Product ReviewsHarry Potter Ser.: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J. K. Rowling (2005, Hardcover)

Will always have sentimental value. I will come back to this series again and again for as long as I live.

I decided to read the series over again after not touching it since I was about 14 or so. I am now 23 and something that makes these books very special to me is that I feel just as intrigued and drawn into the story even almost ten years later. Of course, as a child, magic and the like is fascinating and makes flying through these books a piece of cake. As an adult, it is still just as easy to find myself reading many chapters at a time simply because it is so difficult putting the book down. I prefer to read Harry Potter before bed; it is just such a good read before sleep. That can come back to bite me, though, when the story is TOO good to actually hit the hay... This series will always be so special to me. The Half Blood Prince is so fun in particular because it's awesome to witness the change in attitude and development as the characters get older and experience more danger. Despite all of the dark magic and wizards, there's still room for teenage drama, though, amiright?.I find myself actually laughing out loud at what Ron says or suppressing tears at the more emotional parts or giggling like a schoolgirl when Ginny and Harry first express their feelings for each other.. Anyone who is a Potterhead just gets it.Read full review...

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: pre-owned | Sold by: tburns1

great

The long-awaited, eagerly anticipated, arguably over-hyped Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince has arrived, and the question on the minds of kids, adults, fans, and skeptics alike is, "Is it worth the hype?" The answer, luckily, is simple: yep. A magnificent spectacle more than worth the price of admission, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince will blow you away. However, given that so much has gone into protecting the secrets of the book (including armored trucks and injunctions), don't expect any spoilers in this review. It's much more fun not knowing what's coming--and in the case of Rowling's delicious sixth book, you don't want to know. Just sit tight, despite the earth-shattering revelations that will have your head in your hands as you hope the words will rearrange themselves into a different story. But take one warning to heart: do not open Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince until you have first found a secluded spot, safe from curious eyes, where you can tuck in for a good long read. Because once you start, you won't stop until you reach the very last page.Read full review...

Harry Potter - What is Rowling Doing???

I know I might be a minority here but I am a little worried. This book was fantastic and I am a big Harry Potter fan but the book left me a little high and dry. This is supposed to be the 2nd to last book in the series. Without giving anything away the book leaves you at such a point that it seems like a monumental task to be able to finish the series in just one more book.

My fear here is that Rowling is just looking to make more money on the series. There are so many other options she has here (One of my favorite ideas would be to write a prequel series about how Dumbledore came to be the way he is) that to drag Harry Potter on beyond what she originally envisioned would be to sell it out to Hollywood.

My other concern with the book is that it definitely drifted away from being a children’s book. To her credit she never really thought it would be such a phenomenal hit among such a young audience but there were definitely parts of the book that, as a parent, I felt definitely crossed a boundary within a kids book (i.e. using the term "whore" in a kids book was crossing that boundary).

Those were my two big concerns with the book itself, other than that I am a huge fan and have read the series a few times already. I an also a huge fan of quidditch :). For a more mature reader I really like how she writes and how she chronicles the life a growing teenager. I am definitely excited to see where this goes and I hope it really doesn’t drag on!Read full review...

The darkest, most cerebral Harry Potter novel yet

Of all the Harry Potter books so far, The Half Blood Prince is by far the darkest and most cerebral. This book contains very few of the light, humorous moments that made the early HP books such a delight to read, but then this is a story of innocence destroyed. Instead, it pulls very few punches and requires the reader to think and analyze more. It has been interesting to observe that with each HP novel, J. K. Rowling clearly expects the reader to grow along with the protagonists as both the language and the subject matter become increasingly mature. For the first time, we see the dialog (perhaps unnecessarily) peppered with mild profanity. Whereas the first two books of the series are quite appropriate for readers between the ages of 9 and 11, the latter novels, especially this one, are not. This most recent novel in the series gives the reader much to ponder, both within the HP universe and about life and its eternal struggles. But it does leave one eager for the seventh and final novel in the series to find out where it all winds up.Read full review...

Great 6th novel, truly captivating.

I have read all of J.K. Rowling's novels very quickly. When purchasing The Half-Blood Prince, I tried to read it slowly or to "savor" it (the final novel is not yet in print) but to no avail. I sailed through this novel just as fast as the others. Harry's relationship with Dumbledore becomes stronger as Dumbledore trusts Harry's wizarding skills more than ever. Harry has greatly matured by this story and is now ready to take on his challenges to bring Voldemort down and fulfill the prophecy. With Dumbledore's knowledge and his memory basin, his pensieve, Harry finds out how he-who-must-not-be-named has possibly managed to continue to stay alive. I only rated this novel a 4 instead of a 5 only because this novel, while excellent, seems to only give the readers a backdrop for the final performance in the last novel.Read full review...

