Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Harry Potter, #6)

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Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Harry Potter #6)

by J.K. Rowling, Mary GrandPré (Illustrator)

4.42 · rating details · 512,175 ratings · 11,003 reviews

The war against Voldemort is not going well; even the Muggles have been affected. Dumbledore is absent from Hogwarts for long stretches of time, and the Order of the Phoenix has already suffered losses.

And yet . . . as with all wars, life goes on. Sixth-year students learn to Apparate. Teenagers flirt and fight and fall in love. Harry receives some extraordina...more

Paperback, 607 pages

Published September 16th 2005 by Scholastic Paperbacks (first published January 1st 2005)

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Jul 15, 2007

Aloysius rated it

· review of another edition

Recommends it for: Popular Fantasy Geeks

I was first introduced to Harry Potter in a Children’s Lit class in college. I had resisted this popular phenomenon until I was forced to pick it up for a grade, and Book 1 was short enough that I could read it in the course of 2 hours. I have to admit I wasn’t impressed to any extent, nor did I dislike the experience, but I was critical on grounds of its being derivative, even if reading the first led to reading the second. After all, if I was bored and looking for something light, I could do w...moreI was first introduced to Harry Potter in a Children’s Lit class in college. I had resisted this popular phenomenon until I was forced to pick it up for a grade, and Book 1 was short enough that I could read it in the course of 2 hours. I have to admit I wasn’t impressed to any extent, nor did I dislike the experience, but I was critical on grounds of its being derivative, even if reading the first led to reading the second. After all, if I was bored and looking for something light, I could do worse than a fantasy about a child wizard who fights evil with his friends. But it was really the third book, with its increasing darkness, that took me in and made me a fan.

With a movie coming out for Order of Phoenix and Deathly Hallows on the horizon, I decided I would reread Half-Blood Prince. I figured it would take four sittings, of course, with its 600 pages, but time does fly when reading this one, and I’ve come to the conclusion that this is my favorite so far. What I wouldn’t have been willing to admit in college that I’m perfectly comfortable saying now is that J.K. Rowling is a fantastic storyteller; she writes with great clarity, wit, and humor; and she’s created a cast of loveable characters with whom most people, due to the common experience of growing up, can relate closely.

That said, the reason for my preference for the 6th book is that it’s the most emotionally rich in the series. Here we get the backstory of Voldemort (*spoiler alert*) through a series of flashbacks (coming in HP by way of magically extracted memories), and in this way, we come to understand the villain’s similarities and differences with our hero. After all, the villain has to have reasons for committing heinous acts, and until now, we don’t know what these are.

Voldemort is from a once-powerful wizard family reduced to poverty that lives in a dilapidated hovel on the edge of a small town, wary of outsiders, and their main point of pride is their pure blood, the lineage having cross-bred for generations so as not to pollute the line. Voldemort’s mother lives with her father and brother and yearns for the love of a nonmagical man (“muggle” in this world) and when her father and brother are arrested, she uses the opportunity to bewitch her beloved and run off. She ends up pregnant, the man deserts her, and she dies while giving birth to her half-wizard, half-muggle son, thus making him an orphan (like Harry).

(Faulkner anyone?)

But whereas Harry comes to Hogwarts and befriends Ron and Hermione creating unity and strength through positive emotions, Voldemort, when growing in the orphanage shuns other children, torturing them at times (without the awareness of adults) and stealing their possessions. What fuels him is his hatred of his beginnings, his mother’s weakness at having died like a common person despite being a witch, and the “muggle” blood inherited from his father. Over the course of his time at Hogwarts, Voldemort, charming as only evil can be, learns to win over people as a means to an end and disguise his insidious purposes, but he never befriends anyone. He moves, through his hatred, further away from many of the emotions that drive Harry, namely the desire to protect the people he loves and avenge his parents’ death.

With Dumbledore’s help in exploring Voldemort’s past, Harry begins to understand that he’s come to be where he is through the choices he’s made, that his greatest strengths are an alliance with his friends, and that this might hold the key to destroying his enemy, a fact that’s made all the more poignant when Dumbledore, in an all-out assault on Hogwarts by Voldemort’s Death Eaters, is killed at the end. The stakes are higher than before, the action and pace increase as the conclusion draws near, and things are looking darker than ever, which is the setup that any fan wants when the end is looming and it leaves us with the question: How will our hero prevail?(less)

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Jan 17, 2008

Nightfalltwen rated it

· review of another edition

Recommends it for: no one

Shelves: children-9-12

Well I decided to come back and actually put in a review for this book since all I'd done is give it a star and go on my merry little way.

Hated this book. Flat out, this book was the worst of the whole seven-book series.

I bought HBP the day it was released and I was very excited to read something new in the series. To my shock, I couldn't believe how bad the story was. Something happened to JKR's editor. I think perhaps foul play was involved because apparently the ed...more

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Feb 01, 2008

Chris rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, harry-potter

Since pretty much everyone I know has read these books, I figure reviewing them is pretty pointless. But with the new book coming out in a couple of days, I have to go through them beginning to end. To make the reviews more entertaining, I will be doing them in a variety of unexpected formats. For this review, I will be writing as a power ballad.

(Intro: Piano and strings)

You were always by my side
You will always be my guide
But the road I'm on
Goes on and ...more

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Feb 27, 2009

Manny rated it

Shelves: children

OK. I'm prepared to admit I've read it. As someone once said about Jeffrey Archer novels, it's rather like a packet of stale chips. You keep taking them out and eating them, hoping that the ones at the bottom are little better. But they're not. After a while, you notice that the bag is empty, and you feel rather disgusted with yourself.

