Rating:  Summary: A must-have... even if you own the book! Review: Once more, Jim Dale performed a superb reading of J.K. Rowling's 4th installment in the Harry Potter series! His wonderful voice makes Rowling's impeccable writing come to life... Jim Dale manages to give each of the characters a distinct vocal identity by ever so slightly varying pitch, accent and inflexion... An astonishingly captivating reading and a wonderful complement to the book!
Rating:  Summary: Gratuitous Killing Is Unforgivable Review: Okay.... Tell me why does a gratuitous killing have to occur in such a fabulous series written essentially for children. When I got to the end of the book and a teenager was struck dead by the mumbling of words, I was horrified and I felt that J.K.Rowling "sold out" for the sake of outdoing the previous series. It was unforgivable! If no one else feels this way, can someone please tell me what I'm missing? As a parent as well has a loyal Potter fan, I think J.K. Rowling tainted and cheapened the purity of the story. Otherwise, the book followed in the footsteps of the previous books by weaving a magical, adventuorous accounting that is a joy to read for the young and the old.
Rating:  Summary: Harry at his Best Review: This book is absolutely wonderful! JK Rowling did a magnificent job on this, planting all the right clues in the right places. Everything seems to fall together with a perfect click, even things mentioned in previous books. In the Goblet of Fire, we find Harry in his fourth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. At the Quidditch World Cup (Ireland vs. Bulgaria), Harry first comes to hear of the other two European schools of magic. During the school year, however, when the Triwizard contest comes to Hogwarts, he has enough of the other schools to make him sick. JK Rowling has done a truly spectacular job creating such a convincing world. I look forward to the next segment in the tale.
Rating:  Summary: The best Review: This is the best PoTter book so far. I can't wait till the rest of the series is finished.
Rating:  Summary: another fantastic book by Rowling Review: Year 4 Like all the other Harry Potter books, The Goblet of Fire begins in the summer before school starts. Harry is living with the Dursleys, his muggle (non-magical) aunt and uncle. Harry is unhappy living there, but has no choice. Underage wizards cannot use magic in the muggle world, so all Harry can do is send his owl to get messages from his friends Ron and Hermione as well as from his god-father Sirius Black. As the summer winds to a close Harry gets permission to stay with the Weasley family. Together, they go to the World Cup of Quidditch, which is being hosted by England. The World Cup is the extent of Quidditch that we get for the book because of something else that is going on at the school. The Tri-Wizard Championship has returned after a hiatus of centuries (because the fatality rate was far too high). The Championship is between three magical schools and each school gets one champion. Nobody under the age of 17 may enter and they will be magically prohibited to enter. All names will be entered into the Goblet of Fire, which will select the champions. Cedric Diggory (a Hufflepuff Quidditch player) is the Hogwarts champion. The other two are selected and the selections should be over....until one more name is spit out: Harry Potter. While this was against the rules, Dumbledore decided that since the Goblet of Fire spit out Harry's name, Harry must compete. The book follows Harry during the school year as there are attempts on his life and through the Tri-Wizard Championship (made up of three trials spread out throughout the year). There is quite a bit of action in this book and like the others, it is a book that once I started reading, I didn't want to stop. There are surprises and sadness and everything in between. J.K. Rowling writes so well that the characters are believable as people, and even though we know that magic isn't really, we can believe in it for the duration of the book. With each book that Rowling writes, the Harry Potter series gets better.
Rating:  Summary: Fullest and most dark of the Potter series Review: This hefty book coming in at over 700 pages is at first glance a hefty read, but as you begin the book the pages start to fly by as the story unfolds and opens in your mind's eye. The story begins at the Quiddich World cup where after a fun game the frightening Death Eaters (supporters of he who shall not be named) show up to ruin the party. This is one of the first signs that something is amiss. Upon returning to Hogwarts the school finds out that they are entered into the Tri-Wizzard tournament. The dangerous and exciting challenge between the wizzards of three great wizzarding schools. Harry finds himself the fourth contestant chosen from the mystical Goblet of Fire. He along with the other three contestants must endure three daunting tasks. But only three of the four will survive the ordeal. This book is undoubtably darker and more mysterious than the prior three. This book marks a turning point in both the ongoing story line and in the lives of the wizzards of the world because it also marks the return of Lord Voldemort. This book sets up the final three books of the series and what will probably be the final battle between the good wizzards and the evil Death Eaters and Lord Voldemort himself. This book is a good read, fast and action packed. It is a little darker than the prior books, so be for warned of what might be some disturbing scenes to younger readers.
