Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
J.K. Rowling
I'm breathless. J.K. Rowling has penned a thrilling climax to her series, even if it lolls a bit in the middle, and mixes the unexpected with the unheard-of to create a moving finale that is a tribute to her perseverance and the immense complexity of the world she has created. I was most pleasantly surprised both when things turned out to be exactly as I predicted and when they were entirely distinct. It would take a very keen reader to collect all the clues before reading this final installment, but at the same time there is sufficient cause to recall old facts, cast aside, that suddenly become relevant. All of the major questions are answered satisfactorily, and the final end comes as it should without compromising Rowling's values or the power of her writing.
As a book in and of itself, it takes a really long time to pick up. The beginning is only mildly exciting, and though there is a most touching scene with the Dursleys the book takes a long time to get where it needs to go. The middle could be greatly trimmed and not suffer too much- readers accustomed to the quick pace of clue hunting and gradual unraveling of mysteries will be frustrated. There is, however, a great reward at the end of the journey, and readers who stick it out can easily forgive. The last third or so of the book contains all of the smash-bang action we could possibly hope for, with magical surprises and non-magical daring overflowing. The book rises to a thrusting, pulsing climax which involves pieces of magic as yet unseen. Or perhaps the answers have been in front of us now along.
Grade: A
J.K. Rowling
I'm breathless. J.K. Rowling has penned a thrilling climax to her series, even if it lolls a bit in the middle, and mixes the unexpected with the unheard-of to create a moving finale that is a tribute to her perseverance and the immense complexity of the world she has created. I was most pleasantly surprised both when things turned out to be exactly as I predicted and when they were entirely distinct. It would take a very keen reader to collect all the clues before reading this final installment, but at the same time there is sufficient cause to recall old facts, cast aside, that suddenly become relevant. All of the major questions are answered satisfactorily, and the final end comes as it should without compromising Rowling's values or the power of her writing.
As a book in and of itself, it takes a really long time to pick up. The beginning is only mildly exciting, and though there is a most touching scene with the Dursleys the book takes a long time to get where it needs to go. The middle could be greatly trimmed and not suffer too much- readers accustomed to the quick pace of clue hunting and gradual unraveling of mysteries will be frustrated. There is, however, a great reward at the end of the journey, and readers who stick it out can easily forgive. The last third or so of the book contains all of the smash-bang action we could possibly hope for, with magical surprises and non-magical daring overflowing. The book rises to a thrusting, pulsing climax which involves pieces of magic as yet unseen. Or perhaps the answers have been in front of us now along.
Grade: A
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