Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

What to say here?

I think I'm in a stage of my reading life where I'm not easily impressed by explosive endings but instead, I appreciate a balanced build-up from the start. Had I read this a couple of years ago I have no doubt I would've 5 stared it but now I think I cannot easily ignore how long and at times even boring this was.
Do I still like the classes and the magical school setting? No not really.
Do I like Quidditch and how Gryffindor takes those tight last minute wins? No not really.
I'll tell you what I wanted tho, I wanted more Neville, I wanted Harry dealing with depression and trauma and I wanted more plot and less romance.
Okay maybe not less romance but a different kind, a better character development to all ships and I say that bc I hated all ships! Even the very minor ones like Lupin's! I did like Bill's tho.

This was 600 pages guys, it's not a small book! So I am really wondering right now what happened in all these pages? Because I can only think of very few things that matter.
I think I would've liked more povs other than Harry's, I don't hate him but at this point I think I've seen most of him and not enough of the others. I even had enough of Ron and Hermione and didn't enjoy them in this, they kept bickering since book 3 and it's getting tiresome now.

I did really like Dumbeldor and Harry's sessions together, I liked Slughorn and Snape and Voldemort's past stories.

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Buddy read with Witch One? and Witch Too

“Let us step into the night and pursue that flighty temptress, adventure.”



JK Rowling's Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is one of my favorites! Lots of questions answered in this installment along with an amazing story! Enjoyed! Ready for the Deathly Hallows!

***Please note that this review may contain spoilers for the overall series, not just this book.***

I listened to the bulk of this book while I did some spring cleaning. It kept me company while I sorted through piles of books, moved furniture around, wiped down walls and shelves and vacuumed behind the heavy items that I only move twice a year. It took most of the day and by evening I was putting things back in their places, arms and back sore, crying quietly to myself as Dumbledore drank that potion. I'm sure it would have looked rather ridiculous if anyone had seen me!

Once again I was blown away by Stephen Fry's reading. I've reached a point now where I feel like his voice is more familiar to me than those of people I actually know. I'm quite sad that there is only one left, but I also can't wait to start it. There was a particular sense of sadness to this one, knowing that it is the last year where they are students at Hogwarts, though the trio themselves don't know it yet. I drank in every detail of day-to-day student life --- lessons, Quidditch, Peeves, the Fat Lady.
The first time I read the book I was completely floored by Harry's decision to not come back. There is something so heartbreaking about him having to leave behind the place he considers home a year early. The thought of Harry Potter without Hogwarts was incomprehensible. I had so been looking forward to their final year, and suddenly things had veered off completely. I still think it was brilliant of J.K. Rowling to do that.

The Felix Felicis chapter remains one of my favourites. I thought they did a great job with this in the film too, with Daniel Radcliffe demonstrating a talent for comedy that I hadn't anticipated, but as ever, in the book there is just so much more time to expand on things. Although I have always remembered that so much was cut away for the films, it's sometimes surprising to be reminded of just how much was left out. Ginny in the movies is... fine, and I think the actress did a good job with a small amount of screen time. But book Ginny is dynamic, smart, funny, talented -- a much better match for Harry, and I think their relationship works better in the books, makes more sense.
Also, while Ron still treats Hermione pretty poorly here, there is more nuance to it. In the films it's like a lot of his redeeming qualities have been stripped away, and he is dumbed down a lot too. He's smarter and more complex in the books and I do wish more of that had been kept on screen.

It's really Dumbledore though who feels so much more real in the books. I don't really know how to explain it, but there is just something about book Dumbledore that eclipses movie Dumbledore. I do think however, that his death scene in the film was beautifully shot and I pictured it similarly in my head as it happened in the book.
Sirius's death in the last book and Dumbledore's in this one really hit hard. I find myself genuinely missing them, as if they are actual people I have lost. Dumbledore's death is almost unbearable, and that realisation that I actually had faith in Snape, only for him let me down, is still jarring, even though I now know what is revealed in the final book. Actually, knowing the truth about Snape makes everything he has to do in this book even harder to read. It's all so brutal.

Also every sliver of information about Tom/Voldemort that we are given is almost uncomfortably fascinating. Why are villains so interesting?!

I'm counting down the days until my next Audible credit so I can start Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. It's going to be strange to not have another one to look forward to and go on with. I felt like that the first time I read the last book. However, the nice thing is I love rereading, and I'm able to do that as many times as I want, whether it's a physical copy or audio.

Updated 2023:
Seventh time listening to the Audible version!

“It is the unknown we fear when we look upon death and darkness, nothing more.”

As Harry Potter prepares for his battle against Lord Voldemort with the guidance of his headmaster and mentor, Albus Dumbledore, the backstory of the Dark Lord is revealed.

This book is a goddamn heartbreaker! I’ve become a big fan of listening to the Harry Potter audiobooks during my daily workout (Stephen Fry’s narration is FAULT-LESS) and there I was... bawling my eyes out during those final few chapters while getting on with my lunges and burpees... quite the sight, I’m sure!!

