Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Book 6)

• Half-Blood Prince is easily one of the better books in the Harry Potter series, though each is a masterpiece. But the 6th installment of a 7-part series is bound to be full of great moments in the story. After completing this book, I was in a state of total shock and to this moment I wish only to read the seventh book.
  
  Half-Blood Prince is dark; I mean far darker than the last. This is the time I have always known was inevitable in the Harry Potter world, at last we are seeing chaos and war and battles break out within the walls of Hogwarts itself. Several of the chapters are particularly well-written, with great suspense and imagery; an example would be the time Harry and Dumbledore spent in the cave. Relationships blossom in this book at last, including Harry suddenly falling in `love' with Ginny Weasley, Ron dating Lavender Brown, Pansy and Draco clearly going out, and some serious hinting at a possible romance between Ron and Hermione when he gets rid of Lavender. Then, the useless couple of Tonks and Lupin was introduced in the end; all well and good, I suppose, but again not something that overjoyed me. The end of the book is very sad indeed, yet, I was not crying--I was merely shocked

• I'm one of those who couldn't wait until the morning to get hold of this book. I literally battled rain and cold weather with my sister to get our copies at 12.15 am, July 16, in a local bookstore in Argentina. According to my dad, I'm slightly nuts for doing that :)
  In my opinion, though, this book was well-worth the extra effort. After picking it up, I returned to my house and started to read it. I just finished it, and I can sincerely say that it is simply outstandingly good. Yes, the other books were awesome too, specially the 4th and the 5th, but I think that Harry's world is becoming more defined with each book, and that makes for a thoroughly engaging reading experience.
  

• This morning I woke up with a dull, aching, stung feeling in my heart. Why? Because I began, and finished, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince yesterday, JK Rowling's 6th book in the series. Much like The Order of the Phoenix, Rowling manages to make the readers of her book feel as much as the characters, even hours, possibly days or weeks after you have finished it.
  The 6th Harry Potter book picks up in a slightly different way - the first two chapters are not Dursley filled, in fact the Dursley's hardly appear at all. The wizardry world is no longer the blissful place Harry entered into 6 years ago, and I'm sure many of you can guess why. Still smarting from the losses and destruction from the previous novel, Harry is scooped up from the Dursley's by none other than Dumbledore himself (and no this isn't a spoiler, it's on the jacket cover) who is looking worse for wear.

• This is my favorite book of the Harry Potter series, just ahead of the Goblet of Fire. It caught my interest from the very beginning, in the middle of the summer when Harry is at the Dursley's, which most of the other books did not do. After the first chapter, it was very hard to put down! I even ignored the phone ringing several times while I was reading.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Book 5)

• ORDER OF THE PHOENIX could well be my favorite book of them all, if Azkaban and Deathly Hallows weren't as good as they were. For all the talk about GOBLET being the one where Rowling really hikes up the intensity and the complexity in the series, it is here, in PHOENIX, she gives us Potter's darkest, and most complex, adventure of all.
  
  The second most complex novel in the entire Potter sequence (the first being Book 7), this book is probably the second best one, though I still like Azkaban better. This novel introduces the Order of the Phoenix, a whole litany of new characters and a more indepth look at the Ministry For Magic.
  
  Potter has been having bad dreams about a locked door. So he must find out what to do about that. While at home with the Dursleys, he and Dudley are attacked by dementors, and so he stands trial before the Ministry for the inappropriate use of underage magic. He ultimately must appear before the Ministry, and it is only by Dumbledore's appearance he is saved.
  
  But the Ministry is not finished yet. Still under staunch denial that Voldemort is back, Cornelius Fudge sends a new teacher, Dolores Umbridge, to bring Hogwarts under the Ministry's control. Much of the storyline revolves around Umbridge as she takes over Hogwarts, eventually ousting Dumbledore, who goes on the run. Her end is very well justified.

