It's okay. It has good parts and it has bad parts, the bad being the ending and the beginning of the middle, and the good being the rest. Some chapters were truly amazing, some were utter shit.

However, despite all this, there was one point in the book that, if went another way, would have made this book a 5/5. If she killed Harry, and let him stay dead, this book would be truly amazing. Oh well. Other then that, it's 3/5.

 

Yes, that's exactly Rowling's problem. She shouldn't have tried actually writing the war if she can't bring herself to make the goodies use deadly force. It was rather pathetic how easily Voldemort won over the Ministry and society. Imo, she should have chosen a slower take-over and a couple of fierce battles between Aurors/the Order and Death Eaters. She could have let this happen off-screen (reported in the Prophet or told by older Order members), to keep the kids from having to kill someone, or to get too graphic, but to not do it at all felt like a cheap copout.

I was very disappointed with the deaths, except for Dobby's. That was moving and it had a point. The others were just a poor way to say that people die in a war. The overall feeling I got was: wtf, if people are such push-overs, they deserve to be ruled by Voldemort. Or the next Dark Lord aspirant. It is a children's book, all right. That doesn't make it ok to create the illusion that 'all was well' as soon as the head of the baddies was killed, cause everything came down to him, though. Rowling is always going on about how wrong it is to hide disturbing truths from kids, and then she goes and uses this horrible lie.

What disgusts me the most is that she went with Snape killed Dumbledore cause he asked him to. I realize this is more of a problem with HBP, but it is something that really ruined her work for me. Imo, the character reached a point of no return in HBP, not so much because of the actual murder, but because of the Unbreakable Vow. She shouldn't have included that chapter if she intended to 'redeem' Snape. In hindsight, this is just a silly and cheap plot-twist where she didn't think the moral implications through (imho). I would have enjoyed the Dumbledore-backstory and Snape's role in DH far more if it wasn't tainted with that suicidal-in-a-cowardly-way Dumbledore decided to die. Dumbledore a bit passive, too reluctant to use his wand to kill, manipulating and scheming and all the rest of it makes sense. But what he actually does in HBP is inacceptable: as headmaster, he can't turn a blind eye to a student almost killing two others.

1/5 for a couple of intriguing details.

P.S.: Sorry if my English offends you, it isn't my first language.

 

It's a great children's story.
Doesn't do well for older people who can string a plot together and thus make a story even more interesting.
No character growth, really just alot of randomness (kind of accurate, they are teenagers). But they just don't...well...grow up, I guess you can say.
She really pulled the diadem out of her ass. No idea about that.
I did like the bits of wisdom about being a Master of Death and mastering the Deathly Hallows. That was about all I enjoyed in the book. The thoughts of death went pretty deep in not and emo way but, you know, a philisophical way.

3/5 (didn't mean the 2/5 I originally voted)

 

I guess after OotP, I expected the series to go in a definite direction, where Harry is trained and put through the most rigorous tests so that he would ultimately face his destiny as a great wizard who could rival even Voldemort. I'm truly sorry for that now. I expected another Eragon, or perhaps another Neo - who realises his true potential and grows into the "One" mould. Didn't come true though.

Then came the HBP book. I was a bit disappointed. My expectations were dashed to the ground. I knew then that Harry was to remain "pathetically", as some would put it, average.

Now, I expected a struggle of good versus evil where good triumphs against overwhelming odds. Again, I expected another Lord of the Rings. Another quest where the Golden Trio, like Frodo and Sam, make a perilous journey destroying the stuff that was the secret to the strength of the Darkness. Sigh. Again, my expectations were too high.

Well, Rowling described the war through Harry Potter's eyes - his POV. It wasn't necessarily the best POV though. I expected another Tolkien - where Frodo and Sam's POVs are often confined to the literary sidelines whilst Aragorn and Gandalf wage tremendous battles and come through unscathed. I expected Rowling to switch viewpoints describing the war and Harry's quest simultaneously. Needless to say, it never happened.
I'd forgotten the fact that the majority of HP readers are in their early teens. This was no "Dark Tower" series by Stephen King, where the entire world is a brooding hopeless inferno, ready to stutter and die. This was Rowling - full of innocence and light.

