Retro Friday Review: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling

Retro Friday is a weekly meme hosted by Angie of Angieville and "focuses on reviewing books from the past. This can be an old favorite, an under-the-radar book you think deserves more attention, something woefully out of print, etc."



Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling

Publisher: Arthur A. Levine Books

Publication date: July 2007

ISBN: 9780545139700

Source: Purchased (of course)

Really?  I'm not going to bother with a summary. 


Things I Liked:

Even after reading it before, I am amazed I can still fall into the story so easily again. I know what will happen, but the action is so non-stop and heart-pounding I get caught up in it anyway.  And, having only read it once as fast as possible back in 2007, there were lots of delicious details I missed and needed refreshing.  Rowling is a master of suspense and giving you just the right amount of info at once that you feel like you know something, but then later you learn you didn't really know it at all.  I never once seemed to see any of her revelations coming.  Lily and Snape, Dumbledore's family, the horcruxes, nothing.  Fantastic story, exciting ending, and still fascinating enough to be reread often.  I managed to reread it before I saw the last movie installment (mind you, I didn't see it for several months) and I was reminded how superior the books are to the movies.  In my opinion. 


Things I Didn't Like:
I was struck again at just how nearly ridiculous it becomes that Harry can have so many near-death or near-Voldemort experiences and get out every time.  I think it stretched its believability to the max, but no one cares because we love Harry and his innate ability to get out of scrapes (with luck and his friends).  


Read-alikes:

Nothing quite like it, but you know the first six Harry Potter books

For post-Harry withdrawals, I liked the Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan



BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: !
a few here and there
mrg-factor: none
except occasional snogging


v-factor: ->->->
loads of this, though


Overall rating: *****

Do you have a favorite part of this book?  What do you wish had been in the movie that didn't make the cut?



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Posted in 5 stars , Fantasy , harry potter , highly recommended , retro friday , Young Adult

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix AND Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling

Double Feature is an occasional feature where I discuss/review two books, often comparing and contrasting characters or elements that were similar or different.  I try my best to not include spoilers, or to give a spoiler warning before them, but because these reviews are more in-depth than regular reviews, it is possible there might be some plot points given away.  Read at your own risk.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling
Publisher: Scholastic
Publication date: June 2003
ISBN: 9780439358071
Source: Library (audiobook)

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling
Publisher: Scholastic
Publication date: July 2005
ISBN: 9780439785969
Source: Library (audiobook)

 

I'm pretty sure these don't need summaries, so I'm not giving them ones :)

Things I Liked about HP5:
This is one where things begin to be very dark.  The Order plays a huge part in the book and the kids are so frustrated at not being invited into it, despite all they have accomplished.  It is also a pretty complex book with a lot of different things going on at once (Rowling is a master of the multiple plot lines).  I also remember when I first read it and I just hated what happened at the end - it was so sad.  There didn't seem to be much closure for Sirius' death (I really hope that didn't spoil someone).  I honestly thought he wasn't really dead.  What is that veil thing anyway?

Things I Didn't Like about HP5:
I really didn't like Harry.  Oh, the whining and the getting angry and the yelling were so annoying.  Listening to it on audio brought forward just how often he was mad and using that grumpy voice.  He has a real anger management issue in this one.  I think he does better at managing it in the next book, but he was annoying.  Also, the whole problem between Harry and Dumbledore seemed like a contrivance to help out the plot.  And it was really stupid on Dumbledore's part.

Things I Liked about HP6:
Being the penultimate book in the series, I think this must have been one of the hardest to write.  I remember learning tons of stuff about Horcruxes but still not really getting it.  I loved Harry's relationship with Dumbledore and how they seemed to finally work out their issues.  There is so much backstory that we finally learn too, but not enough.  Rowling saves most of the meat of it for the last book, of course.  Definitely the one that was the hardest after I read it to wait for the next book.  I love the character Slughorn, who is at once slimy and kind of a jerk and also not a bad guy, per se.  And, of course, I totally never saw the Half-Blood Prince coming.  A great surprise.  (Which, again, Rowling is a master of surprises.)