• First off, let me say that I am nearly 30 years old, an avid reader, and I love Harry Potter. J.K. Rowling has a wonderful style that makes it easy to emmerse yourself in the world of witchcraft and wizardry. So often when I read fantasy books such as these, it becomes difficult to identify with the characters and the world the author presents. Thankfully, Ms. Rowling does not fall into that trap, and I think its because the series is not a fantasy story, its a coming of age story that happens to be set in a fantasy world. They become longer, more complex, even darker, as the readers who began reading the books at a young age will be able to keep reading and identify with Harry as he grows to adulthood.

• I brought this book home from the bookstore on a Friday evening and had finished it by Sunday morning. I literally could not put it down! I also - literally - had tears running down my cheeks as I read the last pages. I am a 38 year old computer programmer who is not normally given to emotional outbursts like this, and I also don't normally read fiction. However, I just happened to pick up the book in the bookstore and begin flipping through the pages out of curiosity. 30 minutes later, I couldn't put it down, so I had to buy it and bring it home. The book really grabs your interest and holds it!
  
  However, the books are EXTREMELY well written. If you want to become a novelist, you should study these books just for the writing techniques they use.
  

• I like the Harry Potter books and have read all 5 so far. This is my least favorite. It is too long and doesn't really have the oomph that the other books had. I imagine Rowling would not let her editor trim the book down and thus it suffers.
  The quality of the writing itself could use some improvement, too. Phrases are used too often. For example, everyone "turns on his/her heel" and Harry sees Cho and and his stomach "feels like he skipped a step going down stairs" more than once.
  

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Book 4)

• What can I say about such an overly hyped book as this? Only that is was well worth the wait! For all of you who have never read any of the Potter books (could there really be people who haven't read at least one?) think of these books as a series of magical mysteries.

  It's life as usual for Harry at the beginning of the book, which has him spending yet another dreadful summer with his hateful guardians, the Dursleys. (Imagine Dudley Dursley on a diet! Try saying that 3 times fast...) Things pick up when Harry goes to the Quiddich World Cup with the Beasley. And life at Hogwarts is as interesting (and occasionally dangerous) as always with it's oddball assortment of students and professors. Naturally, there is a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher (my but they do keep going through them, don't they?) Along the way, we will learn about other schools like Hogwarts (it's about time!) And a new villain - or should I say villainess - is introduced. Someone who definitely keeps Harry on his toes. All the while Harry and his 2 best friends, Ron and Hermione, become entangled with the mystery of The Goblet of Fire....

• Imagination (making up all the spells and coming up with the Triwizard Tournament...). Compared with the first 3, it's much longer, but it has more suspense and surprises. The book is also easier to read than other books I have read: The Hobbit, Lord of the Ring - for example. (although their stories are also exciting). It's SOOOO good, that I couldn't put it down- so I finished it in 2 days, with time for shopping and swimming (I had to go with my parents...). The part when Harry goes to a real Quidditch match gets really exiting (With the Dark Mark and Death eaters-the servants of Lord Voldemort). Most of the new characters come from the other wizarding schools(like Durmstang).

• J.K. Rowling has done it again! Her first three installments in the Harry Potter series were outstanding, she has outdone herself once more with the Goblet of Fire . I am only 13, but I know a remarkable book when I see one. The way Miss Rowling began the book was very intriguing. Harry Potter and his friends are introduced to situations that children around the world face everyday, with magic and fantasy added. Quite frankly you know you are reading an excellent book when you can't put it down until 2 a.m., which is common for Harry Potter enthusiasts such as myself.
  

• This is the very best book in the series so far! I picked up the very first copy off the shelf last nite(actually this morning, it was 12:01), and as soon as i got in the car i started reading it...The book was so good i didnt stop reading till 9 o'clock this morning--when i finished it.. The book is full of mystery and intrigue.
  

• A few facts: I'm 40 years old. Director of Direct Marketing for a major business-to-business advertising agency. Hold a Master's degree in Communications. Am a muggle. And, I'm not ashamed to admit, was totally captivated (who says they're just for kids?) by the audio CD edition of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, the fourth installment in the world-famous series by J.K. Rowling. A few opinions: I have all three of the previous books on CD and loved every minute of them. In fact, there were times when I didn't want to stop driving and get out of my car (even when I arrived at my destination!) because I was so engrossed in the stories. But if I thought British performer Jim Dale's reading was amazing before, I was doubly impressed with him this time around. As you know, Goblet of Fire is over twice the size of the other books in the series -- a total of 17 unabridged CDs, some 20 hours! Plus, there are dozens of new characters, some of whom are from foreign lands, and some extremely gripping action scenes.
  

