Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling

I purchased the Deathly Hallows as soon as it got out. After reading the Half Blood Prince, I wasn't sure how Harry would handle the big and evil force of Voldemort with no Dumbledore around. But hats off to J.K. Rowling. She delivers what I think is the most amazing climax of a fantasy series. The book is a breeze, and at no moment I felt bored. The last few chapters are so superbly written that I found myself reading them again and again. I have read the book 5 times now and if there is one word in which I would describe the Deathly Hallows, it is 'AWESOME'.

Sadly, the young hero is perhaps the best possible role model for our children. While this may be good for children morally, it becomes excessively boring, driving forward only because of Rowling's earlier successes. Harry is astonishingly devoid of change throughout the series, becoming very apparent in this last book. Harry is a good boy in the beginning, a good boy in the middle, and a good boy in the end. When has our hero been tempted to stray from the path of heroism? No, it has become quite predictable what Harry will do next.

If it was just that one mistake, I would have given this book a higher score. But Rowling seemed to decide to play matchmaker, throwing Harry and his peers into couples. No one who died seems to actually die, as everyone either leaves behind their child or their namesake. Rowling also inflates this last book with pure air, as much of this book is needless fluff. Not even tasty fluff.

Perhaps one of the biggest complaints I have with this book is the idea of Dumbledore's homosexuality. It is subtly hinted in the book, but Rowling could have revealed this is the book rather than doing so in person.

I acknowledge that this book is a necessary read if only because you've read the preceding books, but had this book been the first book of a series rather than the conclusion, I doubt that it would receive recognition of any kind.

The seventh book redeems a plot line that got overly complicated over the final three books. Despite all their faults, the books work because Rowling creates characters that we really care about and we feel compelled to find out what becomes of them. By the time the climax is reached we have been given too many explanations of why the Dark Lord fails, when really just one-- his mistakes concerning the Elder wand-- would have sufficed. The explanation concerning blood transfer from Harry to Voldemort is convoluted and ultimately forced. The sword that is laboriously won by Griphook the goblin mysteriously makes its way back to Hogwarts where it can-- quite properly-- fly to a brave student in need. The mystery seems like a critical omission.

It isn't. The reason why is that everything about horcruxes and hallows mostly makes sense in the context of magic. Death is faced bravely, evil is destroyed, and we are relieved by the number of good people who survive. We CARE about these people and that covers a multitude of sins. My young children are avid readers due in great measure to one writer. 5 out of 5 for THAT.