Harry Potter is sweet 16. We sure see his growth. He’s definitely all-teenager with girl crushes & spats....but his anger has dropped away since the last book. He’s matured -spreading his wiseness-wings into an inspiring mensch-wizard-teenager.
He’s the only wizard to have survived the killing curse - defying Voldemort’s rage & revenge. As “the chosen one”, Harry prepares to face his destiny with more insight, and shrewdness than we’ve seen from him until now.

This is one of my favorites in the series - ( book 3 is my VERY FAVORITE)...There is still lots of thrilling adventure but getting the backstory on Voldemort’s past was interesting as well....( which filled in holes while creating new questions).

The last few chapters were intense .....the ending surprising & very sad. It’s ‘this’ book that made me wonder — did J.K. Rowling have all 7 books pre-planned ‘before’ she wrote her first book? Hm???

alternate title - Voldemort: A History

Seriously though, this is by far one of my favorite books in the Harry Potter series. It's probably #3 out of the seven books.

I enjoyed it so much because it was so info-dumpy. Now, info-dumpy books can be enjoyable if they're written well (this one was). I think the reason I, and many others, wasn't bored with this book is because, in spite of the fact that most of it was backstory, there was still a main plot and a main mystery that each Harry Potter book always features.

I also love that Dumbledore is so up close and personal in this book because as a I reader I look up to Dumbledore and Harry looks up to him to and there is just so much heartwarming looking upping.

There is one thing I want to note. If you've read the book (or if you know anything about Harry Potter) you know what I'm talking about. I am so sad. It hurts to read that scene and it hurts to think about it. much sad.

Overall, this book was very informative and, although some may not enjoy it as much as the others, it is definitely worth a read.

➵ Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone - ★★★★☆
➵ Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets - ★★★★★
➵ Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban - ★★★★☆
➵ Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - ★★★★☆
➵ Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoneix - ★★★★★
➵ Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - ★★★★★
➵ Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallow - ★★★★★

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Another wonderful installment in this fantastic series!
J.K. Rowling's writing style continues to blow me away. The way she writes is just so easy to read and always makes me feel super "comfortable" in the world she created. And what a wonderful world that is! My love for each character grows bigger and bigger with every book. Their development is very well done - it's realistic and believable.

This book explores a lot of Lord Voldemort's past, which was great, because you learn so many things that make this character even more interesting. The way these flashback scenes were integrated was so well done and perfectly fit into the story. I also found the overall concept of the Half-Blood Prince very nice.
My most favorite thing about this book has to be Draco's arc and storyline, though. He is one of my top fictional characters ever created, and to see him playing such a huge role made me incredibly happy.

There is just one little thing I've got to complain about: Harry's and Ginny's devoloping relationship. I just don't see it?? I don't know, I just feel like Harry's feelings came out of nowhere. For a while I was even wondering if Ginny slipped some Love Potion into one of his drinks...
Ron and Hermione on the other hand...

Damn those last few chapters made me cry a little too much :((

This is, hands down, my favorite book of the series. I will make no apologies. I will not even really write a proper review, because who doesn't know this book at this point? I will, however, tell you exactly n  whyn this is my favorite book of the series.

In Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Dumbledore finally decides that it is time to teach Harry everything he knows about Voldemort so that Harry can eventually defeat him. But Dumbledore knows Harry well, and he knows his faults and weaknesses. Enter Harry's two best friends, Ron and Hermione. You guys, this book is about the power of friendship.

Tom Riddle has always worked alone, friendless and self-sufficient. He trusts no one and has no sense of obligation, even to his loyal followers. They are disposable. He has no one to tell him that his ideas suck, or that he is going about things the wrong way, or that his ideas n  really reallyn suck, and he wouldn't listen to them if he did.

In contrast, since Dumbledore understands that Harry's faults and weakness are made up for by his two friends, he encourages Harry to share everything he learns with them. Hermione is exceptionally brilliant and cautious, while Ron is brave and has tons of practical common sense. Hermione and Ron help balance out Harry's often reckless, undisciplined, how-I-feel-at-this-moment-is-all-that-matters brain. They have learned to rely on each other and listen even if they don't always agree. This has created a very strong bond of fierce loyalty, responsibility, and obligation.

Even Ron and Hermione's constant skepticism of Harry's ideas throughout this book is an indication of how great this friendship is. As seen in books 1-5, Harry's ideas are sometimes right and sometimes horribly, horribly wrong. These friends don't take "the chosen one" at his word. They challenge him and question him. They aren't just along for the ride. They are in it to freaking win it. Together.

