Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J. K. Rowling

Format: Book

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

My review

I finished reading Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Book 6) about three or four weeks ago. However, due to a heavy editing schedule I had at the time I was unable to write a review of the book...until now.

With over 600 pages, the book is much longer than those I usually read. Having a short attention span, and because I read frustratingly slow, I prefer to stick with thinner books because I feel as if I’m accomplishing something when I finish reading them. So, I get that happy feeling more often with thin books. I never used to be like that. In my younger, more aware days I would only buy extra thick books because I felt I was getting my moneys worth. How things change.

Anyway, back to Harry Potter 6, I have to say that the story kept me intrigued from the beginning. I was carried from chapter to chapter with ease and, of course, the well known characters and well defined plot had a lot to do with this.

Right, if you haven’t read the book, then I strongly advise you to stop reading this post right NOW!!

Spoilers follow, so if you haven't read the book and you learn something here that you didn't want to know - you've been warned.

Now I can get into the juice of this book. Whilst I really did enjoy it, I was totally disappointed with Dumbledore’s death. It wasn’t so much that he died (that alone did upset me though), it was how he died. He was meant to be a great wizard, and he was killed without the big battle I would have expected from such an important character. I realise Dumbledore had already consumed all that liquid from the bowl in the cave, which made him weak, but still…it felt totally wrong. He should have gone out in glory, but no...it makes me so angry.

I can’t say I’m surprised that Snape was the one who killed Dumbledore. I am, however, left feeling confused as to which side Snape is really on. Of course, that is the author’s intention. I believe she wants us to finally conclude that Snape is bad, but the events will continue to unravel and show Snape to be good in the end. The fact that Snape killed Dumbledore is hard to get around. Dumbledore pleading with Snape is still clear in my mind. But, on the other hand, Dumbledore trusted Snape 100% and I somehow can’t accept Dumbledore being wrong in that judgement. To be honest, if it turns out Snape is actually on Harry’s side, there better be an extremely good reason for Dumbledore’s death.

I am also unhappy about the hint that the seventh book will be taken away from Hogwarts. A friend said “Hogwarts is as much a main character as Harry is” and I agree totally. The school, the teachers, the other students, even the quidditch (which I hate reading about and won’t miss for a second) are combined to make the books what they are. To take the final year of the story away from all that is wrong. Besides, should books that are read by the millions of school aged children and young adults be allowed to promote leaving school early? Definitely not.

And lastly, the romance between Harry and Ginny – it was the one thing I really did not like throughout the entire book. It happened too suddenly and, although Ginny “liked” Harry from the start of the series, the romance didn’t sit right with me. It felt rushed and convenient. Some people think Hermione is more Harry’s type. Perhaps she is, but if she ends up with Harry instead of Ron, I’ll be bitterly disappointed.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Book 7) will be in book stores in mid-July. I deliberately read book 6 now so that the details would be clear in my mind when I started reading book 7. Imagine all those people who read book 6 two years ago having to wait all this time to find out what happens next.

Have you read book 6? What did you think? What are your thoughts?