I really do love Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince although it seems to be orientated more towards adult readers this time. I can't wait for the next book to come out next year. The questions and possibilities for the next book at the end leave you waiting for more. We also learn more about the characters feelings towards each other- not that these weren't fairly clear through the previous few books. Overall this is well worth reading

***WARNING*** THERE ARE TOO MANY ***SPOILERS*** IN THIS REVIEW TO COUNT, BUT I JUST LOVE DETAILS. If you have read the book though, proceed. (And I suppose you have, if you're reading these reviews).

I completely agree with squonk (other HBP reviewer). Both on his/her opinions on the books (except for the fact that I WOULDN'T recommend you NOT to buy it; it wasn't BAD, even if it didn't actually fit my huge expectations) and his/her ranking of which book she/he thinks is the best.

Though I've waited for all the restrained romance of the Harry Potter series to finally blossom, and while HBP does, it lacks the (for me) thrilling and exciting storyline with all the interlinked mysteries that are finally solved (I especially love that tiny, little insignificant details or characters have so much to say for the pieces of the puzzle to form a clear picture of the mystery solved), mostly by luck or accident (though of course also some brains, good guesses and quick thinking). I know there's the suspicion of Malfoy being a death eater and Harry wondering what he's up to, as well as the identity of the Half-Blood Prince, and how that poison found its way to Slughorn's wine bottle, not to mention Dumbledore's lessons with Harry, but I can't help but still miss the nightly wanderings and heart-stopping experiences and mysteries that I love in the other books of the series. Even worse (and I hate to admit this!), the romantic scenes I LOVED! But... to me, some scenes, especially the Harry and Ginny finally becoming a couple one), seemed almost like fan fiction. Now I know it sounds ludicrous, and I was almost dreading admitting this to my friend, but when I did, she agreed and said she thought the whole BOOK seemed fan fictiony. Now, I wouldn't go as far as that, and it might just be that me and my friend have had an overload of HP fan fiction over the years, but I'm sorry to say that's my opinion. I do love all romance in general, but J.K Rowling usually has this way of making anything like that either just perfect or humours or... wrong (when it's supposed to be, mind; Draco and Pansy...eew), but this just didn't seem authentic enough. To my defence I'll conclude with that apparently fan fiction overload = bad judgement? I dunno. At the very least it probably clouds your judgement and/or makes you expect something completely different than what actually happens in canon.

There's also the fact that being such a successful writer as J.K.R is, it must be extremely difficult to live up to the exceeding expectations of fans worldwide, while living on a deadline (and though it's a loose one, fans to expect it to take less than four years; not that I'm saying that any of her books ever did, though book 7 will definitely be a challenge to perfect, I think) while juggling family life, making up another extreme mystery after another, with all these little things interlinked must be extremely difficult in the long run. And I suppose J. K. R wanted (like me) to actually DO something about all the tense love-attraction in the air of the previous books, which is brilliant, but different I suppose. Which is why I suppose some fans prefer the other books.

Twilight. Standing in line outside a bookstore, I hugged my black jacket closer against the nippy early morning air. The atmosphere was, in a word, electric. The small veranda, outside the shop was filled with others who like me, ticked off the hours until seven o'clock. And the cause for all the excitement? Why, the sixth installment of the best-selling Harry Potter series by JK Rowling of course. But was it worth the wait? Did the book deliver?

It is all too easy to make sweeping statements, but surely a book which got droves of urbanites lining-up before sunrise cannot be so easily given the Simon Cowell treatment. So where did Rowling get it right, and where was she off the mark?

