I was not sure I was ever going to read The Casual Vacancy once it first came out. The reviews were not that great and I was slightly frightened of ruining the picture of Rowling I had in my head since Harry Potter. However, a dear friend and my sister both bought me a copy of the book as a gift and that decided it for me. I was not disappointed.

The Casual Vacancy is, like Rowling herself said, a book about responsibility. The story revolves around the political disputes and issues involving the tiny town of Pagford, in a very adult, critical and harsh view of serious every day issues, kilometers away from the fantasy world we're used to getting from Rowling. Once the loved Parish Councillor Barry Fairbrother dies, not only his family is left adrift but his friends, his admirers and his seat on the council. Consequently, the entire town of Pagford.

Don't fool yourself. This is not a political book, though it does revolve around politics. At least it's not about politics in the boring and alienating manner we usually understand it as. Rowling builds a political scenario and explores the multiple dramas and emotional roller coasters that unfold from that point on. And she does it beautifully.

Much like in Harry Potter, you'll love and hate characters. You'll learn to love characters you hate. And surprisingly hate characters you love. It's a book that explores human flaw, ethics and egos. IJust as well as exploring family and social responsibility.

I'll be fair. It took me a while to dive into it whole heartedly, as it seemed to drag out a bit too much at first. I swear to you, however, if you keep going you will get to a point where there is no putting the book down and you'll find, like me, that it was well worth it.

Early this year, BBC launched the TV miniseries based on Rowling's book (I swear that woman and her descendants will never run out of money). I have watched the first episode and, even if the aesthetic was extremely different from what I had imagined, I do plan on watching it full eventually. We'll see how successful the TV transformation was.