Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Harry Potter, Book Seven): J.K. Rowling

“We now present the seventh and final installment in the epic tale of Harry Potter.”

Finally. I’ve finished. Wow.

I genuinely didn’t have time to RAIR this book because I couldn’t stop reading it. Only last night I’d just read up to the point where part one of the film adaptation finished, so I pretty much devoured this book today. I have to say that the huge power outage in my town the past two days had something to do with it (no television--not that I watch all that much, but my day was pretty free since I wasn’t watching 4 hours of Le Tour de France, no air conditioning, no lights, not even stoplights!) Needless to say, I found boundless comfort in an escape to the world of Hogwarts.

As always, the writing was beautiful and enchanting (pun intended). The characters were definitely grown and drastically changed and developed from the children in the very first book. Their personalities were much stronger and this definitely helped infuse realism into the overarching plot. However, I will say that I missed Ron a bit in this book. It seemed like he played a much smaller role here and I was a little saddened by this. He has to be one of my favorite characters (I always find myself enjoying a story’s comedic relief character). Harry’s maturity was brilliantly written and the complexities of what life dealt him were truly make-or-break in the life of his character. The plot could have very easily went awry if Harry had seemed the least bit too perfect, but this was not the case. Rowling did a beautiful job of remaining true to the Harry Potter readers grew to love from the little boy in the cupboard beneath the stairs to the man destined to face Lord Voldemort.

***Slight Spoiler Alert***

I have to say that the final battle with Voldemort ended almost too quickly. There was all this buildup for an epic duel to the death and I felt a little bit deflated at the end. I believe Rowling felt that Harry’s explanation to Voldemort about what mistakes the Dark Lord had made would create just the right amount of tension to substitute for an all-out, wands-blazing fight. Also, the simplicity of the final blow was probably another point that Rowling was trying to make. Harry never needed the strong curses that Voldemort was known for--Harry was made stronger by the fact that he never needed to hide behind them. After thinking about it, I appreciated Rowling’s choices more and more.

Also, I really did like the ending. It was truly a pleasant way to wrap things up for the Potter series. Knowing where the major characters all ended up was definitely warming. The setting and style it was written in was drastically better than a simple recap. (Though I will admit that I’m a little bit curious to find out where some of the other characters have ended up. It’s no big deal, but I’m a little bit curious. I don’t think that Rowling could have accomplished this and maintained the atmosphere she created for the epilogue, so I have to concede this point.)

***End Spoiler***

I really wish I could write more about this book, but--because it wraps everything up so neatly--I can’t really say much more without giving anything away. My review is already primarily constructed of spoilers! The beauty of Rowling’s series is that she hides things from start to finish. This last book drew on hints and clues mentioned in the very first book and threads are woven throughout the books. I remember watching an interview with one of the cast members of the Potter films (really can’t remember which one, which is sad, but I’ll blame it on the fact that it was way before I actually cared about the books, so I wasn’t paying much attention) and he/she said that Rowling knew what was going to happen in the end and how she wanted to tie it all together and that’s what makes her books so special. I’ll also admit that I watched a little bit of an interview the author did with Oprah. She said she’d picked out the last line of the series way before she’d written the last book. This, of course, gave a little bit of the ending away, but I still enjoyed finishing it nonetheless.

I really wish I could add more to this review, but I cannot seem to find the eloquence with which I feel this book deserves because--not only am I reviewing this installment--but the entire Potter series. I don’t believe I’m up to such a weighty task. There’s so much to take into account, especially now that I can see threads of plot that I didn’t even know existed. (Though there was one twist I saw coming regarding one of the Horcruxes, but I won’t tell you all what it is and give it away!) I’m sorry readers, but you’ll have to settle for my mediocre review of this series I was surprised to have fallen so deeply in love with. I never thought I’d say this, but I’m actually going to the midnight premier of the Deathly Hallows Part 2 in two days! Pottermania, here I come.

A Stolen Heart (Montford Heirs, Book One): Candace Camp

“Lord Thorpe’s new business partner is not at all what he’d expected. Beautiful and outspoken, Alexandra Ward is also the perfect image of a woman long thought dead.

“Straight from America, Alexandra finds London a strange new world, one fraught with danger. Her appearance on Thorpe’s arm sends shock rippling through society, arouses, hushed whispers in the night. Is she a schemer in search of a dead woman’s fortune, or an innocent caught up in circumstances she doesn’t understand?

“Someone knows the truth, someone who doesn’t want Alexandra to learn too much. Only Lord Thorpe can help her--if he can overcome his own suspicions. But even if he does, at what price?”

My initial thoughts are that this sounds a bit like the Disney version of Russia’s “missing” Princess Anastasia. I’m optimistic that it will take a turn from the usual “missing heiress” plot line. Some brief reviews I’ve read for this book are good, so I’m looking forward to reading it.

...

I put this book down for a couple of weeks while I focused on Harry Potter and several others (this book was initially begun right after Donovan’s Bed, so that tells you how long it’s been since I started it). However, now that I’m reading it again, I’m enjoying it. I will go back to my earlier statement about how similar this plot line is to Disney’s Anastasia. I don’t want to give too much away, but the actions and characters are so similar that the only diversions I can find are the lack of a Dimitri trying to pass Alexandra (Anastasia) off as an impostor who is, in fact, the real thing, and a little white bat named Bartok. I honestly haven’t decided if this is a bad thing or not. I still want to read the book and find out what happens, so I’m not bored. I like the premise of the book and I still find it interesting though it’s so similar to a popular movie from my childhood.

...

I got distracted yesterday and didn’t get to finish my train of thought. Anyway, I like the story so far, no matter how similar it is to Anastasia. I’ve read a little bit more since yesterday and I think I can see where the plot is going. It’s not entirely predictable though, because I want to see how they get there (if that makes sense to anyone other than myself, I’ll be impressed). I’m off to read more!

...

Sorry this review took me a while to complete; I was out of state completing my move and didn’t have my laptop on me because it would have been too much to worry about.

Anyway, I really ended up liking this book more than I thought I would. I’ve overplayed the Anastasia angle and won’t go into it again. I did think that the latter half of the book contained MANY plot twists that could have been plucked out and made into its own fantastic novel. I haven’t decided if the loaded plot is amazing or slightly overdone.

I really enjoyed this book and Camp is a wonderful author. I liked the characters and the drama. This book easily could have been overdone, but I think it was handled very, very well. I can’t wait to get the next in the series!