To answer that we shall have to delve into the elements of fiction. However for the purposes of this review, we shall focus on two: character and plot. If you haven't read Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, don't worry, there won't be any spoilers ahead.
Questions of character

"All stories are character-driven", wrote Donald Maas. Naturally, the question arises, did Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince deepen our insight into the lead characters? Some would say "no" on the basis that "certain major characters" such as Harry and Hermione were "out of character", or exhibited some "uncharacteristic" traits. However, couldn't this alleged "inconsistency" perhaps be due more to Rowling's desire to show growth in her characters? Harry in particular has changed a lot since the first book. After all, he is entering his crazy adolescent years. Isn't normal for him to act "uncharacteristically"? Strangely enough, it isn't her lead protagonists who intrigued me in this one, but rather her antagonists, Severus Snape and Draco Malfoy. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince fleshes them out more. While it is difficult to go into specifics without revealing the story, suffice it to say Rowling succeeds in making these two more sympathetic as opposed to simply caricatured villains. If only she could've done the same for Voldemort.

Essentially, the book's main story arc focuses on Tom Riddle's transformation into Voldemort. Rowling had an opportunity to show Tom's turn towards the "dark side", much as Lucas had in telling Anakin's similar fall from grace. Why did both go wrong? Maybe she felt the need to avoid comparisons between her and Lucas? Unfortunately by characterizing Tom as "born-bad" she is merely reiterating what she's written in her previous works. Consequently there is no new insight into Tom's character. Instead of fleshing him out and perhaps even eliciting even a sliver of audience sympathy for her main antagonist, she succeeds only in further reinforcing reader enmity towards "the greatest dark wizard of all-time".

While subplots such as Draco's secret experiments, and the question of Snape's true loyalties keep things interesting. In fact, it was actually the subplots which kept the story's forward momentum going.

What's worse, there were moments when the mystery's unraveling felt a bit heavy-handed. Whereas in the first four Harry Potter books, she was able to let the mystery unravel slowly, and build tension at the same time. Where was the engaging mystery, the sheer tension glued your eyes to the page? Has she lost her touch?

Furthermore, Rowling still a disturbing inability to describe battles scenes involving more than five people. As in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, she loses control of the climactic battle. The text becomes confusing, muddled, and altogether difficult to follow.

With so many things going against it, is the book even worth buying? Has Rowling lost the "magic" she worked with the previous four? I would be remiss in being so dismissive. For all its flaws, the book is not without merit. After all, it does set the stage for the seventh installment. Plus, she picked the perfect character to kill off. Yet are these reasons enough to shell out the cash to buy it? While the cynics would respond in the resounding negative, I think otherwise. By all means, buy the book. Although I would strongly suggest waiting for the trade paperback edition to come out.

J.K.Rowling's writing flows easily in Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, keeping the reader captivated. However, she often dwells on action too much while ignoring emotion; when it would have been more interesting for Rowling to describe how the main characters are feeling. Warning This review contains Spoilers. Although surprising, Ginny and Harry seems to be a good match, especially when we find out that they had always buried affection for each other. Now to speculation: Could Dumbledore have used occlumency to tell Snape to kill him? Although reasons why he would do this are unclear, perhaps these will be unveiled in the seventh book? Peace out Harry, please don't die in the next book, or if you do, at least save the world in the process!

*****BEWARE SPOILER*****


I can't believe the end is real. It's sending the wrong message to kids around the world, and I think JKR has the moral obligation to undo this on the last book.
Everybody tells Dumbledore "don't trust Snape", and he doesn't care, because he belives in redemption; so everybody (but Harry) trusts Snape, because Dumbledore says so, and he can't be wrong.
So, why did the most powerful wizard in the world die? Because he likes to trust people.
Lesson 1: Dumbledore would be alive if he wasn't always looking for the good in people.
Lesson 2: Kids, no one in entitled to redemption, in the end you will be betrayed.
But I still hope that there's some kind of twist around this and this is my reason:
Voldemort ORDERS Draco to kill Dumbledore, so no Death Eater kills him. Snape arrives and he doesn't care what Voldemort ordered, he kills D.
Later he has the opportunity to kill Harry (also a Death Eater), and he says NO, because Voldemort ordered not to kill him.
So, this is just me day-dreaming, looking for loopholes in the plot that convince me that D. is not dead and Snape is not a traitor.