The first three novels just feel like a different story. It’s all so light-hearted and enjoyable, then we hit Goblet of Fire and from then on Rowling is just tightening her grip on our hearts and bringing the FEELS. This one in particular crushes me. I remember on my first read I was just so freakin’ SHOOK by the events towards the end. I’d love to say it’s easier when you know what’s coming, but it isn’t!!

I’ve seen complaints that nothing really happens in this book, but that’s almost what I love about it. It’s the build-up to the big finale, we’re learning about Voldemort’s backstory, we’re introduced to horcruxes... the fun is in the learning and the story progression!

And I simply adore that moment when Ron *sorry, WonWon* tells Hermione he loves her (yes it’s in a friendly manner but it just makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside) I honestly don’t even know if I fully ship Ron and Hermione, it’s conflicting for me - I think she could do better - but I still love this moment. And also when Ginny and Hermione have a little spat and both were quite sassy with each other.. I love it! However, I do not love how inferior Ginny is in the movies compared to Ginny in the books. RUDE.

I feel like my Harry Potter reviews are just word vomit! “I LOVED THIS. I hated that. This was so good.” and so forth... but I feel like Harry Potter just makes my brain go into overdrive and my excitement takes over. Apologies.

Love Half-Blood Prince. It definitely ranks very high for me in the series! 5 stars!

It seems like by now, everyone would realize they should listen to Harry..
Such a sad end :( I knew that was going to happen before starting the series, but didn't know when. It still got me in the feels, though.
The book as a whole was really fun and entertaining. I love the mystery and learning more about Voldemort. The romance drama was funny as well.
I can't wait to see what adventures the next book brings and how it all concludes..

Actual rating: 4.25 stars

This review and other non-spoilery reviews can be found @The Book Prescription

Why did Professor Snape stand in the middle of the road?
So you’ll never know which side he’s on!!

n  “It is the unknown we fear when we look upon death and darkness, nothing more.”n

This brought my right back to my 14-year old self, who was cooped up in bed, shedding tears for the first time over a book, because of the ending.
I remember how I lay in bed, I remember the sun shining through the blinds and how wounded I felt that we lost one of the greats.
This still remains my favourite in the series alongside Deathly Hallows.
I’m glad this series has resonated with me for so long, is still stuck with me and will continue to do so always.

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I read this many times when I was younger. But this is the first time I’m picking it back up in over a decade.



Buddy-reading with two questionable characters: Snape’s wife and his brother.

What stands out in book 6:

* The introduction of the Horcrux.
* Molly Weasley asking Arthur Weasley about his "dearest ambition." Rowling has always been great at revealing little intriguing bits about her characters at a time, and Arthur’s answer "to find out how airplanes stay up" reminds us about his obsession with Muggles.
* Harry's private lessons with Dumbledore, and more time spent with the fascinating and dangerous pensieve, arguably one of Rowling’s most ingenious inventions.
* Fred and George Weasley’s Joke Shop, and the slogan: "Why Are You Worrying About You-Know-Who? You Should Be Worrying About U-NO-POO--the Constipation Sensation That's Gripping the Nation!"
* Luna's Quidditch commentary. Rowling created scores of Luna Lovegood fans with hilarious and bizarre commentary from the most unlikely Quidditch commentator.
* The effects of Felix Felicis.
* We get a fascinating view of the history of Tom Riddle.
* The major question of the book: Whose side is Snape really on?

Amazon Review:
The long-awaited, eagerly anticipated, arguably over-hyped Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince has arrived, and the question on the minds of kids, adults, fans, and skeptics alike is, "Is it worth the hype?" The answer, luckily, is simple: yep. A magnificent spectacle more than worth the price of admission, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince will blow you away. However, given that so much has gone into protecting the secrets of the book (including armored trucks and injunctions), don't expect any spoilers in this review. It's much more fun not knowing what's coming--and in the case of Rowling's delicious sixth book, you don't want to know. Just sit tight, despite the earth-shattering revelations that will have your head in your hands as you hope the words will rearrange themselves into a different story. But take one warning to heart: do not open Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince until you have first found a secluded spot, safe from curious eyes, where you can tuck in for a good long read. Because once you start, you won't stop until you reach the very last page.
A darker book than any in the series thus far with a level of sophistication belying its genre, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince moves the series into murkier waters and marks the arrival of Rowling onto the adult literary scene. While she has long been praised for her cleverness and wit, the strength of Book 6 lies in her subtle development of key characters, as well as her carefully nuanced depiction of a community at war. In Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, no one and nothing is safe, including preconceived notions of good and evil and of right and wrong. With each book in her increasingly remarkable series, fans have nervously watched J.K. Rowling raise the stakes; gone are the simple delights of butterbeer and enchanted candy, and days when the worst ailment could be cured by a bite of chocolate. A series that began as a colorful lark full of magic and discovery has become a dark and deadly war zone. But this should not come as a shock to loyal readers. Rowling readied fans with Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by killing off popular characters and engaging the young students in battle. Still, there is an unexpected bleakness from the start of Book 6 that casts a mean shadow over Quidditch games, silly flirtations, and mountains of homework. Ready or not, the tremendous ending of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince will leave stunned fans wondering what great and terrible events await in Book 7 if this sinister darkness is meant to light the way.