Tuesday, October 28, 2014

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - J.K. Rowling

Title: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Harry Potter #6)
Author: J.K. Rowling
Pages: 607
Published: 2005
Challenges: Blogger Summer Reading, Chunkster
Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult
Edition: Hardcover
Source: Personal

Description: It is the middle of the summer, but there is an unseasonal mist pressing against the windowpanes. Harry Potter is waiting nervously in his bedroom at the Dursleys' house in Privet Drive for a visit from Professor Dumbledore himself. One of the last times he saw the Headmaster was in a fierce-one-to-one duel with Dumbledore with Lord Voldemort, and Harry can't quite believe that Professor Dumbledore will actually appear at the Dursleys' of all places. Why is the professor coming to visit him now? What is it that cannot wait until Harry returns to Hogwarts in a few weeks' time? Harry's sixth year at Hogwarts has already got off to an unusual start, as the worlds of Muggle and magic start to intertwine ... (via Goodreads)

Thoughts:  While this book is not my favourite book in the Harry Potter series (Prisoner of Azkaban is), but is definitely is a close second.  One thing I did like about the book is that it does help to establish what is likely going to happen in the final book and allows for the story to move along, without giving away too much of what happens in the end.  There were times that the book was a bit slower, but things seemed to pick up again fairly quickly.

I also like the character development of the main characters and how they are starting to mature into young adults..  I particularly also like the background that the reader is given about Voldemort, as one is given a sense of his motives, even though they are evil, and where he has come from; it helps to give one a clearer picture of him.  But I also liked the side plot of figuring out who the Half-Blood Prince is (if you have read it, then you know, but I am not going to give away anything for those that haven't read the book).

Bottom line: It is a good set up for the final book, especially since the book introduces things that will become key components in the final book.  And like the other books have demonstrated, the book builds on the previous book and is meant for a more mature reading audience, as there are things in the book that could possibly scare younger kids.  But only a parent could be the judge of that.  I would recommend the book to those that have already read the previous five books and wish to complete the series.  Highly recommended.

Rating: 4.75/5

Pages for 2014: 18,164

If you have read the book, what did you think about it?

No comments:

What Strange Paradise - Omar El Akkad

 Title: What Strange Paradise ( Bookshop.org ) Author: Omar El Akkad Published: 2022 (first published 2021) Genre: Fiction, Contemporary, Li...