Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

I loved this one too, obviously. I can't believe their adventure is over (I'm not sure I'll read the Cursed Child or not...) It took me two years to finish this series and that was mainly because I paused after the 5th book because I couldn't handle the deaths. Now I'm stronger and to be honest I was sad for Fred, Remus, Tonks, and stuff but I didn't die... I loved reading Snape's story and I just think this one was the most action-packed and emotional of all the others. I loved that we learned more of Dumbledore's story and Harry's insecurity and fight for life were... Seriously no other book series has captivated and touched me more than HP and that's why it will stay a forever classic. (if only she was that way too)

This book ended the series well. Very little trace of whiny and emotional Harry from Half Blood Prince remains - evidently, Dumbledore's death at the end of that book was enough to vault Harry out of the teenage angst he struggled with through most of that book.

I have to be fair - out of the whole series, in this book, the Campbellian themes are stronger than they've been since the beginning of the books. Harry is quite a little “Gary Stu”, and I'm still disappointed that a woman, writing a story that started out as a tale for her daughter, would make so few female characters to identify with, and to keep those as “the girl sidekick”, “the mother”, and “the girlfriend” is disappointing.

Still, anyone who's picked this series up expecting high-brow literature should expect to be disappointed. It's not. JKR is a good storyteller, and the end of the story managed to prove nearly all of the theories about how the story would end right.

I'm actually hoping - as good of a storyteller as she is - that her next series is about completely different people doing different things in a different world. I've heard some suggestions that she should write about the next generation of wizards, but I think that's overkill. Let Harry's story end here and let the fanfic writers go nuts with the next generation.

I made it through the series. The last few definitely felt like a marathon, but I persevered. I will probably never read these books again, but I'm glad I did it, if for no other reason than I understand a lot more pop culture references now. In my personal preference rankings, this book comes in fifth, after book 3 and before book 6. The book brings a satisfying conclusion to the epic, although I thought the middle third dragged a lot (Harry Potter and the Miserable Camping Trip). It continued to have good character and relationship development. As with the rest of the series: extraordinarily well-written, and not for me.

This book was a little disappointing. I wonder if it's because I'm not a crazed Potter fan and have been engulfed in Twilight fandom for a few months now, but this was a little boring and hard to get through quickly. There was plenty of action but the trio of friends (Harry, Ron, Hermione) acted even more like brooding drama queens than I remember. There were a lot of eye roll moments. Also, since I haven't read the 6th book since it first came out a year or so ago, I was lost in a few spots where it was imperative to have the background information first. Overall, this was the worst book of the series. I think Rowling ran out of plot ideas and rushed to get this last book published.

You've got to love J.K. Rowling. I think she is a genius, that Rowling woman. The final book, and yet she still manage to mesmerize us with the adventure of a young wizard.

I've got to hand it to Rowling for having the guts to “kill” off several characters, even the key ones like Dumbledore and Snape. Who would've thought that Snape is not actually who we thought he is? And who would've thought that there's actually a more human side to Snape? I certainly did not expect that. And his death and his memories (as shown to Harry through Pensieve) actually brought tears to my eyes.

The death of several lovable characters in their fight against the Dark Lord also makes my eyes misty. We might question why do they have to die, but I see this as a need to make it more believable. After all, every war has its own casualties, sacrifices, blood must be spilled.

I was holding my breath towards the end of the book. Such is the impact of the book to me. And if it can do that, it's a damn well good story. But alas, all good things must come to an end. This will be the book that I will remember for a long time. With this, we part, Harry Potter.

Eh, wait. The final installment of the movie is yet to come out. And with that, I shall bid you goodbye. I had the time of my life, by the way.

J.K. Rowling ends her brilliant series in a way that both satisfies and inspires. As with every favorite book series, I was sad to see it end and yet the ending made me feel like all was well in the wizarding world. I highly recommend the entire Harry Potter series.

As an author I also enjoyed studying the writing techniques and plot arcs of this novel as well as the way she managed to engage us so thoroughly with the characters. I have learned so much from her. Thank you, Ms. Rowling.

The final book in the Harry Potter series contains Harry's final showdown with the evil Lord Voldemort. Children who grew up following this series, like myself, were waiting for this book since day one and it doesn't disappoint. Harry Potter and his friends go on a quest to find the Deathly Hallows, three artifacts that give the owner power over death. Along the way they are stopped by Voldemort's followers and by the looming thought that Voldemort is getting closer and closer to his victory. Children, teenagers, and adults will enjoy this book. It answers all the questions, ties up all the loose ends, and the action doesn't stop for one minute until it is all over. Even when you think Harry and friends are going to be able to sit down and have a nap at Xenophilius Lovegood's cottage, think again, because before they are able to catch their breath, the Death Eaters are on their tail again. This is just one example of the non-stop adventure that will be found by readers of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

From the first page it's apparent that The Deathly Hallows is a very different beast from the previous books in the series. The epigraphs, particularly the sinister and apocalyptic quote from Aeschylus's The Libation Bearers, immediately establish a darker tone which only gets more pronounced as the story develops.

Unfortunately this book confirmed beyond a shadow of a doubt something I had previously touched upon: as an alumna of Miss Cackle's Academy for Witches, the real magic in the HP series, for me at least, lies in Hogwarts and the day to day running of the school. When you take the characters out of that setting, the story loses a lot of its sparkle. Whilst I enjoyed a lot of the first half of the book - the laying to rest of Moody's eye and the appearance of the silver doe in particular were beautifully written - I didn't feel like I really settled in to it until we returned to Hogwarts, and we all know what happened after that.

I can't help but admire the courage it must have taken for JKR to kill off so many of her well loved characters. A couple of the deaths knocked the wind right out of me, and I mourned the loss of Hedwig through the whole book. I was a bit disappointed at how quickly Snape was dispatched with but finally having his backstory revealed in the pensieve made up for it. I was surprised to find myself feeling sorry for the Malfoy family towards the end, and to be honest I was managing to hold it together in the final pages of the book until we encountered Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy running through the crowd, not even attempting to fight, screaming for their son. I hope that, like Severus, they're given a second chance.

All things considered I've really enjoyed reading the HP books, and it's been a good way to ease into the reading year. Unfortunately none of them quite scraped five stars but a couple came very close, and I have no doubt that if i'd first read them as a child I would hold an entirely different opinion.

4.5 stars.