This was better than I expected, but perhaps by then I wasn’t expecting much. There are some scenes in it that seem implausible. I haven’t felt motivated to reread it. ( )

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. ( )

2007 Andre Norton Award Winner
2008 Mythopoeic Fantasy Award for Children’s Literature (for the series)

A lot of time spent in tents...

...but oh, Snape!

"Always."

;______;

And yes, the grief journey coming full-circle... the scar doesn't hurt anymore. ;_; ( )

Rowling has encountered a lot of criticism for the complex and increasingly mature plot that Harry Potter has become. The book is very clearly meant to depict a war, clearly violent, and not without loss. The war itself is not just against a generic "evil" but also an evil that is based off of prejudice and hatred. During the course of the book, Voldemort's forces murder and destroy, but they also repress free speech, torment, torture, and capture the "muggle-born" or non-wizarding members of the community. Though the book sometimes feels like a series of sucker punches as character after character is killed resisting Voldemort, Harry learns a lot about himself and other characters, even those that were lost in previous novels (such as Harry's mentor, Dumbledore). Rowling's finale is triumphant, moving and satisfying. ( )

reread ( )