Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

by J. K. Rowling

Year 6 of Hogwart's is here with a vengeance. Harry Potter returns in the last but one installment of the most popular children's series since The Hardy Boys.

Harry has grown a lot since his first year at Hogwart's. This is the year he will come of age as a wizard, along with Ron and Hermione. Their O.W.L.'s (Ordinary Wizarding Levels) are completed and the results are in. Each decides how they'd like to continue their education, based on what the O.W.L.'s show their strengths are.  But He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is still out there and gunning for Harry.

This book delves very deeply into just who Lord Voldemort really is. Instead of the mysterious, nefarious villain, this book shows pretty much Voldemort's whole story. Who his parents were, his relationship with Dumbledore, his years at Hogwart's, etc. We see the man, or wizard, behind the hype. And he becomes just a bit more human. You might think this would make him less evil and more accessible. It doesn't. Voldemort is even more ruthless and cunning, and unassailable, after you learn what makes him tick.

Several parallels are drawn between Voldemort and Harry. They have incredibly similiar backgrounds and experiences. These are carefully crafted as the story is told, although the point of these similiarities isn't made clear -- yet -- Harry and Voldemort are cast as the antithesis of one another in almost a definitive manner. They could literally be one another --almost.

I found the book very enjoyable, but darker than the previous books. Much darker. Ms. Rowling is doing an excellent job of keeping her audience entertained and growing her story along with her target audience. Harry is older, and the world, as it is wont to do, is pushing in on his innocence. BE WARNED: This book does NOT have a happy ending. The villains aren't defeated, loyalties are not where one might have thought they were, and a very beloved and central character dies. For the first time in this series, there is not a resolution, of sorts, at the end. It is my opinion that this book is a bridge, its setting up the next and final book. Much like The Empire Strikes Back, its not the most enjoyable part of the story, but carries the story forward in a most necessary way.

Still, though, I liked this book. I really can't wait for the next one and, hopefully, a final resolution. Is it the best of the series? No, but I believe it to be absolutely essential to the story. Time will tell.