Reviews with content warning for Violence - Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

This has been, by far, my favorite book of the series. Everything about it just felt... better; the characters, the writing, the world building, all of it.

The further I get into the series the more I find that it's not the characters that I'm drawn to, it's the world. Getting a look into

Voldemort's background + family history

is really cool and makes the world around Hogwarts feel more storied and realistic.

That being said, I did really enjoy the arcs that each of the main characters went on over the course of the book. Everyone felt a bit more mature in this book which was much appreciated after five straight books of childish arguments between the trio.

The last few chapters were

heartbreaking, especially the last chapter with Dumbledore's funeral and Harry coming to terms with the fact that he is now responsible for defeating the Dark Lord.

On a sillier note, Professor Slughorn is one of my favorite teachers so I'm always happy to see more of him. I think that his character does a great job of adding a bit of the, now classic, "silly wizard stuff" to this book's rather dark plot.

Overall this book was an excellent read and I can't wait to finish off the series.

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mconroy9137's review against another edition

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adventurous dark informative fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.75

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quinn_07's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

A great well-rounded book that kept me hooked throughout! All the characters are lovable and it’s so fun seeing more of Harry’s personality and who he is growing up to be - sass-master Harry. The story is quite focused with most chapters furthering the plot and gradually peeling back the layers of the story and mystery within. There are themes of teen romance and class shenanigans mixed in foreshadowing of the more serious themes approaching in the final book of the series. Loved this book!

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therealsouls's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging emotional tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

5.0

4.75 stars.

<img src="https://i.pinimg.com/originals/8c/b7/dc/8cb7dc19bf68b80f45022f268d955e24.jpg">

“Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” by J.K. Rowling is the sixth book in the Harry Potter series.

It’s also my sixth reason for living.

“Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” takes place after Ministry chaos in the 5th book. Harry Potter is now known as “The Chosen One” (oh and he’s the Quidditch captain too!), destined to either kill or be killed by Lord Voldemort.

To assist Harry, the Hogwarts headmaster Dumbledore educates Harry on Voldemort’s past to try and give him an advantage, as well as elucidate the prophecy further. As Harry develops, he encounters challenges, mysteries, pressure, betrayal, even relationship problems, if you will! In Layman’s terms, there’s a bit of everything going on at once.

Seriously, I couldn’t get enough of this book and it’s BY FAR my favourite one in the series so far. All the other Harry Potter books felt like snails which I had to try and follow without angrily walking faster. THIS is the pacing I wanted to see in ALL of the Harry Potter books; it kept me occupied with events, as well as twists and turns dispersed throughout. This is also how you engineer an entertaining rollercoaster, by the way; so make sure to wear your seatbelt!

Unlike all the others, the Half-Blood Prince introduces new concepts that make it distinctive from the other novels. You can find betrayal, romance, and the ability to LOATHE the villains like you never did before. Personally, I think this made the plot much more interesting. There's almost always more than one conflict going on at once!

If you were bored by the Order of the Phoenix, which I certainly was, please continue with the Half-Blood Prince. It’s a ride engineered of the utmost mastery, with rises, falls, twists, and turns scattered throughout, and it’s worth hopping on. You won’t regret it.

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