Harry Potter Year 6....what will happen next

How popluar is HARRY POTTER????

Well let us see....this is the 6th book in the series and people are in line for the FINAL installment that is not due in sook stores for a long time. So what to do???? Read it again, and again, and again.

Year 6 takes Harry back into Hogwarts and explores the inside the wizarding world that have yet to be seen. We are introduced to many new players in the world of Harry Potter and some of our favorite people seem to show more and more growth. Now that YOU-KNOW-WHO is back, the world has changed.....for both wizards and muggles.

Harry rolls through the year with an new found "friend" that helps him in a class...."The Half-Blood Prince" How is he? or is it Who is SHE? How can they know so much? What spell was that again? Potions shortcuts? New Spells????

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince will hit all your emotions as you delve deep into the life of Tom leading up to VVV..VVV.V... You-Know-Who. You will laugh out loud, wou will feel pity, you WILL feel sad....maybe cry.

Year 6 is the most enjoyabe of JK Rowling's books and I must say my favorite yet.....although there is only 1 left.Read full review...

Great find

Book was just like new! Great condition and great price. I’m very happy with my purchase of this book. And it is the “First American Edition”.

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: pre-owned | Sold by: nnenn-t

Cliffhanger anyone?

I new I was going to buy this book about 4 years ago, shortly after the second book came out, just as I know i'm going to buy "Deathly hallows" this july. The Harry Potter series is a series for all ages and backgrounds. Rowling does an excellent job of portraying each of the characters, which leads to some interesting developments throughout this particular volume. Harry undergoes a lot of growth throughout, and towards the end of the book he is faced with a mission (should he choose to accept it) that blatantly sets up the next novel. Rowling uses hints and allusions from previous installments in the series as to what is to come in the "deathly hallows".
The "Half Blood Prince" is the best Harry Potter book to date. Except for possibly the "Order of the Phoenix" it is probably the darkest novel. It deals heavily with the epic battle between Harry and Voldemort and it sets the stage for another face off between the two. This is also the first installment that really addresses voldemort's REAL power.
I would reccomend this book to any fan of the other books in the series, especially if you liked "Order of the Phoenix" If you aren't a Harry Potter fan already, you should pick up a copy of "Harry Potter and the Sorceror's Stone", and it only gets better from there.Read full review...

It was pretty good.

It was good, and the events are very surprising. What happened at the end, I will not say, for I do not want to ruin the book for any who have not, was something I did not expect to happen at all. The book, I would have to say, was one of the less exciting of the series, although the ending was a major event from the series. If I had not read all the other books in the series, and I read this one first, it indeed was good enough that I would be anxious to consider reading the rest of the series. If you are deciding to buy the book or not, I would if you liked the rest of the books in the series, but I would wait until the paperback version came out if you don't absolutely love Harry Potter, and if you didn't like the rest of the books at all, well duh, don't get it.Read full review...

Great Book of the Season.

After grueling midnight experience at the local bookstore I have added the sixth Harry Potter book to my collection! JK Rowling once again proved her creativity by adding another truly engrossing book to the series.

"Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" is as suspenseful, gripping and imaginative as the previous volumes. I honestly think it appeals to all ages. I am 74. (If not for the lack of waist-length silver hair and beard, one might confuse me with Albus Dumbledore himself...) Although my interest in Harry Potter was spurred a few years ago by my teenaged grandchildren, we are now all lining up together in the bookstores to get each new addition to the series.

Harry is sixteen now and it is only one year left before he comes of age and the protection of Dursleys home will cease. This hints at new kind of troubles for Harry in the next book of the series... In the meantime he is taken from Dursley's to engage in the usual medley of dangerous and some very emotional events. At the threshold of his adulthood Harry has gone through a considerable character development and is making more mature and independent decisions. It is difficult to say more about the book without revealing the story line and spoiling the fun of reading for any "Muggle" that has not yet read it... Suffice to say that the battles with the evil continue and reach their culmination by the end of the book.

On the negative side, I found Half-Blood Prince at times too long and lacking the glint of some of the earlier books of the series. This makes me wonder how many more volumes is the author able to create without getting into mediocrity...

As my younger grandchildren grow I continue looking for new, interesting children books. A recent new discovery for me was "Why Some Cats are Rascals" by yet another master of fantasy, Boszenna Nowiki. It is a completely different kind of fiction, showing the world from cat's perspective. Nowiki's writing style is as engrossing as the one of JK Rowling. The story evokes child's imagination, and it's loaded with positive energy that bears some traces of influence by writings of David R. Hawkins, the author of "Power vs. Force."Read full review...