Rating: 
Summary: Thrilling Page Turner
Review: Notwithstanding the debate on whether or not the Harry Potter series is suitable for kids (the author, JK Rowling, has, after all, never said that these stories of witchcraft, which also touch upon death and other dark elements, are written specifically for child readers), there is absolutely no doubt that this 3rd instalment is a thrilling page turner and a worthy successor to the enormously popular "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone/Sorcerer's Stone" and "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets". The complex and colourful plot is artfully constructed and the narration is simply brilliant with cunningly devised chapter divisions which serve as cliff-hangers in the storyline. As in the past two instalments, Rowling is able to lead the reader through the many twists and turns in the plot (with some unexpected turn of events along the way which can make one hold one's breath) while at the same time spicing up the whole thing with lots of humour, suspense and even horror elements. In fact, such is the attraction of the story that one can hardly put the book down after having started on the first page, and the story operates like a giant vortex which captivates and draws the reader in faster and faster towards its thrilling denouement. Although few would suggest that this is a work of great profundity, this book can provide one with a sense of pure joy during the reading process which few other books can rival, and if such unadulterated fun can lure people, whether adults of kids, back to reading, we should be thankful to Rowling for that. Just one minor quibble: Given that the truth has not really been cleared up at the end of the story, why isn't the magnificent trio of Harry, Ron and Hermione not punished for (again) breaking a thousand school rules during their adventures? Anyway, a most enjoyable publication. I can hardly wait for the next instalment!
Rating:
Summary: My Favorite Book
Review: Now in my life i have read many fine works of literature, e.g. Shakespeare, Naguib Mahfouz, Albert Einstein, and many others. However this is my favorite book. In this book Harry finds out about Sirius Black, the alleged right hand man of Lord Voldemort (he who must not be named)who was incarcerated in the wizard prison of Azkaban. Azkaban is a fortress set out on an island and is gaurded by mysterious beings named dementors. The dementors have the uncanny ability to take all your good feelings and replace them with the worst experiences of your life. They can also suck out your soul. Anyway this book does not fail to satisfy (temporarily) my voracious appetite for Harry Potter books. Read it
Rating: 
Summary: Weak By Harry Potter Standards
Review: Now knee deep in the Harry Potter series, I have to say that this book has both ups and downs. Harry Potter himself creates an excellent novel, but compared to the first two books, this one falls short.This book has the usual mystery, with Harry being chased by the mysterious escaped Sirius Black. It also leads to several moral implications. It shows that one shouldn't judge a person by their reputation. Also, thanks to the pleasent werewolf, it illustrates how prejudices can be entirely ignorant. While it may teach a few lessons, the plot seems to falter a little more than the other novels. This book tended to slow down here and there creating a little bit more a of a difficult read to enjoy. One last qualm was the time turner. Adding time-travel to the world of wizarding opens a whole new can of worms and creates a whole new sequence of "what-if's" that punch holes in the story for older readers. This book is Harry Potter, and it does fit the genre. However, when reading, it doesn't stand to the same standards as the others in the series.
Rating:
Summary: The Best Yet
Review: Now this is a series worth reading. I read this book over the weekend and loved every moment of it. Harry and his friends transend you into a fantsay world. I was sad to see it end.
Rating:
Summary: First, second and THIRD times a charm
Review: Now we're at year number three. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is the darkest yet. Harry finds himself still with his Aunt and Uncle, and this time Aunt Marge is coming to town. Harry gets fed up with this women and accidently does something...unusual to her. He leaves his Aunt and Uncles expecting to be expelled, but instead he is greeted by the Minister of Magic, and it seems like he is under protection from something. He learns of the escape of Sirius Black, who is a convict convicted of murder. But the convict is after someone, and who could it be? Of course, Harry Potter. Harry has strange run ins with giant black dogs, Dementors and a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Remus Lupin, who is more than he seems. This novel is more enjoyable than the previous two, and much longer. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is a fun-filled adventure with more more secrets and more suspense. You should have fun reading it.
