Book Reviews
Harry Potter Series Book Review: A magical ride!
Harry Potter Series is a magical ride. The plot is perfectly structured. It has a well laid out climax and there is closure in the end.
By Jiya Chawla | Opening Doorz Editorial | July 15, 2021
Book Review: Harry Potter Series
Author: J K Rowling
Rating: 5/5
The Essence: The plot of this entire series is perfectly structured. It has a well laid out climax and the story is given closure in the end. While it may not be a happy one, the reader gets satisfied and there isn’t anything left unresolved. Summing it all up, I’m forever grateful to J K Rowling for writing this ‘magical’ series and introducing readers like me to a whole new, better world. Harry Potter is a heck of a rollercoaster ride!
Harry Potter Series Book Review
Reading the Harry Potter series is like entering a completely magical world, both figuratively and literally!
“It is our choices that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.” Very well said Dumbledore, very well said indeed. The Harry Potter series consists of seven books and eight movies, all of which are extremely ‘magical’ if I may say so!
Of course, this series is widely acclaimed, but let’s get to digging deeper into what this book series is about.
Spoiler alert
The plot consists of an orphaned kid who lives with his mean relatives. Clichéd, I know, but let’s move past that. Now one of the things that as a writer you need to make sure of, is that the readers sympathise or relate to the protagonist. Rowling is smart in that area and gives Harry all sorts of trauma, at the tender age of 11. Harry is bullied, called names, and stereotyped at school, all done mainly by one particular character.
Yes! Draco Malfoy is who I’m talking about. I have so much to say about this character, I’m practically bursting with things to say.
To begin with, some people say that he’s overrated, and I do agree. Some people say he’s evil, which I don’t believe to be true. Because, just like Harry, Draco also has a traumatising past. His relations with his parents were toxic. I’m not justifying his actions but rather just stating simple facts on why people need to stop calling him ‘evil’.
Cliffhangers luring the reader
Rowling cleverly leaves all her Harry Potter books at cliffhangers, leaving the reader wanting more. I speak this from experience! I remember finishing the entire Philosopher’s Stone book within a month and ordering Chamber of Secrets the very next day. I cannot even begin to tell you how annoyed I was because of Amazon’s late shipping!
Back to the plot, Voldemort, or He-who-must-not-be-named, is the antagonist of this story. Tall pale guy, no nose, wearing a dark black robe, you know, the usual.
One thing that I love about him is that he thought of killing a baby using magic. He was so dependent on magic that he didn’t even think of just throwing him out the window? A baby couldn’t possibly survive that! But of course, all evil guys are dumb anyway. And he couldn’t even manage to kill a high-school boy for three years. I mean, that’s a new low for you Voldy!
One more thing I admired about the books is that Rowling does not fail to use humour. Making books humorous is a brilliant way to capture the reader’s attention. It worked for me! Hogwarts is a truly magical place, and not just literally. The way Rowling describes it, giving even the tiniest of details, is wonderful. It is truly a piece of art. The vibrant and detailed description of every single thing is commendable.
A perfectly structured plot
The plot of this entire series is perfectly structured. It has a well laid out climax and the story is given closure in the end. While it may not be a happy one, the reader gets satisfied and there isn’t anything left unresolved.
Talking about cliff-hangers, they’re mainly just good in mystery or thriller novels. With a fantasy book like Harry Potter, cliff-hangers don’t make sense because the reader is only just introduced to an entirely different world of magic. Their imagination is still building up so they cannot manifest an ending by themselves.
From the bottom of my heart, I’d like to thank Rowling for getting me so interested in reading books. One of the main reasons that this book was so captivating to me was because the author makes an amazing female character. It is great to finally read about a princess who didn’t need a prince to rescue her from a high tower.
Yes, I’m talking about Hermione!
She’s the definition of a strong, independent female. Her character gives off major powerful vibes to me and I’m all for it! She is smart and kind, humble and passionate. I’d never seen anyone like her and not a female!
A bewildering evil character
And now, talking about the ‘evil’ side: If you’re like me, then you’d also be completely obsessed with the bad guys of any story. My personal favourite is Bellatrix Lestrange. Her passion, anger, desire, and hunger for revenge are something worth drooling over. She is fierce and fiery. Before you judge me, I’m not justifying her actions, only complimenting Rowling on writing such a bewildering character.
It would have been nice if the series was more inclusive. Rowling hasn’t incorporated diversity into the books. Almost every character is white and straight. That’s something that could’ve been worked on.
Summing it all up, I’m forever grateful to J K Rowling for writing this ‘magical’ series and introducing readers like me to a whole new, better world. Harry Potter is a heck of a rollercoaster ride!
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