besoin de relire ma fanfiction préférée pour la troisième fois en cinq ans.
August 13, 2016
It`s fanfiction with all its imperfections. and I absolutely loved it this way.
just a few notes to myself.. and spoilers... a lot of teenage drama, but also...
...today it`s a little off canon, but I don`t care right now..
just a few notes to myself.. and spoilers... a lot of teenage drama, but also...
...today it`s a little off canon, but I don`t care right now..
June 11, 2016
This is a fanfiction, but it is my FAVOURITE LOVE STORY OF ALL TIME.
I read this every year and oh my god it is so addictive.
I read this every year and oh my god it is so addictive.
March 15, 2018
"It's best to just huddle up and ignore all of this, because all of this silly teenager stuff isn't actually any fun at all. It's rubbish. It's pointless. It's a waste of time and energy, and people's feelings get hurt."
SPOILER ALERT!!!
Jewels5 said it best. I don't want to denigrate their efforts, because it is very obvious that they put a lot of time, effort and love into this project, but unfortunately it was just a bloated, tangential mess. This is why books have editors. There was enough material here to easily have been 3 separate works, and they probably would have been interesting if presented separately and more focused, but trying to shove it all into a single piece of work just made it frustrating and irksome to read.
This is billeted as being a Jily story, but that's a stretch. If you're looking to read about them as a couple, don't bother because of the approx. 2500 pages, they spend approximately 3 of them as a couple. The other 2400+ pages are rife with female characters somehow acting ridiculously above their age (everyone throws around the love word and are with their partners for YEARS despite being in school) and simultaneously juvenile. It reminded me a lot of Mean Girls, only Mean Girls was funny and embraced its ridiculousness and that made it fun. This did not. I spent the majority of the time reading this HATING pretty much every single one of the female characters (and I still could not really tell you who Mary is or why she is in this. She's such a redundant character and having her and Marlene was overly confusing.) Also, if you're hoping to get any resolution on Donna, Mary, Marlene, Carlotta, or Shelley at the end, you're going to be sadly disappointed. And if you actually want to know how the whole attempted suicide mystery introduced at the very beginning shakes out...it doesn't. It's just dropped. The ending was abrupt and rushed and just dropped all the characters basically. There is no denouement in sight.
There's also quite a few less than socially aware moments. Donna Shacklebolt (the token POC) starts off as kind of a curmudgeonly character and I liked her (because I am a sucker for a curmudgeon), but she quickly devolved into a stereotypical "angry black woman" caricature with some "Jezebel" archetype thrown in. There's lots of TALK about all the characters sleeping around (except the virginal, perfect Lily), but up to that point Donna is the only one that we SEE in a sexual hookup (not graphic, just very clear they are having sex). Even the school trollop, Carlotta, caused a furor just by kissing Frank, not sleeping with him. Jewels5 does Donna a real disservice and it read as vaguely racist.
Continuing the misogyny, at one point one of the characters that is an aspiring Death Eater uses the Imperio curse to sexually assault a girl. Surely this is a pivotal plot point that is handled with care and attention in this 2400+ page work? NOPE! It's mentioned over approximately 3 sentences and then is never addressed. I HATE when people use rape as a plot device and then especially when they do it insensitively. This was basically just thrown in there to motivate Snape. Victimizing a female character to motivate a male character is a tired and disgusting cliche and THIS IS NOT OKAY! Does Snape see the light and correct his way? NOPE! So basically this was just thrown in there to say, "look how evil these guys are!". What's even more messed up? It was done by a character named "Saul Hester". Saul is a Jewish name and Hester is a German name...so basically she has a German Jew become a rapist in hopes of joining up with the wizarding world equivalent of Hitler. Surely that cannot be accidental?? Again, I got racist vibes.
Misogyny is also rampant in this thing. The women are constantly calling each other slags and sluts and hating on each other. Also, conspiring to screw each other over all in hopes of snagging that cute guy. A solid half of this work is just women being shitty to each other. Maybe that's some people's cup of tea, but I hated it. Maybe it's because I can't relate. When I have encountered shitty people like this, I just ditched them from my life and didn't put up with that nastiness. If anyone's friendship is like this, they need new friends.
The technical writing is good for fanfiction (sentence structure, grammar, etc.), but the overall structure is not well done. It reads like she just typed out whatever ideas came to her mind and didn't really chart out the plot at all. Chapters are insanely long and switch frequently between perspectives; sometimes this will at least be indicated by a line break or something, but sometimes it will just switch from paragraph to paragraph. At times it felt a bit like I was one of those bad guys in the Matrix that could just take over whatever bodies I want at will. It was distracting and confusing.
The one thing I did like about this work is the male dynamics. For as terrible as Jewels5 made the female dynamics, I really enjoyed reading the Marauders scenes. I loved seeing the boys interact with each other and sincerely wished there had been more of a focus on their dynamics because I have always wanted to see Peter's story expanded on and why he would betray his friends.
And just to rant briefly because this is so fresh, but after reading so so so so many pages that is supposedly supposed to be about James and Lily getting together, in the final few pages Jewels5 decides to have Lily ruminate on how her and SIRIUS understand each other and James just doesn't. As the British would say, "Have you completely lost the plot?!"
SPOILER ALERT!!!
Jewels5 said it best. I don't want to denigrate their efforts, because it is very obvious that they put a lot of time, effort and love into this project, but unfortunately it was just a bloated, tangential mess. This is why books have editors. There was enough material here to easily have been 3 separate works, and they probably would have been interesting if presented separately and more focused, but trying to shove it all into a single piece of work just made it frustrating and irksome to read.
This is billeted as being a Jily story, but that's a stretch. If you're looking to read about them as a couple, don't bother because of the approx. 2500 pages, they spend approximately 3 of them as a couple. The other 2400+ pages are rife with female characters somehow acting ridiculously above their age (everyone throws around the love word and are with their partners for YEARS despite being in school) and simultaneously juvenile. It reminded me a lot of Mean Girls, only Mean Girls was funny and embraced its ridiculousness and that made it fun. This did not. I spent the majority of the time reading this HATING pretty much every single one of the female characters (and I still could not really tell you who Mary is or why she is in this. She's such a redundant character and having her and Marlene was overly confusing.) Also, if you're hoping to get any resolution on Donna, Mary, Marlene, Carlotta, or Shelley at the end, you're going to be sadly disappointed. And if you actually want to know how the whole attempted suicide mystery introduced at the very beginning shakes out...it doesn't. It's just dropped. The ending was abrupt and rushed and just dropped all the characters basically. There is no denouement in sight.
