Name: ShadowRose (Signed) · Date: 15 May 2019 05:07 PM · For: Chapter 2

Hi Sarah! Still playing catch-up with your AP and also here for Gryffie review tag!

 

Ah yes, the pure joy that is cheap food at sporting events. And of course, it's always the unhealthiest stuff imaginable, but also SO GOOD and 100% worth it. I really feel Vic and her passion for Single Sickle Sticks. 

 

I love Vic and Al's friendship here - they've got such an easy teasing relationship and it's so funny. (Also 'hashtag interitance' is such a millennial line, omg.) But I wonder who this boy is she's seeing... ;)

 

Haha but Vic trying to explain modern dating to her parents is incredible and so relatable. Trying to explain any of that mess to my parents always leads to SUCH a similar conversation - there's so many more 'steps' to modern dating? Like, I've been messaging a guy for a month now but we're definitely not dating but we're not nothing either? And I'm still doing the casual hookup thing even though I'm talking to someone? None of which my parents understand AT ALL (actually, I haven't attempted to explain the casual hooking up part because *that* would be a suuuuuper awkward convo) but regardless, it's a very millennial thing to have so many weird in-between stages of dating (and of course, ghosting as a concept is v millennial). But also, big fan of adopting a lot of dogs and living on the beach. Much better alternative to boys.

 

Also, what's this about the Potters being her ex-boyfriend's family? Given that Al's with Scorpius, that would make James her ex? A bit curious what happened there, but I suppose time will tell...

 

Haha Vic ending by asking for a beer to cope with this conversation is so so relatable, as is getting payback on Al by posting an embarrassing pic of him on her blog.

 

Still love this story and how you worked in all those little millennial things, and I'm excited for more!

 

-Taylor

Name: sunshine_locks (Signed) · Date: 13 May 2019 11:41 PM · For: Chapter 1

I really love the beautiful imagery of fall you’ve put in here! It’s a nice image to associate with fall, unlike me, who only appreciates it because I don’t have to deal with the sweltering summers and the allergies that come with spring. Winter is way too damn cold. I like fall by default, basically.

 

Anyways, the mum of the author seems like a pretty cool gal but also seems to be a little pushy, if not demanding. I don’t know why I got that feel for her though.

 

The author’s little asides are also funny as hell too!

 

Victoriya is the daughter of Victor Krum? For some reason this is really cool to me, especially the fact that he named one of his daughters after himself. (This kind of reminded me of the fact that I head canon that Fleur named her eldest after Victor, for whatever reason.)

 

It’s also interesting to me that the Leaky Cauldron was refurbished thought. I always imagined that the Wizarding World would stick to their old buildings, kind of in line with the idea that they stick to old ideals. You get what I mean?

 

Oh, well. This is a delightful coincidence that you would go on the same rant that I did before I read it. I do agree that a lot of people seem to think electronic media is a hassle to read when in reality it serves to connect people further than we actually are. It’s actually one of the ways I keep in touch with the real world; God knows that I’d be dead before I ever pick up a newspaper.

 

From the ending part, I think the Wizarding World is trying to move forward and catch up to muggle culture? I think it’s good, but it’s not really something I’d expected of them.

 

Thanks for writing!

Name: starbuck (Signed) · Date: 11 May 2019 05:53 PM · For: Chapter 2

hey sarah, i'm here for our swap!

 

so single sickle sticks sound….awful but fun :P i can’t imagine who would pass it up at that price hhaha

 

i’m really curious about vic’s relationship to the potters – obviously, al is her best friend (and OMG the best-friend-chemistry between them is adorable to read, they just work really well together. not to mention the little jabs about scorpius and albus claiming he’s not that pretty had me in stitches), and james is…her ex boyfriend? future boyfriend? who even knows with these kids today, am i right (i’m channelling vic’s parents right now haha)

 

i can just imagine vic’s mum and dad rolling their eyes at her, claiming she’ll be a spinster even though she’s just barely started her life…but at the same time, they do seem teasing more than anything else and so it doesn’t make me annoyed with them (as opposed to some parents i know IRL <.< who are actually serious about these things jeez)

 

the fact that harry and krum are still friends was such a nice thing to read, and how they huddle together away from the rest of their families made me giggle (and oh god, especially krum’s comment about how he saw the snitch ages ago! that was gold :D). i love the family dynamics you’ve written – you’re awesome at creating these loving families who read like real people, there’s teasing, there’s love, there’s you know, everything you would want from a family, it’s wonderful.