She claims the whole story was planned from the beginning. Yeah, right. Though, to be fair, she's in good company; Proust said something similar about...more

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Feb 08, 2008

Jason Hughes rated it

Recommends it for: any Harry Potter fans

As Voldemort and his Death Eaters openly wreak havoc throughout Britain, Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge has been forced to resign following public outcry over his mishandling the situation. Rufus Scrimgeour succeeds him. At his home in Spinner's End, Severus Snape is sworn to an Unbreakable Vow by Draco Malfoy's mother Narcissa. Although her sister, Bellatrix Lestrange, distrusts Snape, he agrees to protect Draco during his task assigned by the Dark Lord and complete the mission should he fai...moreAs Voldemort and his Death Eaters openly wreak havoc throughout Britain, Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge has been forced to resign following public outcry over his mishandling the situation. Rufus Scrimgeour succeeds him. At his home in Spinner's End, Severus Snape is sworn to an Unbreakable Vow by Draco Malfoy's mother Narcissa. Although her sister, Bellatrix Lestrange, distrusts Snape, he agrees to protect Draco during his task assigned by the Dark Lord and complete the mission should he fail.

During the summer, Albus Dumbledore enlists Harry Potter's unwitting help to persuade retired professor Horace Slughorn to return to his old Hogwarts post. Harry then spends the remaining holiday at the Burrow with the Weasleys and Hermione. To his family's dismay, Bill Weasley has become engaged to Fleur Delacour, the Beauxbatons champion in the Triwizard Tournament, while Harry realises he is developing romantic feelings for Ginny. Harry, Ron, and Hermione receive their O.W.L. results. To become Aurors, Harry and Ron must take N.E.W.T.-level Potions as a prerequisite, but their grades in the subject are too low for Snape's advanced class, thus ending their career ambitions. While in Diagon Alley, Harry, Ron and Hermione spot Draco Malfoy and follow him. At Borgin & Burkes, a dark magic shop in Knockturn Alley, Malfoy threatens Mr. Borgin about repairing one item and keeping another safe. Suspecting Draco may be a Death Eater, Harry resolves to keep a close watch on him.

As school begins, Snape is unexpectedly announced as the new Defence Against the Dark Arts instructor while Slughorn replaces him as the Potions teacher. Slughorn only requires a minimum "E" grade (Exceeds Expectations) at O.W.L. to take his N.E.W.T.-level Potion classes, making Harry and Ron eligible for the class. Slughorn lends them old Potions textbooks until they buy their own. Harry's copy is marked on the bottom of the back cover, "This book is the Property of the Half-Blood Prince". The talented former owner's notes help Harry excel in the class. As a reward, Slughorn gives him a small vial of Felix Felicis, a good luck potion.

Death Eater attacks continue throughout the year and may be linked to events at Hogwarts. On the first Hogsmeade visit, Katie Bell, a Gryffindor student, is seriously injured while carrying a cursed necklace, apparently while under the Imperius Curse. In another incident, Ron accidentally drinks poisoned mead intended for Dumbledore. Harry reacts by administering the Bezoar he had submitted previously as an assignment to Slughorn. Hermione is so distraught over this that she and Ron, who were feuding mostly over Ron dating Lavender Brown and her relationship with Viktor Krum, reconcile; Ron soon breaks up with Lavender. Meanwhile, Harry realises his true feelings for Ginny, although she is now dating Dean Thomas.

Dumbledore privately tutors Harry using his Pensieve to view collected memories about Voldemort's past. Dumbledore speculates that Voldemort splintered his soul into six fragments called Horcruxes to attain immortality, while leaving a seventh piece in his body. Two Horcruxes have been destroyed (Tom Riddle's diary by Harry[HP2] and Marvolo Gaunt's ring by Dumbledore).

When Harry finds Malfoy sobbing in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom, they hurl curses at each other. Harry casts "Sectumsempra" inflicting huge gashes across Malfoy's body. Snape arrives and saves Malfoy. He attempts to re-possess the Half-Blood Prince's Potions book, but Harry hands him "Roonil Wazlib's (a.k.a. Ron's) copy . Harry receives detention, causing him to miss the Quidditch finals. Nonetheless, Gryffindor wins the Cup, and during the victory celebration, Harry's suppressed feelings for Ginny are revealed when he spontaneously kisses her; Ginny has just broken up with Dean Thomas, and she and Harry begin dating.

Harry reports Malfoy's suspicious behaviour to a seemingly unconcerned Dumbledore. He reassures Harry that he trusts Severus in keeping a lookout. Soon after, Harry learns from Professor Trelawney that it was Snape who passed a prophecy to Voldemort that ultimately led to James and Lily Potter's deaths. Enraged, Harry confronts Dumbledore, but he affirms Snape's loyalty. Dumbledore, meanwhile, has located another Horcrux and asks Harry to accompany him in retrieving it. Distrusting Malfoy and Snape, Harry asks Ron, Hermione, Luna Lovegood, Neville Longbottom and Ginny to patrol the halls while he and Dumbledore are gone and gives them the remaining Felix Felicis potion for luck. Harry and Dumbledore disapparate to a secret cave. They retrieve the Horcrux (Salazar Slytherin's locket). Dumbledore, however, has been greatly weakened due to the mysterious liquid he had to drink in order to acquire the locket.

Returning to Hogsmeade, Harry and Dumbledore see Lord Voldemort's Dark Mark hovering over Hogwarts. They fly to the Astronomy Tower on borrowed broomsticks and are ambushed by Draco Malfoy. Dumbledore paralyses Harry, who is under his Invisibility Cloak, just before Draco disarms Dumbledore. Draco admits he was behind the school attacks and has helped Death Eaters secretly enter Hogwarts via the pair of Vanishing Cabinets, although Dumbledore discerns that Voldemort has coerced the obviously frightened boy.

