Title: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
Author: J.K. Rowling
Publication date: July 21, 2007
Page count: 620
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
Format: UK paperback
My rating: 5 stars
Review Song: Soldier by Gavin Degraw
Synopsis:
“Give me Harry Potter,” said Voldemort’s voice, “and none shall be harmed. Give me Harry Potter, and I shall leave the school untouched. Give me Harry Potter, and you will be rewarded.”
As he climbs into the sidecar of Hagrid’s motorbike and takes to the skies, leaving Privet Drive for the last time, Harry Potter knows that Lord Voldemort and the Death Eaters are not far behind. The protective charm that has kept Harry safe until now is broken, but he cannot keep hiding. The Dark Lord is breathing fear into everything Harry loves, and to stop him Harry will have to find and destroy the remaining Horcruxes. The final battle must begin – Harry must stand and face his enemy…
My Thoughts…
The last time I read Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows it was July 21, 2007. Like everyone else who was anxious to see how this series would end, I read it in 24 hours. I felt nostalgic this week and wanted to attempt this again; however, I failed miserably. I finished two days after my attempted 24 hour readathon and I’m sad it’s over. Sad to say goodbye to these characters that I love so much. Despite the heartbreaking casualties, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is one of my favorite books in the series and a very satisfying ending to an amazing series. Surprisingly, I don’t have too much to say in this review; however, I live tweeted the entire reading experience and you can find the entire thread here, if interested, Without further ado here’s my final review:
*SPOILER WARNING*
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows picks up after Dumbledore’s death. Harry is almost 17 and his protection charm at the Dursleys home is about to break. The Order of the Phoenix devises a plan to move Harry before his 17th birthday using polyjuice potion as they expect Voldemort to attack him when the charm breaks. Things go awry and The Order is quickly ambushed by Death Eaters and Voldemort leading to death of Mad-Eye Moody and strange magic from Harry’s wand. A few weeks later, during Bill and Fleur’s wedding celebration, the Ministry of Magic falls and the Severus Snape becomes headmaster at Hogwarts. With Death Eaters and Voldemort in control of the government and Hogwarts, they implement oppressive laws, including registration, against muggle-born witches and wizards. Our trio escapes the wedding chaos and spends the rest of the book hunting horcruxes and evading Voldemort.
There were so many things to love about this final book. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows truly captures just how intelligent, brave, and amazing of a character Hermione Granger is. I don’t think Ron and Harry would been successful in this quest without Hermione’s intelligence and resourcefulness. They needed each other, but I think Hermione shined brightly in this book. Luna Lovegood, Neville Longbottom, Dean Thomas, and so many other characters stood out in this book. These teens were brave in the face of tyranny and political oppression. Despite threats to their own safety and their family members, they never backed down. I was impressed and in awe of their action. In the wizarding world, they are of age at 17; however, when compared to our world, they are just children and that was inspiring.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows also captured the value of friendship and love. I loved the relationship between Ron, Harry, and Hermione. There was a lot of angst and drama between the three of them in the forest; however, their friendship is the epitome of what friendships are meant to be. They loved one another, made sacrifices for each other, and never once considered letting Harry do any of this on his own.
I enjoyed the tale about the Deathly Hallows and enjoyed learning a little bit more about Dumbledore’s background. Even though he wasn’t physically present, Dumbledore was a major player in this book. I appreciate Rowling shedding light on his past and his many secrets. I think Arianna’s story is one of the saddest stories in the entire series. Even though it comes at the end of the series, it was such a devastating read.
I have to give Rowling credit for writing one of the most iconic antihero of our time. I’m vocal about my dislike for Snape, but I will admit Rowling did a wonderful job with Snape’s redemption arc. Personally, “always” does not excuse any of Snape’s behaviors; however, that redemption arc was well crafted. I don’t think the arc was enough for Harry to name his son after Snape though.
While I love this book, I think a third of the time our trio spent in the forest could have been cut and that the King’s Cross chapter was a little confusing. I still don’t quite understand the twin core explanation. I wasn’t satisfied with the explanation. I felt more confused than before; however, this is only a minor issue. As mentioned earlier, some of the casualties in this book were heartbreaking. Hedwig’s death felt unnecessary. I understood how Dobby’s death moved the plot forward, but it still hurt. I also understood why Rowling decided to kill Lupin and Tonks. She mentioned that it full circled the series by having another orphan child. I understand why, but WHY? Why? I’m sad about Lupin and Tonks not getting the opportunity to raise their child. I wish they had survived.
Overall, I enjoyed this book immensely and I enjoyed re-reading this series. I’m sad it’s over and I would love to see the wizarding world expanded to include a Marauders series or even a book or two about Dumbledore, the wizard whom Voldemort feared. We only saw glimpses of that great wizard. I would also love for this world to include characters of color with significant roles. Cho Chang returned; however, it was insignificant and she seemed to be a plot device. I would have liked to see more of this character in the series.
I’m happy Rowling created this world and I look forward to more re-reads. I’ll never stop loving this world.
Thanks for reading!
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