But how difficult is it when, in a group of 3, person 1 and 2 start falling for each other and person 3 starts falling for the sister of person 1? Ugh, teenage hormones. The friendship and support Harry has always had through all the terrible things and difficult tasks are suddenly at risk. Watching them work this out is cringe-worthy but oh so true.

As the book progresses, it becomes increasingly apparent that defeating Voldemort will be an exceptionally difficult task. However, it has been emphasized over and over again throughout the entire series that it will take teamwork to rid the world of evil. In The Sorcerer's Stone, none of the 3 by themselves could have made it through each of the tasks leading up to finding the stone. In The Chamber of Secrets, each of them again played an important role in destroying the first horcrux (which didn't die easily, by the way), along with the crucial assistance of a phoenix and a hat. In The Prisoner of Azkaban, what in the world would have happened if any of the 3 had not taken part? In The Goblet of Fire, Harry would have never gotten through the tournament if the others hadn't help him learn the necessary skills. In The Order of the Phoenix, Harry would have died for sure in the Dept of Mysteries without the D.A. And in this book, we find that Dumbledore himself acted rashly with the second horcrux (which also didn't die easily, by the way), and that this man, perhaps the greatest wizard who ever lived, couldn't have retrieved horcrux #3 without a second person being there to help.

When Harry realizes what he has to do at the end of the book, Ron and Hermione quickly, calmly, and unselfishly insist that they will leave their families and their education and go with him whether he likes it or not. Harry sets out on this nearly impossible task with no army except his two soulmates, which might give him a fighting chance against a man with an army of evil but no soul.

***WARNING: This review will contain spoilers that will not be marked so if you haven’t read this book then I don’t recommend you read my review. I don’t usually write reviews like this where I talk less about how good the book is but more about what goes on in the plot***

**Also this was a re-read for me**

This book was so much better than I expected. I cannot remember enjoying this book as much as I did now. I actually thought this was one of my least favorite in the series but now I’ve realized that it’s actually one of my favorites. I liked this book much more than the fifth and read it much faster. I have no idea why but I found many parts in this book funny. I laughed a lot more than usual when I read Harry Potter books. This book was perfect and amazing in every way possible.

My second favorite character in the series is Draco and in this book, I felt so bad for him. He probably wouldn’t have gone off to the dark side if his dad wasn't there first. It was obvious that he and his mother didn’t want to follow Voldemort. When he hesitated to kill Dumbledore and was considering taking his offer of leaving the dark side I felt so bad for him. Also in the bathroom when he was crying really made me feel sorry for him because I don’t think he would be all rude and mean if it wasn’t for his parents and the way he was brought up.

Harry and Ginny. To me, they should have never been a thing. I have always hated Ginny and the fact that Harry starts to like her annoys me so much. I hated her from the beginning and I have no idea why. I always wanted Harry with Hermione and not with Ron but my ships always crash. But then again Hermione is way too smart for Harry and Ron. Harry being with Ginny slightly rubbed off on me after re-reading this book, but keyword being slightly. Although, I still don’t like Ginny and I don’t think I ever will. I always disliked her since the beginning and I also don't think I will be completely okay with them together.

This book proves that Harry Potter is an idiot and there was a reason he was never put in Ravenclaw. I mentioned this in my review of the first book but one day my friend and I were talking about HP and she told about how Harry is so dumb. First of all, Snape has been teaching him for 5 years. 5 YEARS yet Harry wasn’t able to recognize his handwriting. I cannot understand how Harry could not pick it up. I mean Snape had been his teacher for 5 years and was writing in front of them yet Harry couldn't put two and two together. Hermione probably could have figured it out but she never read the book. Does he not pay attention at all? I mean you’d have to never listen or read anything in class to not pick it up.

After he finds this book, which has spells written around it, he thinks it's perfectly fine to start using them. This book obviously belonged to someone who was a dark wizard but yet he sees these spells and thinks ‘oh nothing bad should happen I mean this book only was written by someone who was interested in the darks arts’. Then he decides to test a spell on Draco and he doesn’t even know what the spell does. I get Draco was trying to torture him with the Cruciatus Curse but there are still other spells he could have used to stop him. Then he tries to convince Snape that his nickname is Roonil Wazlib. Obviously, Snape won't fall for that. Don’t get me wrong I love this series and I do like Harry but he is so stupid.