• `The Goblet of Fire' is book 4 in the Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling. It is also the largest book to date in this series. To fully appreciate this one, you simply must read the preceding three. Book 4 takes a completely different turn from the first three, with an entirely unconventional year at Hogwarts.
  

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Book 3)

• In anticipation of Harry Potter, Book 4, I had to read the first three books again. What I was struck with, again, is the sheer imaginative nature of J.K. Rowling's books. Simply put, these books are instant classics.

  "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" is the third in the series following Harry Potter at Hogwart's school of wizardry. Harry is now a 13-year old (his birthday occurring at the beginning of the book), and concerned mostly with classes, Quidditch (a wizard sport), and the fact that he's not allowed to visit the local wizard village of Hogsmeade with his friends on the weekends. One of the reasons for this is that Sirius Black, a convicted murderer, has broken out of Azkaban, the wizard prison, and word has it that he's out to get Harry.

  In keeping with Harry Potter tradition, the reader can expect surprises, twists and turns, malicious rivals, uncommonly kind professors, terrible relatives, amazing magic candy, true friendships, and a whiz-bang ending.

  It's delightful to see how Rowling can stay true to the feel of the previous books, and yet allow Harry and friends to mature. This book is a little longer than the previous books, but the imagination never lets up, and gradually Harry's world is widening.

  I would recommend this book to ANYONE (any age) who enjoys the writings of Roald Dahl, C.S. Lewis, Madeleine L'Engle, or J.R.R. Tolkien. This is a very fun, humourous, and enjoyable fantasy novel, and one that should be read more than once!

• My hubby gave me this book for Christmas as I enjoyed the other two so much. I can't really add much to what the other reviewers said, but I can tell you that the conclusion of the book is so exciting that I was up till midnight finishing it (and I'm usually a 10 o'clock turn-in!). I just couldn't put it down.

  Harry, Ron and Hermione's exploits in this book were just as entertaining - if not more so - as in the previous two books.

  It never ceases to amaze me the depth of Ms. Rowlings imagination! The different kinds of sweets, all of the different types of spells and magical creatures...just delightful!

  Wonderful...just wonderful!

• This book is a brilliant piece of literature. It's filled with insight and delight. Undoubtedly the best Harry Potter book (as of now because the new one's coming in a few months). Harry Potter is the next big name in children literature. He's already world famous and it's been only a short while since he first debuted two books ago. JK Rowling's ability to create truly human characters is astounding.
  
  This book's characters are truly human. I think that if you want to read a book with rich feeling and emotion sprinkled with touches of childhood nostalgia and fantasy, this is definately the series for you.
  
  If you've been saving your money to buy a book, Harry Potter is the series that you want to buy. This book will awake the child in you if you're five or fifty. It's worth the cover price.

• JK Rowling created a masterpease! This book is suspenseful and funny. It makes you realy think and you feel as if you were there! Will Harry Potter survive through his 3rd year? What IS Hermoine's secret? Will Ron stay friends with her? Any Harry fan will just love this book and will laugh and cry through it. We will be waiting in suspence for the next book JK Rowling!

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Book 2)

• The following is an actual book report written by Benjamin Bayless, an 11 year old who just completed this book.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets was written by J.K. Rowling. This fiction book takes place in London. It has 341 pages. This story is about a boy who goes to wizard and witch school to learn how to be a wizard. In this story Harry Potter finds the entrance to the chamber of secrets and defeats the monster inside. In the end, Dobby, a house elf, who appears in other parts of the story, gives Harry Potter a reward. Harry Potter has glasses and a scar that he got from Lord Voldermort, an evil wizard who killed Harry's parents. Harry lives in the country with his Aunt and Uncle, who don't want him to go to wizard school because they don't like magic. I highly recommend this book because it is very captivating and is fun to read. Benjamin Bayless

• This book is a wonderful magical book. To Joshua Boone of VA, this is a great book for ALL ages. It might have been written for children (more like 11 year olds rather than 9 year olds) but many many many adults have truly enjoyed the magic and the great imagination this story gives you. It sure beats children reading nonsense books and keeps them out of trouble by doing something they enjoy doing. We can't wait until the movie comes out so the whole family can enjoy a great film together! 10 thumbs up! You don't always have to go to the adult section in the book stores to find a facinating story!

