A review by jenni_elyse
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling

5.0

There are spoilers in this review. Read at your own risk.

I cried. I couldn't help it. There were so many emotions that went through me as I read this book. I cried because some of my favorite characters die. I cried because it’s the end of a story, a story that means more to me than any other story, a story that helped me discover the wondrous world of reading. I cried because of the adventure, an awesome adventure I was/am able to be a part of.

I felt so bad for Harry when Hedwig died. He had no time to mourn her. It was so sudden and there was so much going on at the time. She was his only link to the wizarding world during the summers when he was with the Dursleys. She was one of his only links to Sirius when Sirius was on the run. She meant so much to Harry. I was just so sad and angry when she died. I wish she had just been set free so he didn’t have to worry about her when he was hunting Horcruxes. But, in war, people and animals die. I’m glad Rowling didn’t take the coward’s way out and keep everyone alive, even though I didn’t want to see any of them die. Why, however, couldn’t Rowling have just spared Harry’s owl?!

Dobby’s death was the hardest death for me. I know Dobby was the “Jar Jar” of the Harry Potter universe, but I loved him. I loved his unwavering loyalty to Harry. I loved all the help he gave Harry over the course of five years. And, I think he died how he would’ve wanted to die, saving Harry. The burial was so tender and so heart-wrenching. I sobbed.

As soon as Lupin and Tonks made Harry Teddy’s godfather, I knew Lupin and Tonks were dead. I knew Rowling was going to mirror Harry’s life with Teddy’s, but with a happier childhood because of Teddy’s loving grandma and Harry.

I loved the epilogue. I didn’t find it cheesy in the least bit. Sure, the name Albus Severus is something to be desired, but even with that, I still loved the epilogue. I laughed and cried. I want to know more, though.

I loved learning about Dumbledore’s past and family. I knew that Rita Skeeter would have some truth in her book. But, I also knew that she’d have it wrong and make it worse than it really was. After Aberforth and Dumbledore told Harry what happened, it made so much sense. And, it just made Dumbledore seem more human and made my love and admiration for him grow.

I also loved learning more about Snape. We only saw tidbits about his past in a couple of the other books and they were usually jaded because we saw it through Harry’s eyes. We also didn’t get the full picture until now. I loved learning the truth about Snape and all it entailed. Not only did it show us how much Dumbledore understood Voldemort and how much Voldemort didn’t know anything at all, we also got to experience some of Lily and Petunia’s childhood.

I devoured this in three days and I think I lost out on a lot of the detail. Hopefully, when I reread this in the future, I'll pick up on those things I missed. As I reread the previous six books, I made a list of questions readers didn't have answers to, no matter how insignificant I thought they were. Every single question I wrote down was answered and it was so much fun to find out all the answers.

I've decided that Deathly Hallows is my favorite book in the series, although Azkaban is my favorite story because I loved knowing that JK Rowling had a plan for the whole series. I love the complexity of this series and how much detail is involved in everything right up until the end.