springdellgirl

Good-bye Harry (Book Reviews 13 & 14)

This past month I have lived and breathed Harry Potter and it has been so much fun. Kariann picked Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows for our book club selection for this month and as I was only on book 4 I had a lot of reading to do. This month I read books 5, 6 and 7 and saw the new movie. Tyler finished the last Harry Potter book this month too and so it has been a frequent topic of conversation around here. We even found a recipe for "butterbeer" (cream soda/rootbeer, cream and butter) on the Internet and we had it for one of our Family Home Evening treats...and now it is over...all over... and I must admit I feel bereft. I loved this series. I am a sucker for "series" when I find beloved characters I want more than one book about them...and J.K. Rowling has been kind enough to provide seven. This series began when Reilly was about 6 months old and I have enjoyed reading a new book every few years and now my baby is reading them too. Time flies.

From Amazon.com

A darker book than any in the series thus far with a level of sophistication belying its genre, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince moves the series into murkier waters and marks the arrival of Rowling onto the adult literary scene. While she has long been praised for her cleverness and wit, the strength of Book 6 lies in her subtle development of key characters, as well as her carefully nuanced depiction of a community at war. In Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, no one and nothing is safe, including preconceived notions of good and evil and of right and wrong. With each book in her increasingly remarkable series, fans have nervously watched J.K. Rowling raise the stakes; gone are the simple delights of butterbeer and enchanted candy, and days when the worst ailment could be cured by a bite of chocolate. A series that began as a colorful lark full of magic and discovery has become a dark and deadly war zone. There is an unexpected bleakness from the start of Book 6 that casts a mean shadow over Quidditch games, silly flirtations, and mountains of homework. Ready or not, the tremendous ending of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince will leave stunned fans wondering what great and terrible events await in Book 7 if this sinister darkness is meant to light the way.

What can I say....LOVED IT! This book was a wonderful read with lots of new insight into the characters, revelations on the past, shocking twists and a devasting conclusion that I did not see coming! To delve any deeper into the story poses a risk of revealing too much and for those of you out there still reading this series I don't want to ruin the fun. I was just glad that I had book 7 to move right onto without having to wait two years for the next installment.

My rating: EXCELLENT

Now onto:

From Amazon.com

Readers beware. The brilliant, breathtaking conclusion to J.K. Rowling's spellbinding series is not for the faint of heart--such revelations, battles, and betrayals await in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows that no fan will make it to the end unscathed.The heart of Book 7 is a hero's mission--not just in Harry's quest for the Horcruxes, but in his journey from boy to man--and Harry faces more danger than that found in all six books combined, from the direct threat of the Death Eaters and you-know-who, to the subtle perils of losing faith in himself.

This book made me a bit melancholy from the get-go...the last book...and the last of a lot of things. I wish I could've taken my time a bit more while reading this book and really savored it. But as I wanted to have it done by book club I read and read and read...even staying up until 4:30 am one night just to finish it...I could not put it down! It was wonderful. Full of excitment and danger from the very beginning to the very end. There were lots of moments that made me laugh out loud and lots of moments that had me sniffling away...by the end I was bawling my eyes out. I was happy with the ending and felt that all questions and loose ends where tied up nice and neat.

This series has come a long way from the light and charming book one to the dark and heartbreaking book seven. I have loved Harry's journey from boy to man and would whole-heartedly recommend this series to kids and adults alike. I'll admit I was very skeptical to read Harry Potter when it first came out...I felt that I was too mature for a "children's book" but by the end of this series they are no longer "children's books" and I'm glad I didn't miss out on this exciting journey. But I will miss Hogwarts, Harry, Ron, Hermione, Dumbledore, Sirius, Lupin, the Weasleys (especially Fred and George...they were my favorites) and even the crazy Dursleys. It's been a great ride!

My rating: EXCELLENT

And...book club was great last night. Thanks for hosting Kariann.