Reviews with content warning for Animal death - Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

A spectacular debut. An 11 year old boy begins receiving these letters that seem to be from no one, except for a label on the back, but his Guardians refuse to let him read the letter, let alone see it except for when he watches them being destroyed. Eventually, going to great lengths for prevent him seeing these letters and more and more copies begin showing up wherever they go, Harry finally gets his letter and reads that he has been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Through a story line that bridges gaps in his knowledge about his parents, meeting new people and starting his education, he finds himself, along with his friend Ron, and eventually Hermione, in the discovery that the scar on his forehead isn't an ordinary cut from some childhood accident or something of the like.

Together, they must do all they can to prevent a very special stone from falling into the wrong hands, even if it means placing themselves in harms way to do so.

Edit 1-21-23: I've read this multiple times now, including the original British release. What's interesting is that this was written almost as if someone were recalling a story they were told or recalling events they witnessed. The other books in this series, if memory serves, are written differently, with more description and characters say a lot more. I still find this to be a great first book and a great introductory book for the story. 5 stars.

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fatfrog's review against another edition

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adventurous lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

5.0

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myaphrodiite's review against another edition

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adventurous lighthearted mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

this book is an enthralling start to harry’s journey in the magical wizarding world. harry is a young boy who could only dream of pure happiness, this is because of the treatment his adoptive family gives him.

on his 11th birthday harry discovers something he couldn’t even imagine and this is where his long adventure begins.

this book is pure magic on pages and a book everyone has to read in their life. even as an older teen this book still holds the same magic that it did when i was eleven myself.

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divine529's review against another edition

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adventurous inspiring lighthearted mysterious reflective relaxing medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

This is a book and series I'll always love. This reread was no different, but this time I read the illustrated edition.

I won't deny that I've been hesitant to read the illustrated edition of this because growing up with this, I have certain ideas of what characters look like and ways I imagine the world, but let me just say that this enhanced that love. Every version I've experienced of this just adds to my vision and understanding of it all.

Since this is the illustrated edition, I'm primarily going to focus on talking about the artwork this reread. Jim Kay did an absolutely phenomenal job illustrating everything. I adored his work, even if it didn't always match my own version in my head or what we've all seen in the movies. I saw a documentary and I've read several articles about the work he did and pressure he felt with this project and it's astounding. He made sure to get all the details right and you can see the research on the page. I know he was concerned about ruining the series with his illustrations, but really, as I've already mentioned, it enhanced it and gave me a different experience.

I definitely enjoyed this and I'll be curious to check out the other books in the future.

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orchidlilly's review against another edition

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adventurous lighthearted mysterious relaxing 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

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ellaticonstellation's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted mysterious reflective relaxing sad tense fast-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? It's complicated

5.0

This was the first time I read a Harry Potter book, even though it had been out for over 20 years. I loved it. It was funny and exciting! There were no dull moments at all. I wouldn't say I liked the Dursleys for obvious reasons, especially the bullying bit of everyone in the family. Harry, Ron, and Hermione's friendship were top-notch. I also love that Hermione's view changed throughout the story, and she befriended the boys. Their unity was commendable, and their friendship; was heartwarming. I liked that Albus Dumbledore was also chill and funny; with his look, he would be mistaken as uptight, but not at all. Hagrid, you sweet giant, bless your heart. Let's go, Gryffindor! And hey, Draco, even if you're meant to be the villain, you had your moments. Neville, damn boy. You improved a lot. Quirrel, I had a feeling about you, and you turned out to be with the dark forces. Damn. Overall, a good read. The audiobook narration added intensity; I commend the narrator as well. (I read this on my Kindle) I also liked that everything had a purpose, like a flute and chess, etc. Good one, JK✨

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