Rating:
Summary: amazes me again
Review: now you probably think from the star rating i've given this book that it's going to be positive and full of ranting about what a good read it is, don't you? well you'd be right! it's another outstandingly brilliant creation from that most talented children's author, j.k. rowling. how does she do it? where does she get her inspiration from? well, if i had the answers to those questions, i too would be a best selling authoress with millions in the bank and an international following ' but alas, i don't and i'm not. i have to be content with sharing my opinion of her work with you, so here goes. once again, the strength of the book lies in the superb plot, and the way in which it is revealed. j.k.rowling is, as always, very cruel and tauntingly builds up the suspense little by little until we are completely tortured by all the question marks in our heads, and she doesn't put us out of our misery until the very last part of the book. she seems to delight in creating a story that is so addictive you will find it hard to stop reading until you find out what on earth is going on. while desperately trying to resist the temptation of revealing the whole plot, allow me to offer just a brief glimpse of the background to the story. a prisoner, sirius black, has escaped from azkaban, the jail for wizards. believed to be a former servant to lord voldemort (sorry, i mean he-who-must-not-be-named), sirius was imprisoned for the murder of twelve innocent muggles and a wizard, peter pettigrew. harry potter is told that sirius is coming after him to avenge the downfall of his master. there, that's all that i dare tell you as far as the actual story line is concerned; any further revelations really would spoil it. you'll just have to read it for yourself to find out what happens! as well as the usual characters (such as hagrid, dumbledore, snape and the others), there are some brilliant new ones, such as the lovely Professor Lupin, Buckbeak (Hagrid's pet Hippogriff), and Sir Cadogan (one of whose quotes I have borrowed for the title of this review). Sir Cadogan is a knight in a portrait who Harry and Ron stumble across in Hogwarts and who is temporarily promoted to password keeper of Gryffindor Tower. Yes, in the wizard world, all photos and pictures have lives and personalities of their own. He has some brilliant lines, and the fact that I found Sir Cadogan hilarious either says something serious about my mental age or that J. K. Rowling manages to hit the exact spot that appeals to adults and children alike (please say it was the latter!). There are also some new characters that are decidedly evil, such as the Dementors, the guards from Azkaban who have come to search for Sirius. As in 'The Chamber of Secrets', I found myself wondering how frightened children would be by the scary parts of the book, because the author really does conjure up a vivid and marking picture. There is also a lot more emotion in this book than in the other two, some very beautiful yet sad passages; all I'll say is that it's connected to Harry's parents and is very touching. I recommend this book highly, although I would advise anyone thinking of reading it to read the other two first. Although J. K. Rowling does offer brief explanations about what has happened previously, all the events are linked up throughout the series and I feel that a reader would miss out on a lot if they hadn't read the books in order. So get reading!
Rating:
Summary: I'm fifty going for eleven
Review: Now you wonder about the success of these books by Rowling: she started the first one almost as a joke, and look at what's happening! And there is a secret: sssshhhh, most of the readers are adults... I'm fifty myself, and I read this 3rd volume aloud to my children. I think I enjoyed it more then they did: does it mean I'm going senile? No, no, no - I believe the story is so good, that it's ageless; it brings us back to a time when people used to sit around a fire and tell exciting stories. Homer and the Iliad were the first, remember?
Rating:
Summary: By far the best of the series...
Review: Now, I don't want to sound like a gushy fan of children's fantasy books - but I have read all three of the series about Harry Potter, and I loved them all. Especially this one. It was definetly the best one. More action and climatic tension than the first two, and the plot was brilliantly done. I felt almost stupid, as if I should have recoginized how the ending would be, although it's so unexpected, I'm sure you'll feel the same way. Another thing: I am caught between hysteric laughter and heated argument whenever I hear about parents not allowing their children to read or hear these books read - it's utterly ridiculous! They have absolutely NOTHING in them that would make your kids try to fly off the roof on broomsticks or nonsense like that. Granted, there is always whiplash when something phenomenally popular comes out (like Pokemon) but this is the first time I've felt compelled to take a stand against it. Bottom line: A must read - a stunning example of children's fiction. I repeat FICTION. If you think your kids are not up to reading stuff like this, then don't let them read it, of course, but please don't ruin it for the rest of us, okay?
Rating:
Summary: SWEET now allright!
Review: Now,now,now, I have a question for all of you: If you have not read this book, how come? NOW READ IT NOW ALLRIGHT! NOW IT IS SWEET! Now it is the perfect book about griffins and dogs and Harry Potter is the cutest BOY alive!!! READ THIS BOOK!
Rating:
Summary: Magic for the third time.
Review: Number three is the magic number for J.K. Rowling. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is the best book yet (even though the other books are smashing too). This book should have come out as number two because it talks about Harry's family in more detail. This book kept me on my feet (and up in bed late) to get to the top of a mountian (a big area of suspence). If I had just started the series, I would have sped through books one and two to get to this book.
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