Harry Potter Book 7 My Review : SPOILERS AHEAD!

WARNING: THERE WILL BE SPOILERS SO PLEASE DON'T READ IF YOU HAVEN'T READ THE BOOK AND PLAN TO READ IT IN THE FUTURE!!!

After 9 years, 6 books, and 5 movies, I was ready to buy the final installment of the Harry Potter series. I had my book reserved along with thousands of other people at Barnes & Noble in Houston. Jesse, Ben, Abby, and I walked into Barnes & Noble Midnight Release Party at about 10:30pm. It was crazy. There were people everywhere. People of all ages were dressed up, wearing Harry Potter shirts extremely excited to get the new book. Thankfully we were one of the first 100 so we were able to get our book within 10 of midnight. Jesse and I arrived home and begun to read. I read for about one hour and decided it was time to sleep. The next morning, after getting my diet coke ready and getting into some comfy clothes, I sat down to read with a blanket in our living room. 9 hours later...I was done. How was it? Let me tell you.

All in all, it was definitely the best of the series. It didn't leave too many loose ends but enough to keep your imagination going years after the book was over. here are some points that I think deserve special attention:

1. The story carried well. There were ups as well as downs, but the downs never made me think I could put the book down. It was definitely a rollercoaster ride with some tunnels that left you wondering where you were going to turn up at the end. At no point in time, did I tell myself "Oh, I know the rest of the story". I guessed many parts but other ones I was surprised. There was a definite theme of Love that surfaced throughout the book and it wasn't as cheesy as it could have been.

2. The bloodbath wasn't too bad. There were I think 17 deaths in all (good and bad guys). I cried when Dobby and Fred died because there were two characters I felt dearly about throughout the series (especially because Fred left his twin, George, alive and with only one ear). I wasn't too fond of Lupin and Tonks dying because they left their newborn son, alone with his Grandmother. At least the newly married couple died together. The point was very clear...good guys have to die sometimes.

3. The Malfoy parents as horrible as they were in previous books (namely Lucius and Draco) turned out not so bad. They certainly did not do a 180 and become angels all of a sudden, but they did redeem themselves by making their priority to keep their family alive and together, even if it meant lying to the Dark Lord. I felt that Rowling did well in keeping Narcissa Malfoy almost good in the last two books. She was obviously following Voldemort because of her husband and always made sure someone (namely Snape) was keeping her son safe. Her biggest part in the book was definitely when she saved Harry when she found out her son was still alive.

4. Although only the last few chapters were at Hogwarts, the students were well covered in the end. Some old faces resurface to come to the aid of Harry and ultimately the world. Nevell made all proud by standing up to Voldemort in front of everybody and killing the last Horcrux even when all hope was gone. Ron and Hermione played their part well,, they stuck with harry (mostly) until the end. I have to admit, ron was the funniest in the book. His quick with and sarcastic humor added a lot to the stoyline. He made the slow parts enjoyable to read.

4. As I guessed (and hoped) Snape was good and the bravest of them all. He did what was right even thuogh noone could know about his innocence until after he died. He became one of my favorite characters in the whole series. His love saved everyone while they called him coward, traitor and a million other things. All for the woman he loved and lost, first to another man, and then to death. The love he carried until his last breath when he asked Harry to look at him so that Lily's eyes were the last he saw before dying. It just doesn't get any better.

5. Rowling did something that I didn't think she would do, but now that I think about it (and discussed it with Jesse) I am glad she did. In the first 6 books, Dumbledore was made out to be perfect. He was an all-wise, all-powerful wizard that unfortunately died in Book 6. He was almost perfect, one could say. In book 7, Rowling reveals Dumbledore as a power hungry teen that had neglected his family growing up. His need for power increased as he desired to collect the Hallows to keep himself alive by beating Death. He makes a mistake while collecting the Hallows which costs him his life. However, although he made mistakes and had a desire for power, his heart always remained in the right place. He does his best to protect the Potter family (who were betrayed by Pettigrew) and train Harry to be able to beat Voldemort in the end. In every book, he always has a talk with Harry about what has happened as well as offer his wise advice. I enjoyed hearing that talk at the end when he talks to Harry while he is "dead". Why tarnish the good reputation Dumbledore had with the readers? Because if he was all powerful, all wise, and perfect, why didn't he beat Voldemort himself? There had to be more to him then what we knew before the last book.

6. Many of the characters stood out in this book. Albus Dumbledore's supposed bad brother Aberforth comes back and helps out the team at the end of the book. Mrs. Weasely gets angry and kills Bellatrix when she almost kills her daughter (although I would have left the curse word out due to the children). I can understand why she included it, but it could have been left out. She definitely gets Mom of the Year (or 7) Award. Her purpose in life is to keep her kids and husband safe from harm, and she does well in doing so. I enjoyed the part where Lupin becomes troubled about leaving his son and joining Harry in his fight to get the Horcruxes. Harry puts him in his place about the responsibility of a father, and Lupin goes back to his family and ultimately makes Harry the Godfather of Teddy Lupin. Way to go on the family values Rowling!

7. After Book 6 and in the 2 years afterward, I was troubled whether or not I wanted Harry to die. Not that I WANTED him to die, but I had the feeling he should. I think part of that came from the fact that he was an annoying brat when he was 15 and 16. I guess that is what really happens to teenagers. I KNOW I was a brat back then, why would Harry skip that stage in life? Harry did a lot of growing up in the past 7 Hogwarts years. He finally became a man. He did what had to be done, and in the end he had the choice of dying and taking the easy way out, or living and fighting for the world's safety. I liked not knowing whether or not he was going to die until the second to last chapter. I had no clue, and for a large part, I thought he was going to die. I even cried when he talks to his parents about being with him until the end. He didn't have to die. He just had to be willing to die for all those he loved. In the end Harry is a wonderful person who turns out to be a wonderful dad. Way to go Harry!

8. The epilogue was about 19 years after Voldemort dies. Harry (age 36) and Ginny (35) have three kids, and Ron (36) and Hermione (36) have two. Not much is known about the other characters (except for Neville who is teaching Herbology at Hogwarts, Percy still working for the Ministry of Magic, and Teddy who visits the Potters often). I feel that i would have liked to know a little more about everyone else, but I guess that is left up to my imagination. Rowling made sure that the Potters and Weasely's seemed genuinely happy. She especially made sure Harry was a good father (based on his last conversation with his middle son Albus Severus, named after Dumbledore and Snape, of course)

This was a bittersweet experience. I can't believe there is no more waiting for the "next book". I was a junior in high school when the first came out, and now I am a year from getting my doctorate. Harry brought my imagination back to life and gave my friends, my husband and I something wholesome and fun to talk about for the past 8 years. I will eventually read them again, more slowly to be able to grasp the many things I probably missed. I hope to one day share these books with my children. (This way I can tell them how their father jumped up and down like he was 5 when he recieved the last book). Well. this is it. No more Harry Potter. Not for now, at least. :)