There's also quite a few less than socially aware moments. Donna Shacklebolt (the token POC) starts off as kind of a curmudgeonly character and I liked her (because I am a sucker for a curmudgeon), but she quickly devolved into a stereotypical "angry black woman" caricature with some "Jezebel" archetype thrown in. There's lots of TALK about all the characters sleeping around (except the virginal, perfect Lily), but up to that point Donna is the only one that we SEE in a sexual hookup (not graphic, just very clear they are having sex). Even the school trollop, Carlotta, caused a furor just by kissing Frank, not sleeping with him. Jewels5 does Donna a real disservice and it read as vaguely racist.
Continuing the misogyny, at one point one of the characters that is an aspiring Death Eater uses the Imperio curse to sexually assault a girl. Surely this is a pivotal plot point that is handled with care and attention in this 2400+ page work? NOPE! It's mentioned over approximately 3 sentences and then is never addressed. I HATE when people use rape as a plot device and then especially when they do it insensitively. This was basically just thrown in there to motivate Snape. Victimizing a female character to motivate a male character is a tired and disgusting cliche and THIS IS NOT OKAY! Does Snape see the light and correct his way? NOPE! So basically this was just thrown in there to say, "look how evil these guys are!". What's even more messed up? It was done by a character named "Saul Hester". Saul is a Jewish name and Hester is a German name...so basically she has a German Jew become a rapist in hopes of joining up with the wizarding world equivalent of Hitler. Surely that cannot be accidental?? Again, I got racist vibes.
Misogyny is also rampant in this thing. The women are constantly calling each other slags and sluts and hating on each other. Also, conspiring to screw each other over all in hopes of snagging that cute guy. A solid half of this work is just women being shitty to each other. Maybe that's some people's cup of tea, but I hated it. Maybe it's because I can't relate. When I have encountered shitty people like this, I just ditched them from my life and didn't put up with that nastiness. If anyone's friendship is like this, they need new friends.
The technical writing is good for fanfiction (sentence structure, grammar, etc.), but the overall structure is not well done. It reads like she just typed out whatever ideas came to her mind and didn't really chart out the plot at all. Chapters are insanely long and switch frequently between perspectives; sometimes this will at least be indicated by a line break or something, but sometimes it will just switch from paragraph to paragraph. At times it felt a bit like I was one of those bad guys in the Matrix that could just take over whatever bodies I want at will. It was distracting and confusing.
The one thing I did like about this work is the male dynamics. For as terrible as Jewels5 made the female dynamics, I really enjoyed reading the Marauders scenes. I loved seeing the boys interact with each other and sincerely wished there had been more of a focus on their dynamics because I have always wanted to see Peter's story expanded on and why he would betray his friends.
And just to rant briefly because this is so fresh, but after reading so so so so many pages that is supposedly supposed to be about James and Lily getting together, in the final few pages Jewels5 decides to have Lily ruminate on how her and SIRIUS understand each other and James just doesn't. As the British would say, "Have you completely lost the plot?!"
March 23, 2018
First off, I have no idea why this is on Goodreads. It's, a) uncomplete/ unpublished (basically a draft), and b) FANFIC, meaning if it were to be recognised as a real book it would be in danger of copyright infringement (maybe).
This is something someone did on a whim in their spare time. I'm fairly certain the author once said that one of the main reasons she did it was to improve her writing skills. You can't expect this to hold together like a real book, so you can't really reveiw it like one.
The way I see it, it's basically an anthology series. It's a bunch of one persons imaginings of what the Marauder's era was like. If it were an actual book it would be a rambling, sub-plot ridden mess that seems to have no real direction most of the time. But that's the point. She wrote this, first and foremost, for herself. For fun.
It's incredibly flawed (although not in an irksome way). It can be cliched at times, some charcters really need fleshing out (although most are by the end), and the plot lines, whilst pleasant, can feel shallow and offhand. But it's still ultimately very enjoyable - throughout. After a while (I think once she realised she had a large following), it shakes off the chliches in favour of well thought out strings of scenes and solid chapters that are astoundingly moving as well as impactful. At some point while reading you'll realise that what you thought was, idk, a kinda okay but still better than the other garbage fanfic, is actually a well written, intriguing peice of literature. It will genuinely surprise you, and you won't really notice untill afterwards. The author really comes into her own. (It looses steam at the end but only because she couldn't be bothered anymore (but that's a whole other issue).)
Thematically, the second half far outshines the first. The first half of this fanfic is, you guessed it, fanfic. The second half is political war story (and potential eventual tradgedy had it not been abandoned), about teenagers doing the right thing no matter what. Kind of like the original books but with a different tone (you could argue better but whatev).
I could go on forever about what's good about this fic, but that's not really the point of this reveiw. The point is to tell you that if all you're looking for is a good story, don't read this. But if you're interested in Harry Potter, or fandom culture, or the art of storytelling as a whole, then this, while not being the absolute best it could be, will undoubtedly fasinate, evoke, and surprise.
It was made with love. (and cookies).
This is something someone did on a whim in their spare time. I'm fairly certain the author once said that one of the main reasons she did it was to improve her writing skills. You can't expect this to hold together like a real book, so you can't really reveiw it like one.
The way I see it, it's basically an anthology series. It's a bunch of one persons imaginings of what the Marauder's era was like. If it were an actual book it would be a rambling, sub-plot ridden mess that seems to have no real direction most of the time. But that's the point. She wrote this, first and foremost, for herself. For fun.
It's incredibly flawed (although not in an irksome way). It can be cliched at times, some charcters really need fleshing out (although most are by the end), and the plot lines, whilst pleasant, can feel shallow and offhand. But it's still ultimately very enjoyable - throughout. After a while (I think once she realised she had a large following), it shakes off the chliches in favour of well thought out strings of scenes and solid chapters that are astoundingly moving as well as impactful. At some point while reading you'll realise that what you thought was, idk, a kinda okay but still better than the other garbage fanfic, is actually a well written, intriguing peice of literature. It will genuinely surprise you, and you won't really notice untill afterwards. The author really comes into her own. (It looses steam at the end but only because she couldn't be bothered anymore (but that's a whole other issue).)