Ultimately, the Deathly Hallows did keep me hooked to the end. Harry was just an average schmock - a man faced against overwhelming evil - an ordinary wizard, who comes out triumphant merely because of his ability to love and sacrifice. The Deathly Hallows themselves did come as a bit of surprise but then, each Harry Potter book always had something new to offer. It's not like Harry makes great use of the Hallows anyway.
Ultimately, the book was quite nice, though calling it "brilliant" or "the best of the series" would be too forgiving on my part. It was good. I liked it, in a grim, childish sort of way. I wish I hadn't read so many fanfics now. They distorted my view of the entire Potterverse, making it seem more dark and gory than it is. Rowling has created a unique series, an enthralling read that shall delight children for the years to come.

At its core, at its very essence, alas, Harry Potter is only a fairy tale of epic proportions.

3/5

 

I'm really really really sorry. I swear. I won't do it again. I swear. Now please don't consider this a double-post. Please. I'm sorry. I sincerely do want to become a member of this community.

 

3/5

I feel that many of you are a bit unfair with all your scathing reviews. Of course, we are all entitled to our own opinion, but personally I find that a lot of the reviews bashing DH are pathetic.
Let me make some of my points clear:

-Concerning the Molly/Bellatrix duel, I don't believe there is anywhere in the entire series that suggests that Bellatrix can't be taken down by an angry mother. So many of you guys are influenced by the fanfiction that's out there and develop own little methods of magical skill ranking and believe that Bellatrix is much more powerful. In reality, JK's methods of defining magical power has very little to do with most of the HP fanfictions out there.
-HP was meant to be a kids series. If you can't handle that Harry offed Voldemort in a duel that didn't showcase powerful magic, that's too bad. That's what fanfiction is there for.

However, I agree with some points, I certainly had my WTF moments...
-Kreacher turning NICE all of a sudden..WTF?
-Ron remembering from five years ago how to speak "open" in parseltongue
-Malfoy running free after letting Death Eaters into Hogwarts.

Overall, I was quite satisfied with the book. It's difficult to top a great book after another, and even though I still enjoyed GOF the most, DH was worthy. I liked the whole "master of death" thing as well as the scenes near the end when Harry realized he had to die.

I laugh at the people who voraciously proclaim that they will burn the book. Even though you didn't like it, why waste the money you spent buying it? Have enough decency to donate it to the library where others would love to read it.
I pity those who refuse to read it after hearing the opinions of a few people on this forum. After reading through the first six, why not just finish the series? You might just enjoy it despite several lacking aspects.

 

Erm...Am new to forum but am a HP fan, obviously, so I can say this. I liked the book. JK Rowling actually surprised me with how good it was. Because, even though I am definitely not one to comment having not written a multi-million dollar book series, but her writing in the other books was kinda...fluffy and sketchy. This one was dark, which is better than before and the thing with Snape...I was 100% certain that he was evil because I didn't think JK could or would leave the whole Gryffindor/Good Slytherin/Bad story she had going. But she did. And that's cool cause I rather like Snape. And she didn't try to build-up the old mysteries. She just pointed out, more like clarified, that Regulus was R.A.B and that was that. No dramatic revealing or anything cause everyone already knew. That was good. So...my general rating is 5 stars. Good ending but it's not going to make me stop reading fanfiction.

I am sad that it's done but there is lots of stuff out on the net waiting to be explored. So now I don't have worry and hurt my brain trying to figure out what she is going to do. It wasn't a radical change from the main story but it was still interesting. By the way, Ron is slow. That's his character. Trusty (sorta), rash, brave sidekick. Nothing more, nothing less. And Hermione is nerdy, intelligent, always-brilliant and correct. So. That's who they will always be.

(I agree with fooboo27 about the Molly/Bellatrix thing.) About Kreacher: everyone/thing needs to be loved. (Cheesy but...this is a story about a boy-wizard we're talking about) And Draco Malfoy...Well, under threat of death what's a Slytherin to do?

Ahem. Just my thoughts on the book. Yeah.

 

Except when she's wrong of course. Like about believing in the Deathly Hallows, or the idea that a Horcrux would be hidden at Hogwarts.

 

Or that Draco is up to nothing.