As members of the Order, and the few from the DA battle Voldemort's followers in the castle below, Death Eaters appear in the tower and urge Draco to fulfil his mission?killing Dumbledore?but Draco hesitates. Snape arrives and a weakened Dumbledore entreats him with an ambiguous plea; Snape casts Avada Kedavra that hits Dumbledore squarely in the chest. The impact hurls his body over the tower wall. Upon Dumbledore's death, Harry is released from the paralysing spell. Harry pursues Snape and Malfoy as their only way of escape would be to disapparate outside the boundaries of Hogwarts. Malfoy escapes as Snape duels Harry. During the duel, Snape reveals that he is the Half-Blood Prince. Though instructive, the duel was ended by Buckbeak's intervention. Snape disapparates and escapes. Harry recovers the locket from Dumbledore's body, only to discover it is a fake. Inside is a note from someone with the initials R. A. B. who has stolen the real Horcrux.

The school year ends abruptly with Dumbledore's funeral. Professor McGonagall is appointed Hogwarts's interim headmistress and Professor Slughorn replaces Snape as the head of Slytherin House. Hogwarts is rumoured to close down due to the murder of Dumbledore. Harry decides to leave school in search for the remaining Horcruxes. Ron and Hermione vow to accompany him, while Harry ends his relationship with Ginny to protect her from Voldemort. The book concludes as Harry looks forward to Bill and Fleur's wedding and being comforted that "...there was still one last golden day of peace left to enjoy with Ron and Hermione."
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Oct 30, 2007

John Brooks rated it

Recommends it for: people with souls

The crown jewel of the Harry Potter series, "Half-Blood Prince" is one of the finest novels I've read in my lifetime. Having allowed us to watch Harry evolve and mature for so many years, Rowling finally lifts the veil, so to speak, humanizing the larger than life characters of not just Dumbledore and Snape, but significantly and achingly, Tom Riddle. This is love letter to one of the hardest things we all experience: the moment that your idols become your peers, your parents become ...more

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Oct 22, 2007

Carmen Maloy rated it

Recommends it for: Everyone

What stands out in book 6:

* The introduction of the Horcrux.
* Molly Weasley asking Arthur Weasley about his "dearest ambition." Rowling has always been great at revealing little intriguing bits about her characters at a time, and Arthur’s answer "to find out how airplanes stay up" reminds us about his obsession with Muggles.
* Harry's private lessons with Dumbledore, and more time spent with the fascinating and dangerous pensieve, arguably one of Rowli...moreWhat stands out in book 6:

* The introduction of the Horcrux.
* Molly Weasley asking Arthur Weasley about his "dearest ambition." Rowling has always been great at revealing little intriguing bits about her characters at a time, and Arthur’s answer "to find out how airplanes stay up" reminds us about his obsession with Muggles.
* Harry's private lessons with Dumbledore, and more time spent with the fascinating and dangerous pensieve, arguably one of Rowling’s most ingenious inventions.
* Fred and George Weasley’s Joke Shop, and the slogan: "Why Are You Worrying About You-Know-Who? You Should Be Worrying About U-NO-POO--the Constipation Sensation That's Gripping the Nation!"
* Luna's Quidditch commentary. Rowling created scores of Luna Lovegood fans with hilarious and bizarre commentary from the most unlikely Quidditch commentator.
* The effects of Felix Felicis.
* We get a fascinating view of the history of Tom Riddle.
* The major question of the book: Whose side is Snape really on?

Amazon Review:
The long-awaited, eagerly anticipated, arguably over-hyped Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince has arrived, and the question on the minds of kids, adults, fans, and skeptics alike is, "Is it worth the hype?" The answer, luckily, is simple: yep. A magnificent spectacle more than worth the price of admission, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince will blow you away. However, given that so much has gone into protecting the secrets of the book (including armored trucks and injunctions), don't expect any spoilers in this review. It's much more fun not knowing what's coming--and in the case of Rowling's delicious sixth book, you don't want to know. Just sit tight, despite the earth-shattering revelations that will have your head in your hands as you hope the words will rearrange themselves into a different story. But take one warning to heart: do not open Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince until you have first found a secluded spot, safe from curious eyes, where you can tuck in for a good long read. Because once you start, you won't stop until you reach the very last page.
A darker book than any in the series thus far with a level of sophistication belying its genre, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince moves the series into murkier waters and marks the arrival of Rowling onto the adult literary scene. While she has long been praised for her cleverness and wit, the strength of Book 6 lies in her subtle development of key characters, as well as her carefully nuanced depiction of a community at war. In Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, no one and nothing is safe, including preconceived notions of good and evil and of right and wrong. With each book in her increasingly remarkable series, fans have nervously watched J.K. Rowling raise the stakes; gone are the simple delights of butterbeer and enchanted candy, and days when the worst ailment could be cured by a bite of chocolate. A series that began as a colorful lark full of magic and discovery has become a dark and deadly war zone. But this should not come as a shock to loyal readers. Rowling readied fans with Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by killing off popular characters and engaging the young students in battle. Still, there is an unexpected bleakness from the start of Book 6 that casts a mean shadow over Quidditch games, silly flirtations, and mountains of homework. Ready or not, the tremendous ending of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince will leave stunned fans wondering what great and terrible events await in Book 7 if this sinister darkness is meant to light the way.
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Jun 13, 2007

Sammy rated it

Shelves: a-the-best

Okay, how am I really supposed to review this book? The thing is, I'm obsessed with Harry Potter, no way around it. I've been obsessed, and more than likely will always be obsessed. So I can't really step back and give a biased review on this book... but I will give a review nonetheless.

