all i can say is i adore snape! one of the best books of the series (although this could be because it’s the least well known/ remembered for me) i’ll miss this series as i find it so easy to read but alas i can always re read again ( )

Here we are, at the end of a truly great storyline. I have said it several times before, but I'll repeat it one last time for good measure: despite the fact that I don't like J.K. Rowling anymore because of her shitty behavior on Twitter, I will always love Harry Potter. I've literally just finished re-reading this story for the 4th time, and I already want to go through it all again. It is just that well-written.

Anyway, what do I think of the final entry? It's great, obviously. I will say it's probably my third favorite book in the series, behind Order of the Phoenix and Goblet of Fire, which are probably tied at the top for me. Firstly, I will talk about the few problems I have with it. One, the epilogue, while done fantastically in the movie, is not as stellar in the book. It's okay, but I feel it could have been a bit more... satisfying, you know? The way they did it in the movie left tears streaming down my face; here, I thought it was okay. My main problem with this book, however, is the pacing. It feels like certain sections of the book move a little too quickly, and certain other sections move a bit too quickly. The fact that, by the last 400 pages of this nearly 4,000-page story, only 2/8 of the fragments of Voldemort's soul had been destroyed is a bit odd. Things have moved a little too slowly by this point. Only 2 of the remaining 6 fragments of Voldemort's soul were within reach of the protagonists, and they had no way of destroying them. Then, things start moving very quickly, and the remains of Voldemort's soul (Horcruxes and his own body) are very quickly destroyed. I don't know. It almost felt like there should have been another book because there was so much left to be done.

Besides that, though, this is an exceedingly satisfying conclusion to the saga. So many things are finally revealed and resolved. As I mentioned in my Letterboxd review of Deathly Hallows Part 2, the reveal of Snape's loyalty is probably my favorite aspect of this entire story. It is even more detailed and satisfying in this book, where Harry reveals the truth to a stunned Voldemort as hundreds of on-lookers watch. Severus Snape will forever remain one of the most well-written characters in all of fiction. He is truly incredible. While I do slightly prefer Alan Rickman's adaptation to the book version because of how much less nasty he is in the movies, I am still a massive fan of this character in the books. He's probably my second favorite character behind Sirius Black.

A lot of people dislike the first half of this book because of how "boring" it is, but I must disagree. While the first 150 or so pages aren't that interesting because they form the obligatory section before the main story (at Privet Drive and the Burrow), everything that comes afterwards is immensely entertaining. Even the camping parts of this book I found interesting. There was so much work that had to be done by the main characters that I couldn't help but remain hooked, avidly anticipating their next course of action and wondering how they are going to overcome the obstacles that faced them.

The part of this book that absolutely blew me away, however, was the chapter "The Forest Again". It is an absolute master stroke of writing. Harry Potter, with the devastating knowledge that he is the final Horcrux and must walk into Death's arms, proceeds slowly through the Forbidden Forest with both fear and bravery. He has gone through more than any other witch or wizard in the history of his world, and he willingly carries out what he perceives to be his final sacrifice. The way Rowling depicts his fear at leaving his world is breathtaking. It honestly overwhelmed me. Bravo.

At the end of the day, Harry Potter has proven to me, time and time again, that it deserves to be held up there with the all-time-greats of fictional writing. It is one of the most brilliantly crafted stories of all time, and I won't stop coming back to it til the day I die. ( )

Fantasy

7 Mar 2015: It's been five years since I last read this?! WOW. I have forgotten a lot of the details. After I have now re-read the entire book series, I am still amazed by how different the last book is from the first. The final two books are in my opinion definitely the most powerful, fleshed-out books. Though, of course, the deus ex machinae are riduculously over-present. Everything just *happens* to happen at the most opportune moment?! Must be magic.


