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Summary: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Review: Harry Potter, Book 4, was like returning to old friends. A must read, I couldn't put the book down. J.K. Rowling keeps the excitement going in each incredible chapter.
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Summary: How the world has changed!
Review: After reading the lattest of Harry Potter books I sat back andwondered how much the world has really changed in the past years;forget the net, forget the Berlin wall, forget the news you hear everyday - I'm talking about something more important and more fundamental. When I was a kid, I read every "Famous Five" book and they all had the same structure: a group of friends could hardly wait for the start of their vacations, where the most wonderful things happened. Now I read the Harry Potter books and I see it all again reflected in a mirror: a group of friends can hardly wait for their vacations to end and their classes to begin, because there's where all the fun and adventure begin. Both the "Famous Five" and the Harry Potter books are great, but the point is that this fundamental difference between them tells us more about the way the society changed than a bunch of sociological studies. Think about it.
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Summary: Best book yet for those who are still young at heart!
Review: I really loved this book. I bought the first three to read with my classes, but this one I bought for myself. I would highly recommend this book to children of all ages. This author is even better than Phillip Pullman! Harry has once again found himself in trouble that he didn't start. With the help of his friends and a little house elf, he manages to come out on top again. Hermione gets a "new" look, Ron discovers another meaning of friendship, and Harry reaches "that age". An excellent book! If you don't buy it for your children, buy it for yourself and spend a few hours in Hogwarts!
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Summary: A superb story
Review: I thought Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire was a great book because I found it wasn't as far-fetched and spooky as the the 2nd Harry Potter book, The Chamber of Secrets, although there is some danger in it. I liked the fact that certain characters, including James and Lilly Potter and Wormtail, were brought back into this particular book. This book is very suspenseful and some parts are very humorous. Even though Harry has a secret crush, it doesn't get into anything extremely mushy.
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Summary: Great Book! (It could have used a stronger editor)
Review: This fourth book of the Harry Potter series was absolutely fantastic... for about the first 400 pages. The book seemed to start dragging a bit in third quarter. The story came to a screeching halt at one of the most tense moments when the villain summarized the story so far as if he was in a "B" movie. Otherwise, this has everything a Potter could hope for, and more! It even has an ending that will make the reader crave the fifth book! Great job!
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Summary: An incredible adventure!
Review: I'll admit it... I am one of those adults who got hooked on Harry Potter, even without any children as an excuse. I bought my niece the first three books for Christmas, and counted down the days until this release with her. I was shocked by the length of the book when it arrived... I wondered if there was really so much to be said that it could fill all those pages. The second I started reading, though, I knew the answer was YES!This book is by far the most complex and scary of the Harry Potter books thus far. Harry is entering his fourth year of school, and in addition to learning more complex spells, Harry is also growing personally, and we see him maturing throughout the book. I loved the scene with his first dance... it brought back so many memories of my own first dances. The length of the book is also a sign of the maturing plot... the first 100 or so pages pass before Harry even returns to Hogwarts! But, the story is enthralling from page one, and the new characters are developped very nicely during this section. Once Harry returns to school, the action grows ever deeper... he learns new, more dangerous spells, and we realize how much he has learned in his previous three years at school. The action in this book builds up slowly; Harry knows that somone is out there, but he's not sure who, or why. And so, the best defense is to keep on learning, and to keep his eyes open, studying all those around him. The secrets will be revealed soon enough... If I had to complain about anything in this book, it would be the way plots from the previous stories were entered into it; at times it seemed that Rowling grew impatient with explaining what had ocurred in the previous stories. But since the books build upon each other, some background was necessary. I think the best preparation for book 4 is to read the first three books, and then to jump in an enjoy this newest offering... I eagerly anticipate the remaining three books, and I hope that Harry's personal development continues, and that the originality that Rowling has shown in all the details of this series continue to shine through.
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Summary: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Review: A very delightful book. The enchanted wizardy details appear every other page to keep you through the 700 pages. The only problem about the plot, however, is the obvious unnecessity of the Tournament to sneak Harry Potter out of the school.
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Summary: The Goblet of Fire is by far the most complex and intriguing
Review: The Goblet of Fire is by far the most complex and intriguing book in the ongoing Harry Potter series. Never before have I read a book that expresses emotions and thoughts so perfectly, adding to the wonderful plot and page turning suspense. Somehow the characters seemed to have much more personality as they all played larger parts here than in the other three stories. The Goblet of Fire was well worth the months of torture I endured while waiting to read it.
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Summary: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Review: I opened the cover of Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire a bit fearfully. Although my nine-year-old was simply vibrating with excitement, I was worried. What if this one wasn't as good as the first three? What if J.K. Rowling was now simply writing a book because she had to for contract reasons, not because she had a story that had to be told? Happily that is not the case at all, and this latest installment in the Harry Potter saga is fresh, often exhilarating and sure to please anyone who has come to love the magic of Harry, Hogwarts and all things that are not of the Mugglekind. That being said, even those with no experience of the first three books will find it readable because Ms. Rowling offers up enough background to make it understandable yet without disclosing too many of the secrets of the first stories. It almost literally starts with a bang as Harry's friends the Weasly's blast through a wall in the suburban house where Harry lives with his hopelessly muggle (non-magical) aunt, uncle and cousin. From that point on having to put this book down can be like having to jump from a moving car; you just want to hold on until the ride is over! There are lots of interesting and funny details about the differences between the lifestyles of the muggle and magical kind. From camping in a pup tent that on the inside actually is a one bedroom apartment complete with mismatched chairs and smelling of cats to practical jokes that involve cream tarts that temporarily turns the eater of one into a giant yellow canary! There is also Voldemort, the Dark Lord. He who was so powerful in the dark arts and so evil that wizards and witches refer to him fearfully as You-Know-Who, even years after he had lost all his power in an attempt to murder one year old Harry. Harry has had to do battle with the Dark Lord and his minions a number of times since that first attack that left a lightening shaped scare on his forehead and his parents dead. In The Goblet of Fire, the Dark Lord is back and he is stronger and more dangerous than ever. Harry is older and wiser at fourteen but also prone to the trials and tribulations of that age. A time fraught with misunderstandings, a first crush, self doubts mistakes, and betrayals. This is reflected in the darker tone of the story, there are great victories but there is also great loss. Ms. Rowling successfully carries off this darker nature with respect and care for both her characters and her readers. This is a fantasy but it is also a mystery, to respect that, there is much that should not be said it. What can be said, is that it will not disappoint. There are all the necessary elements of wonder and close calls and plenty of humour and excitement, and it leaves the reader with a promise of the adventures to come. It is a good book for older kids, eight or nine and up and for adults too. It is an especially good book for a child and adult to share.
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Summary: Indulge in a longer fantasy
Review: Arriving on your doorstep with impressive heft, the latest installment of the joy that is the Harry Potter series hits it's mark again. While the fourth book is as promised somewhat darker in nature, fans will not be disappointed in the growth of Harry's character. Ms. Rawlings is clearly weaving for us a long elaborate morality play including themes of social justice, courage, loyalty, and civil rights, but she is doing it with lightness and without abandoning her intricate and fantastical plot. Best of all, Ms. Rawlings opens a world of growing-up that invites discussion and challenges the imaginations of our children. Now, if we could only find a house elf for our house!
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