I wasn't sure what to expect with this installment of the Harry Potter series. I've enjoyed them all, but thought that the last one could have done with some serious editing to make it shorter and more punchy. When I got the Half Blood Prince I thought that judging by the size (just over 600 pages) it could probably do with the same.
My reading started badly. There is a spelling/grammar mistake on the second page. In something that has this kind of machine behind it, I find this unforgivable.
Anyway, I soldiered on, and very soon was unable to put it down. After recent events in London, I found the first chapter or so quite uncomfortable to read. It seemed that the start of the book could have been written in the last week or so, so well did it mirror (albeit in a different context) terrorist activity.
This volume of the story is somewhat different from the others. It is a lot more sombre, and I was 400 pages or so in by the time I came across any of the humour that is scattered throughout the other books. It seemed to me to be specifically setting the scene for the final volume of the series and, by the end, there is virtually no doubt of how the next book is going to proceed.
Apart from a few "set pieces" there is none of the adventure of the other books, it is mostly the interaction between the main players that dominates proceedings. It must be remembered that Harry and his friends are now sixteen plus so that some of the book may not be as easily accessible (I don't want to say unsuitable) to the same younger readers that enjoy the first book. However, for those that grow up with Harry Potter, reading the books over time, then it works well. The story now concentrates more on the political side of the goings on of the magical world, how the muggle world is affected and how the ministry and the government interact. Some of this is well thought out, and underlying it all is a sense of paranoia that keeps you reading. When the climax came, I cuoldn't quite believe it happened so quickly and the book finishes with everything hanging in the air, just waiting from the next one to start. This is the first book in the series that, I feel, is not a complete story - it is mainly a scene setter for the last book. But, that doesn't mean that it isn't enjoyable. It is extremely easy to read, and I finished it in two days, and didn't feel that I'd pushed myself to do it - it was just that I wanted to find out what happened. Now, I'm waiting, with everyone else I guess, for the final book to be written.

SPOLIERS!
In all, I would highly recommended Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. In my opinion this book is the second best in the series, only usurped by goblet. I believe the writing is once again the flawless masterpiece us dedicated fans have come to expect and the otherwise patchy background especially Voldermort's is very well tied up.

SPOILER--- I believe the betrayal of snape was amazing. the whole series we have been led to believe this would never happen as hermione often said "we've suspected snape so many times and when have we ever been right?" and so I found this at first an unbelievable twist but it soon makes sense when you think about it.

What I also like about the twist is that it shows Dumbledore wasn't perfect. It is sound evidence that although a powerful wizard he was still human and made this fatal mistake, however I still somehow believe Dumbledore was right to trust Snape and I dont know why.

In all, the book is definitely different from the others but this isn't bad. This different direction totally symbolises the new mature direction we find our hero now in.

The main thing I love about this book is that unlike the other 5 books which if read alone to some extent reach some conclusion by the end, this book definitely feels like part 1 of the finale. For example, the whole R.A.B. thing. Thats obviously important in the next book and Rowling hasn't given us anything like this as a cliffhanger at the end of the other books.

There are several connections between this book and the chamber of secrets from the same colours used on the cover to plot details such as tom riddle, borgin & burkes, aragog, the diary and ginny playing an important part in Harrys life.

The main problem I would have with the book is actually the supposed main story line "the half blood prince." This seemed to be a nice storyline bubbling along throughout the book but I couldnt help but believe that at the end top it seemed rushed. We have the whole book then suddenly snape's fleeing the castle and he's like "oh sorry potter, by the wai I'm the half blood prince!" I also felt Slughorn was the most dull new charcter ever introduced, I actually preferred Umbridge as a character more than slughorn however these points are trivial when compared to the significant importance of the novel in the overall plot...

To sum up I cant wait for the next installment and all I can say is well done J K Rowling!!!

The book gave me great confidence in the future for Harry... and of course, broke my heart.
Beginning at about page 300, I could not put the story down. The contents of the penseive were fascinating, and stepping into the past is sure to provide some excellent foreshadowing for the 7th book to follow.

