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

Title: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Author: J. K. Rowling

Series: Harry Potter #7

Pages: 652

Release Date: 

Format: Hardback

Buy it: Amazon

Add it: Goodreads

Synopsis: Harry Potter is leaving Privet Drive for the last time. But as he climbs into the sidecar of Hagrid’s motorbike and they take to the skies, he knows Lord Voldemort and the Death Eaters will not be far behind.

The protective charm that has kept him safe until now is broken. But the Dark Lord is breathing fear into everything he loves. And he knows he can’t keep hiding.

To stop Voldemort, Harry knows he must find the remaining Horcruxes and destroy them.

He will have to face his enemy in one final battle.

My Review: 10 points to me for having finally finishing the Harry Potter series.

The story was okay, I obviously knew what was going to happen as I’ve seen the films a few times, there were a few things different which I liked and it gave the story more details.

Harry, Hermionie and Ron leave their families in search of the Horcruxes to destroy them so that they can kill Voldemort, Voldemort is on a quest of his own he's after the Elder Wand so that he can destroy Harry.

There were a lot of deaths but the only ones I was sad about were Hedwig and Bellatrix, Bellatrix has been my favourite character throughout (as well as Luna), I’m glad that we got to see what happed to Tonks and Lupins son it always bothered me while watching the films that we didn’t get to see it.

I think I still prefer the films over the books but if I ever have children I plan on reading this series to them.

Currently Reading: Blue Moon by Alyson Noel and Girl on Pointe by Chloe Lukasiak

Read in 2020: 15/35

Review - Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J. K. Rowling

Title: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Author: J. K. Rowling

Series: Harry Potter #6

Pages: 652

Release Date: September 16th 2006

Format: Paperback

Buy it: Amazon

Add it: Goodreads

Synopsis: When Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince opens, the war against Voldemort has begun. The Wizarding world has split down the middle, and as the casualties mount, the effects even spill over onto the Muggles. Dumbledore is away from Hogwarts for long periods, and the Order of the Phoenix has suffered grievous losses. And yet, as in all wars, life goes on.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione, having passed their O.W.L. level exams, start on their specialist N.E.W.T. courses. Sixth-year students learn to Apparate, losing a few eyebrows in the process. Teenagers flirt and fight and fall in love. Harry becomes captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team, while Draco Malfoy pursues his own dark ends. And classes are as fascinating and confounding as ever, as Harry receives some extraordinary help in Potions from the mysterious Half-Blood Prince.

Most importantly, Dumbledore and Harry work together to uncover the full and complex story of a boy once named Tom Riddle—the boy who became Lord Voldemort. Like Harry, he was the son of one Muggle-born and one Wizarding parent, raised unloved, and a speaker of Parseltongue. But the similarities end there, as the teenaged Riddle became deeply interested in the Dark objects known as Horcruxes: objects in which a wizard can hide part of his soul, if he dares splinter that soul through murder.

Harry must use all the tools at his disposal to draw a final secret out of one of Riddle’s teachers, the sly Potions professor Horace Slughorn. Finally Harry and Dumbledore hold the key to the Dark Lord’s weaknesses... until a shocking reversal exposes Dumbledore’s own vulnerabilities, and casts Harry’s—and Hogwarts’s—future in shadow.

My Review: This book was my second favourite of the series. I read this one not thinking about the films like I did with the others and time just flew by while I was reading it.

Harry spends this book looking at flashbacks of Voldemort’s life with Dumbledore, here he sees some similarities between himself and Voldemort. They both grew up without their parents one with their aunt and uncle the other in a orphanage. They both attended Hogwarts but from there their lives changed, Voldemort was put in Slytherin and Harry in Griffindor. Voldemort likes to torture the children around him and Harry makes many friends.

While looking into Voldemort’s past Harry realises that he has the one think that can help him bet Voldemort, friendship.

