Many people have mixed opinions about this novel. I personally enjoyed it. I went into reading this novel with the idea that it was going to be nothing like Harry Potter. While there were some dark points in the Harry Potter series, this novel takes it to a whole other level. This novel brings all of the nasty elements of reality to the surface. Rowling develops her characters extremely well, just as she did in the Harry Potter series. There are many characters in this novel, but each, I feel, are developed extremely well. To me, it's definitely worth a read.