This book did not let me down. Just like Order of the Phoenix I read it within 24 hours. Every single chapter, sentence, word, grabbed at me! By this point in the series I'm seriously invested in the ...more

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Jun 08, 2008

Rebecca added it

Shelves: made-into-movies, books-i-own

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I don't really know what I think of the beginning, since the first two (clearly important) scenes are done outside Harry's frame of reference. The whole point of the books has been that we're in limited 3rd person POV - we find things out when Harry does. That's been the clearly established rule for 5 books, I don't understand why we're changing it in the 6th. Obviously the point of being an author is that you make the rules, but once you've made your own rules you're supposed to abide by them u...moreI don't really know what I think of the beginning, since the first two (clearly important) scenes are done outside Harry's frame of reference. The whole point of the books has been that we're in limited 3rd person POV - we find things out when Harry does. That's been the clearly established rule for 5 books, I don't understand why we're changing it in the 6th. Obviously the point of being an author is that you make the rules, but once you've made your own rules you're supposed to abide by them until you've also created an exception. That can be done more easily with substantive rules - you can have vampires wander around in direct sunlight eating garlic for all I care, if you say why you're doing it. But a style rule that's been clearly established isn't supposed to be broken, unless you need information that CAN'T be conveyed any other way, and I don't see why she couldn't have conveyed the information in those scenes later in the book in the usual way. Okay, yes, it's clearly important that we know about the Unbreakable Vow, but Harry found out about it anyway, so I'm not sure why we had to know about it when we did. The point could have been to introduce Narcissa and use Bellatrix again, but I'm not sure why we care. Or I guess it could have been that we suspect Snape, which would definitely be fun and games, but I'm suspicious of that clearly planted suspicion. My best guess is that we need to know not only THAT Snape made the Unbreakable Vow, but WHAT he vowed to do, and that must have been the most convenient way to do it.

Also, I would like to veto love triangles. I know, I know - we have a bunch of 16 year olds of the two genders in constant close quarters, it would be more shocking if we DIDN'T have triangles. But it's woeful to have to read it for a million billion pages. And Ron really can be a spectacular McAsshat when he wants to. (Lavender? Really? I have nothing against her, but really?) Although I worry about where she's going with Ron and Hermione - they FIGHT. A LOT. And I don't think that would change that much, no matter what happens...it hasn't been the "bickering of unspoken passion" all this time. I think Ron started the snarking of move around Year 4, but Hermione has been thoroughly...Hermione until this year. Also, I kind of like her with Viktor Krum, because it was FUNNY. Although I am surprisingly myself by being a supporter of Harry-Ginny. I heart Ginny and I think she would work well with him. I mean, if it goes bad it will go VERY VERY BAD, as Harry himself as pointed out, but maybe it won't go bad. Maybe there will be ONE THING in this ENTIRE SERIES that doesn't end up going bad.

....Or she could be the one who dies at the end of book 7 WAH VETO.

One disadvantage of being a Johnny (jill?) come lately is that I knew that Dumbledore died, just like I knew that Sirius died, but I managed to block that out with the supreme conviction of someone who believes that the bad ending will have worked itself out by the time she gets there. Unfortunately, it did not, and I am deprived of Dumbledore as I was deprived of Sirius, and yea verily I cried. I cried harder for Sirius than for Dumbledore, though I'm not sure why - probably because why Dumbledore's death wasn't a shock, how it happened was, and I was too busy screaming "WHAT THE F!" at the book to really be emotionally wracked. I had to go back and read it twice just to make sure I really understood what had just happened, because it seemed like there was just no way.

So the end.....W. T. EEEEEEFFFFFFFF. I mean, what WAS that? Was it an Imperious Curse? Was it the consequences of the Unbreakable Vow? Or have Ron and Harry been right all this time? And it's so utterly bizarre because earlier in the book I'd been thinking about how even though Snape doesn't always like it, in the end he does usually seem to do what's right, like when he made Lupin the serum or when he tried to teach Harry Occlumency-whatever, even though he doesn't like it, and that was what had me convinced that Dumbledore was right in trusting him. And I'd thought that maybe if Harry just sucked it up and apologized to Snape and actually tried being polite it might help - like if he'd had sorry for his accidental disemboweling of Malfoy. I mean, yes, Malfoy was trying to use the Cruciatus on him, but I'd been thinking if Harry just manned up and said to Snape, "Professor, I'm sorry I did that," without making excuses, that might make a different. But then after all of that it turns out that HOLY MOTHER OF JESUS HOWARD CHRIST ON A POGO STICK SNAPE BETRAYED THE POTTERS???? and I seriously rethought that idea.

And then...and then after ALL of that, has he really been still working for Voldemort this ENTIRE TIME? I mean, I'd wondered if everyone circling you for all those years going Dumbledore trusts you but we don't and we just want to make that VERY VERY CLEAR could eventually crack you, and then--wha--wha--what?

And Dumbledore DIED FOR A FAKE HORCRUX AND WHO THE FUDGE IS R.A.B.??

My brain has just waved a tiny white flag and crawled into the corner to cry. Dear J.K. Rowling: please cease and desist phunking with my heart.
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Jun 09, 2008

Ty rated it

I have three words for you: oh - holy - hell. I had braced myself but I wasn't really expecting the bottom to drop out from under us until the 7th book. Arghhhhh.