Voldemort’s Death Eater’s manage to infiltrate Hogwarts and Dumbledore is killed making thinks very dark in the ‘Muggle’ and ‘Magical’ world

I really liked the scenes between Mrs Weasley and Fleur, the two fighting all the time and the snide digs had me laughing as no matter what Mrs Weasley say’s and does Fleur doesn’t back down.

I was glad to see that Ginny’s story evolved during this story and we get to see how talented she really is and I’m glad that she got with Harry.

The one thing that bugs me is that no one, not even Dumbledore believed Harry when he said that Malfoy was a Death Eater no matter how many times he says it they all ignore him.

Currently Reading: New Moon by Stephenie Meyer

Read in 2019: 26/30

Top 10 Tuesday

Top 10 Tuesday Character Freebie - Characters I fell in love with

1. Damen – Evermore by Alyson Noel
2. Ever – Evermore by Alyson Noel
3. Silas Dane – Wintercraft by Jenna Burtenshaw
4. Zen – Unremembered by Jessica Brody
5. Seraphina – Unremembered by Jessica Brody
6. Lexi – 52 Reasons by Jessica Brody
7. Seraphina – Firebird by Alice La Roux
8. Matilda – Matilda by Roald Dahl
9. Luna – Harry Potter by J. K. Rowling
10. Samantha – Samantha Wolf by Tara Ellis

To Read in June

To keep up with my Goodreads challenge of 30 I have picked 2 books to read this month.

Just because I have set these 2 books for this month that does not mean that I will finish all of the books on the list as I do beta reading and I have College.

This month I have picked:

1. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J. K. Rowling
2. Twilight by Stephanie Meyer

Review - Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J. K. Rowling

Title: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Author: J. K. Rowling
Series: Harry Potter
Pages: 766
Release Date: July 10th 2004

Genre: Fantasy
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Source: Mums bookshelf
Format: Hardback

Buy it: Amazon

Add it: Goodreads

Synopsis: There is a door at the end of a silent corridor. And it’s haunting Harry Potter’s dreams. Why else would he be waking in the middle of the night, screaming in terror?

Harry has a lot on his mind for this, his fifth year at Hogwarts: a Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher with a personality like poisoned honey; a big surprise on the Gryffindor Quidditch team; and the looming terror of the Ordinary Wizarding Level exams. But all these things pale next to the growing threat of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named---a threat that neither the magical government nor the authorities at Hogwarts can stop.

As the grasp of darkness tightens, Harry must discover the true depth and strength of his friends, the importance of boundless loyalty, and the shocking price of unbearable sacrifice.

His fate depends on them all.

My Review: The fifth instalment of this series starts off with Harry at the Dursley’s upset that he has not heard from his friends and not hearing anything about Lord Voldemort return on the Muggle news.

          Harry tries to listen to the Muggle news for information on Voldemort’s return but there are no news reports about it which frustrates Harry. Harry goes for a walk and sees his bully of a cousin with his friends but on their way home they are attacked by dementors and he has to use magic to get rid of them and is then summoned for a hearing for using underage magic.

          Harry learns that his friends have been staying at Sirius’ family home with Sirius who with Professor Lupin, Snape, Mad-eye Mr and Mrs Weasley, Hagrid and Tonks has been helping Dumbledore create a new Order of the Phoenix, which is to recruit people to their side to fight Voldemort when the time comes.

          Sirius tells Harry why they have all been evasive in their owls and a bit about the Order but Mrs Weasley does not want Harry to worry about the Order she wants him to focus on his school which is hard.

          Harry doesn’t want to go back to Hogwarts but while he is there they get a new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher (if you can call her that). No one is happy with Professor Umbridge as she does not teach the students any Defensive spells and to top it all off Dumbledore is ignoring Harry.

          Hermione has an idea that Harry should teach students Defence Against the Dark Arts spells so they start a secret club which they call the D.A – Dumbledore’s Army.

