Rating: 
Summary: Still captivating
Review: Rowling's creative and imaginative writing captures your mind and whisks you away to Hogarts. Her attention to detail and character makes you feel like you are there and you "know" Harry Potter and his friends.
Rating:
Summary: Lessons in life.
Review: Rowling's Prisoner of Azbakan is a wonderfully written book. With the recent troubled world seeming to fall
apart around me, I took the opportunity of reading it as "light" fiction, and found myself engrossed in the
characters, the carefully woven plot and the imaginative setting. I had already read the first two Harry Potter
books and had found them charming enough, but this episode seems to be somewhat more developed than
the previous two. The various elements of the plot were almost as skillfully interwoven as those of a well
written murder mystery (the only other type of narrative prose I indulge in with regularity). Although a little predictable in some respects, this did not detract from the story. Here as in the earlier books,
the author has taken up some very grown up motives. Among these are: the death of parents, the loss and/or
death of pets, the occasional falling out of friends, the unexpected goodness of individuals thought to be "evil,"
the fact that what "everyone" believes about an individual may not be true, that it's important to give the other
guy a chance to fully explain his point of view, the fact that fairness and justice are not always in the cards
even for the "good guys," the fact that some individuals can influence events according to their own agenda
because they have power and wealth, etc. For children learning to live in a grown up world, the book certainly gives small doses of reality orientation
along with its fantasy. The hero, as usual, comes out on top of the central action, but he does not always
prove to be totally correct about his understanding of events, and everything doesn't work out entirely his way.
Above all the book underscores the notion that it is best to make value judgments with caution, and when
contrary data come ones way to be willing to change opinions accordingly--something even adults aren't
always good at doing. Although many of the "lessons" in living could become platitudinous, in fact to a degree are so, on the whole
the parable is delivered without being saccharine enough to put off an adult reader or so condescending as to
put off a younger reader. Here as in the earlier books, Rowling has managed to capture a very broad audience
successfully because she has many things to say to each reader. I enjoyed it immensely and have
recommended it to a number of people, none of them children. I also plan on giving the book to a friend with
several children--but only after my husband reads it!
Rating:
Summary: If you love Harry, he's just gotten better!
Review: Rowling,Joanne,wonderful writter of the Harry Potter series,writes particularly well in book three. Harry, a young boy just over thirteen, discovers three large owls swooping down to the window in a strange, exotic shape. He timidly opens the window, and then opens the parcels to delight. It is extravagant for the reader to enjoy some of the character's pleasure. In Chamber of Secrets, he had to overcome the most revolting, horryfing challenges, and recieved hardly any gratitude. But in this book, the third, he blows up his aunt, leaves the Dursleys in anger, and rushes out to a Muggle street, where he accidentally flags down a marvelous, violently purple bus titled, oddly, the Knight Bus. He meets a young student just out of school, Stan Shunpike, the conductor, and Ernie Prang, elderly, the driver. He then runs in with the minister, who gives him no trouble, and allows him to stay away from the Dursleys. So he gets to Hogwarts, and deep into the chapters, one entitled 'Snape's Grudge', he deliberately tells Snape, a greasy-haired, hook-nosed Potions teacher who hates him, to "SHUT UP!" This book is full of simple surprising pleasures for Harry. It is the most satisfying out of every book. He also is allowed a decent Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. Will he leave? Read to find out!
Rating:
Summary: Magnificent
Review: Say what you want about Harry Potter being a kid's book, but a story with such an unbelievably weird (and completely plausible) twist at the end is sheer genius to me. A richly layered story that reveals more and more with every read.
Rating:
Summary: It is hard to imagine a more perfect
Review: series of books. Unbelievably good. Our whole family has been enchanted by this series. Yet, with all the humor there is real meat here. The struggle between good and evil is fearfully depicted, and this book raises more questions than it answers. We have taken to reading these books aloud in the evenings. Never have I seen our children all so eager to hear the same book. (Ages 7 through 11). I watch in amazement as they grab desparately onto my legs, begging for "please, please just one more chapter!". In this case, I think these books live up to all the hype, and this is the best so far.
Rating:
Summary: the best of the collection yet!
Review: simply amazing. i think that this is the best one out of thethree, and it's obviously great if i'm yearning for when HARRY POTTER AND THE DOOMSPELL TOURNAMENT will be out in stores and of course, on amazon! yayyyyyyyyyyy!
Rating:
Summary: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Review: Simply breathtaking. At 23, I believed I was cynical and jaded when it came to the world of fantasy novels. Then I gave in to pressure and bought the "Harry Potter" books I had been hearing so much about for so long. The third in the series is the best yet, and I'd thought there was no topping the first two. These books have much to offer younger and older readers alike. Younger readers will love the intriguing storyline, the colourful characters, the exhilarating narration of action, and the lively air throughout. More experienced readers will appreciate the technical flawlessness of the narrative. Nothing is superfluous, every element present, no matter how seemingly insignificant, serves a literary purpose. Especially names! This makes the unfolding of the story marvellous to watch, but if your vocabulary is sufficiently expansive, you may have a couple of surprises spoiled for you. Personally, I thought the name game just added to the fun. JK Rowling's Potter series is destined to occupy the same rarefied atmosphere as the likes of the Narnia Chronicles and the Hobbit and their ilk.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent: Get out of Reality for awhile
Review: Simply excellent. I find comtemporary fiction relies to much on tradgedy to sell its worth. This is a breath of fresh air, every detail is tied out and accounted for. You are totally satisfied in the end! I've read all three, and I am in my 30's...I can hardly wait for the next one.
Rating:
Summary: A truly excellent book
Review: Simply put, this is one of the best books I've ever read. Every plot line comes together to add up to something. I'd heard people complain that most contemporary fantasy authors don't tie their plots together, but I'd dismissed it as elitist snobbery until I read this book. Now I see that they're dead-on. Rarely have I seen a book as cohesive as this one. It has it all: excitement, mystery, evil forces lurking, and best of all...Quidditch! Rowling is a very good author and has an incredibly fertile imagination. I can't wait for the next book in the series.
Rating:
Summary: Better reading the second time around
Review: Since we don't know when the next book will come out, we Harry Potter fans have to make do with re-reading Books 1-5, this time with the benefit of foresight, as we all know what happens next in Books 1-4 at least. We'd certainly do well in Divinations class with Professor Sibyll Trelawney. I actually have a reason for re-reading the books, first of all to organise my son's birthday party (see my "So You'd Like to" guide), and now for a fund raiser to be held in a couple of weeks. You really don't need an excuse to read Harry Potter, even as a grown up, but it helps to have one ready if your boss catches you at it. Reading it again, this time at a leisurely pace, I found lots of things I missed the first time around. (The curse of an untrained speed reader) The angry and rebellious Harry Potter of Book 5 has already started to emerge, as evident by the way he shouts in CAPITAL LETTERS from time to time. This is a more mature book than the first two, and deals with issues like werewolves, dementors, executioners, animagi, hatred, the very confusing paradox of time and time travel, and some violent Quidditch games. There are a lot more magical creatures, good and bad, with lovely names like boggarts, slobberworms, hinkypunks, hippogriffs, and grindylows. There's emotion - fear, anger, exhaustion, and adrenalin aplenty, as Harry finds out more about his past and his parents, particularly his father. The concept of the Marauders map, compliments of Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs is sheer genius. I really admire J K Rowlings for her sense of humor in creating names to suit her characters. Great imagination. This book sets the scene for the next two, so it is well worth reading again to refresh your memory, before moving on.
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