Because Harry Potter is such a generation-defining series, we’ve decided to each write our own blog post about it. See Sarah’s review by clicking here.
I cannot remember a time when I did not know anything about the world of Harry Potter. I think I was eight years old when I read the first book and it did not take me long to be completely hooked. By the time I was in third grade, I was completely obsessed; birthdays and Christmases soon included all Harry Potter themed presents. I amassed a collection of not only the books, but Legos, figurines, posters, a cloak, hand-made robes for the Yule Ball, and countless other trinkets. Summers meant midnight releases for the books and movies, waiting for a Hogwarts letter, (that never came, which still breaks my heart and I’m 24 now) and Halloween was for dressing up as my favorite characters. Recent years have meant visiting the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, saving money for a Harry Potter themed trip to London, and meeting people who throw an epic Harry Potter Weekend Party every year. I have yet to abandon my Harry Potter obsession as car rides still always include listening to the audiobooks. Harry Potter was a magical part of my entire childhood and adolescence and I cannot imagine a world without it.
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone Synopsis
Harry Potter has never played a sport while flying on a broomstick. He’s never worn a cloak of invisibility, befriended a giant, or helped hatch a dragon. All Harry knows is a miserable life with the Dursleys, his horrible aunt and uncle, and their abominable son, Dudley. Harry’s room is a tiny closet at the foot of the stairs, and he hasn’t had a birthday party in eleven years. But all that is about to change when a mysterious letter arrives by owl messenger: a letter with an invitation to a wonderful place he never dreamed existed. There he finds not only friends, aerial sports, and magic around every corner, but a great destiny that’s been waiting for him… if Harry can survive the encounter.
Series Review
Where to start with this series that has defined my childhood? Well, my favorite of the series has always been (and always will be) the third book, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. The reason for that is easy: it’s where you first meet Remus Lupin and Sirius Black, two of my all-time favorite characters. For the first time, Harry meets his father’s best friends and we learn about the time of the Marauders. (I’m one of those people who wants a prequel series based on the lives of Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs). I love all of the books though and will never be able to objectively review them because my emotional attachment is too strong. While I concede that Harry was rather angsty (especially in Order of the Phoenix) I maintain that he had every right to be – what other 15 year old has experienced everything he did? He’s allowed to be a moody teenager. I could certainly relate to his feelings of isolation and depression when I was that age as well.
I first met Harry and company shortly after my parents got divorced. It meant a huge change in my home life, but I made sure that I had at least one constant companion at both houses (besides my wonderful sister) and that was a Harry Potter book. Harry, and his super awesome best friends Ron and Hermione, kept me company for years and never made me feel like I was alone. I feel incredibly lucky to have grown up with Harry Potter, even though that meant waiting several years between releases of the last 4 books. I loved going to the midnight release parties for the last three books and spending the next few days completely absorbed in the wizarding world and spending my time at Hogwarts. I will never forget the days that I spent reading the last three Harry Potter books for the first time and facing all of the obstacles Harry, Ron, and Hermione went through with them. It takes quite a bit to make me cry over books, but J.K. Rowling certainly did that at certain points. (The next section will contain spoilers).
I very clearly remember telling my mother and sister on the way to the bookstore for the midnight release of Order of the Phoenix that if Sirius Black died I would be devastated. Cut to three days later and I’m balling my eyes out because Harry had lost yet another loved one. And I definitely did not see the deaths of Fred Weasley and Remus Lupin coming. I probably should have considering that it’s always the most beloved characters who tend to meet their maker by the end of a book series. Thank goodness Hermione survived because she was definitely the brains of the entire operation. Harry and Ron know that they never would have survived if they had not tried to save Hermione from a troll on Halloween when they were eleven years old and forged a lifelong friendship.
So, not much of a review but more of an excuse for me to expound upon the reasons I love the Harry Potter series and always will. And lastly, my definitive (and not at all scientific) ranking of most to least favorite:
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (3)
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (7) & Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (4) – tied
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (5)
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (1)
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (6)
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2)
And seriously, if you have never read Harry Potter, it’s time. It is so worth it. Thank you J.K. Rowling for creating this magical world where Hogwarts will always be there to welcome me.
Series Rating: 10 out of 10 stars
Celebration of Books 