 

i’m definitely excited to meet this mystery (or not so mystery?) guy that vic is ‘hanging out with’ *_*

 

kris

Name: starbuck (Signed) · Date: 04 May 2019 03:08 PM · For: Chapter 1

hey sarah, i’m here for our swap!

 

okay i was drawn to this story because the whole millennial ruins everything challenge is pure gold so i wanted to check out your take on it because the summary is literally perfect!

 

your humour is like…this wonderful piece of writing that i think i could read over and over again and still end up laughing! all the jabs at millennials are SO TRUE AND RELATABLE. i love how you’ve taken all these things that are so familiar from the real world and adapted them to fit into the wizarding world. and even though the thought of the leaky cauldron ever becoming something different and losing its classic shabby pub image, i like industrial décor and craft beer so :P

 

the fact that your OC is viktor krum’s daughter (did her father name her?………….. :D) is an added bonus because i’ve always liked him but sadly, he’s not featured in that many stories. vic’s family dynamics is really fun to read – i love how krum makes fun of his children but it never goes over the top or seems like it’s too much, you know…he seems like a good dad which i always love reading about.

 

i’m sorry my review is all over the place but i also wanted to say how much i liked the way you’ve structured the chapter – it’s such a cool way to introduce us to the main character first with her blog post and then we see the action take place. the blog author description is also very cool – i loved it and right now it seems to truly fit victoriya’s character. also, did the wizards finally caught up with the times and managed to tinker with electronics enough for them to have internet (or whatever the wizarding equivalent would be called :P)? i can see the story of that as another entry into the challenge hahah

 

anyhow, i really enjoyed this first chapter and i can’t wait to read more and see if the next gen kids show up and how they interact with victoriya *_*

 

kris

Name: Chemical_Pixie (Signed) · Date: 30 Apr 2019 11:38 PM · For: Chapter 1

Hey Sarah! Here for CTF!

 

A fic about food? Set in the Harry Potter univesre? From you? I would have ~never~ have imagined such a tale coming from you! ;) lol. This is right up your alley and this premise is amazing. I can totally seeing a millenial wizard or witch doing something like this in the wizarding world!

 

And oh Merlin, do you get the millenial jokes packed into this opening chapter. Viktor Krum and his Generation X tendancies! But Victoriya (I see what you did there, haha) and Malina seem to have their go-to responses, which makes it seem like this isn't the first time that they heard these things from their father, or an adult in general. Right away, I can relate to the plight of the milennials in this piece, and I am already rooting for them!

 

It's interesting that the Leaky Cauldron is now the Ganged Feramium. I'm a bit nostalgic all of a sudden for the ancient establishment, but times changes, we millenials have to roll with them. I'm also curious as to how you came up with this establishment's new name?

 

I'm also here for the updated Internet (Wizardnet?) that the wizarding world has adapted. And I think the final sentence of this chapter does an excellent job summing up Victoriya Krum's character. Because who would want to pay extra for that extra storage?! 

Name: poppunkpadfoot (Signed) · Date: 30 Apr 2019 10:52 PM · For: Chapter 1

Hellooooo Sarah, I am here for CTF round 3!

 

I know I already looked over this for you, but I didn't get too much into the specifics of what I liked about it, so I figure I can do that now! And there's a LOT I like about this.

