But let's be real as to why I made up this meme: I just want the opportunity to post something about Harry Potter.
This week, I'm posted my completely unbiased review of the final book in the Harry Potter Series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling.
WARNING: I usually try my best to avoid spoilers in my reviews however, for this review, I made no such attempt. You should not read this review unless you've read every book in the Harry Potter Series (and if you haven't, then why the heck not?)!
Publisher: Raincoast Books
Published: July 21, 2007
Pages: 607
Source: Bought
Rating: 7 STARS
Harry is waiting in Privet Drive. The Order of the Phoenix is coming to escort him safely away without Voldemort and his supporters knowing if they can. But what will Harry do then? How can he fulfil the momentous and seemingly impossible task that Professor Dumbledore has left him with. In this final, seventh installment of the Harry Potter series, J.K. Rowling unveils in spectactular fashion the answers to the many questions that have been so eagerly awaited. The spellbinding, richly woven narrative, which plunges, twists and turns at a breathtaking pace, confirms the author as a mistress of storytelling, whose books will be read, reread and read again.
As any self-respecting Potter Super Fan, I lined up to buy Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows at one minute past midnight on July 21, 2007 and proceeded to devour it as soon as I received it. This is one heavy action book. It both starts and ends with intense and epic action sequences, perfectly put together by J.K. Rowling to induce heart-pumping fear for the lives of our favourite characters. Jo had previously stated that book seven was going to be a bloodbath and thus, I spent the entirety of the book more tense and prone to random bursts of crying than I've ever been when reading a book. My copy of this book still has stains from my tears from when Hedwig, Dobby, and Snape died. Though at no time was I more of a sobbing mess than when Harry is walking to his death in the most horribly and beautifully poignant scene in the series.
There were no really big surprises in this book for me. Again, like any self-respecting Potter Super Fan, there wasn't a day that passed from 2005 (when Half-Blood Prince was released) to 2007 when I wasn't pondering about what was going to go down in the final book. I correctly predicted that R.A.B. was Sirius' brother, that Slytherin's locket was the same one they found when cleaning Grimmauld Place in Order of the Phoenix, that Snape was ultimately Dumbledore's man and the two of them had planned Dumbledore's death together, that Snape was in love with Harry's mother, that Harry was a Horcrux that would need to be destroyed, and that ultimately, Harry would make it through the battle to marry Ginny, and Ron would marry Hermione.
But I admit I was taken by surprise by the reveal of Dumbledore's past. Of course I should have known better. J.K. Rowling excels at writing complex characters that do not fall under the too easy "good guy" and "bad guy" categories. I had been fooled once before into thinking James Potter was an all around good guy only to have been rudely awakened to the reality in Order of the Phoenix, so I feel dim that it didn't once occur to me that Dumbledore could be anything but the complete anti-Voldemort. But if anything, the realization that he is susceptible to the draw of power, and therefore not perfect, makes me love the character oh-so-much-more. With the inclusion of his flaws, he ironically becomes the perfect character in my view.
There are some amazing character moments in this final installment. Not only do we get to see the return of many characters that we hadn't seen for awhile, but our most beloved characters of the series receive shining moments to showcase their audacity and nerve one last time, one last hurrah, for the last book. Neville really comes into his own, becomes a badass, really, and leads the cause against the Death Eaters that have taken over Hogwarts. We see for the first time a man who could have been The Chosen One, as he truly might have been had Voldemort chose him as his equal instead of Harry. Molly Weasley also has one of the most brilliant showcases of badassery in her showdown with Bellatrix Lestrange. "NOT MY DAUGHTER, YOU BITCH!" will forever be one of my favourite lines of the series.
Jeez, I just looked up and realized how long-winded this review is. Sorry guys. I guess that's why it's good to plan out what you want to talk about in a review first before just writing willy-nilly all of your thoughts. I think I'll stop here even though I could probably go on for several more paragraphs. If you're interested, I wrote a guest post for The Book Addicted Girl talking about my Top 10 favourite moments from the second half of Deathly Hallows.
I guess I'll just say that in summary, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling is the perfect ending to the perfect series. But I think you all probably could have guessed that I would say as much.
