Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling
Series: Harry Potter (#6)
Rating: ★★★★★
The war against Voldemort is not going well; even Muggle governments are noticing. Ron scans the obituary pages of the Daily Prophet, looking for familiar names. Dumbledore is absent from Hogwarts for long stretches of time, and the Order of the Phoenix has already suffered losses.
And yet…
As in all wars, life goes on. Sixth-year students learn to Apparate — and lose a few eyebrows in the process. The Weasley twins expand their business. Teenagers flirt and fight and fall in love. Classes are never straightforward, though Harry receives some extraordinary help from the mysterious Half-Blood Prince.So it’s the home front that takes center stage in the multilayered sixth installment of the story of Harry Potter. Here are Hogwarts, Harry will search for the full and complex story of the boy who became Lord Voldemort — and thereby find what may be his only vulnerability.
Book 1: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
Book 2: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Book 3: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Book 4: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Book 5: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
You know, Harry’s not always right, but I do wish that sometimes people would just give what he has to say a bit more credence. He does actually look past his own biases quite often before making pronouncements. He understands the consequences of falsely accusing someone quite well.
I love this book for many reasons, partly because we get to spend so much time with Dumbledore – I know it doesn’t seem like a lot when you actually count out the time we’re with him, but it feels like a lot while experiencing the book. Another, large, part of the reason I love it so much is that you can see just how much Harry has matured and grown.
I won’t say too much here, because I don’t want to spoil anything (for all two of you that haven’t read the series yet). I remember the HUGE disappointment I felt for people that were spoiled about the BIG end before they’d been able to read it. I remember waiting in line to buy this book, and starting to read it on the way home (I wasn’t driving – don’t worry). I remember the tenterhooks that I was on while I read, trying to imagine how things were going to play out.
And I have to say, this is probably one of the top two most satisfying books to re-read in this series (the other being Prisoner of Azkaban). There’s so much nuance that you can catch after having finished the series. PoA shows you things almost immediately; HBP needs the last book to fully appreciate all the groundwork and clues and story laid down.
Immediately upon finishing this book I thought: This is my favorite! I love it so much! But then I realized that I’ve said that about nearly every book in this series. So. There you have it. Another fabulous installment in the Harry Potter series. And now…the finale. The one that I anticipated like no other and dreaded just as much.
Deathly Hallows here I come.
Lol
I’m basically in the exact same spot in my reread of this series 🙂 I don’t think I appreciated this book as much the first time around because the BIG incident at the end PISSED ME OFF. Now that I knew what was going to happen, I was able to reflect on it better than just being emotional.
I remember the total feeling of despair and outrage when I got to the end the first time. It definitely colored how I felt about the book originally. It’s much more satisfying to read now – even though it still hurts.