 

The title right at the beginning is so funny. I'm sure it's relatable to a lot of people (I personally don't drink beer, but I definitely love meals that someone else buys ;) ). Victoriya's reflection on fall is the perfect combo of introspective and funny/relatable that I would expect from any blogger worth their salt! I really like the part about how hard it is to hang out with your friends after you leave school - I'm dealing with that right now! So annoying hahaha. I've also been there where "not super budget-unfriendly" is the best you can do and a huge relief :P

 

I liked how naturally you introduced Krum as Victoriya's father! That's really cool, I know I've never read a story about Viktor Krum's kids before. The banter between the two daughters and their parents is perfectly on point for the millenials ruin everything challenge, hahaha. I know we've all heard these sentiments expressed many, many times before. (Also, I completely cracked up at Malina getting caught out talking about how Firewhiskey tastes bad.)

 

We haven't gotten to know Victoriya that well yet, but my initial impression is definitely that she's fun, likeable, and cares about her family - so overall a very positive impression. The little "about the author" blurb at the end of the chapter is a great touch, as it sets up her circumstances for us!

 

This is a fun first chapter, and I think it does a good job of setting the rest of the story up!

 

-Kayla (team red)

 

Name: LadyMarauder (Signed) · Date: 28 Apr 2019 04:46 PM · For: Chapter 2

This is such a great story already and I can't wait to read more about these characters! I love that you've mixed in the blog articles with the general story, it really gives the story a lot of depth and something a bit different - it really is a great entry for the challenge!

 

Vic seems like a really cool character and I really like her sense of humour already, he personality really comes over well in her writing too. I enjoyed reading about the Quidditch match and how you brought food into that - btw I would absolutely scoff those Single Sickle Sticks - sounds great!

 

It was really cool bringing the Potter and Krum families together as well, I liked that after all these years Harry and Viktor are still friends - despite their sons playing on different teams! I really love how you write the dynamics between characters, it's always written really well. I especially like Vic and Albus' friendship - they have that comfortable teasing thing down to a fine art, it's clear they're really good friends so I'm excited to see more interaction between them. Also, when might we be meeting Scorpius Malfoy? It's been ages since I've read this pairing so I'm excited!!! Great job!

Tasha xx

Gryffindor Capture The Flag - Team Gold

 

Name: Crimson Quill (Signed) · Date: 28 Apr 2019 04:17 PM · For: Chapter 2

 

Hey!

 

here for ctf

 

I'm back for more food fun! I love how you've made your own tradition in 'single sickle sticks' and linking it in with the quidditch day out is really fun idea. I think sickle sticks sound interesting? like amazing but terrible at the same time but it seems to float vic's boat but i guess it's just the team day experience that she is blogging about which is really rather nice. 

 

I love that we get to see some of the Potter clan here. There is a lot of bits that I really like and you seem to pack a lot into a really small amount of words in this chapter. I think it's so funny that Harry and Vikor like to sit down the other end as they don't want to be distracted by everyone else talking. It's important to keep the Quidditch serious, it's not all about the sickle sticks :P I love your Al so far! I think they have a very fun brother/sister type of friendship going on and they bounce off each other really naturally. The teasing nature really comes across as really realistically, I love how it's mentioned that he is dating Scorpius like really casually mentioning that he is seeing Scorpius.

 

Is Vic's love interest  going to be James then?? that'll be interesting if that's so! I thought that discussion between the generation is too perfect. This conversation makes me feel very old myself though haha.

 

 Abbi xo

 

Name: ShadowRose (Signed) · Date: 28 Apr 2019 04:38 AM · For: Chapter 1

A thing of yours I haven’t already reviewed! Always exciting when one of those pops up, even though it rarely lasts for long, lol. Anyways, here for our swap!

 

I relate to this chapter summary on a spiritual level.  I also really enjoy the structure of this - starting with a blog post and then going into the narrative. And truly all of this blog post is, to someone a year out of college, so damn relatable. IT’S SO HARD TO MAKE PLANS WITH MORE THAN ONE PERSON AT A TIME OH MY GOD. Also Ganged Fermanium is the most perfect magical brewery name I am in love.

