A Reader's Guide to Books and Reviews

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Harry Potter) by J.K. Rowling, Mary GrandPré
(Illustrator)

Genre:
Fantasy, Middle School, Witches and Wizards, Adventure, Kindle Unlimited, Young Adult, Science Fiction Fantasy, Science Fiction, Book Series, Magic, Wolves, Werewolves, British Literature, Contemporary, Dark, Harry Potter Universe

Publication Date:
July 16, 2005

Page Numbers:
652

Read/Finished Date:
April 24th, 2025 - April 26th, 2025

Rating:
5/5

Premise:

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, he was in a fierce one-to-one duel 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...

Review:

As the sixth book in the Harry Potter franchise, Half-Blood Prince takes us into Harry's sixth year at the magical school, Hogwarts. The story delves deeper into the history of Lord Voldemort and the origins of his power, as Harry receives private lessons from Professor Dumbledore. The two explore memories that reveal key events from Voldemort's past, including his early years at Hogwarts and the creation of his Horcruxes—magical objects that contain pieces of his soul, which make him nearly immortal.

I remember finishing this book in one single night and I knew I would not be prepared for the next book, as this one pretty much set the tone for what was to come in the final book, but yet we got to see what drove Tom Riddle into becoming what he was now - Lord Voldemort. I liked that we got a bit of history about him. We see brief mentions but nothing solid like we do in this book. This is what I was looking for when it came to wanting to know what drove the villain to become what he was and what obstacles had to be taken down in order to get to where he wanted to be.

Harry's character, on the other hand, is continuing to evolve. His mental preparedness for what he knows his destiny is to be. The Chosen One. The One meant to vanquish Voldemort and ilk to the deepest reaches of magical history. That is a lot to put on a small boy's shoulder, but the ending of this book makes it heartbreaking that the mentor he managed to gain is gone. And worse - the betrayal he realizes he never saw coming - or maybe he did.

If there was to be a second favorite of the novels, I think this one would probably rank up there in my first three favorite books in the series.

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