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A review by a_j_torres0
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling
4.0
This is a Middle Grade Urban Fantasy novel book 1 in the series.
(NEW NEW)**Please be aware that the author to this series has come forward as being a transphobic TERF, purposely spreading lies and misinformation about not only the trans community but nonbinary folks as well. She is unapologetic and doesn't care how much harm her platform now brings onto certain members of the LGBTQIA+ community. If you wish to read this book and/or this series, then please be aware of what she is doing. Thank you.**
(New)**This is my 3rd of 4th time reading this book, and this time I read the Hufflepuff House Editions, but most of the review will cover the first US Edition.**
Book Cover: 5* - I love illustrated covers, and this cover explains the crazy adventure the 11 year old main character is going to have. Harry is on a flying broom about to grab a gold ball with wings. A dark forest with a unicorn running before it. Silhouettes of people in the background flying on broomsticks, avoiding what looks like flying balls and a 3 headed dog in the gateway of a castle, and I'm not even including the stuff in the back. Plus I like the style.(I Still Feel The Same.)
Summary/Tagline: 3.5* - After reading the summary for the first time I was still excited to read it, but at some point it sounds weirdly like it's breaking the 4th wall. I just think it was a little weird.(This Is Now 3.5 Instead Of 4.)
Characters: 3* - The teachers in this story suck. 1 openly abuses the main character verbally and blatantly shows favoritism towards one house. Someone like him would have been fired right off the bat if word of what he has been doing got out. Another just ignores the main character after telling the instructor the special object hiding in the school is going to be stolen. Not to mention punishment priorities, for example: Fighting a troll -5 points from Gryffindor, Out of bed at night -150 points from Gryffindor . . . What? Anyway, the story follows Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger with some POV hopping peppered throughout the story. The main character, Harry, is a blank character meant to represent the reader, and quite boring compared to Ron and Hermione. Ron, the side/supporting character, is the comic relief but an informative one who likes to talk back sometimes. Hermione has a similar role as Ron but is the smart character and is able to break her friends out of a tough situation when she has a level head. As for a villain/rival character we have Draco Malfoy and he is a snobby rich, cowardly, annoying boy who is a huge bully and I am not a fan of this kid. The bad guy character is a typical evil character that needs or wants to kill the 11 year old main character because reasons, weird huh.(This Is Now 3 Instead Of 3.5.)
World Building: 4* - The wizarding world of Harry Potter is fun, exciting, and very informative. This may be a school, but Harry and his friends go on adventures in the school meeting new people, creatures, and ghosts. Not to mention they get lost in a crazy maze of a school, whether the stairs decide to change and move or statues come to life to bar the path from the main character. The school actually feels like it is alive with their own currency and Government. However, I draw the line at the fact that the wizards themselves are pretty disconnected from the muggle world. They don't seem to know any muggle sports such as basketball and football(European) and are completely unaware of the technologies used by muggles, I mean, they didn't even know that pictures and posters used by muggles don't move . . . Really?(This Is Now 4 Instead Of 5.)
Story: 4* - The adventures and side stories is very fun as it explores the world. The main story towards the end of the book stays the course and is pretty straightforward. Once Harry discovers a mysterious, scary figure in the forest by the castle midway into the book, then the story kicks it into high gear as the fate of Harry's life, and quite possibly the school, is at stakes. Which I don't think it's bad, just a little obvious in some points.(I Still Feel The Same.)
Over All: 4.5* - Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone is a fun and exciting read with some pretty good characters. The world is alive with a somewhat simple story. Over all it is a fun book and I love that it made me want to be apart of that world, in fact I still do. I will highly recommend this book to first time Fantasy readers.(This Is Now 4.5 Instead Of 5.)
(NEW NEW)**Please be aware that the author to this series has come forward as being a transphobic TERF, purposely spreading lies and misinformation about not only the trans community but nonbinary folks as well. She is unapologetic and doesn't care how much harm her platform now brings onto certain members of the LGBTQIA+ community. If you wish to read this book and/or this series, then please be aware of what she is doing. Thank you.**
(New)**This is my 3rd of 4th time reading this book, and this time I read the Hufflepuff House Editions, but most of the review will cover the first US Edition.**
Book Cover: 5* - I love illustrated covers, and this cover explains the crazy adventure the 11 year old main character is going to have. Harry is on a flying broom about to grab a gold ball with wings. A dark forest with a unicorn running before it. Silhouettes of people in the background flying on broomsticks, avoiding what looks like flying balls and a 3 headed dog in the gateway of a castle, and I'm not even including the stuff in the back. Plus I like the style.(I Still Feel The Same.)
Summary/Tagline: 3.5* - After reading the summary for the first time I was still excited to read it, but at some point it sounds weirdly like it's breaking the 4th wall. I just think it was a little weird.(This Is Now 3.5 Instead Of 4.)
Characters: 3* - The teachers in this story suck. 1 openly abuses the main character verbally and blatantly shows favoritism towards one house. Someone like him would have been fired right off the bat if word of what he has been doing got out. Another just ignores the main character after telling the instructor the special object hiding in the school is going to be stolen. Not to mention punishment priorities, for example: Fighting a troll -5 points from Gryffindor, Out of bed at night -150 points from Gryffindor . . . What? Anyway, the story follows Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger with some POV hopping peppered throughout the story. The main character, Harry, is a blank character meant to represent the reader, and quite boring compared to Ron and Hermione. Ron, the side/supporting character, is the comic relief but an informative one who likes to talk back sometimes. Hermione has a similar role as Ron but is the smart character and is able to break her friends out of a tough situation when she has a level head. As for a villain/rival character we have Draco Malfoy and he is a snobby rich, cowardly, annoying boy who is a huge bully and I am not a fan of this kid. The bad guy character is a typical evil character that needs or wants to kill the 11 year old main character because reasons, weird huh.(This Is Now 3 Instead Of 3.5.)
World Building: 4* - The wizarding world of Harry Potter is fun, exciting, and very informative. This may be a school, but Harry and his friends go on adventures in the school meeting new people, creatures, and ghosts. Not to mention they get lost in a crazy maze of a school, whether the stairs decide to change and move or statues come to life to bar the path from the main character. The school actually feels like it is alive with their own currency and Government. However, I draw the line at the fact that the wizards themselves are pretty disconnected from the muggle world. They don't seem to know any muggle sports such as basketball and football(European) and are completely unaware of the technologies used by muggles, I mean, they didn't even know that pictures and posters used by muggles don't move . . . Really?(This Is Now 4 Instead Of 5.)
Story: 4* - The adventures and side stories is very fun as it explores the world. The main story towards the end of the book stays the course and is pretty straightforward. Once Harry discovers a mysterious, scary figure in the forest by the castle midway into the book, then the story kicks it into high gear as the fate of Harry's life, and quite possibly the school, is at stakes. Which I don't think it's bad, just a little obvious in some points.(I Still Feel The Same.)
Over All: 4.5* - Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone is a fun and exciting read with some pretty good characters. The world is alive with a somewhat simple story. Over all it is a fun book and I love that it made me want to be apart of that world, in fact I still do. I will highly recommend this book to first time Fantasy readers.(This Is Now 4.5 Instead Of 5.)