****Don't read on if you haven't read the book****


The growth of the relationship between Harry and Dumbledore was an excellent way to demonstrate Harry's coming-of-age. Dumbledore is finally open, accessible, fatherly, and shows a remarkable trust in Harry and his abilities. In the end it is Dumbledore leaning on Harry, letting the reader know that Harry is now fully developed and fully able to carry on, without protection.
The final chapter is the ultimate tribute to goodness and love. Dumbledore is revered by all. Those who did not believe him. Students. Teachers. The Ministry. Creatures that are not friendly with the wizard community. All!! It is a great lesson for Harry to see that greatness can be achieved with strong friendships, without battle, and when you show respect for all.

Warning This review contains Spoilers.

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince Bowled me over. After being a little disappointed with the fifth book I wasn't sure what to expect but the sixth book exceeded expectations and is replaces Goblet of Fire as my favorite of the series. I had planned on taking my time to read it but after the first few chapters I got so sucked in I finished it in a day and an afternoon and early morning. I really liked the pacing of the book and thought Mrs. Rowling made some very creative moves in how the plot moved forward and keeping the story interesting.
I loved how the book was initially a little laid back when compared to the others. Meaning there was no huge mystery or event like a chamber of secrets, a sorcerers stone, a triwizard tournament or Sirius Black escaping from Azkaban. Other than a vague plot by malfoy which doesn't ripen until the end and a slight mystery about the Halfblood Prince the book is content to linger on life at Hogwarts. I really liked this change of pace. I especially enjoyed the meetings with Dumbledore to discuss Voldemort's past. I love the fact that Rowling is taking time to give her major villain a sense of depth and motivation even if it is the fairly stereotypical one to conquer death. Fear of death is a very profound emotion so it still worked for me. The meetings with Dumbledore were one of the reasons I couldn't put the book down. I kept wanting to get to the next meeting to find out more of the memories in the pensieve.
One of the most creative moments of the book I felt, was how Harry finally convinces Slughorn to reveal the secrets of his memory about Tom Riddle. The random moments of the lucky inspiration Harry felt flowed without a hitch and I especially liked how it showed Harry felt compelled to leave a long silence for effect on Slughorn. If I were ever to meet Rowling I would ask her how she thought up such a solution. I also thought it was a stroke of brilliance to put Narcissa's visit to Snape at the beginning of the book. This increases dramatic tension because we know that Harry has been right all along and its maddening to see that no one believes him.
Although I've read some bad reviews about it I didn't particularly find the romance in the novel intrusive to the plot and recall feeling a deep sympathy towards Hermione when Ron acted out on Ginny's provocation. I was a little disappointed to not see Ron and Hermione come together as a couple in the book. I was still shocked to see snape kill Dumbledore even though I shouldn't have been. It just all happened so suddenly I am still registering a sense of disbelief. I got a little choked up and overwhelmed at the funeral. I think one of the reasons Dumbledore may have trusted Snape so much was he tended to see Snape as something of an equal someone with whom he could have been a friend. Snape is truly an extrodinary wizard as we see through his brilliant notes and effortless defeat of Harry at spell dueling.
Overall I think this sixth book will remain my favorite even after the seventh has been released because the seventh is looking to be a straightforward action story that wont have the depth or range of this novel, Although heres hoping I'm wrong. Very well done Rowling.

Overall, being a mega Harry Potter lover (I bought the book at midnight on the 15th) this book was satisfying. Definitely one of my all time favourites, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince answered a lot of questions and held true to it's former books.

However, I found the sudden, maturity (if you could call it that) in Ron a bit alarming. Rowling's description of Harry feeling embarrassed of Ron's actions with his girlfriend Lavender Brown, were very accurate, as I too, felt as though this character had changed, and not necessarily for the better.

Harry and Ginny ending up together is a cute match, but I think Harry's sudden recognition of that was a bit delayed. He had all of book 5 to realize Ginny's new maturity (as mentioned by Ginny herself in the 6th novel) yet he let it hit him all at once.

