Book Review: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

 

Summary: It is the middle of the summer, but there is an unseasonal mist pressing against the windowpanes. Harry Potter is waiting nervously in his bedroom at the Dursleys' house in Privet Drive for a visit from Professor Dumbledore himself. One of the last times he saw the Headmaster was in a fierce one-to-one duel with Lord Voldemort, and Harry can't quite believe that Professor Dumbledore will actually appear at the Dursleys' of all places. Why is the Professor coming to visit him now? What is it that cannot wait until Harry returns to Hogwarts in a few weeks' time? Harry's sixth year at Hogwarts has already got off to an unusual start, as the worlds of Muggle and magic start to intertwine...

Thoughts: Following in the format of The Goblet of Fire, this book starts out with little actually happening and we're given a (granted, tense) breather from the intensely developing plot until the climax.  And so we return to Hogwarts for another year of mystery and mayhem. 
 Plot was great, it was nice to return, even if just partly, to the happy times where the biggest problem was whatever Ron and Hermione were arguing over. But, of course, this couldn't last forever. The ending takes a steep plunge similar to that in The Goblet of Fire and the ending broke my heart. Even so, I have nothing to say against it. 
 Cast, you know my feelings on the cast so I'll just say that they're all developing nicely and there are some really good twists in character to be found here!
 And the writing is still wonderful. 

Content: Many of the characters are often described as using rude hand gestures. D*** is found a couple of times, possibly B******, and the characters are said to swear without the actual words being written. There is a lot of kissing, or 'snogging', mentioned in this book and it's not the nice kind. Otherwise, magic and violence galore. Despite all, this was still a great read and another great installment in the Harry Potter series!