27 Nov 2010: Read for the third time to freshen up my memory - there seem to be a lot of deus ex machinae, but Rowling has a way of making them seem like the most logical thing in the world. Good conclusion to the series, which explains pretty much everything. ( )

I feel so bereft now that Harry Potter is over. Even though I didn't think this final book was perfect, it ended the way it had to end. JKR deserves her riches and the series deserves its following. I'm genuinely really sad it's ended and there's no Book 8 to look forward to. Actually, I guess, and this is going to sound even cheesier than the Deathly Hallows's Epilogue, but now I feel like what I have to look forward to is reading the series to my own kids someday. Awwww. ( )

A quick last waltz through the Harry Potter novels before I send the set off to school children (somewhere) where they will hopefully be read to pieces and loved for at least a few years.

This last novel has many plotlines to wrap-up and covers the disillusionment that happens as we come of age and into the adult world. Admittedly Harry is coming to it at a very dark time in this fictional universe but Rowling does show the tears that happen and the depth of questioning that is left behind when we lose someone.

There is a great deal of wandering about aimlessly. It might have been illustrated with less prosaic filler unless of course there was a need to depict every ... last.. campsite .. they ... stopped .. at.. While worthy of a travelogue it drags on -- making the novel drag, not to mention the loss of time perspective by the core characters is a bit silly (they were getting papers) and at the very least I don't think Hermione is that un-organized.

I feel there were a few odd things about this novel. For one it isn't ever quite explained why Ron must be the one to destroy the locket horcrux - unless it is as a method to illustrate what the reader should have found obvious about his feelings regarding his two best friends. It might have been better addressed in another manner, however it does bring him back into the main plotline and gives him something to do. For another how did Neville get the sword after the goblin took it? (Possibly I might have missed that bit but I don't think so)

But despite all of that we find out quite a bit as the novel goes on its way. There are highs and lows emotionally, as well as challenges. The end is of course quite exciting and while fans are left with the taste for more I felt it wrapped up quite well all things considered.

I'd like to also take a moment and make note of the lovely illustrations throughout the novels of this series done by Mary GrandPré. They are delightful.

I will leave you with an amusing image that has little to do with my reading of this last novel in the series.. just my amusement.
( )

Reread 2023: I liked that ending. I remembered more than I did the previous two books though not everything. I wish Rowling had introduced the Hallows in a previous book, like she did the Horcrux. It seems like a missed opportunity for foreshadowing. The battle for Hogwarts was as epic as I'd remembered. I had completely forgotten just how many deaths there were, both on page and off. All's well that ends well. I shouldn't wait so long between rereads of the series next time. ( )

even though usually the school-specific stuff is my favorite part to read in each book, and there wasn't really any of that in this one, this is still one of the better books. she mostly brings the entire thing to a crescendo quite well, and manages to throw a really big twist in there that is virtually impossible to see coming (although my kiddo claims he knew).

"'Tell me one last thing,' said Harry. 'Is this real? Or has this been happening inside my head?'
Dumbledore beamed at him, and his voice sounded loud and strong in Harry's ears even though the bright mist was descending again, obscuring his figure.
'Of course it's happening in side your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?'"

2.75 stars

from jan 2009:
the last 200 pages of this book were awesome. the rest was really kind of so-so, but she came through with the ending of this series in a big way.

story-wise, i'd finally been convinced that snape wasn't good at the end of book 6 (i tried hard to figure out how his killing dumbledore wouldn't make him bad but couldn't) so she really surprised me with how that turned out. i was really glad that so many people that we'd seen throughout the series were instrumental at the end, and that everyone was brought back for the climax, even if they didn't all survive.

a quote from this book that i think is a good one to represent the entire series:
"'Tell me one last thing,' said Harry. 'Is this real? Or has this been happening inside my head?'
...'Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?'"

as for the series, i think she did a good job of adjusting the writing and vocabulary in each book to match the age of the main characters. i also think that she just became a better writer in the years between the early books and the late ones (although her writing was never stellar.) book 5 is the only book that i really feel like was great from the first page to the last; all the others started slow and built up to a really exciting and fun climax, but were lacking in the lead-up. **spoiler** i was really surprised that she killed dumbledore, that's probably the least predictable thing she did. **end spoiler** all of that said, i'm impressed with her vision and her creativity; there's a lot going on in all of these books, and quite a bit that she had to keep track of and put together for us. i almost wonder if that is why these books were so popular - because there are a lot of young adult books out there and these don't seem spectacular in anything but her vision. (sorry, people.) but i really had a good time reading these. i'm glad i'm done, but i'm going to miss them! (2 stars) ( )

Confusing and unnerving wait to see who is tortured and murdered next...this is a book for kids?