Thematically, the second half far outshines the first. The first half of this fanfic is, you guessed it, fanfic. The second half is political war story (and potential eventual tradgedy had it not been abandoned), about teenagers doing the right thing no matter what. Kind of like the original books but with a different tone (you could argue better but whatev).
I could go on forever about what's good about this fic, but that's not really the point of this reveiw. The point is to tell you that if all you're looking for is a good story, don't read this. But if you're interested in Harry Potter, or fandom culture, or the art of storytelling as a whole, then this, while not being the absolute best it could be, will undoubtedly fasinate, evoke, and surprise.
It was made with love. (and cookies).
May 27, 2016
4.5/5 stars
okay wow if someone wants to publish this fanfic as a book, retellings of hp, i would buy it. i don't say this fanfic is perfect, it has it flaws, but it feels like hp.
first, the story sets in the marauders era. you might guess the main reason for me is jily, but we get so much more than that. we get involved in the drama of the other hogwarts students, mostly james' and lily's mates. it's not jily centered, and sometimes it's annoying especially when we get to the shippy shippy moment only to be interrupted for the drama i don't care about, but it also gives more insight of life in hogwarts during that time.
second, the marauders. it's really heartfelt to see how close and supportive they are with each other, since we know what happened in the end. they're hilarious and fun and the dynamic between them is undeniable. even i can't bring myself to hate peter pettigrew. i guess hogwarts' the marauders is one of my favorite brotp.
third, jily. by the time this fanfic ends (chapter 36, it shouldn't have ended yet, but it hasn't been updated since 2013 *sobs*) my ship hasn't sail. wow. but we have some shippy shippy moments and their banters are fun to watch.
the ending was kind of dark though, and it makes me deduct half star from the rating. the war has started and it just gets depressing *sigh* i guess it was inevitable, but still. i love it though, and i highly recommended it for potterheads who wanted to read about the marauders era!
okay wow if someone wants to publish this fanfic as a book, retellings of hp, i would buy it. i don't say this fanfic is perfect, it has it flaws, but it feels like hp.
first, the story sets in the marauders era. you might guess the main reason for me is jily, but we get so much more than that. we get involved in the drama of the other hogwarts students, mostly james' and lily's mates. it's not jily centered, and sometimes it's annoying especially when we get to the shippy shippy moment only to be interrupted for the drama i don't care about, but it also gives more insight of life in hogwarts during that time.
second, the marauders. it's really heartfelt to see how close and supportive they are with each other, since we know what happened in the end. they're hilarious and fun and the dynamic between them is undeniable. even i can't bring myself to hate peter pettigrew. i guess hogwarts' the marauders is one of my favorite brotp.
third, jily. by the time this fanfic ends (chapter 36, it shouldn't have ended yet, but it hasn't been updated since 2013 *sobs*) my ship hasn't sail. wow. but we have some shippy shippy moments and their banters are fun to watch.
the ending was kind of dark though, and it makes me deduct half star from the rating. the war has started and it just gets depressing *sigh* i guess it was inevitable, but still. i love it though, and i highly recommended it for potterheads who wanted to read about the marauders era!
December 5, 2025
I read this earlier in the year and since it’s literally probably the length of 3 books combined I wanted to log it (to help meet my reading goal SO SUE ME)
I found this a couple years ago? Can’t remember exactly when but I personally love the side characters and the mess of it all. I’ve seen a couple people online (Goodreads and Reddit) mention the misogynist moments and how James and Lily don’t actually end up together (except for the rushed and, no offense Jewles, FAKE ASS ENDING). I admit it’s not perfect but honestly I don’t really give a rats ass. Keep in mind this was initially being posted in 2009-2013… not to say that’s a completely different time but 🤷🏻♀️. To say that girls were slut shaming each other too much in this but that actually happens in real life too LMAO. Women aren’t all saints.
I was reading ATYD recently and Lily and James just don’t hit the same. I want ANGST GODDAMMIT! And yes ATYD is a Wolfstar fic but that’s really all you’re getting from it, whereas this is more of a three dimensional story with other characters at play.
Marleen and Adam my beloveds. And the Sirius and James fallout was much more accurate than the ATYD?? Of course they would be beefing for longer than 3 seconds??? Of course Sirius would be outcast?
I’m not trying to play comparison game. I just love the way this was written. I love the inward look we get at everything. I love Lily and James’ on and off again friendship/crushes. It’s just peak fan fic to me. Totally understand the criticism it gets but let’s be honest, it’s fan fiction, not a highly acclaimed novel that was professionally published.
I also saw a review that said James’ character was not happy and cheery enough or whatever but like… based on his dads actions in this fic and everything and with a literal war brewing I feel like him getting moody and angry is like kind of a given. Also, he can’t just be pining after Lily all the time? That’s boring as fuck! Get that boy his cigarette goddammit!
My only honest to god qualm with this, and truthfully all fics I’ve read in the Marauder era, is WHY SO MUCH SEX??? Was the 70’s really like that?? Jesus!😂 keep in in ur pants! To be specific, the later stuff with Shelly/Carlotta is unnecessary and I think the conflict should’ve been navigated in a different way that didn’t involve Shelly sleeping with the whole fucking school… do what you want girl but goddamn.
Honestly though I read this almost every year and it never disappoints. Well, except for the unfinished ending………………
It hurts me every time😭😭
I found this a couple years ago? Can’t remember exactly when but I personally love the side characters and the mess of it all. I’ve seen a couple people online (Goodreads and Reddit) mention the misogynist moments and how James and Lily don’t actually end up together (except for the rushed and, no offense Jewles, FAKE ASS ENDING). I admit it’s not perfect but honestly I don’t really give a rats ass. Keep in mind this was initially being posted in 2009-2013… not to say that’s a completely different time but 🤷🏻♀️. To say that girls were slut shaming each other too much in this but that actually happens in real life too LMAO. Women aren’t all saints.