Things I Didn't Like about HP6: 
Don't remember much I didn't like about it, except for the big death scene.  It was pretty horrifying.  And I don't know how she managed to set it up so it was still possible to wonder about Snape being good or bad.  Really, her storytelling abilities are fantastic.

Read-alikes:
Not like it, but some similar stuff:
Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer
Ranger's Apprentice by John Flanagan
Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan

BOOK CONTENT RATINGS for Both:
s-factor: !@
some, not tons

mrg-factor: X
enough snogging already :)

v-factor: ->->->
lots of action and fighting and scary stuff

Overall rating: *****

Sometimes I wish I could read these books again for the first time and experience all the surprises and excitement of learning what will happen next.

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Posted in 5 stars , double feature , Fantasy , harry potter , highly recommended , Young Adult

Harry Potter Challenge: Epic Fail (for me)

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling 
Publisher: Scholastic
Publication date: June 2003
ISBN: 9780439358071
Source: Library audiobook

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling 
Publisher: Scholastic
Publication date: July 2006
ISBN: 9780439785969
Source: Library audiobook

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling 
Publisher: Scholastic
Publication date: July 2007
ISBN: 9780545139700
Source: Library audiobook

Well, as you might have guessed, I did not finish the Harry Potter challenge.  In fact, I'm in the middle of listening to #5 and #6, but haven't even gotten to #7.  However, my husband managed to finish just in time (ok, it was about 40 minutes after midnight, but I figure that's close enough).  The last three books he'll discuss all in one post.  Here's what he has to say:

HP5:
Likes: Despite the fact that the students are given a terrible defense against the dark arts teacher, they become more independent and essentially take matters into their own hands, teaching themselves defense.  I also like how we start to glimpse the connection between Harry and Voldemort - how Harry can see and feel what Voldemort does, feeling things through his scar.  It's a good foreshadowing for future book contents.  A favorite quote:

You know, Minister, I disagree with Dumbledore on many counts...but you cannot deny he's got style... p 623

Dislikes: I hate that Harry was way too angry all the time - seeming to lose his temper all the time.  Basically, he was a brat.

HP6:
Likes: This is the book where things begin to come together, finally.  How Voldemort was able to return to a body and how he started making horcruxes.  She explains how it is that the killing curse kills other people, but didn't finish Voldemort off at once.

Dislikes: I thought it was stupid when Harry used the spell from the half-blood Prince that he honestly had no idea what it would do [Sectumsempra].  Talk about stupid. 

HP7:
Likes: I enjoyed the action-packed plot - it is interesting and intriguing all the time.  Everything is finally tied up and we feel that things come to a completion, a quite satisfying ending.  I especially liked how Rowling kept Harry from stooping to the use of the killing curse, despite how convenient it might have been.

Dislikes: I felt sad about all of the deaths, especially characters we came to know and love, but I suppose it was a part of the story.

Overall ratings: ***** (for all three)

What's your favorite thing about rereading the Harry Potter series?

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Posted in Fantasy , harry potter , Young Adult

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban AND Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling

Second double feature (well, I guess technically third, since I reviewed the first two HP books together).  Also, my second review for GalleySmith's Harry Potter Reading Challenge, and joint review with the hubby, though as you'll see, he didn't have a lot to say. :)

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling
Publisher: Scholastic
Publication date: September 1999
ISBN: 9780439136365
Source: Library (audio)

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling
Publisher: Scholastic
Publication date: July 2000
ISBN: 9780439139601
Source: Library (audio)

  

The Plot:
I'm sure you are all pretty familiar with the general basic plot of these books.  So, we'll skip right to:

Similarities:
I think most of the HP books have a similar plot arc - they all start about the same time, a bit before school starts and they end at the end of the term at school.  Harry deals with difficulties, of course, and fights evil.  You know, all the fun magical jazz that happens and he and his friends probably fight at least once.  And, of course, there is always a big surprise revealed - something you didn't expect to happen.  Or someone you didn't expect it to be.

