[ 645 ]

Apr. 26th, 2025 01:54 am
katara: (Pluto .:. 1)
[personal profile] katara

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.


Similar Books:


The Hunger Games Series by Suzanne Collins
The Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer
Percy Jackson Universe by Rick Riordan

[ 643 ]

Apr. 17th, 2025 03:52 pm
katara: (Gambit x Rogue .:. 2)
[personal profile] katara

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (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:
June 21, 2003

Page Numbers:
912

Read/Finished Date:
April 15th, 2025 - April 17th, 2025

Rating:
5/5

Premise:


Harry Potter is about to start his fifth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Unlike most schoolboys, Harry never enjoys his summer holidays, but this summer is even worse than usual. The Dursleys, of course, are making his life a misery, but even his best friends, Ron and Hermione, seem to be neglecting him.

Harry has had enough. He is beginning to think he must do something, anything, to change his situation, when the summer holidays come to an end in a very dramatic fashion. What Harry is about to discover in his new year at Hogwarts will turn his world upside down...


Review:


This is the fifth book in the Harry Potter series and is set shortly after the events of the fourth book. The Wizarding World is in denial about Voldemort's return to power. Instead of addressing the threat he poses to the Wizarding World, the Ministry of Magic appoints Dolores Umbridge as the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher.

While Umbridge exerts her authority over the school of magic, Harry, along with Hermione and Ron, recognizes the danger Voldemort's return brings and forms a secret group called "Dumbledore's Army" to learn and practice defensive spells.

In Order of the Phoenix, you see a large jump in Harry's character growth. He has taken charge and started a secret group with the hopes of teaching those who are willing to learn to protect themselves from the danger Voldemort and his Death Eaters pose, not only to the Wizarding World but also to the school.

I am not going to lie; this book is thick and I mean it is one of three thick books in the series. The first time I read this book, it took me a full night to get through it. Unfortunately, I don't have that leisure anymore.

This book gets dark and we learn of the prophecy told by Sybill Trelawney. While the prophecy does speak of a child born at the end of July who will defeat Voldemort, it does not specify that child is Harry. Also, we see one of the beloved characters, Sirius, die in this one. His character growth never really happens in this novel and who can blame him? He is immature, but wouldn't you be if you spent your entire life in Azkaban? I wish Rowling had given him a chance to grow, to know his godson more, and to be able to fully return House of Black to what it should have been without the blood purity to it.

But I also see the reason why she had to kill him off. Harry needed the push for his character to move forward and become what Sirius wanted from him - a great wizard.


Similar Books:


The Hunger Games Series by Suzanne Collins
The Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer
Percy Jackson Universe by Rick Riordan

[ 639 ]

Apr. 1st, 2025 10:35 pm
katara: (Utena .:. 1)
[personal profile] katara

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (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 8, 2000

Page Numbers:
734

Read/Finished Date:
March 30th, 2025 - April 1st, 2025

Rating:
5/5

Premise:


It is the summer holidays and soon Harry Potter will be starting his fourth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Harry is counting the days: there are new spells to be learnt, more Quidditch to be played, and Hogwarts castle to continue exploring. But Harry needs to be careful - there are unexpected dangers lurking...


Review:


Harry has returned for his fourth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. This year, Hogwarts is set to host the Triwizard Tournament, a magical competition between three schools - Hogwars, Beauxbatons Academy of Magic, and Durmstrang Institute. The tournament has three challenges, each more dangerous than the last.

Despite the rule that no underage wizards are allowed in the tournament, Harry finds that he has been unexpectedly entered and his name has been drawn. Harry has to face the three challenges set up by the tournament, and he will have to stay alive, but a series of events reveals that the threat of Voldemort's return to power could be sooner than Harry wished.

This is the fourth book in the franchise and one of the first thicc books, and it is about to become much darker than the previous three books. While they were lighthearted and fun, this book is dark with more complex themes.

Harry's character is evolving and grappling with the expectations others have placed upon his shoulders and the rising threat of Voldemort and his death eaters. Harry didn't want to be part of the tournament. He is happy to stand off to the side for someone else to take the limelight, but his horror is realized when his name is announced. Someone had crossed the line and added his name. Others think he found a way around it, and they begin to treat him differently. Even Ron becomes jealous.

I love that the Harry Potter universe expands outside of Hogwarts, and we see other schools out there to interact with. New characters like Victor Krum, Fleur Delacour, Cedric Diggory, and Winky. I also love that the book gets darker as we move further into the story. We see bits of Voldemort's influence in the way characters act. All of this is the perfect storm to bring forth his arrival.

It has been nice revisiting the world of Harry Potter and his friends, and I am looking forward to revisiting it in the next novel.