I was reading ATYD recently and Lily and James just don’t hit the same. I want ANGST GODDAMMIT! And yes ATYD is a Wolfstar fic but that’s really all you’re getting from it, whereas this is more of a three dimensional story with other characters at play.
Marleen and Adam my beloveds. And the Sirius and James fallout was much more accurate than the ATYD?? Of course they would be beefing for longer than 3 seconds??? Of course Sirius would be outcast?
I’m not trying to play comparison game. I just love the way this was written. I love the inward look we get at everything. I love Lily and James’ on and off again friendship/crushes. It’s just peak fan fic to me. Totally understand the criticism it gets but let’s be honest, it’s fan fiction, not a highly acclaimed novel that was professionally published.
I also saw a review that said James’ character was not happy and cheery enough or whatever but like… based on his dads actions in this fic and everything and with a literal war brewing I feel like him getting moody and angry is like kind of a given. Also, he can’t just be pining after Lily all the time? That’s boring as fuck! Get that boy his cigarette goddammit!
My only honest to god qualm with this, and truthfully all fics I’ve read in the Marauder era, is WHY SO MUCH SEX??? Was the 70’s really like that?? Jesus!😂 keep in in ur pants! To be specific, the later stuff with Shelly/Carlotta is unnecessary and I think the conflict should’ve been navigated in a different way that didn’t involve Shelly sleeping with the whole fucking school… do what you want girl but goddamn.
Honestly though I read this almost every year and it never disappoints. Well, except for the unfinished ending………………
It hurts me every time😭😭
September 29, 2019
I re-read this fic many times a year. Still the best fanfiction I've ever read, and definitely a must for all Harry Potter fans. If you thought you didn't care about the Marauders, Jewels5 will change your mind.
February 12, 2022
YES ITS A FANFIC I DONT CARE. THIS WAS SO MF GOOD.
Read
March 5, 2021intensely humiliating to admit I read this and thus I will not discuss any of the content. I only decided to include this in my reading list because it is about 2500 pages long and it will benefit my average book length and my overall pages read immensely and my Goodreads challenge is the only thing in my life that I value.
March 10, 2024
This shit was way too long for little to no pay off. I’m fucking pissed. Characterization? Great. Storyline? Also great. But this author loves to hear herself talk and if she’d cut half the nonsense it would’ve been so much better.
October 23, 2014
This book can be described in just one word. Beautiful. Everything was amazing. It was a page turner.
This book has not been finished yet. The author is still writing. Can't wait for her to upload new chapters :)
This book has not been finished yet. The author is still writing. Can't wait for her to upload new chapters :)
October 11, 2017
I will be in eternal pain over this. It's not even finished yet and I can say it's one of my absolute favourites.
If I die before the author updates it, revive my dead, rotting corpse with whatever means necessary.
If I die before the author updates it, revive my dead, rotting corpse with whatever means necessary.
January 27, 2015
Always rereading it, always loving it more each day. ❤️
April 26, 2016
No... It doesn't just stop there, does it? It's marked as unfinished, but Jules signed out differently...
It can't end there
It can't end there
July 22, 2022
emotionally attached to characters with practically zero screen time in cannon? PSHH couldn’t be me
I am not gonna lie this was better than any single one of the harry potter books
I am not gonna lie this was better than any single one of the harry potter books
January 6, 2025
lol since i spent so long on this i might as well mark it as read......
July 12, 2016
What can I even say...
This si my all time favourite piece of literature ever. Its so great. I tihnk the thing I like most about it is probably the characters. Everyone is jsut so ridiculously complex and itneresting and likable to a certain extent. Ill do a greater in depth character analysis later.
I dont mind the lengthy chaoters so much. I loved the chapters wiht interesting strcture such as the one that told the same day from 5 parts and then all the ones that strated off wiht statements like the in 1976s and the girls opinions about love. With regards to the chaoters about love, I lvoed that it told the same sotry and linked back.
TLAT is so great adn tis been 2 years 8 months and 12 days since the last update which you know isnt great but I understand tha Jules is really busy.
I love all the major plot points.
Starting in the beginnning...
All that suicide stuff was kind of terrifying but how it progressed was amazing. couldnt quite remmeber how it all went at first so it was still a bit of a mystery to me. All the Luke/Logan/Lily drama was so incredible.
Can we just take a moment to talk about Sirius for a second. I was shattered. I couldnt anymore and I cant believe Sirius did that but you know Ive forgiven. That hwole section gutted me.
The protest might have been the best part of the entire book from me. Everythingwas so fun and playful yet terribly gripping and just sooo sooo great. My heart did break when I met Sam and Sarah and Vance etc.
Then there was November 2nd. I literally went to the batrhoom and cried on a number of occasions while reading this part of the book. Sam... I love Sam. He is just so great and Ive been rereading his letters to Lily and Im still kind of inconsolable. Im damn terrified about how Voldemort couldve done that. How do you kill 87 wizards and witches without a single casualty.
I cant dela wiht that right now because Im still kind of emtional.
Now onto characters. Im going to go gryffindor 6 years by dorm and then other hogwasrt students then other characters.
Lily- I lvoe Lily so freaking muhc its ridicuous. I also admire her so muhc. Shes so diplomatic. She kind hearted and easily does the right thing and thinks about others beofre herself. I lvoe that she wants to fight. I love that she didnt breka up ith Luke even though she should've. I loved that she never tried to breka up Carlotta and James (ugh). I love that she volunteers in the hospital and actually gave sev a chance not to mention all the drama with Logan. Lily with Donna not being headgirl was so great.
Lily is just great.
Marlene- OKay I think everyone agrees that she was really stupid in the beginning. Miles Stimpson! really Marlene... I do really like her though. I love her music taste. She is damn funny and Marlene is jsut super great. I like how she never tried to break up Prudence and Adam even though she really wanted to. I get that she was super dof in the beginning but she grew up. Shes brave and Marlene post Miles is just so great.
Donna- Okay I have mixed feeling about her. I love her but oh my gosh I hate her much. Donna is sassy af. I dont know how I feel about her bravery skills and sensibility. I do love how much she cares about everyone. She was obviously seriously messed up by her parents death and the fact that they had to die seriously seriously sucks. I'll tlak relationships later but just during the 'mistkae' i related to Donna so hard, not as in Ive ever done anything like that but just her aloneness and I think the thing I like the most about Donna is that she is real. She's a real person so props to Jules for AMAZING CHARACTERISATION
Mary- I dont have much to say about this yet. I know something happened to her (thestrals) so I dont excatly understand her. I think she is all kinds of dark and twisty probably. Mary is none the less sweet when it calls for it. She is my polar opposite though. I am so excited for Mary reg just btw.