I enjoyed this book a lot and found it really funny. I feel like reading this book made me love the series more and I’m not sure if that was even possible. I wish after finishing the series I can erase my mind and re-read the series. I am so excited to carry on even though I know what happens next. I want to wait for a little before carrying on to the last book because I don't want to finish re-reading the series. I don’t want it to end becuase I’m so obsessed with this series!!!

Reread 2022: Again, I listened to the audio via my library for my insomnia. I don't support or share JK Rowling's views. Trans women are women.

My favourite book of the series. I love how it ties so neatly with Chamber of Secrets, all the little references and backstory to support the Horcrux theory. I particularly loved the interactions between Harry and Dumbledore, who seems to approach Harry with something other than just a boy who needs protecting. He's finally privy to Dumbledores secrets and suspicions, and is treated like an equal. I love the Voldemort back story (I hate that they missed everything regarding Merope out in the movies). Merope is such a pitiful figure - abused ruthlessly by her father and brother, woefully neglected to the point that her whole life seems worthless. Is it any wonder she escaped at the first opportunity and essentially gave into her fantasy of a loving, caring family?

I still cry every time at that ending too. It's a good set up for the final novel, as we see Harry and co. branch out on their own. There's no one to protect Harry anymore.

《 Reread 》

There are few feelings as amazing as rereading books that you adored as a kid

A beautiful book with an end that made me cry!

2018 REREAD: I really, really enjoyed rereading this book and feel like I even loved it a little more than my younger self did. It’s actually been a few years since I’ve last reread the HP books and I still remember e.g. that I didn’t really enjoy the flashbacks in the pensieve the other times I’ve read this book and wasn’t actually that interested in learning more about Tom Riddle. But this time around, those were actually some of my favorite scenes; it’s funny how your opinion on some things changes as you grow older. One thing that hasn’t changed though, is the fact that the ending once again made me very emotional!

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Just as was the case at the beginning of the theatrical Transformers: the Movie (released in 1986), it was the year 2005. We had learned that Gwen Stefani, contrary to what you may have heard, was not, in fact, a hollaback girl; Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie kind of had crushes on each other based on their smoldering chemistry in Mr. and Mrs. Smith, portending not-so-good things for America’s sweetheart and favorite Friend Jennifer Aniston; and “crunk” was a real word and an actual thing that you could look up in the dictionary.

About a week before the highly anticipated July release of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, perhaps the biggest book release of all time (well, until Deathly Hallows dropped), the day began like any other. I strolled to work with the sickly sweet smell of baking garbage assaulting me as I rocked out to tunes on my Discman (yes, even then, I was technologically behind the times). I sat at my desk and appeared to work diligently in my capacity as a marketing and sales-type person at a commercial publisher in Manhattan. The day proceeded normally: I pretended to work, the publisher pretended to pay me, and everyone was fine. Then, a colleague in the next cubicle received a call from a contact of hers at Scholastic. The pretext for the call was professional—coordinating distribution of a book that we were handling—but soon moved onto the publishing topic du jour: the forthcoming publication—from Scholastic, of course, of Half-Blood Prince.

Here’s the conversation, as I heard it from my end:

“You already have a copy?!”

Pause.

“Wow. Have you already read…you have?”

Pause.

“DUMBLEDORE DIES?!”

And that, dear friends, is how I came to know the climactic event of this legendary tome a week before it arrived at my house, and my reaction, and that of other nearby colleagues, can be best summed up by three words that rhyme with “druther plucking brass pole.”

That notwithstanding, this remains a poignantly affecting chapter in the saga, one that’s hard to read without simultaneously mourning the fallen and lamenting the lost innocence of characters we’ve watched grow so much.

Still, could have used more Fred and George. Then again, so can everything. Except maybe my wedding night.

Well, no, even that would have been enhanced by them.

Dark and emotional, with war coming into the wizarding world for real. Besides a very impactful death near the end of the book, also teenage love and obsession take a prominent place
Voldemort created his own worst enemy, like tyrants always do

A very enjoyable reread, with much more background on Voldemort and his devices. Some observations:
- Interesting how Narcissa her love for Draco already is so similar to the love Harry his mother felt for him.
- That Inferni are introduced back in chapter 3, was something I didn’t notice before.
- Shall we assume... - Dumbledore his conversation style is very useful, even for real life as well
- Slughorn his club of special students and extracurricular activities are very realistic compared to the earlier lack of focus on careers in the series.
- How did Ron ever became a prefect? As Nearly Neckless Nick says: Once again you show all the sensitivity of a blunt axe
- Rowling is such a good winter writer, I felt in the middle of snow again in this book.
- Dumbledore says people find it far easier to forgive others for being wrong than being right. He should have a book of aphorisms and sas.
- There is no need to call me sir, professor. No wonder Snape hates Harry. And I need more Snape teaching Defense against the Dark Arts
- Hermione sabotaging Ron his Quidditch rival