Skip a lot. ( )

Felt like more of a slog than any since #2. Saccharine epilogue. A bit too much lore tying it all together. I still love this series. ( )

A perfect ending....or is it? ( )

Great fun! ( )

This is the hardest review yet, for me. I was so caught up in the book by the last half that I was excited to give it 5 stars. But then I thought back over the entire thing, and looked at the notes I'd written earlier on, and realized that there were some disappointing things that really were worth an entire star detraction. Rather than try to organize my thoughts in a way that flows well, I'm going to just sort my thoughts into lists.

What I liked/loved
-> Dudley's appreciation of Harry, which is touching, yet not overdone or out of character for him
-> 7 Harrys
-> Luna in general, but esp that she could see through Harry's disguise at the wedding
-> Godric Hollow's wizards' monument to the Potters and the graffiti on the sign
-> Ron's chance to save the day
-> The fruition of the DA was better than I could have hoped for
-> Harry getting to see his parents again, and 3 out of 4 of the Marauders (Sirius was one of my favorites before he died, after all)
-> Neville's triumph
-> The final defeat of Voldemort, of course, and the knowledge that these people are finally free from his destruction
-> I felt the epilogue was pointless at first, but after a few days to let it rest, I appreciate being able to see how the characters moved on, that Hogwarts was restored, and that Neville was a teacher there

What I disliked
-> The middle really dragged with all of the moving around to camp, and a few little things happened that really didn't advance the plot much, if at all
-> The Deathly Hallows seemed so out of place, like a tack-on to another otherwise solid-feeling plot, and ended up barely having any point (despite me liking Harry's use of the stone, as I mentioned above)
-> It's really hard for me to buy that the invisibility cloak is infallible...except where it needed to not be for the plots of past books (especially since, from my recollections, none of the times I can think of that someone did, or seemed to, see through it were necessary to the plot)
-> Lupin's and Tonks's deaths should really have been "on-screen." I know everyone loves Dobby, but I think they were at least as important to the series and should have been given a bigger send-off.
-> The Battle of Hogwarts and most of the climaxes and falling action that occurred between them were exciting, except for one thing--there was just so much talking during all of it! After the battle we get pages of exposition about Snape, then an entire chapter of Dumbledore explaining things to Harry (some of which we already know or could easily have deduced from previous information). Then there's rising action to the final stand-off with Voldemort...during which they talk...a lot. I wish Rowling had figured out a way to include more of this much sooner than during/between the epic battle and final stand-off.

Overall, I did like the book a LOT more than I didn't, and probably a lot more than it looks like here. But it generally takes more words to explain a problem I had than to share the things I liked. I do think the book was longer than it needed to be, and wonder if that was on purpose--the previous books had gotten so long, Rowling and/or the publishers felt she couldn't go back at this point. I don't know. But as this is the final book in the series, I can say now that I do understand why it is so loved. I am already looking forward to starting back at the first book some day and reading through the series again with an understanding of how things play out, to find those things that I missed the first time around. ( )

I loved it, cried, thought it wrapped things up nicely. But I hated the epilogue. I should have stopped reading before I got to it. I like hanging endings, I didn't like how Rowling wrapped everything up. It was too neat and predictable and didn't leave anything to the imagination.

Great ending to an amazing series. ( )

Que obra mas maravillosa. Increíble historia, personajes, todo. Un viaje literario súper lindo.