          These D.A meeting are the only reason that Harry stays at Hogwarts, the new teacher is horrible, he keeps having bad dreams, the first one about Mr Weasley getting attacked which came true, he keeps messing things up with Cho, then he has to have special lessons with Professor Snape to help him stop with the dreams, Professor Umbridge kicks him and the twins off the Quidditch team and she later finds out about the D.A which ends up with Dumbledore being fired and going on the run as well as having to deal with ten escaped Death Eaters from Azkaban and the new dream about a door and his God Father being tortured.

          This is one of my favourite film of the series because of the introduction of Luna who is awesome and Bellatrix who I like too.

          This story has a sad ending R.I.P Sirius but at least Dumbledore gets his job back as Headmaster and the world finally hear the truth about Voldemort’s return and the world realises that Dumbledore is not crazy like the Ministry of Magic have been claiming.

Currently Reading: A Week of Mondays by Jessica Brody
Read in 2018: 29/35

Review - Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J. K. Rowling

Title: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Author: J. K. Rowling
Series: Harry Potter
Pages: 636
Release Date: August 6th 2000

Genre: Fantasy
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Source: Mums bookshelf
Format: Paperback

Buy it: Amazon

Add it: Goodreads

Synopsis: Harry Potter is midway through his training as a wizard and his coming of age. Harry wants to get away from the pernicious Dursleys and go to the International Quidditch Cup. He wants to find out about the mysterious event that's supposed to take place at Hogwarts this year, an event involving two other rival schools of magic, and a competition that hasn't happened for a hundred years. He wants to be a normal, fourteen-year-old wizard. But unfortunately for Harry Potter, he's not normal - even by Wizarding standards. And in his case, different can be deadly.

My Review: Best in the series so far! It starts off with Harry waiting for the Weasley’s to come and get him to take him to watch the International Quidditch cup and when they do turn up they ruin the Dursley’s living room and Harry’s uncle is outraged.

          After watching the game Harry, Hermione and the Weasley’s are celebrating in their tent when chaos outside starts. When Mr Weasley leaves with the older boys to go and help out the Ministry sort the chaos which is being caused by Death Eaters the twins are told to look after Ginny and while all the children are trying to get to safety Ron, Harry and Hermione get separated from the twins and Ginny ending up in the woods, while standing in the woods the Dark Lord’s mark appears in the sky while his followers – the Death Eaters - are causing trouble.

          When they get to Hogwarts Dumbledore announces that Hogwarts plus two rival schools will be competing in the Triwizard Tournament but rules have been put in place to make it safer for students. One of the new rules means that the younger students cannot enter the tournament but somehow Harry’s name gets put into the cup (you have to read the book to see who does it).

          Harry has to battle a dragon and merfolk to get to the final round, the maze. While in the maze Harry and his fellow Hogwarts competitor Cedric make it to the centre of the maze and decide to grab the cup at the same time so that they both win, not knowing that the cup is a portkey that transports them away from Hogwarts and into a cemetery where Wormtail who kills Cedric before bringing back the Dark Lord, Lord Voldemort.

          Once Voldemort is back to full strength he tries to kill Harry who somehow manages to escape him taking Cedric’s body back with him.

          I enjoyed this book as this one seems to be the only one where Harry realistically can get through the challenges.

          The best thing about this book is Hermione acted like a regular teenage girl with a crush rather than the annoying know-it-all like in all the other books.