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Grab this beauty of a book cover that I'm selling on my depop here, created by cover illustrator Jonny Dudley, who I commend for taking one of the most painful moments in the book and creating such lovely artwork out of it.

n  “Parry Otter, the Chosen Boy Who — well — something of that sort.”n  
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This reread of n  Harry Potter and The Half-Blood Prince - nthe last book in my minimal book collection - came as a saving grace during the many (many) holidays of Tishri. The stillness that accompanies sitting with your own thoughts during the countless rest days is painstakingly growing on me, so I needed something to look forward to, other than the many family-talks speculating about what's ahead.

I'm giving myself permission to sidetrack first into a bit of a backstory, given that this book did the same with its rather long "Previously on Harry Potter" starting point, catching the reader up on the 411.

Back in late 2014 - THE year I started reading Harry Potter for the first time and the same year I promised myself I'd finish the series - I made the hefty mistake of picking up the fifth book, n  n    Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenixn  n, from the library on its own right before Hanukkah, meaning that the sequel wouldn't be available for another week. I then dutifully devoured the fifth book by day two and convinced my mom that the only thing I wanted, nay needed, was the sequel, which I promptly completed in time to take the finale from the library.

(Spoilers: I finished the series with two days to spare of 2014 in which I also finished To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before to provide me some of that lightheartedness, as I mention in my review.)

I personally had a rocky start with reading the series. The first book took me multiple times to pick up and complete; it took me months of what I usually read within a week. I remember now really getting into the series with the fourth and fifth book, though I can't recall now which works better in my favor.

n  n    Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenixn  n is probably my favorite because I'm a sucker for dreams and nightmares being interpreted and taken seriously. The minute you start paying attention that's when you start seeing more clear signs that can easily give answers to your own personal situation.

This sixth book seemed promising to me, as well, because of the Pensieve and its many memories we dive into. This is the only way to do flashbacks... especially given the unbiased perspective to these unfolding events, like getting an introduction into Voldemort's family line from someone employed by the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, and then slowly piecing together bits of information through the many reveals.

But before all that can happen, the book starts off where Harry feels most at peace: The Burrow. I love me some good ol' family dynamics with the Weasleys (and being a united front against Phlegm Fleur).

“Well, all I can say is that it was a lucky day for the Weasleys when Ron decided to sit in your compartment on the Hogwarts Express, Harry.”

Harry is slowly starting to view Ginny as a safe haven; she represents all good and safety in the world for Harry, which he desperately seeks with the upheaval that is his own life. I laughed when my mind associated Harry's choice of Ginny Weasley with that scene from Parks and Rec with the Saperstein twins:



n  n    Harry Potter and The Half-Blood Princen  n centers on the more obsessed-like state of Harry with Malfoy, Hermione sulking away from Won-Won, Roonil Wazlib making a mighty comeback, the frustration when no one believes Harry's valid suspicions, and so much more which I feature below in my favorite points:

• The sly insert when Slughorn dismisses Ron's name with: “...after what happened to your poor friend Rupert.” Clearly, filming for the Harry Potter series was well underway.

• This particular book in the series feels like the inspiration behind Baz and Simon in Fangirl (and Carry On) what with the slow-moving plot till the characters arrive onto school grounds, and the aforementioned nemesis-watching from afar and following their every move.

“Levi sat back, hugging the pillow again. “They are kind of gay, aren’t they? What with all the watching each other sleep … and the ignoring Penelope.”

I'm personally not into the whole Draco/Harry ship, given Draco literally smashed Harry's face in just because (this ruthlessness is what's so vivid in my mind, so much so that the hurt of that scene traveled through back four years when I first read it and I felt the exact same shock) and also the simple fact that Draco Malfoy is a terribly cruel character. Those types need to stray far, far from humans until they acquire some anger management tools. He's basically a reincarnation of Snape (the only reason they get along) what with all the sulking and pettiness (Snape with Lily, and Draco with his need to acquire power). Just because you've marked a certain person/goal as "MINE" in your head doesn't make it so it's yours. So the author trying to make me feel sorry for either of them won't work in my favor. Like, "Woe is me. All I want is the approval of the Dark Lord."