 

I don't know if it is because I didn't have my hopes too far up after the Half Baked Plot, but I encountered just what I expected. A good read full of topics and a bit of adventure, unoriginal and utterly ridiculous in some parts, but actually good and entertaining is some others.

Things I liked:

-Dumbledore's a manipulative but caring biatch
-Ass-Kicking Neville (who's the man)
-Harry's emo death
-The dialogues between Dumbledore and Snape in the pensieve
-Flying Voldemort (friggin' hilarious)
-Dobby's death and funeral
-Miss Weasley's "Die Bitch!" mode

Things I didn't Like

-Pussy!Harry for the most part of the book
-Incapable Harry (why the fuck all the charmwork is done by the bookworm? Doesn't he know to cast the simplest spells?)
-Ron being a jealous fucktard again (and again, and again...)
-Ron is a Parselmouth impressionist.
-Snape's love story ( it was a fu**ing "severitus" fic minus the "I'm your father" part)
-The epilogue (I don't mind the Harry/Ginny, but the "Albus Severus" bit made me gag)

 

Okay.

I´ve bought it.

I´ve read it.

I don´t really know what to say.

Still, I am convinced that this couldn´t be the real 7th HP book, because it does read to much like a fanfiction. One of the better written fanfictions that would get an 3.5/5 mind you.

So that this is out of the way, here it comes:

Great moments:
- Harry walking to his death in the Forbidden Forest. That was really great and you could feel the story getting on one of the best moments. The interaction with the dead spirits of his parents and Lupin, raised once again by the Ressurection Stone couldn´t have been written better.
- Kreachers Tale. Before that I really hated the little bastard, but JKR did this believable and the moment Kreacher brought in the House Elves in the Hogwarts Battle had me laughing.
- Breaking into the Ministry. And then having to fight their way out, because of them trying to save others. Only downside was, that they didn´t try to find a map of the Ministry. But still really good.
- Dumbledore being friends with Gellert Grindelwald. Now that was unexpected what JKR hit us with. I loved it.
- Harrys phoenix feather wand zooming in on Voldemort at the aerial battle.

Good moments:
- Harry making an Clint Eastwood impression before him and Voldemort cast their final spells.
- Dumbledore being an manipulative bastard. That was a given.
- Destroying the locket. Damn that was cool.`
- The name Voldemort automatically starting a tracking charm. Nice idea.
- Hagrids NOS. Am I the only one that liked it?
- Kickass!Neville
- Harry casting the Imperius and the Cruciatus effectively. That had me cackling.
- Snape and Dumbledore talking about the repercussions of wearing the ring Horcrux.

Bad moments:
- Voldemort capable of flying. That was just dumb.
- The King´s Cross Chapter. That just didn´t sit well with me.
- Deathly Hallows as the new Deus Ex Machina. I was hoping that Harry would learn how to make a Horcrux.
- Horcruxes weren´t protected by some powerful magical traps, like the fake locket in HBP. At least the Diary could possess someone and the Ring had a deadly curse put uppon it but even that could be contained. The protective charm on the locket, was just an gigantic emo moment.
- All the Goblins being backstabbing bastards.
- Ron being capable of speaking parsel was bad. Just bad.
- Having a book about real Dark Arts around and not even bothering to read it, so they stand a better chance.
- No learning new spells and curses. That was dumb.
- The complete breaking into Gringotts was just to easy. Getting the Horcrux out of there was even more so. And why, why do the Goblins have an Anti-Imperius barrier and the Ministry doesn´t?
- The diversion to get Harry from Privet Drive was nice, but why didn´t they let Arthur charm some cars to be capable of flying (remember the Ford Anglia from CoS?) together with an unbreakable charm. Cars give more security.
- Where are the tons of infos about Lily and James that JKR promised?
- Remus and Tonks dying. I was sure that those two would survive.