"Las palabras son, en mi no tan humilde opinión, nuestra más inagotable fuente de magia"
( )

The series ends as strongly as it began. The author does an amazing job of weaving all of the loose ends of the story together into a rather satisfying whole. And she does it without resorting to too many info dump scenes. There are so many reviews and analysis of the books and movies out there that it is quite pointless for me to add to them. Let me just say that I read it and enjoyed it and can recommend the books to anyone seeking a compelling fantasy story. ( )

This is a great end to a great series. I enjoyed it so much that I took my time finishing this last book. ( )

I will confess a horrible sin: When this book came out, I read the last chapter first.

I hadn't read any other Harry Potter books at the time, but I had watched up to the fifth movie. I thought I was all cool going in on the book launch day and picking up the copy. I excitedly held it in my hands all the way home, and then I snuck off into my parents' room and I read the last chapter. I was utterly confused and then decided I had to actually read it. And man, was I even more confused because I didn't know what happened in book six since the movie wasn't out yet... Ah, the memories.

As an adult, I decided it was finally time to read the book series in order and not be the bratty little kid who wanted to know how it ended before all of her friends (luckily that phase has long since passed). It took a few years for me to manage it, but I finally dove into the last Harry Potter book and welcomed it like an old friend. I had so many smiles and nostalgia trips remembering reading this book in my parents bed (don't ask me why, but this book required me to not read in my normal reading spots of my bed or the couches, but instead in their bed).

This series is marvellous. The writing style and tone of moving from a much younger kid who is innocent to the world to a set of young adults dealing with violence, bravery and fear all at the same time... It's incredible. I am still in awe at how great this series was. Does it have its flaws? Absolutely. This series is not perfect by any means, but it is a great set of books to read if you want to disappear into a fantasy world and watch the characters grow and develop. This series has a specialize place in my heart due to the movies enticing me to pick up reading more.

The story itself is a great finale to this series. There's action, lots of answers to questions we had throughout the series, and a final sentence that will bring a smile to your face and a close to the series. Harry, Ron, Hermione and the rest of the gang bring on the fight against He Who Must Not Be Named with wickedly smart deducting, crafty stories and lore, and lots of emotions and drama. Along with the laughs, we get many sad moments that make you realize how "real" the wrath of Voldemort was in this series. The amount of deaths and destruction really puts the trauma into perspective. You'll feel pain, grief and loss along with the characters, but luckily there are some good chuckles and friendly characters around the corners to make sure you're not crying your eyes out through this whole book.

This farewell story for Harry Potter was really well rounded. It's hard to finish off a series with such "hurrah" and fandom behind it in a good way. I have to say, I think it was done really well. I don't think there are many other ways this story could have ended that would leave the book filing complete. There were some parts of the story I wish didn't happen, but it felt like everything belonged and needed to be there for the story to come to a close. Despite some of the flaws that might be present for a variety of readers, I think this is as close as we could get to a "perfect" ending for a series this big. So, I give J.K. applause on that one. Writing a book as universally impressive as this one is hard to do!

Side note: I've seen the many comments about J.K. and I do want to say one thing: We don't have to agree with the author to enjoy this book. I definitely don't agree with everything J.K. has done and said, but this book does have a special place in my heart in the childhood nostalgia section. Don't hate on those who still find the joy and whimsy of their childhood in this series. We can all agree to disagree on that one. Let this book be a book for people to disassociate from the world into.

Overall, this was such a nice book to dive back into. I hope many more readers can find books that are as enchanting as this one was for me.

( )

Het begin van dit boek is ook niet geschikt voor in de trein. De dood van Dwaaloog en Hedwig was de allereerste keer dat ik dit boek las een enorme schok voor mij, en grijpt me nu nog steeds aan blijkt.