Carlotta meloni- what do you even say about her. Just for her Team puppy killer stuff I dont know whether or not I understand. I think its a mix of horror and understanding if that makes any sense. Calrotta probably has some problems of her own or will face troubles. I dont agree with 99% of her philosophies btw. Especially the put in the past stuff...ugh. I dont like her. I know that much. Im just relaly apathetic. I dont want to be angry with her because I et that she is really delusional. ALso all her polygamy stuff is ridiclous. I cant understand how she could possibly be that obsessed with popularity and etc. I understand in some sense why James dated her.I know it wasnt because of her looks. I hated the entire 1500 pages of team puppy killer btw. but probs more on the later (see what I did there)
Shelley mumps- I jsut fel sorry for her. Its kind of Shelleys fault. All her ideologies were from Carlotta whihc is how she justified everything and she didnt think she was in the wrong. I jsut feel bad for Shelley. I dont know if shell fihgt in the war or simmer out but anyway...
Okay the boys dormitary
James sodding Potter- I love James. I really really do. James is just so great. I get that he is a bit of a prat on occasion but he is actually good guy. He is flawlessly Gryffindor although he could brush up on his Hufflepuff atributions. James is repsected which is astounding but he is. People -apart form Snape- genuinely trust James. His leadership skills are on another level. He is such a good person although he does try to hide it. He is a freaking good friend and boyfriedn although his taste is questionable. I think james is a great Headboy. All the things they od for Remus is jst incredible. James is the definition fo Gryffindor and he's just great.
Lets tlak about Sirius Black. IN my mind Sirius is Sirius from The ones left behind (my second favourtie piece of literature ever for the record) Sirius is jsut really awesome. he is dead funny but cares about his mates. Im not going to dwell on the whole Werewolf thiing because I mean he did spend 12 years in Azkaban so well let it slide. Sirius adn Lily is so awesome and my faourtie part was probably the whole Carlotta=quaffle and Lily=snitch. He was probabyl jsut one of the funniest characters as a whole. My heart did breka for him multiple times.
Remus Lupin is great. I lvoe Remus so much. With regards to 'canon' characetrs hes probably my favourite along wiht Sirius. My ehart breaks for remus on a daily basis and I jsut wish he would get some self-confidence and relasie he has friends. It sucks that he couldnt be headboy and I dont know but James is equally awesome. Remus is more Lily type of leader which is the only reason why with James him and lily compliment one another. The damn Shelley baot. I like Clancy but Ill tlak about that later. Im so excited for Mancy but you know Tonks and Remus will always be the best. That first chaoter of the holidays kind of jsut broke my heart. The best line was probably the I dont love lily and then Remus is like yeah f******* right. I died a bit. I died a lot. Also all of the conspiracies that are happening between the two of them is just so damn great.
Okay lets talk about Peter. I like Peter. I think I always have to a certian degree. I understand why he shifted. It breaks my heart but I understand why. I dont agree but I understand why. Towards the end Peter make me feel really sad. That aprt where Peter was like you're james sodding Potter did make me stop for a second.
Lets talk about Adam Mckinnon. I will enver not sympathise for him becaus elets be real he couldnt harm a butterfly. My ehart broke that day on the quidditch pitch. My heart rboke ont he last chapter. Poor Adam. he still lvoes malrne but Ill get to that later. I cant about Sarah because feels. I liek that he is so perfect but really relatable. Like he jsut does the rihgt hing and is so beyond rela and funny though only with Marlene.
Slytherine
I want to punch Colista
Mulciber is a git
Regulus at that one aprt broke my heart when he didt understadn why theywere doing it.
Severus is suhc a peculiar character. Bottom line I think hes selfish and I get its all jsut I bad Snily fic but the world doesnt revolve aorund hima nd he cant use the bad things to justify ANYTHING. I dont know how I feel about Snape. i certainly dont like him or repsect him but Deathly Hallows confuses me. TBH it makes me dislike him even more if thats psosible
Ravenclaw
Luke-ugh ugh ugh I get that Luke is perfect and whatver but hes relaly annoying and I cant stand how dof he is. Like yes your brother is a death eater and yes you cant belive everything he says.
I like Clancy. SHes so cute and adorbale.
Charlie Plex is a sorry excuse for a human being.
Prudence Bloody Daly is so infuriating. she is so nice and smart and little and cute and I know its completely unjustified to dislike her. I dont think I dislike her actually. I just dilike team McDaly.
Hufflepuff
Reg Cattermole is so cute. Hes like a kitten or something liek that. I feel bad about his failed Lily infatuation although his Mary thing is so great.
Frank- Okay naturally I wnated to strangle him on multiple occasions but you know what hes a good bloke wiht good morals. He relasied how of he was so ill let t slide.
ALice is perfect. That scene wiht her in the library was so beautiful and I wnated to cry because I wih I could be like Alice.
Now onto relationships
platonic and romantic and family
team Puppy- Jily is on a whole other level if you ask literally anyone. Those scenes of them in muggle london are so great. There almsot kiss (lily i wnat to kill you) and that scene in chapter 37 where he kisses her cheek. Jily is basically an old married couple and I lvoe it so muhc. Even Jily Freidnship is great. The flirting is the funniest thing ever and so freaking fluff.
SNAPS oh my gosh. SNAPS is so amazing. I love is so much. But I wont ramble about JIly for too long
Team Kappa- I love this so much. Whenever I reread TLAt i just read that chapter 36 McPrice fluff. I lvoe this so muhc. Adam and MArlene are literaly perfect. They compliment each other perfectly and wouldve been eprfect if it wasnt for something called Miles and Prudence.
Im kind of bored of writing this review now tbh. Ill finish writing this when I rerad whihc will probs be really really really really really really soon
This si my all time favourite piece of literature ever. Its so great. I tihnk the thing I like most about it is probably the characters. Everyone is jsut so ridiculously complex and itneresting and likable to a certain extent. Ill do a greater in depth character analysis later.
