***FOR OBVIOUS REASONS, I CANNOT CONTINUE TO SUPPORT THIS AUTHOR***
Don't let the muggles get you down.
4.5 stars
12/18/2019: I loved every bit of this. Harry was on edge most of the time, Ron was happy for once and Hermoine finally admitted she took on more than she could handle.
Even though many people love this book and say that it's their favorite one for me it fell flat. In my opinion it's the best book for Harry as a character - he meets Sirius and finally gets to learn DADA from a good person and teacher, wins quidditch cup. But from the readers point of view I feel like nothing happens. Maybe there is no tension because I already know the plot, but honestly it was so boring that I couldn't finish it in months. Also even though Hermione is forever and always in my heart, in this one she was so annoying. I think my past self would be pretty disappointed if she saw this review but what can I say? Hype is real.
I was never a big fan of Prisoner of Azkaban, and seems that hasn't changed. Hermione's and Lupin's secrets amused me a lot the first time though. Man does that scene inside the hideout take a long ass time. lol Not to mention by now the "new teacher enters hogwarts -> teacher is very much connected to what's happening in the book -> conflict is resolved -> teacher leaves hogwarts" formula is overused by now.
I was gonna actually read the entire series, but after experimenting the audiobook narrated by Stephen Fry for the first time, I really wanna stick with audiobook format for now! He's so energetic and really makes the characters come to life. Definitely the best audiobook I've come across yet.
God, I'm excited for Goblet of Fire. It's my 2nd fav book.
Harry Potter returns for his third year at Hogwarts and with concentrating on new classes and winning the Quiddich cup must also be put on his guard with Sirius Black an escaped murderer for the wizard prison Azkaban and is supposedly after Harry. Although one must keep in mind that things do not always appear what they seem.
Thoughts:
Part of this may have to do with Alan Rickman's delivery of the line but my favorite quote of all the Harry Potter books/movies is spoken by Professor Snape while substituting for the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher Professor Lupin, "Turn to page 394." on page 394 is the chapter on werewolves and by setting this chapter hopes a student will recognize Remus Lupin for his true nature. I love this because it is portrayed so dry but at the same time with great authority.
Another thing I didn't realize before now is that however slightly has the underlining of prejudice in the plot. I believe this is shown through Professor Lupin, who's true nature is of a werewolf which is why he's been missing classes. Remus is described as having shabby dress with dark circles under his eyes. Somewhere in the book he is commented as saying that it is difficult for him to hold a job and after transforming, and putting students at risk, resigns from the post because "parents wouldn't want their children being taught by someone like me." Maybe I'm reading too much into this but I thought this was an interesting analogy towards racism or discrimination.
I didn't cry when I was nine and it was the first time I've read it. I didn't cry all the other times I read it. Now, at 26, my face is a mess of tears and mascara. Reading HP is always like coming back home to me.
my review for this book. You can also read the full review at Thoughts and Pens
Plot OMG! I SOOOO LUURVE THIS BOOK that I actually thought, I’d die with suspense, drama and all the revelations that came with it. For the third time, Rowling brings us once again into the world of Harry where everything gets better and better. I was fascinated with the new creatures, the Dementors, the new things that made it a perfect paradise for our thoughts. I was hanging on the edge of my seat and finally falling after the amazing turn of events. Forgive me but during the last chapters of the book, I’ve been crying like mad that I temporarily stopped reading. The events were unbearably painful and yet, it was so heartwarming to finally know that despite the difficulty of picking up the pieces, everything seemed to connect perfectly. Having read the first three books, there is not a doubt that Rowling is a ruthless story teller. With a brush of her quill, she can make us happy or cry or angry or mad or make us explode from feeling all of these emotions at once.
Characters I HEART SIRIUS BLACK! There, I’ve finally announced it. He had been an enigma in the book teasing our minds but in the end, he finally emerged as one of the underdogs between the battle of good and evil. I ache for him, for his losses, of the wasted life that he had lived, of his absence in Harry’s life, for his unwavering bravery and his boundless loyalty. And yes, it wouldn’t hurt that he was intelligent, cool, and very good looking. I salute JK for giving us this man who was a perfect example that no one should stop hoping to see the light. Sirius Black is like the Dark Knight who rose from the prisons of hell with dignity and resolute focus. It was unfair that he wasn’t acquitted at the end of the book. But at least, he was able to clean his name infront of Harry and the gang. That was good enough for me. Apart from Sirius, I also liked the newly introduced characters, Trelawney and Lupin. Well, Trelawney is someone really funny with her utterly unbelievable predictions. And Lupin strikes me as someone who is a down-to-earth person but certainly cool. In this book too, we also saw how the trio was slowly ascending the point of maturity, of course, with Ron being the slowest in getting there. But it was fun and lovely seeing them growing up and tackling personal issues like any normal person would do.
Interactions and Dialogues What’s good with JK is that she had always been consistent with the elements of her writing style. Dialogues and interactions in Harry Potter had always been a mixture of fun, wit, grit, thrill and suspense that it was impossible to get bored. How good is that? Another thing would be, interactions and dialogues were straightforward and never lingered. You will never get an idea that Book 3 is just a filler to compensate the waiting for Book 7.
Lessons Learned • True friendships always endures- The friendship shared by the Marauder’s except for that scumbag Pettigrew and the trio is an outstanding example of this. True friendship is not just about having fun but it’s also about standing up against the lures of evil even if the price is one’s own life. • Never eat more than you can chew- As perfectly demonstrated by Hermione Granger. • Learn to trust someone with your crucial decisions- As what have happened when the Potters and Sirius decided not to inform Dumbledore of the secret-keeper swap. Thirteen years of punishing the wrong man would have been avoided if this had been the case.
This review was originally posted on Star Crossed Reviews As you may or may not know the BF bought me the copies of the HP series in the original Bloomsbury covers as a new year present at the beginning of the year. I have slowly been making my way through them again and enjoying the stories all over again.
There isn't much that I can say about JK that hasn't already been said. We all know she is a fantastic writer. We all know that she can draw us into the wizarding world with ease so I will keep this one short and sweet.
It was a joy to see Harry and the gang grow in this book. The gang are becoming braver but the tasks ahead of them are becoming scarier with equal measure.
Buckbeak wormed his way into my heart as did Padfoot. I enjoyed seeing Harry's father at school and learning more about him and his friends too.
Quite simply, I loved being back at Hogwarts and I loved being back in Harry's world. For me nothing beats being back there and I can't wait to dive in again with The Goblet of Fire in the new year.