HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE by J.K. ROWLING

HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE by J.K. Rowling
By Darlene Laws

By now everyone knows that an important character dies in this book. I won’t spoil it by telling you who it is; I will only say that distressing as this event is, it is absolutely crucial to the plot. This loss, like so many others in Harry’s life, only serves to sharpen Harry’s resolve to defeat Lord Voldemort. Filled with danger and betrayal, this book is by far the darkest in tone of the series. However, as Harry has matured, so have the books, and let’s face it, the world is a darker place than it was when the first book was written. The good guys don’t always win even when they deserve to.

This book sets the stage for the final volume that will undoubtedly be apocalyptic in nature as Harry and Voldemort finally face off against each other. Yet, despite the doom and gloom of this book, there were many light-hearted and hopeful moments as well. Things aren’t always as they seem and maybe someone who appears to be a Judas will turn out to be a friend. And maybe absent friends will still have a role to play. At least we can hope so.