I dont mind the lengthy chaoters so much. I loved the chapters wiht interesting strcture such as the one that told the same day from 5 parts and then all the ones that strated off wiht statements like the in 1976s and the girls opinions about love. With regards to the chaoters about love, I lvoed that it told the same sotry and linked back.
TLAT is so great adn tis been 2 years 8 months and 12 days since the last update which you know isnt great but I understand tha Jules is really busy.
I love all the major plot points.
Starting in the beginnning...
All that suicide stuff was kind of terrifying but how it progressed was amazing. couldnt quite remmeber how it all went at first so it was still a bit of a mystery to me. All the Luke/Logan/Lily drama was so incredible.
Can we just take a moment to talk about Sirius for a second. I was shattered. I couldnt anymore and I cant believe Sirius did that but you know Ive forgiven. That hwole section gutted me.
The protest might have been the best part of the entire book from me. Everythingwas so fun and playful yet terribly gripping and just sooo sooo great. My heart did break when I met Sam and Sarah and Vance etc.
Then there was November 2nd. I literally went to the batrhoom and cried on a number of occasions while reading this part of the book. Sam... I love Sam. He is just so great and Ive been rereading his letters to Lily and Im still kind of inconsolable. Im damn terrified about how Voldemort couldve done that. How do you kill 87 wizards and witches without a single casualty.
I cant dela wiht that right now because Im still kind of emtional.
Now onto characters. Im going to go gryffindor 6 years by dorm and then other hogwasrt students then other characters.
Lily- I lvoe Lily so freaking muhc its ridicuous. I also admire her so muhc. Shes so diplomatic. She kind hearted and easily does the right thing and thinks about others beofre herself. I lvoe that she wants to fight. I love that she didnt breka up ith Luke even though she should've. I loved that she never tried to breka up Carlotta and James (ugh). I love that she volunteers in the hospital and actually gave sev a chance not to mention all the drama with Logan. Lily with Donna not being headgirl was so great.
Lily is just great.
Marlene- OKay I think everyone agrees that she was really stupid in the beginning. Miles Stimpson! really Marlene... I do really like her though. I love her music taste. She is damn funny and Marlene is jsut super great. I like how she never tried to break up Prudence and Adam even though she really wanted to. I get that she was super dof in the beginning but she grew up. Shes brave and Marlene post Miles is just so great.
Donna- Okay I have mixed feeling about her. I love her but oh my gosh I hate her much. Donna is sassy af. I dont know how I feel about her bravery skills and sensibility. I do love how much she cares about everyone. She was obviously seriously messed up by her parents death and the fact that they had to die seriously seriously sucks. I'll tlak relationships later but just during the 'mistkae' i related to Donna so hard, not as in Ive ever done anything like that but just her aloneness and I think the thing I like the most about Donna is that she is real. She's a real person so props to Jules for AMAZING CHARACTERISATION
Mary- I dont have much to say about this yet. I know something happened to her (thestrals) so I dont excatly understand her. I think she is all kinds of dark and twisty probably. Mary is none the less sweet when it calls for it. She is my polar opposite though. I am so excited for Mary reg just btw.
Carlotta meloni- what do you even say about her. Just for her Team puppy killer stuff I dont know whether or not I understand. I think its a mix of horror and understanding if that makes any sense. Calrotta probably has some problems of her own or will face troubles. I dont agree with 99% of her philosophies btw. Especially the put in the past stuff...ugh. I dont like her. I know that much. Im just relaly apathetic. I dont want to be angry with her because I et that she is really delusional. ALso all her polygamy stuff is ridiclous. I cant understand how she could possibly be that obsessed with popularity and etc. I understand in some sense why James dated her.I know it wasnt because of her looks. I hated the entire 1500 pages of team puppy killer btw. but probs more on the later (see what I did there)
Shelley mumps- I jsut fel sorry for her. Its kind of Shelleys fault. All her ideologies were from Carlotta whihc is how she justified everything and she didnt think she was in the wrong. I jsut feel bad for Shelley. I dont know if shell fihgt in the war or simmer out but anyway...
Okay the boys dormitary
James sodding Potter- I love James. I really really do. James is just so great. I get that he is a bit of a prat on occasion but he is actually good guy. He is flawlessly Gryffindor although he could brush up on his Hufflepuff atributions. James is repsected which is astounding but he is. People -apart form Snape- genuinely trust James. His leadership skills are on another level. He is such a good person although he does try to hide it. He is a freaking good friend and boyfriedn although his taste is questionable. I think james is a great Headboy. All the things they od for Remus is jst incredible. James is the definition fo Gryffindor and he's just great.
Lets tlak about Sirius Black. IN my mind Sirius is Sirius from The ones left behind (my second favourtie piece of literature ever for the record) Sirius is jsut really awesome. he is dead funny but cares about his mates. Im not going to dwell on the whole Werewolf thiing because I mean he did spend 12 years in Azkaban so well let it slide. Sirius adn Lily is so awesome and my faourtie part was probably the whole Carlotta=quaffle and Lily=snitch. He was probabyl jsut one of the funniest characters as a whole. My heart did breka for him multiple times.
Remus Lupin is great. I lvoe Remus so much. With regards to 'canon' characetrs hes probably my favourite along wiht Sirius. My ehart breaks for remus on a daily basis and I jsut wish he would get some self-confidence and relasie he has friends. It sucks that he couldnt be headboy and I dont know but James is equally awesome. Remus is more Lily type of leader which is the only reason why with James him and lily compliment one another. The damn Shelley baot. I like Clancy but Ill tlak about that later. Im so excited for Mancy but you know Tonks and Remus will always be the best. That first chaoter of the holidays kind of jsut broke my heart. The best line was probably the I dont love lily and then Remus is like yeah f******* right. I died a bit. I died a lot. Also all of the conspiracies that are happening between the two of them is just so damn great.
Okay lets talk about Peter. I like Peter. I think I always have to a certian degree. I understand why he shifted. It breaks my heart but I understand why. I dont agree but I understand why. Towards the end Peter make me feel really sad. That aprt where Peter was like you're james sodding Potter did make me stop for a second.