Rating:  Summary: Very Good! Review: This book is one of my favorites in the Harry Potter series. Not only is it funny, dark, and entertaining... but in the long run--- it makes sense! my favorite part about this book is how in the end, EVERYTHING comes together! nothing goes un-notices or overlooked. things that didn't make sense finnaly seem perfectly clear, mysteries are unfogged and misunderstandgins are comprehended with well put explanations. This is, as i said, my favorite Harry Potter book (although i just finished pheonix... so we'll have to see) because of the mysterious happenings and the suspenseful plot and so on. it is a very entertaing and fun book to read. although the size may intimidate some... don't sweat it! you read this book sooo fast, i read it in 3 days because i paced myself because i didn't want it to be over!! i would highly reccomend buying/reading this book. But, i would also highly reccomend reading the previous 3 of the series before hand... just for some backround knowledge. everything will make a lot more sense and the book will be more enjoyable.
Rating:  Summary: An absolutely riveting, unparalleled success Review: It is quite hard to believe just how good Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is; the first three books, all of which impressed me deeply, seem almost forgettable compared to this intense fourth entry in the series. This is as rich a reading experience as you will find, no matter what your age. The storyline as it exists at the end of this mammoth epic has more of a hold on me now, as an adult, than the Star Wars saga had on me as a kid, which is saying a great deal, I assure you. One barely knows where to start one's praises of this book; yes, it does have both dark overtones and undertones to it, yet it also boasts some of the funniest moments of the series. We learn a great deal more about the major characters and turn our attention to new attractions such as the unique new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, Mad-Eye Moody. Events in magical circles outside of Hogwarts increase the landscape of Rowling's magical world many times over as we are given insight into the workings of the Ministry of Magic, are treated to the best seat in the house at the Quidditch World Cup championship, and are introduced to two wholly new magical schools in foreign locations. The pattern one might have come to expect of Harry's fourth year at Hogwarts is thrown immediately out of the window; there are no school Quidditch matches this year, nor is there even an inter-house cup competition. Instead, Professor Dumbledore makes the extraordinary announcement that the Triwizard Tournament has not only been reinstituted after many years, it will take place at Hogwarts. Only sixth- and seventh-year students are eligible to compete, seeming to leave Harry Potter quite out of the mix, which is fine by him. A Goblet of Fire decides which of the volunteers from each school will compete as its Champion, but this quite impartial judge surprises everyone by selecting a certain familiar, fourth year student for the competition. What follows is a roller coaster ride of a year, with Harry enduring more trials and troubles than ever before: his friendship with Ron threatens to end forever, he faces incredibly difficult tasks that may or may not serve as a means by which someone can kill him, a thoroughly sleazy tabloid reporter makes his and his friends' lives all but unbearable on a number of occasions, and he faces perhaps his biggest challenge of all: having to ask a girl to accompany him to the Yule Ball. Oh, a certain arch enemy also rears his ugly head once again. This is a large book, obviously; it gets off to something of a slow start, taking 171 pages just to get Harry to Hogwarts to start the new year. Have no fear, though, because the novel then sucks you in so deeply that you may be unable to get out of it, should you even want to. The length of the book quickly becomes a comfort to you, as you will not want this book to ever end. End it shall, however, with an incredibly intense final 125 pages that will leave you gasping for breath, roiling in shock, and surging with adrenaline. Anyone unable to understand why untold millions of addicted fans have been climbing the walls for three years waiting for Book 5 have simply not read this book. Events of quite drastic proportions have been set in motion now, and the end of Harry's fourth year at Hogwarts holds little resolution to it. There are dark days ahead and a significant number of plot points appear on the horizon. Harry, Hermione, and Ron are growing up, with normal teenaged issues already beginning to manifest themselves, Hogwarts is in something of a tizzy over the culminating events of the completed school year, and the whole world of magic shows every sign of being in utter disarray. The world of Harry Potter has never been more intense, exciting, and portentous as it is at the end of this unbelievably good book.
Rating:  Summary: Hang on to your broomstick! Review: This is an awesome book and right away, you get lost into a world of magic and never want to escape. YOu will love this book more that anything and the suspense between Harry and Lord Voldermort strenghtens. Harry and his friends get caught up in a little romance, also, as the book maintains it's humourous quailities.
Rating:  Summary: Excellent Book Review: Easily one of the best books I have ever read, it adds a variety of action and romance, something the other books didn't even dwell on. And unlike the other books, this one takes you outside the castle, to the world and events happening out there. The world of Harry Potter grows deeper and richer thanks to this book, but with dept comes darkness. This is by far the darkest of the Potter books, but it is easily the best. If I recommended another book besides this one, it would be the hard bound edition.
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