• J.K. Rowlings is a master. I had to remind myself to put the book down to get something to eat! As I was reading, hours passed like minutes. I now know to block off hours of time when I pick up these wonderful books. I teach in a middle school - an age where reading is uncool and seldom done when not required for school. My students are convincing one another to read this book, and Harry and friends are regular topics of conversation. I have yet to hear any negative reviews. Harry and friends have spirits that are contagious to the reader. J.K. Rowlings blessed the characters with a realness in a setting that is truly imaginative. Without hestitation, I recommend Harry Potter.

• Everyone in our family loves Harry Potter, from eight-year-old Eve to fifteen-year-old Sarah to thirty-eight-year-old Mom!We have just finished Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, and have started on Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. Truely Magical!

• Okay, here's the scoop. I attend Church every Sunday and I have read the entire Bible. I have also read all three Harry Potter Books, and, quite honestly, there is nothing in any of them that teaches Witchcraft as a religion. Yes, Harry and his friends have magic wands and take classes in Potions and Transfiguration, but there is no subtle message in these books that Magic replaces God. These books don't teach witchcraft, but they do teach something else, something our society is sadly lacking. Morals. Besides how to turn toads into tadpoles, Harry learns the value of friendship, the importance of loyalty, the price of deceit. True, Harry does break school rules, but sometimes, you have to break the rules to do what is right. (For all you religious fanatics, think Jesus breaking the Pharisees's Laws) One more tidbit to add. You can't judge a book by its cover...or its summary. Before you judge Harry, read the first book with an open mind and heart. Then decide whether or not to let your children read this.

• Forget the hype that this is an evil book for children to read! These books are wonderful fantasty stories about good vs. evil, done in tongue and cheek...and by the way, Good Wins! My 12 year old could care less about reading and it was showing in his grades. I was able to challenge him to read a chapter in the evening. I would read it that night and we would discuss it. It became a race to see who could finish it first and get the next book! We talk in codes about the book [so the "muggles" don't understand us]. He even got his grandmother to read all the books too. His reading grades have improved and float between A's & B's! WE can't wait for the next book(s)! Get these books..HIDE THEM..so you can read them before your kids! EXCELLENT!

• I was doubtful when I started the Harry Potter books- in fact I was only going to read them because a friend begged me to do so. Much to my surprise, I was immediately hooked on the first novel, and finished all three within a week. I can honestly say that the three Harry Potter books are among the best books I've ever read. I now recommend them to everyone- children and adults alike. They're thoughtful, original, suspenseful, and humorous- everything you could ask for in an adult's novel. I'm 17 years old, and I never thought I'd be reading kids' books. But now I'm glad I did- don't miss out on these amazing books, especially the third one. The Chamber of Secrets is by far the best of the three books. Rowling explores new dimensions of Harry's world and reveals the secrets readers have been dying to know since the first book. This book leaves you hanging for the fourth novel, which is sure to also be incredible!

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (Book 1)

• Harry Potter is someone we all wish we knew. He seems to be all the things that we wish we could be. He is brave, honest and humble, even in the toughest of times.
  The thing that makes Harry so likable, is that he is real, even in a world of magic. He does have his flaws, as we all do, but he is constantly showing us that he can be his best even when things are at their worst.
  I have read the entire series twice now, and I can only hope that there will be more books like this in the future. Every time I need to escape, Harry and his friends are always there for me. Thanks JK!

• Harry Potter and the Sorcer's Stone was an amazing book that I would strongly recommend to anyone who enjoys thrillers. J.K. Rowling did an amazing job writing this book and if you haven't read it, I recommend you go out and read this book today!

