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Summary: Harry Potter Goes Global in Goblet of Fire
Review: In the fourth of the increasingly lengthy Harry Potter books, Rowling gives us a global twist. With thrilling action beginning at the Quidditch World cup, and continuing during the dangerous Triwizard Tournament, we at last get to see a bit of the wizarding world beyond the walls of Hogwarts. The view is not a dissappointment. You-Know-Who is back, and more evil then ever-keeping readers on the edge of their seats through all 734 (!) pages. Our favorite characters are growing up, and the romance quotant, though low-key, adds a new spark as well. Expect to find some interresting information about everyone's favorite groundkeeper, and a certain escaped convict will return to be part of the action. The book is a turning point in the series, and for Harry Potter, the excitement, the danger, and the stakes have never been higher.
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Summary: These books just keep getting better
Review: These books are great. Really. Most sequels just get worse, but not harry Potter. Any fan J. K. Rowling has to read this book. It's worth the while. I can't tell you what happens-that would ruin it. Just believe me when I say this book is worth reading.
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Summary: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Review: I'm an 11-year-old that just finished Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire last night. It's the best one yet! It is so good I shouldn't to spoil it for you by telling you just one sentence about it. It is worth every cent! O.K., all right I'll tell you about SOME of the book. Hermione starts a band of people who want to make house-elfs (yeah elfs, not elves) paid. The house-elfs don't like that though. If you are not sure what a house-elf is think of Dobby :)I really think that the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher is as good as Lupin. His name is "Mad-Eye" Moody and he has a magical eye. Harry enters the Triwizard Tournament in which many past wizards and witches had died. Those are just a few of the many, many great things that happen in this 734-page book!
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Summary: You-Know-Who Strikes Back
Review: This is a very exciting installment of Harry Potter, and, true to her word, is also the darkest. But it's the same old, likeable Harry Potter. As I read I felt the same joy as with the first three; no stylistic leaps here. The plot, despite it's signature twists, sticks close to the standard Harry Potter formulae. [When I originally wrote this review, it was the day after the book was released, and there might have been some point in actually discussing the book. At this point, however, I'm embarrassed to even have this review online. I mean, who hasn't already read this book? And if not, why not?]
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Summary: Rowling's Magic Continues
Review: Harry Potter's continuing journey to manhood in Book 4 is Rowling's most detailed canvas yet. She paints a more richly-colored world in which the characters which we have come to know and love reveal much more about themselves (and others reveal about them - a new character, a Hedda Hopper-like journalist who has a penchant for trashing her subjects), as a result of which we are all better prepared for the inevitable conflicts to come. We get to know the Weasleys better than ever; important facts about Dumbledore, Snape, the Death Eaters, Voldemort and others are revealed and woven more deeply into the fabric of the life of Harry Potter and his growing up. The book is long only because the story is richly detailed. The details are essential I am sure, not only for the plot in Book 4, but as a foundation for the last three stories. Long, however, does not mean boring . . . in fact, the opposite. Harry's latest year at Hogwarts is his most challenging yet. The book champions teamwork, loyalty, moral fiber, self-sacrifice and courage. A wonderful book that deserves quiet reflection from its readers, and a more slowly paced re-read.
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Summary: The best one yet, lives up to all expectations
Review: Wow. This weekend my 11-year-old son, my wife, and I all read the new Harry Potter book. How is this possible for a 734-page book? We made some ground rules and stuck to them (you can't take the book away from someone until they've finished a chapter, you can't keep the book from someone if you're not reading it yourself, no spoilers, no taking the book out of the house). The short review: this is the best one yet. Rowling's imagination is inexhaustible, the characters grow and change in unexpected but absolutely right ways, and the struggle between good and evil is more gripping than ever. Although I'll post a longer review later, I'll get to the most important point now. The only plausible reason I have ever seen for not buying the Harry Potter books is a worry by some Christians that the emphasis on magic and witchcraft is somehow unhealthy. All I can say is that those books are spiritually in the right place -- it is VERY clear what the difference is between good and evil and which side we should be fighting on, even at the cost of great pain, sacrifice, and death. The latest book is the best yet in this respect -- the villains are much more openly evil, and yet the reader understands why they choose that path [hint: power and pride], while learning both the ultimate soul-destroying horror of it and the necessity of fighting it at ALL times (every choice you ever make being potentially decisive).
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Summary: A highly entertaining experience
Review: This book is amazing. It is fast paced and riveting. This though the most voluminous, is the best Harry Potter. Once you start reading, you just can't put it down till you are done with it. I loved every moment of this book. Characters like veela, description of the world cup match and the triwizard tournament, and return of evil Voldemort and the meeting of Potter and Voldemort - everything is so engrossing about this book and rich in imagination and detail. J.K. Rowling has once again done a terrific job !
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Summary: The Best & Cheapest Reading Tutor Money Can Buy
Review: My nine year old will state unequivocally that J.K Rowling taught him how to read and my twelve year old started reading the book Saturday night and was finished reading it late Sunday afternoon. The new addition to the series is everything a kid and a mother who reads selected chapters out loud could hope for. The plot is as exciting as we've come to expect and there is enough satire and word play to entertain the most discriminating and literary adult. The fears that this book is darker and deals with more mature themes like girlfriends and death are largely unfounded. After all, Harry is an orphan and the additional death in this book is treated quite well. The girfriend thing is no more than a mild crush. Here's to Book 5.
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Summary: Harry cost's a great spell-I mean book!
Review: Harry's did it again With his fourth year i'm only page 262 BUT-i can already tell waht this kind of book this is ganna be! Harry's already gone to the quddictch world cup thak's to the weasley family and you finnaly get to meet Charlie & Bill ron's other 2 brothers! At hogwarts there having a little surprise the qudditch rounds will NOT take place this year BUT theve changed the rules about a toun-can't tell you read to find out!
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Summary: The Tortoise and the Hare
Review: As the tortoise proved to the hare, a slow start isn't always a bad thing. In her fourth book, Rowling spent as many pages building the plot as some of the previous books took telling the whole story. Although it was a bit slow to start, it was worth the wait. The climatic moments were . . . SPELLBINDING. Battles and tasks keep the reader on edge. Once the story gets going, it's nearly impossible to put down. Rowling also moved somewhat away from children's story form in this novel. The Goblet of Fire had much more foreshadowing, twists, turns, and romance than most adolescent books. The new love interests introduced make the story much more fun to read, and give the reader more people to love, and to hate. She once again creates a host of easily lovable characters whom are hard to forget. At over 700 pages, it is a tad long, especially for a young reader, but Rowling proves once again that in the long run, slow and steady proves to make an excellent story. Plot and characters definitely deserve the full five stars; however, the books massive length and slow spots make it a daunting task for even many adult readers.
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