Similar Books:


The Hunger Games Series by Suzanne Collins
The Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer
Percy Jackson Universe by Rick Riordan

[ 636 ]

Mar. 26th, 2025 06:48 pm
katara: (Devil .:. 1)
[personal profile] katara

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (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:
May 1, 2004 by Scholastic Inc.

Page Numbers:
435

Read/Finished Date:
March 26th, 2025

Rating:
5/5

Premise:


Harry Potter, along with his best friends, Ron and Hermione, is about to start his third year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Harry can't wait to get back to school after the summer holidays. (Who wouldn't if they lived with the horrible Dursleys?) But when Harry gets to Hogwarts, the atmosphere is tense. There's an escaped mass murderer on the loose, and the sinister prison guards of Azkaban have been called in to guard the school...


Review:


This is the third novel in the Harry Potter series and is considered to be the beginning of the novel's dark themes. Harry Potter is spending his summer once more in the presence of his aunt and uncle and what is worse is Aunt Marge has begun to make snide remarks about his family. That is until one night when Harry has gotten tired of Marge's relentless abuse and unfortunately blows her up (not in the BOOM sort, but much like a balloon without strings). Harry flees into the night believing that the Ministry of Magic will revoke his wizarding privilege and send him right back to his already furious aunt and uncle.

Fortunately, that is not the case and Harry learns that an escapee from Azkaban named Sirius Black is gunning for him. Because of this, the Ministry of Magic has increased security and used Dementors, "wraithlike creatures that drain happiness and hope from people, inducing despair and fear, and can even consume souls with "The Dementor's Kiss."*

Now, Harry and his friends must stay out of reach of the Dementors and Sirius Black all the while navigating his third year of Hogwarts.

Before I dare to begin, have I mentioned how I love how Hermione handled Draco Malfoy? He deserved that hit more than anything and I am glad she dished it to him.

We can see Harry's growth in both character and abilities to be stronger and more determined as he navigates his third year, dodging Dementors and Sirius Black.

And we cannot leave out his two friends - Ron and Hermione. While the former sticks closely to his friend, the latter seems to be more focused on her new classes as well as knowing Sirius Black is after her friend. Her feelings of worry are genuine, and I understand why she fears Sirius could harm Harry, but I think she does tend to go too far when it comes to protecting Harry.

Overall, I think this book was one of my favorites in the series.


Similar Books:


The Hunger Games Series by Suzanne Collins
The Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer
Percy Jackson Universe by Rick Riordan





Info taken from Dementors

[ 635 ]

Mar. 24th, 2025 10:22 pm
katara: (Dark Phoenix .:. 1)
[personal profile] katara

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (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, Harry Potter Universe

Publication Date:
June 2, 1999 by Arthur A. Levine Books

Page Numbers:
352

Read/Finished Date:
March 24th, 2025

Rating:
5/5

Premise:


Ever since Harry Potter had come home for the summer, the Dursleys had been so mean and hideous that all Harry wanted was to get back to the Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry. But just as he’s packing his bags, Harry receives a warning from a strange impish creature who says that if Harry returns to Hogwarts, disaster will strike.

And strike it does. For in Harry’s second year at Hogwarts, fresh torments and horrors arise, including an outrageously stuck-up new professor and a spirit who haunts the girls’ bathroom. But then the real trouble begins – someone is turning Hogwarts students to stone. Could it be Draco Malfoy, a more poisonous rival than ever? Could it possibly be Hagrid, whose mysterious past is finally told? Or could it be the one everyone at Hogwarts most suspects… Harry Potter himself!


Review:


Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets is the second novel in J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series. Harry has returned to the Dursley's home only to find they have grown even meaner than the last, and what has been worse is a house elf named Dobby, who has made it his mission to cause mischief and prevent Harry from returning to Hogwarts and his friends. But Harry is rescued by the Weasleys, who take him back to the Burrow to remain there for the remainder of the summer.

As Harry enters his second year at Hogwarts, he finds that strange occurrences have begun to happen, including students being found petrified and mysterious messages appearing on the walls, warning Harry that the Chamber of Secrets has been opened. A chamber said to be housing a monster that could only be controlled by the heirs of Salazar Slytherin, one of the school's founding members. With the help of Hermione and Ron, the three of them must find who has opened the chamber and confront the monster within.

Another marvelous entry in the Harry Potter series. The story continues to captivate, not only myself but the ones seeking to enjoy a fun fantasy novel. The world-building has been expanded outside of Hogwarts. We get to see a Womping tree, the Burrow, and meet more of the Weasley family. I also enjoyed that this novel was almost as short as the first and that it kept you glued from the first page.

I am glad to see Harry continue to grow.

Similar Books:


The Hunger Games Series by Suzanne Collins
The Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer
Percy Jackson Universe by Rick Riordan

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