There's more of the same here ie. heartbreak and betrayal but this may just be the most terrifying and complex of the series. In fact, there is so much plot advancement that it makes me want to crawl into a ball (while I wish for simpler times when Harry was just an orphan who finds out he's a wizard and there was still l...more

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Aug 16, 2007

Keely rated it

Shelves: contemporary-fiction, fantasy, novel, reviewed, contemporary-fantasy, uk-and-ireland

After the loss of the (admittedly: occasionally interminable) dark psychological tone of the last book, this one falls into a very recognizable 'plot coupon' pattern, which should be familiar to anyone who played D&D or watched Dragonball (we were all 11 once, right?). Of course, constructing the finale around such a simple and direct concept for the ending of the conflict is easy for the author. However, it is formulaic and predictable for the reader, and robs us of actually seeing a physical a...more

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Jul 10, 2007

Katherine rated it

Shelves: fantasyscifi

So I feel I must publicly expound my Severus Snape theory before the last Harry Potter book comes out. I know, it's a total guilty pleasure, but damnit, I love that ragtag bunch of misfit wizards. So prepare to be awed by my genius analysis of the eternal question: Is Severus Snape evil?

Well, in one word - Completely. Quiet down, quiet down, quit your uproaring and just hear me out. In the world that Rowling created for Harry Potter almost every character is either goodness and ligh...moreSo I feel I must publicly expound my Severus Snape theory before the last Harry Potter book comes out. I know, it's a total guilty pleasure, but damnit, I love that ragtag bunch of misfit wizards. So prepare to be awed by my genius analysis of the eternal question: Is Severus Snape evil?

Well, in one word - Completely. Quiet down, quiet down, quit your uproaring and just hear me out. In the world that Rowling created for Harry Potter almost every character is either goodness and light or darkness and doom. Sure they have conflicts and sometimes shit ain't easy, but their motivations are always clean cut. Snape is the one mystery. He seems evil, but he protects Harry, sort of. Dumbledore trusts him, but he makes pacts with the Malfoys. What's a muggle to think? Well, I'll tell you what to think. Snape is only looking out for #1. He's got designs on blossoming from the picked on nerdy potions kid to the unquestioned dark overlord or everything.

Oh, spoiler alert: If you haven't read the 6th book, I'm totally about to blow the ending for you.

You might be saying, 'Well then why does Dumbledore trust him? Dumbledore's super smart and would know if he was evil.' Well it's because when Dumbledore asks him, "No, seriously Snape, are you done with Voldemort?" Snape can say, "Of course, guy," and be telling the truth. He's done with that shit and he's got his eyes on the prize for himself. Even under the control of the Veritaserum he can honestly say he's not working for old Voldy. So thus he gains Dumbledore's trust in that he's no longer a Death Eater. Booyakasha! (And how genius was it for Snape to arrange a plan with Dumbledore to kill him (Dumbledore) at the end of the 6th book!? We all know that shit was preordained, what with all the "Snape, you just gotta do it," jive by big D. So everyone's led to think that even though Snape now seems like a bad guy he really isn't. Oh you poor, feeble-minded saps.)

Ok, so now you're going to ask why would Snape ever protect Harry? He hates Harry's dad and he's got no love for the boy either, so why has he saved him in the past? BECAUSE Harry's the only one who can destroy Voldemort and quite possibly vice versa. So what's Snape gonna do? He's gonna pit the two of them against one another and let them destroy each other. Then the way will be clear for Snape to rule unopposed. Ha! Goddamn I'm a genius! (less)

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Aug 09, 2007

Liza H rated it

Shelves: done

I admit this is a re-read, as I have of course read this book before, when it first came out in 2005. I haven't read it since, however, and the way my brain retains information (ie: it doesn't) it was almost like reading it for the first time. Which is why I'm counting it here.

I'm one of the many who have been following Harry in his adventures with much interest and glee, and this book held as much magic for me as all of the previous ones. I'm especially thrilled with how much th...more

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Dec 09, 2008

Fred D rated it

Recommends it for: Anyone

Shelves: fantasy

WARNING: SPOILER ALERT!!! The Half-Blood Prince was easily the best book in the series up to this point. It kept me riveted. This book is right up there among the best fantasy I've ever read. Rowling has finally earned a place in my mind among the best fantasy writers. I know, I came to that realization kind-of late, but this was the first book of hers that really blew me away. It was fascinating to see the scope of the story expand and long-time mysteries be illuminated. In any great fictional ...moreWARNING: SPOILER ALERT!!! The Half-Blood Prince was easily the best book in the series up to this point. It kept me riveted. This book is right up there among the best fantasy I've ever read. Rowling has finally earned a place in my mind among the best fantasy writers. I know, I came to that realization kind-of late, but this was the first book of hers that really blew me away. It was fascinating to see the scope of the story expand and long-time mysteries be illuminated. In any great fictional story, the scope of the story expands as the story arc progresses. That was definitely the case with this book. The scope of the story expanded, and your knowledge of what's going on greatly increased. Everything that happened up to this point is seen in a larger context.

Now that the Ministry is convinced that Voldemort is back, the real war against Voldemort has begun. People are dying every day. Has Snape betrayed the Order of the Phoenix? The book gets off to a suspenseful start. Then Dumbledore decides to give Harry private lessons, and each lesson is fascinating as they use the pensieve to explore memories of different people to try to figure out Voldemort's origins, motives, and plans. Dumbledore gives Harry an assignment to collect a memory from Professor Slughorn, one of the new teachers on the staff, that holds the key to understanding Voldemort's plans. Harry obtains the memory, and from that point forward I could not put the book down. Each chapter from that point on was riveting. Each one contained incredible, amazing events that expanded the scope of the story arc and expanded your understanding of what was happening. The chapter on on 'horcruxes' in particular blew me away. Finally we know how Voldemort achieved immortality! Now it was clear what had to be done to defeat him! It changed everything. That chapter defined the course of the rest of the series. Later, Dumbledore took Harry on a mission to destroy one of the horcruxes, and the account of that excursion was brilliant. I was totally riveted. It was so descriptive, so suspenseful. Upon their return to Hogwarts, they discovered that the school had been infiltrated by Death Eaters, and a full-blown battle erupted. Again, it was so suspenseful, I could not put the book down.