 

Hahaha and then we jump right into the classic ‘millennials ruin everything’ line. And of course, the fact that running a food blog isn’t considered a real job, even though I’m assuming she makes money for it. (As someone who also makes money running a blog - although admittedly nowhere near enough to live off of in a big city - can I just say I hard-relate to all the shit people have given her for it already? And feel like there will probably be more of? It’s a whole ass nightmare explaining to people that I write shit on the internet and get paid for it without them shrugging it off as me doing nothing. Anyways, this parenthetical side-rant is starting to become longer than the review itself, so I’m gonna stop now.)

 

Anyways, despite the never-ending millennial commentary, her family seems like fun. Obviously she gets a hard time for being a millennial running a food blog, but they’ve got a good camaraderie and I really loved the moment her dad called out her younger sister for swearing.

 

The ‘About the Blogger’ section is perfect, and I fully relate to so much of it, including online shopping, drinking coffee in mass quantities, and of course, “She has been told her sense of humor is "acquired" but she continues to make jokes anyway.” which truly feels like it could be applied directly to me as a person as well.

 

This is already such a fun story, and I’m very excited to see how it develops from here! It seems as though some of our lovely next-gen characters are gonna make an appearance eventually, and you know I’m 100% here for that.

 

-Taylor

Name: Noelle Zingarella (Signed) · Date: 27 Apr 2019 05:23 PM · For: Chapter 1

Hi! I am here to review for the April 2019 Capture the Flag.

 

The structure of this story is fun. I like how you bookended the action with the blog text. And your use of the stereotypical Millennial details was funny, and not too heavy-handed. I liked the comment that fall is Victoriya’s favorite season and that she feels a little at loose ends since she doesn’t have Hogwarts anymore to help center her life. I think it is a hard transition for many people to go from school—especially a boarding school—into ‘real life.’ I’m also highly amused by her exhorting people to ‘stay young while the can’ since this character is at least fifteen years younger than I am.

 

The idea of the Leaky Cauldron being gentrified is hysterical. I’m torn because on the one hand, I don’t want eat things that taste bad either (avocado on toast is so good!) and the other hand, gentrification can totally ruin the character of a neighborhood.

 

This conversation about killing print media is prescient. And again, a mixed bag. On the one hand, the internet allows anyone to create content. On the other hand, there is something to be said for holding a paper or a book in your hand. Anyway, your handling of the characters and the debate is nicely done.

 

I loved Victoriya’s sign off—particularly the comment about not wanting to pay for more storage on her phone. And in knuts no less. Are their wizarding cellphones? Can you do magic with a cellphone?

 

This was a fun start. Nice work!

 

Yours,

Noelle

Name: Crimson Quill (Signed) · Date: 27 Apr 2019 04:43 PM · For: Chapter 1

 

Hey Sarah!

 

here for ctf.

 

oh, new story! I thought this was too perfect for the challenge! I thought it was really cool how you structured the chapter with one half being the blog post and the other half conversation. I thought you did an amazing job at getting tone of the blog post right like stylistically it's spot on. Can I assume that you've been reading a lot of blog posts as research or perhaps just in general. 

 

I thought that Albus might have been the main character for this story based mainly on it saying that they are a middle child so it was pretty cool to see that you're doing the story from an OC's POV and to give as a little link in with the magical world that Vikor Krum is her father. Since I've read Home I've known you have a great knack for writing the family dynamic. I love that fun banter that you've created especially with grumpy dad too! It's so realistic and on point. The dialogue is wonderful as it's always been a big strength of yours and you show why here! 

 

Vic seems like a really fun OC and I hope we'll get to see more of her development through the story as I'm not too sure how long it's going to be. She seems like she is going to be good character. I guess she is suppose to be a bit of stereotype because of the type of challenge but I really like her. She had a really fun sense of humour especially in her article she comes across really friendly and warm person so I can't wait to see a bit more of her. 

 

I can't wait to see more of this story because it seems like this is going to be quite a fun story so I can't wait to see how you're going to fit in next gen kids in as it seems like they'll be coming along shortly! everything is so promising! 

 

- Abbi xo