I thought the chapters with Harry, Dumbledore and the Pensieve were excellently laid out. The background of Lord Voldemort answered not only a lot of questions for Harry but for me as a reader.

Lastly, the identity of the half blood prince was a bit shocking, even though it made sense considering....

other than the slow beginning and the abrupt end, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince was a genuinely great book and set the stage perfectly for the seventh and final novel in the series.

I thought, when I started reading this Harry Potter book that it wasnt going to be that good. The first 3 chapters of The Half Blood Prince were really slow and hard to keep focus. Then as the book progressed it started to get better and hard to put down. I thought this was a very well written book and should get great awards and reviews.

Apart from the pace which felt hurried, I enjoyed this book very much. Like she did in the Goblet of Fire, I liked having the story start somewhere other than with Harry at the Dursley's. The first three chapters provided a lot of information, as set up to the rest of the book, and did so in a fresh way. Once we joined Harry and friends, while still enjoyable, the ride became somewhat routine. And it was at this point that I felt the book truly became rushed with J.K. spending far less time developing the mystery, intrigue, and emotional angst that were the hallmarks of the rest of the series. Too many things felt touched upon, quickly glossed over, and forgotten because they had no real impact on the story's main theme. Sirius's departure in the previous book, Tonk's new and different behaviour, Bill and Fleur's engagement, Malfoy and what he was up to, Snape finally securing the coveted postion of defense against the dark arts teacher -- and how about a little more turmoil between Harry and Severus, especially considering how crucial Snapes role is at the end of the book. And where was all the plotting, sneaking around, and scheming that we've become used to. Harry, Ron, and Hermione spent very little time together conspiring on anything. I've read a few reviews that suggested the book was too long; if it was, it was only so because it lacked the depth and development J.K. gave to the rest of the series. Because her writing style is already fresh and brisk, she didn't have to hurry through this book in an attempt to answer any questions left over from the past books, or to set the stage for the final one. A few more pages with more detail wouldn't have made this too long a read, but they might have made it a better one.

J.K. Rowling seems to write quite effortlessly with the new Harry Potter book, the text just flows with ease. Sometimes one gets a feeling Rowling is actually too used to writing about Harry. There is a sense of routine, both in technique and in the events of the Half-Blood Prince. All the books are structured in the same way of course, going through one school year. It does seem to get too repetitive.
However, the story is strong and I for one read the book in 2 days, eager to get to the end to see what happens. My favourite parts were those when Harry and Dumbledore went to see the memories through the Pensieve. There was truly something magical in those parts.
What I missed, and actually have missed in all the books, was a proper insight to Harry's thoughts about his special mission in life. The majority of the events are seen through Harry's eyes, but sometimes one gets a feeling one is watching the events through camera's lense, not through a person. Harry seems to be going about his business not bothering to sit down and really reflect on his life and his future.
Also the text could have been tighter and at least 200 pages shorter. (Same goes with book 5 which could have been 300 - 400 pages shorter.) I couldn't help thinking that since Rowling is so hugely popular, no-one dares to touch her text or suggest alterations. That I think hurts the books. You know, it's not the quantity but the quality...
Still, Harry Potter is a rare phenomenon and a welcome one. It has brought the joy of reading to millions.

The Half-Blood Prince is, thank goodness, miles better than Order of the Phoenix and far less convoluted and heavy going - at least until the last 100 pages. Although a bit long at 607 pages, you don't really notice the length as the book flows easily and Rowling has a very easy, humorous and descriptive writing style.

The premise is thus: Voldemort is now back, nobody is safe, not even within the walls of Hogwarts and to make matters worse, Harry and his friends are awash with 16-year-old hormones. Harry pines for Ginny Weasley, Ron and Hermione clearly fancy each other but do nothing but fight and Harry is convinced that Snape and Malfoy are up to no good, plotting to kill somebody within the walls of Hogwarts on behalf of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. All this and Harry has to captain the Quiddich team and learn how to Apparate. However, he finally begins to learn more about Voldemort and his connection to the wizard through private sessions with Dumbledore.