Somehow I knew that Dumbledore had to die. Harry had been under Dumbledore's tutelage and protection throughout the whole series. I could see why Dumbledore dying was necessary for Potter's further growth and development. It sets things up so that Potter will have to face Voldemort one last time in the last book, alone. It had to be that way. One thing worries me though. Is Harry ready? After all, he hasn't completed his education and training. Harry was no match for Snape in their duel at the end of Half-Blood Prince. He still has a lot to learn. How can he ever track down and destroy 4 horcruxes, and then destroy Voldemort, all by himself? This is by-far the largest task he's ever had to face, and seems too much for him. Well, we'll just have to see, shall we?

P.S.: Am I the only one that has a reasonable guess as to who R.A.B. stands for? Without having read Deathly Hollows yet or knowing anything about how things actually turn out, I think I have it figured out. Think about it: Who in the entire series do we know with a last name that begins with a B? Well of course, there's the Black family. Now there are lots of Blacks, but who among the Blacks has a first name beginning with an R, who opposed Voldemort? Of course! Sirius's brother Regulus! Who else could it possibly be? Regulus stole the horcrux, and soon after Voldemort killed him. It all makes sense. Why hasn't anybody else figured it out? Remember, this is just a theory. I haven't read Deathly Hallows and I know nothing about how things actually turn out. I'll have to read on and see if I'm right.(less)

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Jul 27, 2007

Jake rated it

The first time I read it at camp, I was bored and taken aback by what I saw as worthless and superfluous backstory. I openly mocked the counselors and campers who cried as a result of the famous murder.

I reread it this past week in anticipation of the final chapter and am embarassed to say that I came close to spilling tears on the Metro as I finished it. This book is better than I remembered, and the history IS significant. It sets up the seventh perfectly and escalates the war a...more

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Oct 03, 2008

Mckinsey rated it

Recommends it for: anyon and everyone who loves magical and mystery books

Shelves: book-club

I love this book so much! This book kept me wanting more, I am so excited about the movie coming out! This book was a roller coaster of emotion there is sad, happy, love, and anger. This is a very myterious, sneaky book i fell in love with it. This book reminds me of all of my friends in a wierd way, and even some of my family members. I love that finally you find out more about Voldemort and his history other than him just being the cruel, evil bad guy but this book took that a lot farther and ...more

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Jun 28, 2010

jzhunagev rated it

· review of another edition

Recommends it for: Potter Fans, who else?!

Recommended to jzhunagev by: the "Voice"

Shelves: action, adventure, award-winning-best-seller, dark-chest-of-wonders, fantasy, fiction-contemporary, from-book-to-film, young-adult-fiction

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

Dark Times Ahead
(A Book Review of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling)

**Read at your own risk**

All is not going pretty well in the wizarding world.

As dark forces gather, no one and no place is safe. Wizards and witches are being kidnapped, attacked at every turn and some murdered in cold blood. The obituary pages of the Daily Prophet are browsed with as much frequency as the headlines. Nasty turns of events are also felt by...more

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Dec 26, 2010

Joyzi rated it

Recommends it for: harry potter fans

Recommended to Joyzi by: my friends at school

Shelves: children-s, fiction, fantasy, own, 5-stars-or-more, watched-it, books-to-movies, reviewed, read-more-than-once, political-intrigue, banned, book-series, author-brit

***SPOILER ALERT***

This book was really amazing it even made me cry. Even if I know a lot of spoilers which my friend have told me about Snape being the Half Blood Prince, Snape killed Dumbledore, Ginny and Harry being together, about the horcrux was a fake, my friend actually told me the summary of this book.

I think even if I know a lot of what was going to happen I still find it painful to read it especially the part when Dumbledore was killed and Hagrid was talking to Har...more

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Nov 28, 2009

Jess rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: all-in-a-series, fiction, young-adult, fantasy, own

Even though I already knew what was going to happen, no thanks to a friend who spoiled it for me, that didn't stop the tears from flowing as I read the end of this book. J.K. Rowling continued to take the series down a deeper and much darker road with this book. This particular book seems to focus quite a bit on emotions--fear, love, hatred, grief. As a reader, this book was the most gripping out of all of them. Within the first chapter or two, I was already ready to start throwing punches left ...more

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Oct 10, 2007

Lil_pixie rated it

Shelves: havereadandloveit

J.K. Rowling kembali dengan novel keenamnya yang berjudul Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Novel ini seakan menjadi novel penghubung ke novel terakhir dari serial Harry Potter ini.

Harry melewatkan sebagian besar liburan musim panasnya di rumah sahabatnya, Ron Weasley, di mana Hermione juga turut berkunjung. Hari-hari yang dijalaninya cukup menyenangkan, meskipun beberapa pertanyaan berputar di sekitarnya. Beberapa teka-teki disajikan sejak awal novel ini. Hal ini membuat rasa ...moreJ.K. Rowling kembali dengan novel keenamnya yang berjudul Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Novel ini seakan menjadi novel penghubung ke novel terakhir dari serial Harry Potter ini.

Harry melewatkan sebagian besar liburan musim panasnya di rumah sahabatnya, Ron Weasley, di mana Hermione juga turut berkunjung. Hari-hari yang dijalaninya cukup menyenangkan, meskipun beberapa pertanyaan berputar di sekitarnya. Beberapa teka-teki disajikan sejak awal novel ini. Hal ini membuat rasa penasaran pembaca untuk terus membalik halaman-halaman selanjutnya.