Currently Reading: Hunted by Mary Duke
Read in 2018: 23/35

Review - Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J. K. Rowling

Title: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Author: J. K. Rowling
Series: Harry Potter
Pages: 435
Release Date: June 8th 1999

Genre: Fantasy
Publisher: Bloomsbury Pubishing
Source: Mums bookshelf
Format: Paperback

Buy it: Amazon

Add it: Goodreads

Synopsis: Harry Potter's third year at Hogwarts is full of new dangers. A convicted murderer, Sirius Black, has broken out of Azkaban prison, and it seems he's after Harry. Now Hogwarts is being patrolled by the dementors, the Azkaban guards who are hunting Sirius. But Harry can't imagine that Sirius or, for that matter, the evil Lord Voldemort could be more frightening than the dementors themselves, who have the terrible power to fill anyone they come across with aching loneliness and despair. Meanwhile, life continues as usual at Hogwarts. A top-of-the-line broom takes Harry's success at Quidditch, the sport of the Wizarding world, to new heights. A cute fourth-year student catches his eye. And he becomes close with the new Defence of the Dark Arts teacher, who was a childhood friend of his father. Yet despite the relative safety of life at Hogwarts and the best efforts of the dementors, the threat of Sirius Black grows ever closer. But if Harry has learned anything from his education in wizardry, it is that things are often not what they seem. Tragic revelations, heart-warming surprises, and high-stakes magical adventures await the boy wizard in this funny and poignant third instalment of the beloved series.

My Review: The Prisoner of Azkaban was full of mystery, even though I hate Harry I did like the fact that he met his God Father Sirius as he treated Harry better than the Dursley’s ever did, it would have been nice if they could have cleared Sirius’ name so Harry could see Harry more and maybe Harry would not be so miserable all the time.

          In this book I felt sorry for Hagrid because even though Buckbeak was not killed he lost him when Harry and Hermione stole him to save him and Sirius from death.

          I was happy when Harry’s new broom got confiscated to have tests done on it as this was not in the film so we do not know if it was jinxed or not before it got to Harry seeing as Sirius was suspected to have escaped Azkaban because he wanted to kill Harry, he was a fugitive so how was he supposed to be able to by a broom?

Currently Reading: Cat's Got Your Arsenic by Tara Meyers
Read in 2018: 21/35

Review - Harry Potter: The Prequel by J. K. Rowling

Title: Harry Potter: The Prequel

Author: J. K. Rowling
Series: Harry Potter
Pages: 4
Release Date: June 11th 2008

Genre: Fantasy
Publisher: Books LLC
Source:
Format: eBook

Buy it: Amazon

Add it: Goodreads

Synopsis: The Harry Potter Prequel is an 800-word story written by J. K. Rowling, and was published online on June 11th, 2008. Set three years before the birth of Harry Potter, the story recounts an adventure had by Sirius Black and James Potter.

J.K. Rowling announced on May 28, 2008 that she was writing a prequel story for English PEN, the writers' association, and the Dyslexia Society. The story, handwritten on a card, would then be auctioned off alongside similar cards from other authors on June 11th, 2008, with the proceeds going to charity. A book of facsimiles was published in August 2008, allowing fans to own and read the story. As of 2009 the story is no longer officially available online.

The story was one of three Harry Potter writing projects undertaken by Rowling after the publication of the final book, along with The Tales of Beedle the Bard and a yet-to-be-published Harry Potter Encyclopedia project.

My Review: This prequel was about James Potter and Sirius Black who are tearing down the streets on an enchanted motorcycle, they get pulled over by the police which is a funny scene.

          This prequel gives great insight into what Harry’s father and God Father were like before Harry was born. I actually enjoyed this story it was better than the books that I have read so far.

          I think if harry had one or both of these people in his life from the start then the Harry Potter series would be so different maybe even better.

          From this prequel you can see where Harry gets his ‘getting into sticky situations’ side from.

Currently Reading: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J. K. Rowling
Read in 2018: 20/35

Review - Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J. K. Rowling

Title: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Author: J. K. Rowling
Series: Harry Potter
Pages: 251
Release Date: 1998

Genre: Fantasy
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Source: Mums bookshelf
Format: Paperback

Buy it: Amazon

Add it: Goodreads

Synopsis: Harry Potter is a wizard. He is in his second year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Little does he know that this year will be just as eventful as the last...

My Review: This book was slightly better than the first one as I loved Dobby the House Elf.