There is a lot going on and a lot of detail in the book, but Rowling is starting to explain the back story a bit and to tie up loose ends in time for the next installment which looks set to be very serious and very grim.

The ending, when it finally came, was horrible and shocking and totally unexpected and I am still convinced that there's a red herring in there somewhere, something she didn't say that will change at least part of the situation around, especially as she's spent the other 5 books suggesting what happened at the end of this one wouldn't and couldn't, at least not with the involvement of one of the key villains.

If I'm not making any sense it's because I don't want to give away the twist. Needless to say, I was very surprised by someone who does something quite nasty because I thought they would not do such a thing.

In any case, if you've liked the others or the films you'll love the latest installment.

Overall I think the new book by J.K. Rowling is better than book 5. I particularly enjoyed the last 5 chapters. The book is a lot more mature which is a good thing. Many surprises this time around and you get to dwelve deeper into Voldemort's past. The love interests this time are surprising to say the least. Can't wait for book 7 which is arguably going to be very different than the previous 6 books.

Harry has learned to reign in his temper. He is no longer a shouting youth, but an understanding young man who has to face a huge challenge... Learning the past of Voldemort in order to figure out a weakness to the powerful dark lord. In the meantime, Ron, Hermoine, and Harry learn that love is complicated and sometimes very confusing. However, a betrayel (or is it?) of a member of the Order of the Phoenix will shock the wizard community, and the death this betrayel caused will bring them together. In the end, Harry realizes his main purpose is now to hunt down Voldemort, and destroy the "man" that has been the cause of so much horror for him, his family, his friends and the people he loves.

Harry spends next to no time at the Dursleys. Learns of the new potions teacher. Gets invited to Bill and Fleur's wedding. We also learn about Draco, Snape, and the mysterious Half Blood Prince, as well as why Voldermort didn't die when he tried to kill Harry as a baby. Climaxing with a death, and two revelations about the future and the past.

Harry Potter's latest adventure is an excellent addition to the series. Usually, I am reluctant to read most books. But this one I tackled in just 16 hours. Compared to the preview novels written by JK Rowling, I'd say this is definitely less dark, however more complicated to read (so I probably wouldn't reccomend it for anyone under 13 or so). The book does take a different stance compared to the others though. It spends much more time explaining and gaps from the previous books (such as Lord Voldermorts past). Harry and Ron definitely take up more romantic roles as they age, which does add some pep to the book. Within the last 150 pages or so, everything really starts to come together, as this is when it gets exciting. Some of the usual fighting, along with a shock. Unfortunatly, the book just....STOPS. Obviously the entire Harry Potter series is going to be placed in the 7th book, I expect it to be the size of an encyclopedia. But overall, another success for Rowling.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is genuinely shocking. For the first time in the past seven years that I have been reading Harry Potter, I genuinely had absolutely no idea what was coming, or how it would end. The final death is tragic to say the least, and shocking in the way that it happens. Leaves you knowing that there is definitely more to this story than we can currently see.
The main problem which I found with this book is the fact that, as Rowling said they would be, the 6th and 7th books do indeed seem to be a set. HBP seems like an elaborate set-up for book 7 at times, answering some questions but leaving more, as well as having a feeling of being left off. On second reading of the final chapter, however, one realizes how powerfully important all the information within is.
As for you parents out there, this story of Harry is becoming ever more dark and complex. Does this mean you shouldn't allow your children to read it? No. I can honestly say that at 11, I would have been able to handle the book as well as I now can at 21, though I may not have been able to forsee events as well, though the surprise in HP is an advantage. Children are resiliant, intelligent, and know a lot more about the world than adults would like them to. I would say if they can read a 600 page book on their own, then they will be able to handle this book, and it may just help them deal with the world that we find ourselves in today.