Saat ia kembali ke Hogwarts, dua kabar menunggunya. Yang pertama adalah Snape tidak mengajar ramuan tahun ini sehingga Harry dapat mengikuti kelas ramuan dengan nilai OWLnya. Tetapi sebagai gantinya, Snape mengajar kelas pertahanan terhadap ilmu hitam, jabatan yang selama ini diimpikannya.

Dalam pelajaran ramuan, Harry menjadi murid kesayangan gurunya. Ia disebut sebagai anak yang memiliki bakat istimewa dan insting yang cukup unik dalam membuat ramuan. Padahal selama ini ia dibantu oleh sebuah buku kepunyaan sang 'Half-Blof Prince'. Siapakah sebenarnya sang 'Half-Blood Prince'?

Dumledore ternyata menyelidiki sebuah rahasia besar Lord Voldemort, rahasia mengapa selama ini ia tidak mati setelah terkena kutukan Avada Kedavra yang memantul padanya. Ia mengajak Harry untuk menguak rahasia Lord Voldemort tersebut. Mereka berdua melakukan perjalanan yang cukup berbahaya, karena Lord Voldemort tidak akan membiarkan rahasianya terbongkar dengan mudah.

Saat mereka kembali ke Hogwarts. Sebuah kejadian yang cukup mengagetkan menyambut mereka. Laskar Dumbledore kembali berhadapan dengan para pelahap maut yang berhasil menembus Hogwarts. Harry diperhadapkan dengan pertanyaan yang selama ini ada di benaknya. Apakah pengkhianatan yang sedang terjadi? ataukah ini salah satu rencana Dumbledore? Apakah selama ini Dumbledore mempercayai orang yang tepat?

Beberapa pertanyaan yang tidak terjawab di buku ini mengantar para pembaca untuk menemukan jawabannyanya di buku selanjutnya, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollow.

Alur cerita yang cukup menegangkan membuat buku ini susah diletakkan setelah membuka halaman pertamanya. Tidak hanya ketegangan yang ditampilkan oleh J.K. Rowling. Kisah pecintaan beberapa tokohnya pun dituliskan dan sukses membuat para pembacanya cukup terhibur dan sedikit rileks setelah mengikuti ketegangan di dalamnya.

Bagi saya, novel ini cukup bagus. Meskipun pada kali pertama saya membacanya, saya kira novel ini tidak sebagus novel-novel sebelumnya. Setelah kali kedua saya membaca novel ini, pandangan saya berubah dan baru dapat menikmati isi novel ini. Nah, selamat membaca untuk Anda sekalian.(less)

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Sep 11, 2007

lamarcus brown rated it

Recommends it for: all ages

ok, I admit it. I'm a grown many (debatable) and I like Harry potter. However, I was like any other 'Mr. Macho' in the beginning thinking Harry potter Books are for children and maybe women.

It started off innocently enough, my wife and daughter were reading the books, they really enjoyed them so I bought the first movie for my daughter when it came out... then the second, third, and fourth movies. And I enjoyed them, but I still hadn't plunged to the humiliating level of actuall...more

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Dec 27, 2008

Osho rated it

Shelves: harry-potter, young-adult, fantasy-science-fiction, 2007, 2006

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. My review from when this first was published:

This sixth novel simultaneously moves its focus back to the Harry-Ron-Hermione trio and looks outward in a recognition of the impact of the larger wizarding world upon individuals. Although secondary characters continue to play a role, the emotional center is Harry and his close friends, and Harry and his mentor, Dumbledore. While it is refreshing to see Harry and Dumbledore actually interacting in an extended and meaningful way, this narr...moreMy review from when this first was published:

This sixth novel simultaneously moves its focus back to the Harry-Ron-Hermione trio and looks outward in a recognition of the impact of the larger wizarding world upon individuals. Although secondary characters continue to play a role, the emotional center is Harry and his close friends, and Harry and his mentor, Dumbledore. While it is refreshing to see Harry and Dumbledore actually interacting in an extended and meaningful way, this narrative choice renders characters such as Tonks and Neville, for whom the reader has developed affection, curiously flat.

This distance and drawing-in may well have been a deliberate decision on Rowling's part, however, as it parallels Harry's growing realization that he must increase his attention to his quest, and decrease the number of attachments that could be turned to his disadvantage. Though his final acts of loyalty to Dumbledore's instructions show that he is capable of choosing the right act over emotionally compelling alternatives, his confession to Ginny of the conflict he would feel if he had to choose her death reveals his own recognition that love is his vulnerability as well as his strength.

Although some chapters read more like Harry Potter and the Expository Prose, the reader is given a great deal of explanation and back-story, as promised. Compassion and identification, always important themes in the series, are shown movingly both as Harry's empathy for Tom Riddle's childhood grows, and, significantly, as Dumbledore offers Draco every opportunity to enter into his protection. Harry's report that he did not think Draco would have killed Dumbledore seems to be an important turning point for the series, and we can hope for further complex and sophisticated analyses of human interactions in the last book, saving the series from a reductionist good-versus-evil finale.

It is not clear at times whether details are extraneous or important, which of course is part of why the books function as mysteries as well as coming of age stories. However, it did seem at times that one or two additional lines might answer readers' questions and add to, rather than diminish, the tightness of the plot. For example, Harry learns that members of the Order use their Patronuses to communicate with each other. We learn this, perhaps, so that Rowling can show us the form of Tonks's Patronus. However, this then begs the question of why Harry does not send his Patronus to summon Snape when he and Dumbledore arrive back in Hogsmeade. A brief exchange in which Harry announced this intention and Dumbledore indicated that a Patronus could not get through the extra protections at Hogwarts, for example, would close this hole convincingly. The reader would not then be left wondering why Harry still thinks, like a Muggle, of running up to the castle instead of using the very mechanism identified earlier in the book as the best way he could communicate quickly and effectively with Snape.

