“Troubled Blood” for J.K. Rowling

J.K. Rowling is a name known in most, if not all, households around the world at this point. She wrote the “Harry Potter” book series, and became the first author to make a billion dollars. But a lot of people do not think of Rowling with admiration and inspiration anymore.

Rowling is facing scrutiny from the public for several reasons. She has come forward and explicitly stated that she is against the rights of those in the transgender community. Her countless Twitter threads and interview quotes can vouch for this.

Here’s an example of one of these tweets (you can read the full thread here):

She published a new novel called “Troubled Blood” on Sept. 15 under her male pseudonym, Robert Galbraith. This story is a mystery about a serial-killer cisgender male who dresses as a woman to kill his victims.

This did not sit well with fans of Rowling. On the day this book was announced, the hashtag, “#RIPJKRowling,” was trending on Twitter for hours.

Even local fans of Rowling were disappointed. Sophomore Spanish major, Grace O’Malley, was unhappy with how Rowling is using her voice.

“Honestly, I am not a fan of J.K. Rowling. I do not understand why she had to write a book like this,” O’Malley said.

Another fan, sophomore Creative and Professional Writing and Communications dual major, Samantha Rice, said something similar.

“I love “Harry Potter,” but after hearing about the transphobic comments, I’m not the biggest fan of her,” Rice said.

However, both do not believe that her comments will deter them from enjoying her previous work of “Harry Potter.”

“I will still give her credit for creating the world of “Harry Potter” because it is something I really enjoy. That does not mean I like her though,” O’Malley said.

Rice believes that the story and world of “Harry Potter” are separated from Rowling. When she sees “Harry Potter,” her mind does not go to Rowling, but rather only the work.

“Since it is fiction, I don’t compare it to the real world, especially the future. I will continue to love the “Harry Potter” series, but nothing that comes after them from Rowling,” Rice said.

Amid all this controversy, Rowling’s novel sold 65,000 copies in just the first five days. This shows that readers are still divided on whether holding Rowling accountable means buying her future works or not.