Book Review: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Book Synopsis
Sixth year at Hogwarts.
Ciel's Rating
Ciel's Review
As we move down the road on the Harry Potter adventure, we’ve literally seen how Harry and his surroundings have evolved; embodying a darker tone than its previous books, embracing more mature themes such as death. The books leading towards the grand finale left me gaping and craving for the resolution of this epic adventure. As you might have appreciated, Rowling’s writing seems to grow with the series. In the beginning, it was simple, childish, and easy-to-read, and now it’s the opposite, thus, making it more accessible to a much larger audience of varying ages. Her characters too, have acquired a voice of their own, instead of being flat and stereotypical (as seen during the first books).
The sixth installment is the most emotionally rich and plot revealing. Even though this book is mainly a transition, a set-up for the finale, the plot is not lacking and might as well stand on its own. Basically, it is more of a show rather than a tell type of narration. The rate of revelation is fast and somewhat overwhelming and there are many flashbacks that reveal more mind-boggling information. When you thought you knew it all, a new twist is added, and you start connecting the relationships of each character to another.
Harry starts seeing his own life, and those of others, in a much different light; and actually feels empathetic with his two greatest enemies. Those he held close at heart, may not seem as noble as Harry once thought they were. Anyway, the revelations are just suspenseful and shocking. I may say I saw it coming, but refused to admit it. The perils are slowly appearing!
In my opinion, Rowling’s most ingenious creation is showcase in this book. I like the fact that she humanizes the characters by creating a back-story for them to build upon their personalities. And she actually surprises the audience with the death of a protagonist, oh how I cried! A major question arises at the end of the book, which left me on the edge of my seat.
Disclaimer: May not be appropriate for children due to fantasy violence.
