Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. (Harry Potter #7) J.K. Rowling. 2007. 759 pages. [Source: Library] [4 stars] [YA speculative fiction]
First sentence: The two men appeared out of nowhere, a few yards apart in the narrow, moonlit lane. For a second they stood quite still, wands directed at each other's chests; then, recognizing each other, they stowed their wands beneath their cloaks and started walking briskly in the same direction.
Premise/plot: Harry Potter is on his final
quest(s) in this final fantasy novel starring Harry Potter and company.
(In particular, Ron and Hermione are his companions for most of the
novel.) He is preparing day and night (night and day) for that final
battle, the big showdown. He's also trying to decipher (uncover,
discover) the mysteries of Dumbledore. There's so much he doesn't know,
and he's still grieving the loss of his mentor.
My thoughts: This was my SECOND time to read the series. I will say I don't do the absolute best with super-intense action sequences. I more anxiously skim than stay present in the moment. I thought a reread would slow me down so I could appreciate everything more--especially towards the end. But even though I knew how things ended up, I just couldn't handle it!
When I read the series the first time, I wasn't sure I would ever revisit the series. I did decide to reread and I am so glad I did. I can't say the series will ever be at the top of my favorite series. But I do feel like I better grasp the characters and the story. There were things I noticed the second time around that I didn't quite appreciate or get the first time around. I would imagine the more times you read the books, the more you notice the small things. Also little things might become quite meaningful to you.
Will I read the series a third time? Only time will tell. Maybe. Maybe not. I still don't own the books. There are so many other series books that I would love to read--some would be new-to-me series, and some would be rereads. So I may not get to it again for a while--if at all.
This last book is quite different from the others in the series. But that is okay--this series grew with its original audience which is nice.
© 2024 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews
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