Really bad moments:
- Wedding. That thing was just so boring i only glanced over it until Harry spoke to Muriel. Then it got interesting.
- Hogwarts being the stage for the final battle. Let me get this straight for all of you. Tom Riddle had the best time of his life in this castle, he learned magic in there and made it clear that it was his most favorite place in all over the world. So why would he attack this school, filled with children that he can all now directly influence? I for myself like some others was hoping the final battle would take place in the Department of Mysteries or the Atrium and Harry banishing Voldemort through the veil (or the other way around). But that is just my opinion.
- Harry heard the high voice shriek as he, too, yelled his best hope to the heavens, pointing Draco´s wand:
"Avada Kedavra!"
"Expelliarmus!"
WTF???
- Lily and James for his kids names was cliche. But Albus Severus Potter is ... is ... I´m still scarred for life.
- Draco still being free, even after taking the Dark Mark, supporting Voldemort, helping other Death Eaters into Hogwarts in HBP, nearly killing Katie Bells through a cursed necklace in HBP, plotting the death of Albus Dumbledore and maybe some other nefarious plots. So why the fuck wasn´t he kissed by an Dementor or at least send to Azkaban for a life sentence?

Ok.

Now that I reread my post this story get´s an 3.5/5 but for a fair rating it will be downgraded, so ...

3/5

 

uh.....yeah........my dad's been blocking my access to this site.....i've updated so infrequently that i might as well re-introduce myself now that i'm out of the house and able to access this site lol



um.........i kind of stick to what i said first. I mean, the series became so fucking popular that people (like us) have wasted a decade of our lives reading and hypothesizing and writing hypothetical situations to the book. Also, JKR basically, in writing the book, trapped herself so that there really were only a few places that she could go with the book to keep it interesting and (as was going to happen -_-) have a happy ending for everyone, while twisting the plot around.


Based on that, I still say the book was boring cuz it lacked plot. And it took too long for Harry to realize that he was uneducated.


But, she did a pretty good job with her characterization, and i thoroughly liked the atmosphere that she created throughout the book.

On the whole, when compared to LoTR, she left a lot of holes in the world taht she created. But hey, better for us, ain't it?




3.5/5.

 

3/5. Better than expected, worse than I hoped. A large amount of this story seemed to come out of nowhere. Example: Elder Wand? Resurrection Stone? Harry's Cloak being unique and special, but no one noticing for 6-7 years? Alright, that last bit is more contrived than out of no where, but still. I was really annoyed with Voldemort's take over. If it was really that easy, then he would have done it in fifth or sixth year. As for Neville, on one hand, I was happy that one character got some bad-assness. On the other hand, why wasn't it Harry, the main character? (Though, admittedly, walking to his certain death was pretty bad-ass)

 

ahahaha yeah this site and ff.net, cuz i was spending too much time reading fanfics instead of doing homework and studying, according to him.

but now i'm out of the house....

 

This story is like a bad fanfic that a little child has written. I think i deserve a medal just for reaching the end and not burning it.
I could write a long long LONG paragraph about all the things i hate about the book, but i'll just keep it short and say 1 name that sums up the whole book perfectly... Albus Severus Potter - whatever the fuck JK was smoking when she came up with this I want some.

There was some good things though, like Remus dying, Dobby dying, Snape dying. Shame Hagrid didn't join them.
1/5 - this is only because Remus died.

 

I expected most of this book by this point, so I really didn't mind the utterly contrived plot. However, the Kings Cross chapter ruined it for me, more so than anything. When Harry meets the man who, for years, has been more or less plotting his death and basically shrugs that off, I just stared at it for a few minutes. And when Dumbledore says that Harry should despise him, and Harry says he doesn't and then compliments Dumbledore's teaching skills (despite having never had an actual class with him), the scene became one giant WTF moment for me.

The whole "I can't stay angry at Dumbledore when he smiles at me like that" was just icing on the cake. 1/5

 

My honest opinion: JK Lost me when she released her 6th book. Ever since reading harry potter, i started loving it. Until the 6th book. I absolutely loath it and i thought Deathly Hallows is going to be so much better.

Truthfully, I enjoyed reading the 7th book, a lot more then the 6th. But honestly i think that the plot is crap. I mean, come on? Harry defeated Vold by pure luck??? No skills involved? The idea of harry dieing then coming back ? Oh my god.

In my opinion, this book ended too early. Harry defeated Vold with pure luck, defeated some one who is way senior then him? This is just absolutely RIDICULOUS. But still, its interesting to read so. 3/5.

The 4th book is my favorite.

p.s. Corrected some of my language. Hope no user takes offend.