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Title: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
Author: J.K. Rowling
ISBN: 978-1551929767
Format: Hardcover
Page Count: 608
Overall Concept 7
Execution 9

And so it comes to a close, the Harry Potter novels that started with a small adolescent novel over a decade ago.

After the previous two novels in this series (Order of the Phoenix and Half Blood Prince) were quite differing in my enjoyment of them. Order being not a very good book and Half Blood Prince making me pine for the last novel. And with the fact that several major plot points are left off at the end of the penultimate book, it was with much trepedation that I read this book. Mostly because I was terribly afraid that J.K. might take the easier path with regards to wrapping up those plot points.

Most fortunately my fears were ungrounded and this book was both well written and an excellent finish to the series. I will easily say that this book was the best of the Harry Potter novels and J.K. Rowling deserves her place as a world renowned author.

Unlike the Order of the Phoenix, where Harry was a self indulgent and whiny teen, in Deathly Hallows, Harry proves his worth as wizard and becomes the man of prophecy he was meant to be.

Again, as I have said for all the novels previously, this novel is best appreciated by someone either of the age of the protaganist or someone who can remember that pinnacle time when we transition from teen to adult. I wouldn't say this book was any grittier than the preceeding one, but rather grander of scope with regards to the implications of cause and effect. Which is a lesson we, and Harry, learn about the world being much larger than what we have seen, what we can immediately effect and that it is full of lots of people who we should have compassion and understanding for. Also, I think one of the key points of this book is that eventually we all come to realize that our parents/mentors are not without faults of their own, and this shouldn't make us love or respect them less. In some cases it should aid us to respect them more. And the final lesson this series has made apparent is, to quote It's a Wonderful Life, "no man is poor who has friends". Harry could have gotten to the places he needed to be to do the things he needed to do if it wasn't for his friends. As much as Sam Gamgee is a hero for aiding Frodo in his quest in the Lord of the Rings, Hermione, the Weasley family, Luna, and Neville (as well as some others I'm probably forgetting right now) are important heroes to the Harry Potter series.

All in all, this was an excellent finish to a series that took a young boy out of his place in the world and into a world that was quite foreign to him. Not only that, but he is a boy of prophecy that has the weight of the world on his shoulders for the entirety of this seven year period. J.K. did a fine job of showing the boy in all stages of pre-teen, teen, young adult and finally adult.

My only 'complaint' about this book, is that in the epilogue that makes mention of what the various characters are doing sometime in the future, the author seems to have failed mentioning Luna. Considering that she is just as major a character as Neville (who is mentioned) and more major than some others who are mentioned, it seems an oversight on behalf of the author.

In closing, I must thank whomever it was who passed me a 'copy' of the first Harry Potter movie, as I might have missed exposure to a wonderful series, that is made all the sweeter as I can enjoy it with my children as they grow to watch the movies and read the books.

Hats off to Ms. Rowling!