Differences:
One thing I remember loving about POA is that Voldemort makes no appearance.  The bad guy is not the Dark Lord, but Sirius Black, who we know *spoiler* turns out to be a good guy *end spoiler*.  It stands out as a book that is different from the others that way.  (Ah, except after further thought, he doesn't exactly "fight" him in Half-Blood Prince either, but we do get to see and hear lots about him in that one, so I'm sticking with what I said.)  It is refreshing in ways to deal with a lesser villain.  Plus, we get lots of info about Harry's parents and what happened to them on that night. I think we also get our first shining display of Harry's fiery temper.  I'd say this one is more heart whereas GOF is more action.

In GOF, there is something totally different going on at school.  It deviates from the normal routine with the quidditch world cup and the triwizard tournament.  The regular learning appears almost entirely on hold, with the possible exception of defense against the dark arts classes.  Good old Moody turns out to be *spoiler* bad old Barty Crouch, Jr. *end spoiler*.  I admit to being most annoyed with this plot twist, since there was honestly no way on earth for us to figure it out before hand, especially with no suspicious circumstances surrounding Crouch Jr.'s death.  The two plots are actually quite different in these ones, despite the familiar wrappings.

The Characters:
Main characters are obviously the same, but we get new ones introduced in each.  POA has Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, Peter Pettigrew, and Professor Trelawney.  I think that nearly everyone I know adores Sirius and Lupin.  They are both favorites of mine and both obviously play important roles later on.  This is proof to me of Rowling's foresight - introduce them early if they are important later.

In GOF, we most notably meet Mad Eye Moody.  I think I would have liked to see him before he came to this book, but I like him just the same.  What really throws me is that the person we think he is throughout the book, he really isn't.  That shows up more in the next book when Harry runs into him again and isn't sure what to think of him.  Rita Skeeter is also introduced, a person that my husband says he loathes.  We also meet the Crouches and of course Lord Voldemort himself.  And we meet students from other schools (none of whom play much of a part in the rest of the series).

Things I Liked:
Again, I really liked the audio versions with Jim Dale.  Though, I did notice that all of his older women sort of sound alike.  And Hermione is exceptionally annoying in nearly all instances.  Still, the characters were unique and the story is engaging.  I would love to forget the plot twists and be surprised again for the first time.  Perhaps on my next read, I'll have to see if the clues are enough to lead a smart person to figure the endings out.  I'm still enthralled with her variety of unique and well-defined characters and her ability to surprise us with those endings.

My husband couldn't think of anything he really wanted to add (he really just adores all things HP), though he does like the narrator as well - probably more than I do.  We listened to them while driving on some of our road trips.  But, here are two of his favorite quotes: 

POA:

"I must warn you at the outset that if you do not have the Sight, there is very little I will be able to teach you.  Books can take you only so far in this field..."
AT these words, both Harry and Ron glanced, grinning, at Hermione, who looked startled at the news that books wouldn't be much help in this subject. p 103

GOF:

"Hermione, Neville's right - you are a girl..."
"Oh well spotted," she said acidly. p 400

Things I Didn't Like:
After I read someone's comments somewhere (I couldn't find where or who), I noticed that a lot of Rowling's descriptions, while funny and clever, are repeated too often.  Particularly Crookshanks' ginger bottle-brush tail.  After POA, I wanted to erase those words from my existence.  There has to be a synonym for ginger.  It also seemed a bit odd that Sirius would attack with a knife if he only wanted to see Harry.  Why carry a big knife and use it like a maniac if you're really a nice godfather? 

As far as GOF, I found myself wondering why on earth Moody/Crouch didn't just grab Harry earlier - why did we have to wait and wait and wait for the very end of the tournament?  No one knew who Moody really was.  Crouch could have gotten away with it.  It bothered me.  Eh.  I know these things really didn't occur to me on first read.  I just devoured them and loved it. The hazards of a reread, I guess.

Read-alikes:
Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer
Ranger's Apprentice by John Flanagan
Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan

BOOK CONTENT RATINGS (for both):
s-factor: !
a few here and there

mrg-factor: none
not even the snogging yet

v-factor: ->->->
POA is less so, but GOF is quite violent

Overall rating: **** (me)  ***** (hubby)

I managed to get this up during Devourer of Books' Audiobook week!  What do you think of these audiobooks?

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Posted in audiobook , double feature , Fantasy , harry potter , middle grade , Young Adult