I was 8 when I read the first Harry Potter book in J.K. Rowling’s groundbreaking series. I discovered “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” at a book fair, devoured the hardback and, like the rest of my classmates, quickly became obsessed with all things magical.

I’m a part of the lucky readership that read all about Harry Potter before Hollywood transformed our childhood imaginations into characters played by actors. Not only did I fall in love with those books, but I also acquired a passion for all books.

A Scholastic survey of parents and children showed that three out of four kids said reading Harry Potter made them interested in other books, and two-thirds of kids claim they’ve improved in school since reading Harry Potter. Studies like this show that the books nearly turned an entire generation of kids into readers.

The last installment in the series was published the summer leading up to my senior year of high school. This last bout of magic and wonder was ending as I was finishing up my youthful chapter.

Fifteen years after the author’s first novel, I’m finishing up my last semester of college — as an English major, no less — and preparing to enter adulthood. As it turns out, step one in this newfound adulthood is coming to terms with Rowling’s first work of fiction geared toward adult audiences.

“The Casual Vacancy” hits shelves on Thursday. It’s about local politics in a little English countryside town and a series of metaphorical — and possibly literal — town wars. The publication of this novel is evidence that I’m not the only one growing up — Rowling is growing up with me.

Rowling doesn’t ever have to write another sentence in her life if she doesn’t want to. She’s the first living person to become a billionaire by writing books and has been named as one of the richest women alive.

She’s proven to be wildly successful at writing young adult and fantasy fiction, but just like how I’m entering the next phase of my life, Rowling is maturing and growing. She’s taking a risk by trying something new and experimenting within a different genre of writing. After all, big rewards only come from taking big risks.

In December, I’ll be forced to leave the comfort of my college campus that I’ve called home, and dive head first into the uncertainty of my future. Everything is up in the air, and joining the rest of my friends and peers in this abyss of doubt is scary.

But just like Rowling, I know I have to grow up sometime. Life is about taking risks, going out on a limb and trying something new, and maybe even leaving the magic behind.

Things are different this time around: I pre-ordered Rowling’s novel instead of waiting at a local bookstore’s midnight release, and I plan on reading the chapters at my leisure between class, homework and other commitments, instead of locking myself in my room until I’ve consumed every last page.

Perhaps it’s a coincidence that Rowling is releasing her first adult novel while I’m transitioning into adulthood, but I’m choosing to hold onto this coincidence. I’ve spent my entire life growing up with Rowling as an avid reader and fan since the first day of her career, and now I have the privilege of literally growing up with Rowling.

Maybe it’s not so scary after all.

Krystie Yandoli is a senior women and gender studies and English and textual studies major. She can be reached at [email protected] or followed on Twitter at @KrystieLYandoli.

Published on September 24, 2012 at 2:59 am