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

Warning~ While I aim not to leave any spoilers, I inevitably fail, proceed with caution!

July 21, 2015 marked the 8 year anniversary of the 7th Harry Potter book's release. May I please take a moment of silence for how old that makes me feel? I remember attending the midnight release party, after convincing my mother to allow it, and staying up late into the morning to finish it. For many Harry Potter fans, it was a bittersweet moment marking an end of an era. In order to commemorate the anniversary, I re-read Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Now I've read this book at least half-a-dozen times, but I think I rediscover something new, or rather pay better attention, to things every time I read the book.

If you've never read the Harry Potter series, stop what you're doing right now, give The Sorcerers Stone at least 50 pages, and you can thank me later.

Now assuming, you've read Harry Potter 1 - 6, you will probably agree with me that each book grows in seriousness (sirius-ness hehe), but the 7th is easy to connect with as an adult in my 20's. The characters are turning against each other with their own inner frustrations, and relying on very minimal information provided by Dumbledore, but still banding together to fight the greater evil. The wizarding world is faced with the return of the reign of Lord Voldemort, and fear blankets the book's landscape. Harry and every other character we have grown to love struggle to determine who they can trust and keeping heavy burdens a secret and resting on their young shoulders. Which is something I think any teenager or 20-something can personally relate to. While Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince could arguably be renamed Harry Potter and the Year Everyone Properly Discovered Girls, in the Deathly Hallows the reader is really able to see relationships develop, and all the mistakes that go along with it, but most importantly the personal victories. Rowling does an amazing job of channeling each characters feelings to the readers without getting into too much detail where one can feel like they've lost touch with the scene in front of them. 

At the beginning of the book Harry is back in his Aunt and Uncle's home, which I find to be a nice circle back to the beginning of the series. Harry is reflecting on memories he has in that very home, which is a theme that continues throughout the book. Harry is often connecting things from the past 6 books to his present. Which is a smooth transition to closing up quite a few mysteries that were left for us by Rowling, like how Professor Quirrell ended up with Voldemort in the back of his head from book one. 

I love the feeling J.K. Rowling's books give me while turning through the pages. She has a very unique narrating style, in which I feel like I'm struggling right along with Harry, but still have more information than he does. It gives me a nice anticipating feeling, waiting for Harry to figure things out, when I've got just a tad more information than everyone else. The narrator, if you will, uses a playful set of words that almost make me feel like a magician is painting the story in my head with a wand and some over-the-top twinkling motions. I love seeing the different perspectives of each character. Overall, I love the emotional response that Rowling can dictate through her writing. The danger, anticipation, stress, love, and excitement will literally jump off the page at you.

The task set before Harry, Ron, and Hermione at the end of book 6 is to find, and destroy, the remaining Horcruxes. The Deathly Hallows takes you along on their dangerous journey. Which has more of an adult pressing, reality feel than the past 6. The danger is much more tangible and you can almost feel the effects of the Horcruxes on yourself. 

The book is fast paced, but still manages to express the anxiety and strain the golden-trio experiences with the lack of an actual plan laid out before them. There is a darker tone to the book, and while the series over all feels happy and hopeful, the seventh reveals the shadows that have been looming over the magical world in much more detail. As a reader, I appreciate that Rowling did decide to kill off some of the more core characters. It always surprises me how attached to the characters I had become until those few words on a piece of paper can break my heart. 

I will admit that I still tear up at the end of the book, and my heart gets twisted painfully with every death. Now, I don't want to leave any spoilers in this review so I will choose my words carefully. While for years my initial reaction was negative towards J.K Rowling's chosen ending for book 7; after my most recent reading of it, I found the ending to be very elegant. There is much more explanation than I had remembered, and she fits together the pieces of the 7 book puzzle beautifully.

As with all Harry Potter books I give this a 5/5. The story is gripping, emotional, and the world is beautifully magical, 10/10 would read again!

Pinterest for Books: Goodreads.com

Recently, a good friend of mine introduced me to Goodreads.com, and now I am addicted. It is a book lover's dream! Goodreads is basically a Pinterest for readers. You can create different shelves and add books to them, along with creating different lists. Goodreads will give you recommendations based off books you've read and rated. You can also send messages and recommendations to friends, along with joining various forums and book discussions.

The most important of these lists, I've found, is the "To read" list. It's a very effective way to keep track of recommendations from friends, or add books you see on the store shelves to your que. When I'm waiting anywhere, or find I have a few spare minutes, I always go through the recommendations from Goodreads and continue to add to my "To Read" list. When I'm at a loss for what to read next, or what I was planning on reading isn't available at the Library, I open up my Goodreads app and simply look for the next book on the list.

You can add custom shelves as well, and one that I've added is a "To Re-read" list. I am notorious for re-reading my books. I love to re-experience worlds, and reconnect with how I felt when I read them initially. This could be an entirely different post in itself, so I'll digress now. But, I find this list to be useful when I truly can't get myself to the library, or don't have the finances to pick up new books every week. Often I forget about the treasures I already have on my book shelf, or I realize I did not like the book to begin with, and can make some physical room on my book shelves.

A Goodreads account is free, you simply need an email address. I highly recommend getting yourself one!

Reading is my hobby

I have several blogs, and I continue to support them, but when I recently was asked what my hobbies were I struggled to come up with a list. Most people will rattle off lists that include hiking, biking, fishing, sports, and so on. However, I find I really don't enjoy any of these things. So on my internal quest to determine my own hobbies, I asked myself, "What do you do for fun?" The answer was very simple: I read.

Books have been my past time, friends, and escape for many years. I'm rarely found without a book, and I get the most excited when I discover a new series. There's a saying I see from time to time, "Those who read have lived 1000 lives," and I find this to be very accurate. I enjoy nothing more than dropping into an entirely new world, and experiencing a very different life than my own through reading.

So reading is my hobby. On this blog I wish to discuss the various books I read and encounter, so that I may share some of these experiences with you, and hopefully you'll feel inspired to pick up a book and let the magical theater of your mind explore.