Uiteindelijk geef ik dit boek 4 sterren. Er zit een stuk in dat niet opschiet (het eeuwige gekibbel in die tent) en ik ben geen fan van het laatste hoofdstuk. Maar het eind van het avontuur is fantastisch en er zitten echt hele mooie, trieste en spannende momenten in dit boek. Al met al een waardige afsluiter, waar ik toch menig traantje bij heb gelaten. ( )

over lockdown last year my best friend and I got into a very heated debate about how we ranked the films and decided we'd marathon them when lockdown lifted. we started rereading the books over the phone to each other as a way to hang out in our isolation, and so we could include source material detail in our judgement of the films. I last read this series a decade ago. I was 14.

the bigotry jkr has exposed in the time since, in her hatespeech and this series itself after analysis by maturer eyes, is of course everything I stand against. like every queer hp fan my age it was a deep betrayal to see the world that comforted and sustained me as an abused kid now abusing the adult I've become. it hurts every time this woman updates her twitter. it hurts every time people I admired come to her support. most of all it hurts when I listen to how my fellow trans community have been harmed due to her influence on society's treatment of us, and more specifically and insidiously on trans rights legislation in the uk.

this reread, as a 24 now 25 year old, has been good for me, because I've been able to confirm that It Really Just Isn't That Good. I believed everyone who's been saying that for the last five years anyway, but now I've gone through this personal process, though jkr's actions won't ever not be evil, I can tell the disappointed kid inside me, the one assigned female at birth, the one who still felt a guilty attachment, to shut up.

the plot is there, but the vision is not. the imagery of this supposedly wondrous magical world doesn't exist, or was at least not bothered by her to be conveyed. the first 4 books gave nothing for filmmakers to work with, and it's clear that ootp, published just after the first 2 movies, is when she began to step up (probably because she was so annoyed by alfonso cuaron and all the ideas he had for poa, most of which I learned she shut down).

harry is my favourite character because he is the only character she put effort into writing. he's the only one we know. everyone else was filled in by our childish imagination and popular headcanons developed by the cursed fandom on the internet I grew up on. what do we know about hermione other than the fact that her parents are dentists and she's the only person who's read hogwarts: a history? nothing. im not gonna touch the series "politics" here. there isn't time.

this is not a case of me unfairly overthinking a childrens story. I just didn't remember any of this garbage. only how happy it used to make me. this reread has been rewarding, and I'm glad I took the time (useless lockdown limbo) to do it, because of the relief it's given me Know For Sure. I'll never write about hp on any other platforms, for any publications, or talk about it on my podcast. I don't have many followers on goodreads, so this review is the only cultural space I'm comfortable giving it. it doesn't even deserve this much. this is all just an excuse to say the following:

the only enjoyment harry potter gives me now is tied to my love for my best friend, and the fun we had bonding over this series when we first met 13 years ago. it's embarrassing how much useless trivia about this world that we know, that we forget is locked, hidden away in our brains most of the time. we hate talking about hp with anyone else because they don't share the trove of very specific and personal opinions and theories and jokes and revisions we cultivated together. we hate watching the movies alone. we certainly couldn't stand reading these books on our own. there's no point. harry potter doesn't mean anything to us without each other, and even so, we have many other, way more engaging mutual interests.

also, the epilogue is the worst fucking thing we've ever read in our lives.

Here's what I wrote in 2009 about this read: "The final Harry Potter book. A good read, typical for the series . . . But glad that's over . . . " ( )

This is probably my second favorite out of all of the books in the series. It is a fresh break from the formulaic structure that JK Rowling follows, as Harry doesn't go back to Hogwarts, and instead goes out all over England in search of Horcruxes.
The one issue I have with this novel is that I can't help feeling like Rowling wrote this book to be filmed, if that makes sense. In comparison to the first couple books in the series, those were more genuine and about the story. The last couple of books, this in particular, seem to have a lot more visual details that definitely made a smooth transition onto the screen. The story kind of, well, it just seems to me that Rowling wrote this book with a movie in mind!
This is still a fantastic book and a great way to end the series!! ( )

This was the perfect choice. I don't know what I'm going to do next. Why is there no list of books that are good to re-read in your second or weaker language? ( )

Be', è il capitolo finale della sga di Harry Potter, quindi male non se ne può dire, no?
L'autrice poteva ridurre di un quarto il numero delle pagine tagliando la prima parte, che è inutilmente prolissa e che provoca lo sfilacciarsi della tensione accumulatasi nella parte finale del volume precedente.

Non il mio romanzo di Harry Potter preferito.

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