• My mom picked this book up when I was in about the third or fourth grade, having heard about how magnificent it was, and brought it home to read to my sisters and me as a bedtime story.
  
  Harry Potter books will always have a solid place on my favorites list and in my heart. Before I read Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone I had no desire to read, this was the book that really got me interested in literature. I started reading the Sorcerer's Stone and never looked back from there.
  
  I am now a tremendous lover of books and I am currently majoring in English Literature.

• Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone is the best book I have read so far in the Harry Potter series. J.K. Rowling has written some other books, but the Harry Potter series is the most popular one.
  
  Harry Potter is a ten year old boy who lives with his very mean Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia, and don't forget Harry's mean chubby cousin, Dudley. Harry lives with them, not because he wants to but because Harry's parents died when Harry was only a little baby (read the book to find out more). Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia are his legal guardians.
  
  As Harry grows up weird thing start happening, but only when Harry wishes that something would happen, like when Harry gets upset at Uncle Vernon things usually break.
  
  In my opinion, the best scene of the story was when Harry Potter is becoming suspicious of the weird things that happen to get him into serious trouble
  

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Book 7) (Paperback)

• I am somewhat heartened to read that not every review is a five-star love letter either to The Hallows, to author Rowling or to the series as a whole.
  
  As to the observation Rowling needed a stricter editor for this final (some say, bloated) novel in the Harry Potter saga, it's debatable. However, I take strong exception to one review that labeled Dumbledore a "fraud" with the demand that Dumbledore "be the same as he was throughout the series," or words to that effect.
  
  The key aspect that comes from "HP and the Deathly Hallows" is the human fallibility of all the characters. I suppose it's easy to forget -- considering readers are submerged into the wizarding world -- that Harry and all the other characters (save the fantastic giants, centaurs, and such) are still HUMAN, magical but human. As such, Dumbledore, Harry, even Professor Snape are prone to human weakness, petty jealousies, and even acts of extraordinary courage. Readers are treated to the fact that a young, callow Dumbledore was elitist, selfish, and power-hungry. A young Snape seems to have loved only one woman -- the woman he couldn't have -- all his life. Who'd have suspected that the dour Snape had such a romantic nature?
  
  Yet the adult Dumbledore is so easy to love, to trust. The adult Snape is so easy to hate, to hold in suspicion. In "Deathly Hallows" Rowling points out that all is never as it seems on the surface - a lesson we might apply in our real daily lives.
  
  For this reader, the charm of the novel is finally revealing the feet of clay that all the principal characters possess. More than a tale of wizardry and the eternal battle of good vs. evil, Rowling has painted vivid portraits of the vagaries of human nature, by turns magnanimous then niggardly, cowardly then courageous.

• If J.K. Rowling was ever going to ruin it, it would have been with Book 7. But Rowling pulled it off. The story was every bit as entertaining as its predecessors, and the end was (in my opinion) completely satisfying. My only complaint was epilogue. I wouldn't want to do without it because, just like any other Harry Potter fan, I wanted to know what happened to the characters after the climax. But it felt rushed, and lacked the style of the rest of the books (perhaps because it was in the odd position of telling without advancing a story). Still, I closed the book feeling content, and I look forward to going back and re-reading the books in a year or two.

• This is arguably the most "hyped" book in history, and if J.K. Rowling had to sneak down to the kitchen for a glass of red wine to calm her nerves while writing The Goblet of Fire (as she said she did), one wonders what assuaged her while writing Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. The collective breath of tens of millions of readers has been held for two years...and now...was it worth the wait? Did Ms. Rowling live up to the hype? (For that, amongst hundreds of questions, is really the only question that matters.)
  
  The answer, most assuredly, is YES.
  
  Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is told in a strikingly different style than the previous six books - even different from The Half Blood Prince, and, I daresay, it's a better written, better edited, tighter narrative.
  
  And while the action is lively and well paced throughout, Rowling found a way to answer most of our questions while introducing new and complex ideas. What fascinated me was this: Some people were right, with regard to who is good, who is bad, who will live, who will die - but almost nobody got the "why" part correct.