The theme of appearances versus substance is strongly reinforced, including numerous titles (such as "prince") that are meaningless, Voldemort's soul (apparently safe in Horcruxes, but unbeknownst to him, destroyed one by one) and Fleur's firm response to Bill's injuries. Parallelism abounds in Half-Blood Prince, such as the triad of Wormtail's silver hand--Dumbledore's wounded hand--and Draco's Hand of Glory. In addition, cups, knives, wands, and coins abound; in conjunction with Trelawney's obsessive (and accurate) card-reading and prediction about the tower (a Tarot symbol), they suggest that the reader willing to now re-read with a dictionary of symbols and guide to card reading and Tarot may be rewarded with additional parallels, confirmations, and insights. (less)

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Aug 17, 2007

Mark rated it

Shelves: fantasy

Although not a bad book, I found this to be the weakest book in the series. But that's beside the point isn't it? If you're reading the whole series you can't very well skip this one.

The main stream running through this installment is a sloooow recounting of how Lord Voldemort came to be like his is. To make room for that history lesson, most of the usual crowd (Hagrid, Neville, Luna, McGonagall, Remus, Fred, George, etc) have smaller parts. There is a side plot for Ron dealing w...more

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Jul 10, 2007

Seth Hahne rated it

Recommends it for: anyone who had read the other five...

As the release of the seventh book nears, I thought it would be prudent to refresh my memory of the Potter mythos. So I reread Book 6. As I remembered, it was one of the high points of the series—made all the more excellent by the fact that it followed the lackluster fifth book.

Harry has overcome most of the childish petulance that both marked and marred his character in Book 5 and Rowling returns to (and further perfects) the formula for adventure that has made the series so popular...more

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Mar 21, 2007

Mikey rated it

Recommends it for: nobody

Shelves: fiction

I wanted to like Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Really, I did. After the huge disappointment of The Order of the Phoenix, I was ready to have fun again. But the same problems that plagued the fifth book are here in the sixth; this novel is more of a chore to get through than anything else, and long passages go by in which absolutely no action takes place. In fact, the whole book is inactivity; the plot consists of - get this - Harry learning about Voldemort's past. This is nothing ...more

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Jul 03, 2011

Mike (the Paladin) rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, ya-fantasy

Again...wonderful, amazing book.

My wife however (and she was 60 at the time)never got over this book and was hesitant to read the last book. I can't go on without a spoiler other than to say we get another tragedy and it really jarred her. So again I can only say these are amazing books! The very quality makes them so real to many readers. Same advice...read the book and decide if your child is old enough. But be assured the quality is here.

I do recommend these books and ...more

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Oct 20, 2008

Anna rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: 5-stars, supernatural

I've loved Snape from the beginning, but even I had a bit of a shock when he did what he did. But then I took in the "pleading," the "Severus...please..." and just knew/hoped/prayed that there was so much more to it all than first met the eye. Snape's such a tortured badboy with issues, and whilst everyone else mourned the other fella, all my concern was for my dear Snape, how he was, how turmoiled he must be, poor love!

My joint fave (with Azkaban) HP book.

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Nov 27, 2010

Joseph rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: fiction

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I remember being surprised to learn that Harry would not be attending Hogwarts for his final year of school, but upon rereading, it's clear that by Book Six, Hogwarts has become little more than a place for Harry to bump into the other characters. The various romantic subplots are perhaps the strongest reminder of the youth of the main characters, and while there are a few Quidditch matches thrown into the mix and occasional offhand references to classes, homework, and studying, it would be rela...more

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Feb 03, 2012

Dantezgirl rated it

Recommends it for: Everyone

Recommended to Dantezgirl by: SIL = Sister In Law

FAIR WARNING!
My review is comprised of Quotes from the book and POSSIBLE commentary by me. If you do not want any spoilers and quotes please do not read past the spoiler warning picture. Enjoy, Stay safe, Have fun! Thanks DG.

description

Fudge fixed the Prime Minister with a rather stern look. “Of course they were,” he said. “Surely you’ve realized what’s going on?” “I . . ” hesitated the Prime Minister. It was precisely this sort of behavior that made him dislike Fudge’s visits...more

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Aug 05, 2011

Amanda rated it

Okay! Six down, one more to go. My feelings about Half-Blood Prince are a little complicated. I always felt like it was a 'place-holder,' although I hate to refer to any of these books as such. But aside from what happens at the very end (SPOILERS! Wait, who am I kidding, everyone knows what happened, right?), the rest of the book is and has always been a bit of a blur to me. So it was really nice to reread this one, to remind myself of what happens here.

It was especially nice rereadin...more

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topics	posts	views	last activity
The movie sucked!!!	41	180	Jan 31, 2012 08:14pm
Anyone else not like Ginny?	148	442	Jan 25, 2012 03:51am
"Please, Severus."	95	586	Jan 15, 2012 09:22am
Too much emphasis on romance in the movie?	29	76	Jan 02, 2012 03:58pm
harry potter i cant believe it	11	118	Dec 31, 2011 06:49am
I secretly suspect Dumbledore and Gandalf are one in the same	33	183	Dec 29, 2011 03:17pm
Who thinks that Cho was always kind of a jerk?	48	143	Dec 21, 2011 10:22am

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About J.K. Rowling

J.K. Rowling (Joanne "Jo" Rowling) is the writer behind the best selling "Harry Potter" series. The Potter books have gained worldwide attention, won multiple awards, sold more than 400 million copies and been the basis for a popular series of films.

Aside from writing the Potter novels, Rowling is perhaps equally famous for her "rags to riches" life story,...more

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