Title: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Author: J. K. Rowling

# of pages: 672

Plot Summary:

In the sixth book in the Harry Potter series, Harry is now a sixth-year student at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and begins his year with extremely high security wherever he travels. The magical world is tainted with fear of the famous sniper Voldemort and his ruthless followers (Death Eaters), and the situation only worsens when one of his classmates and a teacher are suspected members of this group. This suspicion becomes reality in the end, when the teacher effortlessly murders the Headmaster, the only wizard Voldemort fears.

Opinion:

Many former fans of the Harry Potter series are wondering about J. K. Rowlings current creativity, as her sixth novel in the series, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, seems rather dull compared to previous instalments to the series. Before, every single event was explained in detail, and Harry and his friends were constantly in their action-filled adventures. Instead, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince includes few ventures, and the climax, when a devoted ally was murdered, is identical to that of the previous novel, in which another was killed. I'm sure that those who purchased a copy of the sixth novel only did so in anticipation for more exciting adventures such as those from Ms. Rowling before.

Although Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince was unexciting compared to other Harry Potter books, it was still satisfactory for an ordinary novel, with strong connections to the others and fairly thrilling events. Its uniqueness was admirable, because I cannot relate any aspect of its magical world with others. It is difficult to do so, but Hogwarts is similar to the Black Palace in Kate Constable's The Waterless Sea, only more lenient.

Of course, since the Harry Potter books are already bestsellers, I see few reasons to encourage others to read them. Nonetheless, this novel is recommended for those who enjoy fantasy, mystery, and possibly romance. Adventure-lovers may be disappointed with the lack of escapades, but there are still enough mysteries to suit enthusiasts. I must warn you, though the first, fourth, and fifth instalments were much more exhilarating than this one. Reading previous Harry Potter books before this one will be useful, because of allusions.

Target audience: All ages

Genre: Fantasy

Rating: 4/5

Book review by Fiona T.
* 48 hours so far
Can be published in the Teen Newsletter