Lets talk about Adam Mckinnon. I will enver not sympathise for him becaus elets be real he couldnt harm a butterfly. My ehart broke that day on the quidditch pitch. My heart rboke ont he last chapter. Poor Adam. he still lvoes malrne but Ill get to that later. I cant about Sarah because feels. I liek that he is so perfect but really relatable. Like he jsut does the rihgt hing and is so beyond rela and funny though only with Marlene.
Slytherine
I want to punch Colista
Mulciber is a git
Regulus at that one aprt broke my heart when he didt understadn why theywere doing it.
Severus is suhc a peculiar character. Bottom line I think hes selfish and I get its all jsut I bad Snily fic but the world doesnt revolve aorund hima nd he cant use the bad things to justify ANYTHING. I dont know how I feel about Snape. i certainly dont like him or repsect him but Deathly Hallows confuses me. TBH it makes me dislike him even more if thats psosible
Ravenclaw
Luke-ugh ugh ugh I get that Luke is perfect and whatver but hes relaly annoying and I cant stand how dof he is. Like yes your brother is a death eater and yes you cant belive everything he says.
I like Clancy. SHes so cute and adorbale.
Charlie Plex is a sorry excuse for a human being.
Prudence Bloody Daly is so infuriating. she is so nice and smart and little and cute and I know its completely unjustified to dislike her. I dont think I dislike her actually. I just dilike team McDaly.
Hufflepuff
Reg Cattermole is so cute. Hes like a kitten or something liek that. I feel bad about his failed Lily infatuation although his Mary thing is so great.
Frank- Okay naturally I wnated to strangle him on multiple occasions but you know what hes a good bloke wiht good morals. He relasied how of he was so ill let t slide.
ALice is perfect. That scene wiht her in the library was so beautiful and I wnated to cry because I wih I could be like Alice.
Now onto relationships
platonic and romantic and family
team Puppy- Jily is on a whole other level if you ask literally anyone. Those scenes of them in muggle london are so great. There almsot kiss (lily i wnat to kill you) and that scene in chapter 37 where he kisses her cheek. Jily is basically an old married couple and I lvoe it so muhc. Even Jily Freidnship is great. The flirting is the funniest thing ever and so freaking fluff.
SNAPS oh my gosh. SNAPS is so amazing. I love is so much. But I wont ramble about JIly for too long
Team Kappa- I love this so much. Whenever I reread TLAt i just read that chapter 36 McPrice fluff. I lvoe this so muhc. Adam and MArlene are literaly perfect. They compliment each other perfectly and wouldve been eprfect if it wasnt for something called Miles and Prudence.
Im kind of bored of writing this review now tbh. Ill finish writing this when I rerad whihc will probs be really really really really really really soon
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 19, 2023
The Harry Potter fandom is huge, and there's no limit to the amount of fanfiction you'll find out there, but I genuinely believe that The Life and Times by Jewels5 is the best. I'll split this review into 5 parts: characterization, relationships, emotional factor, teen drama, and whether it's finished or unfinished.
Characterization:
If I could only say one thing to you about this book, it would be that the characterization is flawless. All the characters felt amazingly 3-dimensional, with their own unique stories sewn together to create the bubble of life that surrounded the entire story.
Relationships:
All the relationships were portrayed very realistically. Yes, a lot of friendships get messed up, there are angry arguments, shunning, slamming doors, and breakups, but giving the fact that this is a story that quite literally revolves around teens, this is very normal. I understand why people feel put off by this, as it is seems like it would be very soap-opera, but the childishness of their conflicts are contrasted with the maturity that the characters develop throughout getting through them, proving it to be very much the opposite of a childish story with childish characters
Emotional Factor:
While reading this, I could feel exactly how the characters felt at all times. When the characters were happy, I felt happy. When there was tension, I felt the tension. When they were grieving, I felt like I was right there in the room with them. The way the author showcased the emotions in this story was amazing, and probably one of the main things that keeps me coming back to this book.
The Teen Drama:
A lot of people don't like this book because of the amount of drama that happened in school. There is a healthy amount of slut shaming in this book, but it honestly made the time frame and their ages feel so much more real. It's important to keep in mind that all of our main characters are teenagers, not fully developed adults, and therefore we should cut them some slack for being imperfect and quick to judge people (I'm saying this as a teenager who's quick to judge people). On top of that, we should remember that this is set in the 70s. Slut shaming didn't start being genuinely recognized as bad until around the 21st century if I'm not mistaken, and it still goes on today, even if in more subtle ways. Therefore, can we really blame a bunch of kids living in the 70s for doing what many grown-ups continue to do now?
TLAT: Finished or Unfinished?
By many people, this book is considered unfinished, as it doesn't end with Lily and James explicitly dating. However, with the way the last 2 chapters are structured, I would consider it finished, as it ties everything up quite nicely, and the ending scene especially feels like an actual ending to the story.
In the end, I don't have anything bad to say about The Life and Times, and as I think someone else already said, please, read this story and join the club that rereads it every year and cries because they know they'll never find anything better❤️❤️
Characterization:
If I could only say one thing to you about this book, it would be that the characterization is flawless. All the characters felt amazingly 3-dimensional, with their own unique stories sewn together to create the bubble of life that surrounded the entire story.
Relationships:
All the relationships were portrayed very realistically. Yes, a lot of friendships get messed up, there are angry arguments, shunning, slamming doors, and breakups, but giving the fact that this is a story that quite literally revolves around teens, this is very normal. I understand why people feel put off by this, as it is seems like it would be very soap-opera, but the childishness of their conflicts are contrasted with the maturity that the characters develop throughout getting through them, proving it to be very much the opposite of a childish story with childish characters
Emotional Factor:
While reading this, I could feel exactly how the characters felt at all times. When the characters were happy, I felt happy. When there was tension, I felt the tension. When they were grieving, I felt like I was right there in the room with them. The way the author showcased the emotions in this story was amazing, and probably one of the main things that keeps me coming back to this book.
The Teen Drama:
A lot of people don't like this book because of the amount of drama that happened in school. There is a healthy amount of slut shaming in this book, but it honestly made the time frame and their ages feel so much more real. It's important to keep in mind that all of our main characters are teenagers, not fully developed adults, and therefore we should cut them some slack for being imperfect and quick to judge people (I'm saying this as a teenager who's quick to judge people). On top of that, we should remember that this is set in the 70s. Slut shaming didn't start being genuinely recognized as bad until around the 21st century if I'm not mistaken, and it still goes on today, even if in more subtle ways. Therefore, can we really blame a bunch of kids living in the 70s for doing what many grown-ups continue to do now?
