A Perfect Ending
Book review: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling
Published: July 21, 2007 by Scholastic Inc.
Buy this book: Bookshop.org
Note: Buying the book through this affiliate link provides me a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks for the support!
Synopsis:
It's no longer safe for Harry at Hogwarts, so he and his best friends, Ron and Hermione, are on the run. Professor Dumbledore has given them clues about what they need to do to defeat the dark wizard, Lord Voldemort, once and for all, but it's up to them to figure out what these hints and suggestions really mean. Their cross-country odyssey has them searching desperately for the answers, while evading capture or death at every turn. At the same time, their friendship, fortitude, and sense of right and wrong are tested in ways they never could have imagined. The ultimate battle between good and evil that closes out this final chapter of the epic series takes place where Harry's Wizarding life began: at Hogwarts. The satisfying conclusion offers shocking last-minute twists, incredible acts of courage, powerful new forms of magic, and the resolution of many mysteries. Above all, this intense, cathartic book serves as a clear statement of the message at the heart of the Harry Potter series: that choice matters much more than destiny, and that love will always triumph over death.
Rating:
Review:
I have read a lot of series finales with mixed results. Sometimes the ending is awful. Sometimes it’s decent but not earth-shattering. And sometimes it’s absolutely perfect. This is an ending that is absolutely perfect.
Every time I read this series, I am amazed all over again at how layered and nuanced the story and characters are. This book tells the story and history of every character within its pages. I loved getting all of the backstory on Dumbledore, though I still don’t agree with Harry’s continued respect for him. Snape was right when he said that Dumbledore raised Harry like a pig for slaughter. It may have been unavoidable in a certain sense, and Dumbledore believed the ends justified the means—but it was still abhorrent.
Snape gets his moment to shine through the darkness and reveal himself as the true hero of the story. Not the one who stood tall in the spotlight, but the one who worked quietly from the shadows without receiving any credit at all.
No matter how many times I’ve read this book, it still affects me emotionally. I get scared for Harry. I cry when someone is lost. I grieve the choices that Harry must make. I feel compassion for the choices everyone else is forced to make simply because they are associated with him. This is not just a story about Harry Potter defeating Voldemort. It is a story about an entire community looking at Voldemort and saying, “No more. We will sacrifice anything to stop you.”
I just love this world, and I will never get enough of it. From here, I’ll start all over again with a review of the full-cast audiobook series. I’m very excited to get started on those. Those reviews will likely focus more on the audio performance rather than the story, since I’ve just completed my thoughts on the story itself.