It's also the reason why I'm not rushing to reread the following book given the frustrations whenever an author dismisses the actions of an evil character, like Snape, for "Oh, Love..." You've painted your picture for the whole series, making us not only hate but despise Severus Snape, so you can't just drop this pent-up anger with one scene in the seventh book. Snape "loving" (more like, marking his territory) a certain someone who chooses not to settle for him doesn't justify his following actions, no matter what storyline tries to redeem him.

• The one thing that really settled with me was when Harry and Dumbledore were discussing destiny and "the prophecy" and how it's neither here nor there: Voldemort sculpted his own enemy, by choosing to believe that prophecy he molded you into his enemy. I listened to a lecture on the topic that voiced a similar idea that in order for there to be good in the world there needs to be evil to defeat.

“Imagine, please, just for a moment, that you had never heard that prophecy! How would you feel about Voldemort now? Think!’
Harry watched Dumbledore striding up and down in front of him, and thought. He thought of his mother, his father and Sirius. He thought of Cedric Diggory. He thought of all the terrible deeds he knew Lord Voldemort had done. A flame seemed to leap inside his chest, searing his throat.
‘I’d want him finished,’ said Harry quietly. ‘And I’d want to do it.’
‘Of course you would!’ cried Dumbledore. ‘You see, the prophecy does not mean you have to do anything! But the prophecy caused Lord Voldemort to mark you as his equal … in other words, you are free to choose your way, quite free to turn your back on the prophecy! But Voldemort continues to set store by the prophecy. He will continue to hunt you … which makes it certain, really, that -‘
‘That one of us is going to end up killing the other,’ said Harry. ‘Yes.’”

• The main plot-propelling point is circling around the Pensieve, which at the time of reading I found so fascinating and wondered what memories I would store away. However brilliant the first memory from Bob Ogden, sooner than later these flashbacks start feeling like a contrived set up for a grander plot-device, especially when Dumbledore speaks like he's looking through a crystal ball; Professor Trelawney seems tame in comparison.

“Why?’ said Harry at once, looking up into Dumbledore’s face. ‘Why did he come back? Did you ever find out?’
‘I have ideas,’ said Dumbledore, ‘but no more than that.’
‘What ideas, sir?’
‘I shall tell you, Harry, when you have retrieved that memory from Professor Slughorn,’ said Dumbledore. ‘When you have that last piece of the jigsaw, everything will, I hope, be clear … to both of us.”

This was so defeating to read the first time, being held on a leash with the information that could be released, but on this reread, knowing what's ahead, I could relax and take in all the suspense and foreshadowing.

• It's unfortunate, though, that the author deems all these important adult figures in Harry's life valuable only long enough to serve him in the grand scheme of things. Children need adults to look up to for longer than a semester period. I noticed that even when I was having a good time reading, half-way through a thought would creep in to remind me that half of the characters wouldn’t survive this series… and then it felt somehow wrong to laugh at something they said.

•Which leads me to discuss the one thing that I dreaded and put-off...


I'd forgotten that rereading Harry Potter and The Half-Blood Prince meant reliving this emotional trauma of a chapter all-over again. I honestly can't believe I got fooled twice into believing that Snape would come to heal Dumbledore. I was utterly and positively assured that when Severus Snape came running down towards Dumbledore it was to cure him of his wounds. My brain somehow managed to repress the memory of that scene and fooled me into believing the same damn thing I thought the very first time... Evidently, the events of this series have all mixed into one for me so that certain scenes from the last book I expect to show up in here. Though nothing prepared me for this line that broke everything:

n  ‘I am not worried, Harry,’ said Dumbledore, his voice a little stronger despite the freezing water. ‘I am with you.’n

If nothing else, I'll certainly miss his sage sayings:

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n    n      ‘Dumbledore says people find it far easier to forgive others for being wrong than being right,’ said Hermione.n    n  

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I commend the cover illustrator, Jonny Duddle, for taking one of the most painful moments in the book and creating such lively artwork out of it:



The illustration on the back cover, in particular, had me staring back and forth to take it all in: the tired eye-bags, the sullen face, the grip on his left arm. SO MUCH DETAIL.

And on that chipper note, I'll conclude by saying that taking my time with this reread made the journey so worth it. Let me know in the comments below if there's a particular favorite book in the series you'd want me to reread and review!



If you’re interested in buying Harry Potter and The Half-Blood Prince, just click on the image below to go through my Amazon Affiliate. I’ll make a small commission!

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