The next book is gonna have a spectacular scavenger hunt and a search for clues to the identity of R.A.B. The next book will have the final answer to the question of Snape's real loyalties and to whom they were given. The next book shall have the final showdown between Harry and Valdemort. The next book shall answer the question Will Ron and Hermoine get together? or not and what about sweet Ginny? The next book shall make me tweak my nipples and scream like a little girl.

The next book will finally be the book, that I know, I have been waiting years to read unlike these last two books namely The Order of the Phoenix and The Half Blood Prince which will only be remembered as trivia answers for the names of the 5th and 6th installments in the Harry Potter series. I'll take Potter for 500.

See, I like Harry, have been biding my time at Hogwarts for far too long. I know in my heart the person who dies in this book should have probably been the person who died in the last book. In fact that would have made this book more, hmmm how shall I say this, emotionally fulfilling for me I guess. Sirius Black was, much like the Weasleys have become, Harry's hope for a better future and having an actual family. Something to look forward to when all the studying is over or, as it seems to be happening, the magic grows old. Those very things which would have created a more convincing personal motivation here and probably provided a greater need to stay alive and to seriously prepare given the build up towards the final battle to come. It also might have gotten us out of the bland confines and the on going doldrums that are now accompanying a typical Harry Potter adventure, most notably following the same old school year, the same old routine, the same old ad nauseum until the end of the year in which precipitates the next great event or in this case tragedy.
What is the big aversion to private tutoring?


Snape, Draco & Poof!

Disappointment reigns supreme as we kick into our 6th year with the typical Harry at the typical nasty Dursley's household only unlike the last few times we have Albus Dumbledore showing up to spring Harry from the Muggles again and in the process finally telling them off for their treatment of Harry once and for all. There is the next typical gathering at the Weasley's household for the remainder of the summer giving us the update on the rest of the crew although surprisingly little is mentioned about the recently important Order of the Phoenix (Although the Death Eaters are all over this book.) and the death of Sirius Black. In fact most of what used to be important in the last books seems of little import here. Harry makes Quidditch Captain, which seems to be unimportant. Hermione and Ron become prefects for Gryffindor, which seems to be unimportant.

Is this J. K. Rowling's idea of editing or is it neglect?

Snape, Draco and Dumbledore take up most of the rest of the book with a large, heavy, slow moving chunk of plot being about Dumbledore's series of forced revelations to Harry about Voldemort's past. Staged as they are with something about Dumbledore's need to confirm some things and get one final memory from Horace Slughorn the new Potions teacher this year. Severus Snape, by the way, finally gets his turn as Defense Against the Dark Arts professor which is the big nasty surprise, I guess. Snape takes points from Gryffindor, which seems to be unimportant. Snape gives Harry detention, which seems to be unimportant.

I won't even mention anything about that Half Blood Prince because it's all so much nonsense and a total rehash of The Chamber of Secrets to the point where even Rowling ends up pointing it out, which seems to be unimportant.

By the time this book actually starts to crank up it's almost over with the big climax being the previously mentioned death of one of Harry's dearest companions, again. Yawn. Snore. Oh, and various people start snogging other people leading to angst or cold sores, I think. I have to admit to skimming a great deal of annoying drivel here and there and I probably missed the overall importance of the tacked on mild sexual coming of age clap trap that people seem to be taking offense to in this oh so stuffy world of Harry Potter. I'm sure I would have noticed any actual sex though, Maybe people here in the US think snogging is hard core?, so I can't seem to find whatever it is that is so nasty or vulgar. Besides nothing really changing the vulgar lifeless screen play this cash cow of a series has become, which seems to be unimportant.


Oh, He's Dead? Finally?

Setup, Setup, and more setup with only minor escalations but unfortunately no reflection or deep connections we have seen evoked in this series before. Harry zips through this year distant, distracted, and without much investment in the events that take place (Notice how the group treats Hagrid, which seems to be unimportant.) and that my friends hurts what I expect was to be the big tragic payoff at the end. Last book, sure there was a build there was even serious threats of danger the effect would have been felt and it also would have had meaning. I consider this book a great big token death fizzle, which seems to be unimportant. Basic questions continue to remain unanswered. Where is The Order of the Phoenix that should be helping Harry? Why does Harry still want to be an Auror or even consider working for the Ministry when they seem so ineffectual and suspect?

I guess J. K. Rowling is placing all her bets on the next book, you know the one we are still waiting for, but I'm worried and a little concerned about wasting so much time reading basically filler with a hard cover, which seems to be unimportant.

Recommended: No