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A review by saruh_12
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling
4.0
I like this book so much. I swear that every time I read it, I forget how much I like it and then Dumbledore shows up and I start to remember. JK Rowling has shown that she's a master story teller from the beginning, but I feel like this is the first book of the series that feels really grown up, which I suppose is appropriate now that the trio are sixteen and seventeen.
I love that Harry and Ron have grown into these sass-filled teenaged boys. Harry has developed his sass over the past few books, but Ron's "Excuse me, are you the imprint of a departed soul?" cracks me up every time. I love the deepening friendship between Harry, Ron, and Hermione. Dumbledore's encouragement to share his burden with them and they way they accept and help once he does is really moving. And the final scene between the three of them as they prepare to leave at the end of the year made... my allergies get really bad. It was weird.
Another favorite from this book is the increased amount of Dumbledore. Now that he's finally taken Harry into confidence, I really enjoy all the time they spend together (and grow increasingly amused at the number of random people who deliver Harry scrolls. I like imagining Dumbledore bopping around the castle to find random people to take Harry a message). And yet, I wish he had told Harry more. I wish he had let him in a bit more on what he knew - about everything - but also about what he felt about Harry. I hate that there's so much left unsaid between them.
The addition of the Slug Club and Professor Slughorn also makes this book great for me. I like seeing Harry actually enjoying and doing well in potions (I suspect he would have done well even without the Half-Blood Prince's book, seeing as how he managed to earn an E under Snape's instruction), and I regret that other students - like Neville, for example - missed that opportunity.
The only thing that takes away from this book (and tends to dominate my memory of the book, unfortunately) are the teen romances. I get it, teenagers are basically meat sacks of hormones. They are into each other, and they don't always pick the best partners. But the random, out-of-nowhere nature of Harry's jealousy annoyed me, though not as much as Hermione's just... utter vindictiveness over Ron dating Lavender. It doesn't fit with her character. It doesn't make sense, considering her reaction to Ron's reaction to her relationship with Krum. The whole thing doesn't sit right with me, and it kind of ruins that middle part of the book for me.
In the future, though, I'm going to try to put that part of the book out of my mind and focus on the great things about the story, which are many. Then maybe next time I won't be quite as reluctant to reach this part of the story.
I love that Harry and Ron have grown into these sass-filled teenaged boys. Harry has developed his sass over the past few books, but Ron's "Excuse me, are you the imprint of a departed soul?" cracks me up every time. I love the deepening friendship between Harry, Ron, and Hermione. Dumbledore's encouragement to share his burden with them and they way they accept and help once he does is really moving. And the final scene between the three of them as they prepare to leave at the end of the year made... my allergies get really bad. It was weird.
Another favorite from this book is the increased amount of Dumbledore. Now that he's finally taken Harry into confidence, I really enjoy all the time they spend together (and grow increasingly amused at the number of random people who deliver Harry scrolls. I like imagining Dumbledore bopping around the castle to find random people to take Harry a message). And yet, I wish he had told Harry more. I wish he had let him in a bit more on what he knew - about everything - but also about what he felt about Harry. I hate that there's so much left unsaid between them.
The addition of the Slug Club and Professor Slughorn also makes this book great for me. I like seeing Harry actually enjoying and doing well in potions (I suspect he would have done well even without the Half-Blood Prince's book, seeing as how he managed to earn an E under Snape's instruction), and I regret that other students - like Neville, for example - missed that opportunity.
The only thing that takes away from this book (and tends to dominate my memory of the book, unfortunately) are the teen romances. I get it, teenagers are basically meat sacks of hormones. They are into each other, and they don't always pick the best partners. But the random, out-of-nowhere nature of Harry's jealousy annoyed me, though not as much as Hermione's just... utter vindictiveness over Ron dating Lavender. It doesn't fit with her character. It doesn't make sense, considering her reaction to Ron's reaction to her relationship with Krum. The whole thing doesn't sit right with me, and it kind of ruins that middle part of the book for me.
In the future, though, I'm going to try to put that part of the book out of my mind and focus on the great things about the story, which are many. Then maybe next time I won't be quite as reluctant to reach this part of the story.