          I enjoyed the Weasley kids rescuing Harry, I thought them showing up in a magical car was great and the way that Harry tricked Mr Malfoy into giving Dobby a sock to free him to free him was funny, probably the best part of the book.

          I like Ginny and I was with her when she could not talk to Harry as she was shy and crushing on him as I go all shy and quiet when I’m around someone that I like.

          Most of the time in the book I wanted to punch the Malfoy’s for being evil tools and I wanted to slap Professor Snape silly for being a prat all the time, even though I cannot stand Harry he does not deserve to have one of his teachers being horrible to him when the Dursley’s are horrible to him when he’s at home.

Currently Reading: Harry Potter: The Prequel by J. K. Rowling
Read in 2018: 19/35

Review - Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone by J. K. Rowling

Title: Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone

Author: J. K. Rowling
Series: Harry Potter
Pages: 223
Release Date: June 30th 1997

Genre: Fantasy
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Source: Mums bookshelf
Format: Paperback

Buy it: Amazon

Add it: Goodreads

Synopsis: Harry Potter thinks he is an ordinary boy - until he is rescued by an owl, taken to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, learns to play Quidditch and does battle in a deadly duel. The Reason ... HARRY POTTER IS A WIZARD!

My Review: Harry Potter is a strange boy who is forced to live under the stairs by his Aunt and Uncle after his parents are murdered.

          I do not think that it is very realistic that he could be living under the stairs for 11 years and no one had said or done anything especially Ms Figg who looks after Harry when the Dursley’s did not want to take him with them when they went out.

          I also think that it is totally unrealistic that an 11 year old boy could ever destroy someone who is meant to be the most powerful evil wizard in the world.

          I really hate the character of Hermione, she is a really annoying nagging girl who just wants everyone to know she is clever, maybe this is because she is Muggle born I do not know I just know that it is rather annoying and I do not know how they put up with a know-it-all.

          On the plus side, I love Dumbledore, he is witty and is like someone that any student could go to if they had a problem – which is something Harry, Ron and Hermione should have done in the first place instead of going it alone.

Currently Reading: Killing Snow White by Jamie Campbell
Read in 2018: 5/35

Top 10 Tuesday

This weeks Top 10 Tuesday is book's to movie adaptations

1. Beautiful Creatures - Kami Garcia
2. My Sisters Keeper - Jodi Picoult
3. The Hunger Games - Susanne Collins
4. Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
5. Twilight Saga - Stephanie Meyer
6. Charlotte's Web - E. B. White
7. Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronté
8. Romeo and Juliet - William Shakespeare
9. Tilly Trotter - Catherine Cookson
10. Snow White and The Huntsman - Lily Blake

Top 10 Tuesday

This weeks top 10 is top 10 books to TV or Movies adaptations

1. Twilight Saga - Stephanie Meyer 
2. Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling 
3. My Sisters Keeper - Jodi Picoult 
4. Nikki Heat series - Richard Castle 
5. The Vampire Diaries - L. J. Smith 
6. Snow White and the Huntsman - Lily Blake
7. The Worst Witch - Jill Murphy
8. The Sleepover Club - Rose Impey
9. Romeo and Juliet - William Shakespeare
10. The Hunger Games - Susanne Collins

I haven't read half of these but I have seen the TV series or the movies and the books are on my to read eventually list if I haven't read them yet.

Top 10 Tuesday

This weeks topic is Top 10 books I feel everyone but me have read:

1. Harry Potter series - J. K. Rowling
2. Twilight Series - Stephenie Meyer
3. The Hunger Games - Susanne Collins
4. Fifty Shades - E. L. James
5. Beautiful Creatures - Kami Garcia
6. Lunar Chronicles - Marissa Meyer
7. The Morganville Vampires - Rachel Caine
8. Fractured - Teri Terry
9. Fallen - Lauren Kate
10. Hush, Hush - Becca Fitzpatrick