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A review by tomhardygirl
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling
5.0
My God …. there are hardly any adequate words to describe how I feel after this …
I will first begin with my praise for the Half–Blood Prince: in each way the Order of the Phoenix fell short, THBP staunchly stood its ground. It was fast and enticing and I moved through each chapter with the swiftness of a warm knife through cold butter. I was invigorated and enjoyed each moment; something I was unsure would continue after the disappointment of, in some ways, the fourth, and in most ways, the fifth book. Where I found the fifth instalment to be dull and unnecessarily lengthy, book six achieved the same familiarity of the wizarding world I have so fondly come to love, while remaining just as fresh and fun as the first three books (which are, consequently, just that).
I revered each blossoming relationship, each stolen moment with Dumbledore, the last year (I believe) where Hogwarts simply exists as Hogwarts—the same wonderfully magical place—or more distinctly put, home—Harry, and through him, I, always believed it to be. A place one would always be happy to return to. This book was just as magical and touching and brilliant as it needed to be, in all the ways that matter to someone who’s fallen helplessly in love with this world and all the people in it, for I expect things will get much worse before they are better. It is a nice cushion, despite the horrific end.
And the line: “he felt his heart lift at the thought that there was still one last golden day of peace left to enjoy with Ron and Hermione.” Ah that line! How important it is to have this last moment for Harry—Harry, who is no longer capable of being the child we once knew, the one he deserves to be, who instead must become a man without any further guidance from the adults he loved and must live up to a prophecy he never wanted to. None of it is fair, of course it isn’t, but how special it is that he still has Ron and Hermione with him. If he has no one, I should expect he will always have Ron and Hermione <3
But on the topic of loss: somehow, I was wholly unprepared for Dumbledore’s demise, despite having seen the last movies in theatres and generally knowing the basics of Harry Potter (though I am more than grateful these pockets of lost memory exist, entirely concealed and foggy and thus new to me. For me, this is as much a first love as any other series I read in my childhood, and I hold it just as dear, if not dearer). I truly, truly loved Dumbledore and spent the better part of an hour crying over his loss—my head still aches, my hand burning from all the annotated subtle professions of love from Dumbledore. To feel enough for a character to be so deeply affected by their departure, to care so much for the ongoings of a fictional world, is how I know I love something. It has, simply put: touched me.
So, while entirely nervous for the next (and last) book… I am excited to finally wrap up my journey and eventually return, just as fondly and wholly in love, if not more, again and again and again. I am terribly thankful I picked up these books; they make me feel perfectly childish again (and there is never anything I could want more then to be a child once again, bright and new).
Thank you, Dumbledore ❤️
I will first begin with my praise for the Half–Blood Prince: in each way the Order of the Phoenix fell short, THBP staunchly stood its ground. It was fast and enticing and I moved through each chapter with the swiftness of a warm knife through cold butter. I was invigorated and enjoyed each moment; something I was unsure would continue after the disappointment of, in some ways, the fourth, and in most ways, the fifth book. Where I found the fifth instalment to be dull and unnecessarily lengthy, book six achieved the same familiarity of the wizarding world I have so fondly come to love, while remaining just as fresh and fun as the first three books (which are, consequently, just that).
I revered each blossoming relationship, each stolen moment with Dumbledore, the last year (I believe) where Hogwarts simply exists as Hogwarts—the same wonderfully magical place—or more distinctly put, home—Harry, and through him, I, always believed it to be. A place one would always be happy to return to. This book was just as magical and touching and brilliant as it needed to be, in all the ways that matter to someone who’s fallen helplessly in love with this world and all the people in it, for I expect things will get much worse before they are better. It is a nice cushion, despite the horrific end.
And the line: “he felt his heart lift at the thought that there was still one last golden day of peace left to enjoy with Ron and Hermione.” Ah that line! How important it is to have this last moment for Harry—Harry, who is no longer capable of being the child we once knew, the one he deserves to be, who instead must become a man without any further guidance from the adults he loved and must live up to a prophecy he never wanted to. None of it is fair, of course it isn’t, but how special it is that he still has Ron and Hermione with him. If he has no one, I should expect he will always have Ron and Hermione <3
But on the topic of loss: somehow, I was wholly unprepared for Dumbledore’s demise, despite having seen the last movies in theatres and generally knowing the basics of Harry Potter (though I am more than grateful these pockets of lost memory exist, entirely concealed and foggy and thus new to me. For me, this is as much a first love as any other series I read in my childhood, and I hold it just as dear, if not dearer). I truly, truly loved Dumbledore and spent the better part of an hour crying over his loss—my head still aches, my hand burning from all the annotated subtle professions of love from Dumbledore. To feel enough for a character to be so deeply affected by their departure, to care so much for the ongoings of a fictional world, is how I know I love something. It has, simply put: touched me.
So, while entirely nervous for the next (and last) book… I am excited to finally wrap up my journey and eventually return, just as fondly and wholly in love, if not more, again and again and again. I am terribly thankful I picked up these books; they make me feel perfectly childish again (and there is never anything I could want more then to be a child once again, bright and new).
Thank you, Dumbledore ❤️