First off, I’d like to point out the fitting name of this book for the time I read it. Now, for the review.
Yes, let’s put it right at the top. This is a fan fiction book, or ‘fic’ for short: “fiction written by a fan of, and featuring characters from, a particular TV series, movie, etc.” Although the definition sounds simple, it is a genre of fiction that many do not take seriously. And I understand why.
Most people hear ‘fan fiction’ and immediately think thirteen year old girls writing about how Edward was madly in love with Jacob, followed by 10 pages of smut. Here’s the thing, that can be true for some, but it is certainly not true of everything that falls under the genre. Here’s why you should give it another chance, blended with my review for Isolation.
DEPTH OF STORY: The key part of fan fiction, is the word ‘fan’. The authors of these stories are mostly super fans of the original novels their fiction is based off of. They’ve read the books front to back, back to front, watched the movies (if they exist), read the original author’s blogs, notes, and extra tidbits about the story. These fans know everything there is to know about their source material. For example, in most Harry Potter fic’s I read, so many Hogwarts students are name dropped who I’ve never heard of, but with a quick google search I find they were mentioned once in one of the books. In Isolation, Andromeda Tonks, only briefly mentioned in HP, is now given a rich backstory and takes on a whole new life, while still somehow remaining believable based on what I know is Rowling’s writing feel. I can picture Andromeda being written the same way by Rowling, if she had chosen to make her a bigger part of the story. Most fic writers know their source material, and that goes such a long to make their new story, feel like a natural extension of the original book. This is probably the most important thing to remember about these stories, and this depth of story ties into the other topics I’ll cover below.
POINTS OF VIEW:
Don’t get me wrong, Harry Potter is a great guy (except in the fifth book, can’t even read that book because he’s so annoying). But there are so many wonderful characters in the series that it’d be great to get some different perspectives. You can find a HP fic written from the perspective of just about any primary or secondary character. The best fic authors know their source material inside and out, and can make their protagonist think and act in a way that fits with how JK wrote them from the outside in HP. I find this aspect of fics especially interesting when their timeline matches their source material. Isolation, for example, takes place during Harry’s 7th year at Hogwarts, but we get to experience the entire thing from both Hermione and Draco’s perspective. While Draco’s story line differs drastically from the source, a large part of the book focuses on Hermione’s adventures with Harry and Ron from being on the run, to impersonating Bellatrix during their Gringotts break-in. And author Bex-chan writes Hermione so well, that the whole thing is incredibly believable and totally in line with what I believe Hermione would be thinking of in those moments. I also find getting inside Draco’s head to be fascinating. We very much see one side of him in the source, and don’t get me wrong, he’s still a jerk for a large part of Isolation, but we also get to see how he thinks, what he prejudice is based on, and how he slowly realizes that maybe pure-blood aren’t the be-all, end-all.
RELIVE THE MAGIC
Many times in my life, I’ve caught myself getting “upset” thinking about how I will never get to attend Hogwarts. It is probably my biggest FOMO that I experience somewhat regularly. More often when I’m reading HP or an HP fic. These books were such a big part of my childhood, and I just wish I could relive the entire thing over and over again for the first time. Although I can easily read the HP series over again, which i’ve been known to do, sometimes I just feel like I want to know more. JK has dropped many tidbits over the years, but sometimes I just want to know what it’s like to sit by the Black Lake, or study in the library, or any of the other mundane parts of life at Hogwarts (though I wouldn’t say any of it would be mundane). Fics can help fill in the gaps and provide that extra insight into student life. And again, going back to the part by the authors are superfans, any well written fic will closely align to the source material down to the very last moving portrait.
Now it should be said. Not all fics are created, or written rather, equal. I’ve read some really good ones, Isolation included, and I’ve read some that were less than stellar. This is also super subjective, as everyone has their preferences with the types of fics they enjoy reading. Personally, I prefer things that stay in the realm of the original universe, with no major character changes or personality quirks. But, I don’t mind a small twist thrown in now and then. Isolation fits my preferences perfectly as it’s written to align well with JK’s story, is believable, well written, and well organized. At the same time, I also get my good old Dramione pairing that I love like that 13 yr old girl I truly am inside. BUT, it’s written in a way that makes the pairing believable - ie. Draco doesn’t turn into a dewy eyed sop and Hermione isn’t like ‘oh let’s forget you called me derogatory slurs for 6 years of my life’.
Overall, Isolation was a great read that really brought the good feelings while I was still in the social distancing adjustment period. It made me laugh, reminded me why I love this universe, and gave me an escape into an wondrous world while mine isn’t doing so hot. I will definitely continue to pepper in some more fics throughout the next few months and provide reviews when the books exist on goodreads. Happy to provide recommendations on where to find them, no matter what type or universe you’re ready to dive into.