TLAT: Finished or Unfinished?
By many people, this book is considered unfinished, as it doesn't end with Lily and James explicitly dating. However, with the way the last 2 chapters are structured, I would consider it finished, as it ties everything up quite nicely, and the ending scene especially feels like an actual ending to the story.
In the end, I don't have anything bad to say about The Life and Times, and as I think someone else already said, please, read this story and join the club that rereads it every year and cries because they know they'll never find anything better❤️❤️
September 19, 2019
Whoo, this fic really swept me away. It is 600k of drama, magic, and general Hogwarts chaos.
I have... complicated feelings.
I love that this fic paints Lily's roommates-- Mary MacDonald, Donna Shacklebolt, Carlotta Meloni, and Marlene Price--with such vivid personalities, but I really could have done without the Mary MacDonald and Reginald Cattermole will-they won't-they, the Frank and Alice drama, and about half Marlene and Adam McKinnon's scenes.
I love the emotional conflicts, the snappy dialogue, and the personable narration, but I found myself wishing for more magic. At times it felt too much like you could place the story in any high school and not lose much of anything.
I love how James and Lily are characterized, so full of life and so much more than we got in HP canon, but the Snape-and-Lily subplot really just felt like a detour, as did The other Marauders are also... barely there. Well, except Sirius, sort of. C'mon, is Marlene's whole "does nothing about Adam for 500 pages" plotline really so interesting that you couldn't fit in anything for Remus and/or Peter? Peter barely gets lines!
This fic is really all about James and Lily's last two years at Hogwarts, as Voldemort's War is slowly beginning to unfold around them. It's a slice of life. A huge, huge slice of life. And I enjoyed nearly every minute of it. I'm only frustrated that it hasn't been updated since 2013, since as I write this, James and Lily STILL have not kissed yet, and I will probably die. Slowburn is... quite a sweet sort of agony.
Anyway, if you like Jily, wicked long fanfictions, snappy banter, slowburns, and drama, you'll probably like this. It did take me a month to finish, though, so be warned, all ye slow readers.
I have... complicated feelings.
I love that this fic paints Lily's roommates-- Mary MacDonald, Donna Shacklebolt, Carlotta Meloni, and Marlene Price--with such vivid personalities, but I really could have done without the Mary MacDonald and Reginald Cattermole will-they won't-they, the Frank and Alice drama, and about half Marlene and Adam McKinnon's scenes.
I love the emotional conflicts, the snappy dialogue, and the personable narration, but I found myself wishing for more magic. At times it felt too much like you could place the story in any high school and not lose much of anything.
I love how James and Lily are characterized, so full of life and so much more than we got in HP canon, but the Snape-and-Lily subplot really just felt like a detour, as did The other Marauders are also... barely there. Well, except Sirius, sort of. C'mon, is Marlene's whole "does nothing about Adam for 500 pages" plotline really so interesting that you couldn't fit in anything for Remus and/or Peter? Peter barely gets lines!
This fic is really all about James and Lily's last two years at Hogwarts, as Voldemort's War is slowly beginning to unfold around them. It's a slice of life. A huge, huge slice of life. And I enjoyed nearly every minute of it. I'm only frustrated that it hasn't been updated since 2013, since as I write this, James and Lily STILL have not kissed yet, and I will probably die. Slowburn is... quite a sweet sort of agony.
Anyway, if you like Jily, wicked long fanfictions, snappy banter, slowburns, and drama, you'll probably like this. It did take me a month to finish, though, so be warned, all ye slow readers.
March 13, 2021
Fellas I'm 100% sure that I had reviewed this masterpiece of a fanfiction when I read it back in 2017 and I'm sad to see that I might have deleted it? Extremely sad that I can't read Toche's thoughts from 2017's :( My first fics were all Marauder era and let me say that the Life and Times is hands down one of the most amazing fics and maybe even pieces of literature that I've ever read (I'm really not kidding).
There's way too much to talk about and quite honestly it's been a hot minute since I've read it (been really thinking about re-reading it actually) so I can't quite go into all the details and thrills I felt when I first read it. However, I do remember how stunningly she portrayed these characters in their youth and how going through the war while still being in school was for them. Seeing the Marauders in their teens and peak trouble maker behaviour was a 10/10 experience, was always cracking up at their stupid ass jokes. Jewels5 created a lot of kick-ass female characters to accompany Lily too and I've never, ever loved non-canon characters so much in my life ever.
Anyways, don't mind this review in your feed. Felt nostalgic of a time where I really really loved Harry Potter and its world. I am indeed anti JKR for a few good years now but I'll never let my love for HP vanish. I hope you're all well!
WAIT OH MY GOD I'VE JUST REMEMBERED THIS FIC WAS NEVER FINISHED!!! JESUS HOW COULD I FORGET HOW HOPELESS I FELT AFTER KNOWING SHE HASN'T UPDATED IN OVER 8 YEARS NOW OH MY GOD I'M-
There's way too much to talk about and quite honestly it's been a hot minute since I've read it (been really thinking about re-reading it actually) so I can't quite go into all the details and thrills I felt when I first read it. However, I do remember how stunningly she portrayed these characters in their youth and how going through the war while still being in school was for them. Seeing the Marauders in their teens and peak trouble maker behaviour was a 10/10 experience, was always cracking up at their stupid ass jokes. Jewels5 created a lot of kick-ass female characters to accompany Lily too and I've never, ever loved non-canon characters so much in my life ever.
Anyways, don't mind this review in your feed. Felt nostalgic of a time where I really really loved Harry Potter and its world. I am indeed anti JKR for a few good years now but I'll never let my love for HP vanish. I hope you're all well!
WAIT OH MY GOD I'VE JUST REMEMBERED THIS FIC WAS NEVER FINISHED!!! JESUS HOW COULD I FORGET HOW HOPELESS I FELT AFTER KNOWING SHE HASN'T UPDATED IN OVER 8 YEARS NOW OH MY GOD I'M-
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