hlawona99's review against another edition
5.0
This a my 7th time going into this world and it never gets dull. Harry is thrust into living with his abusive aunt and uncle, when his parents are killed by Lord Voldemort. I will continue to revisit the wizarding world for the rest of my life.
cleanupferret27's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
The beginning of my magical journey into the wizarding world. A very easy to read first book to entice you in. One of the best books I have red. A story not just about discovering a whole new world and exploring your own identity, but a book of developing friendships and embracing a journey together. Aside from that, the Philosopher's Stone is a very exciting beginning, a book I have red many times and likely will read again.
punkystarshine's review against another edition
5.0
SO MANY FEELINGS. I was smiling like a buffoon by the end of this book. Some things I totally remembered but still got overwhelmed with joy, some things I totally forgot and they nearly killed me with happiness. Merlin's beard, I love these books.
cms_books's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
london_mara's review against another edition
5.0
No matter how many times I read this book I will never stop loving it with all my heart!
redrose97's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
tiffwaffles's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Had I been a reviewer when I was a young child, I would have rated this book a glowing five stars- but even though I am coming here as a reader who loves Harry Potter and always reads the books, I have to put this at a four star rating.
I loved the story well enough but sometimes I feel that J.K. Rowling could have done a lot more to introduce her characters and write an engaging story. Still, Philosopher's Stone is the start of the Harry Potter series where she took her time building up the story and her characters. There is a huge part of me that wishes that this book was a little longer- but maybe that's just my personal opinion.
To be honest, I got this edition because of the illustrations by Jim Kay. I am a little sad that he's decided to step down as the artist after the fifth book was released last year- but it's understandable that he's made the decision to focus on himself and his health. The illustrations of these editions are absolutely gorgeous and do wonders to bring Harry Potter and his world to life.
Just a word of caution to those looking into getting the paperback versions of these specific illustrated editions. Since they are smaller than the hardbacks, the publisher made the decision to cut out quite a few of the illustrations. They are still nice and I've got the paperback version of this exact same edition on hand since I like loaning it out to my friends- but it does come with its drawbacks of not having all of the illustrations like the hardcovers do.
I loved the story well enough but sometimes I feel that J.K. Rowling could have done a lot more to introduce her characters and write an engaging story. Still, Philosopher's Stone is the start of the Harry Potter series where she took her time building up the story and her characters. There is a huge part of me that wishes that this book was a little longer- but maybe that's just my personal opinion.
To be honest, I got this edition because of the illustrations by Jim Kay. I am a little sad that he's decided to step down as the artist after the fifth book was released last year- but it's understandable that he's made the decision to focus on himself and his health. The illustrations of these editions are absolutely gorgeous and do wonders to bring Harry Potter and his world to life.
Just a word of caution to those looking into getting the paperback versions of these specific illustrated editions. Since they are smaller than the hardbacks, the publisher made the decision to cut out quite a few of the illustrations. They are still nice and I've got the paperback version of this exact same edition on hand since I like loaning it out to my friends- but it does come with its drawbacks of not having all of the illustrations like the hardcovers do.
lunar_lapis's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0