The Barnes & Noble Review
After months of frenzied anticipation and wild speculation about the identity of the Half-Blood Prince, the numerous bombshells and incredible plot twists in the sixth, ever-darkening installment of J. K. Rowling's bestselling Harry Potter saga will leave readers as shocked and stunned as they are utterly satisfied.

As the novel begins, a "grim mood" has fallen over the country. The minions of Lord Voldemort (a.k.a. He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named) continue to grow as his evil spreads. The Ministry of Magic has stepped up security everywhere, and as Harry enters his sixth year at Hogwarts, he begins to see himself -- and everyone around him -- in a different, more discerning, light. With rumors swirling about Harry being the prophesied "Chosen One," he begins taking private lessons from Hogwarts headmaster Albus Dumbledore. As Dumbledore prepares Harry for his destined clash with Voldemort by revealing jaw-dropping insights into the Dark Lord's past -- who his parents were, what happened after he left Hogwarts, and more -- Harry also struggles to uncover the identity of the Half-Blood Prince, the past owner of a potions textbook he now possesses that is filled with ingenious, potentially deadly, spells. But Harry's life is suddenly changed forever when someone close to him is heinously murdered right before his eyes....

With only one book to go before the series' projected conclusion, Rowling masterfully sets the stage for what will surely be an epic battle to end all battles. The chess pieces are all in place for a magic-powered endgame that will be as thrilling as it is bittersweet. Paul Goat Allen

After months of frenzied anticipation and wild speculation about the identity of the Half-Blood Prince, the numerous bombshells and incredible plot twists in the sixth, ever-darkening installment of J. K. Rowling's bestselling Harry Potter saga will leave readers as shocked and stunned as they are utterly satisfied.

As the novel begins, a "grim mood" has fallen over the country. The minions of Lord Voldemort (a.k.a. He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named) continue to grow as his evil spreads. The Ministry of Magic has stepped up security everywhere, and as Harry enters his sixth year at Hogwarts, he begins to see himself -- and everyone around him -- in a different, more discerning, light. With rumors swirling about Harry being the prophesied "Chosen One," he begins taking private lessons from Hogwarts headmaster Albus Dumbledore. As Dumbledore prepares Harry for his destined clash with Voldemort by revealing jaw-dropping insights into the Dark Lord's past -- who his parents were, what happened after he left Hogwarts, and more -- Harry also struggles to uncover the identity of the Half-Blood Prince, the past owner of a potions textbook he now possesses that is filled with ingenious, potentially deadly, spells. But Harry's life is suddenly changed forever when someone close to him is heinously murdered right before his eyes....

With only one book to go before the series' projected conclusion, Rowling masterfully sets the stage for what will surely be an epic battle to end all battles. The chess pieces are all in place for a magic-powered endgame that will be as thrilling as it is bittersweet.

These newest 652 pages - far darker than those that preceded them - are leavened with humor, romance and snappy dialogue, and freighted with secrets, deepening bonds, betrayals and brutal lessons, many of them coming from the sinister, Harry-hating Severus Snape, master of the dark arts. Up to now, Harry, while overcoming any number of harrowing trials, has managed to retain a trusting nature; but at 16, worsening circumstances force him to realize that even though he regards himself as ''Dumbledore's man through and through,'' he must also be his own man.
— The New York Times Sunday Book Review

… the darkest and most unsettling installment yet … It is a novel that pulls together dozens of plot strands from previous volumes, underscoring how cleverly and carefully J. K. Rowling has assembled this giant jigsaw puzzle of an epic … the achievement of the Potter books is the same as that of the great classics of children's literature, from the Oz novels to The Lord of the Rings: the creation of a richly imagined and utterly singular world, as detailed, as improbable and as mortal as our own.
— The New York Times

The journey from child to adult is tough enough for ordinary mortals, but the trip has been unusually hazardous for the world-famous wizard-in-training. Rowling shepherds her hero's arduous trek to maturity with her customary grace and good humor, though she has infused her story with more bone-cracking and blood-spattering than may be tolerable for many of the young readers who have followed Harry's adventures so far.
— The Washington Post

From our Best Books citation: "In this sixth book, Rowling pulls together threads from all the previous titles, expertly poising readers for the planned finale." Ages 9-12. (July) Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

Your library already owns multiple copies of this blockbuster fantasy adventure, of course, but just in case you haven't read it yet, this tells of heroic Harry's sixth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He is now 16, and romance is in the air along with hefty helpings of humor, horror, and Rowling's delightfully inventive fantasy details (wouldn't you like a potion that confers luck?). Headmaster Dumbledore teaches Harry about the background of Harry's mortal enemy, Lord Voldemort, so that together they can try to defeat him. Old adversaries Draco Malfoy and Professor Snape play important roles, as do Harry's faithful friends Ron and Hermione, and a particularly beloved character meets a nasty end. Not as gripping as the last volume, but the action-packed final chapters help make up for a slow start. (Harry Potter, #6). KLIATT Codes: JSA*—Exceptional book, recommended for junior and senior high school students, advanced students, and adults. 2005, Scholastic, 652p., Ages 12 to adult.
—Paula Rohrlick

Book 6 in the Harry Potter series clearly has been written for a somewhat older audience. For example, instead of beginning with Harry unhappily ensconced at the home of his aunt and uncle, the Dursleys, as was the case in earlier volumes, the first two chapters of this book set the stage for the continuation of the story by relating recent events in the struggle between good and evil affecting both the Ministry of Magic and the supporters of Lord Voldemort. In Chapter 3, Harry is rescued by Albus Dumbledore after a mere fortnight of boredom during his summer holiday at the Dursleys, which leads to a visit to the Burrow, the new home of the Order of the Phoenix. As sixth-year students at Hogwarts, Harry and his pals Ron and Hermione learn to apparate, Harry becomes captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team, and teenage hormones begin to kick in with their usual side effects. Flashbacks, presented in the form of visits via the Pensive to old memories collected by Dumbledore, provide Harry with more information about the young wizard who eventually became Lord Voldemort. This leads to a spine-tingling search for one of the seven Horcruxes created by Voldemort to ensure his immortality, and which sets the stage for the concluding volume of the series. All in all, a great read. Fans of Harry Potter will not be disappointed. 2005, Arthur A. Levine Books/Scholastic, Ages 10 to adult.
—Charles Wyman

Gr 5 Up-Opening just a few weeks after the previous book left off, the penultimate entry in the series is, as the author foretold, the darkest and most unsettling yet. The deeds of Voldemort's Death Eaters are spreading even to the Muggle world, which is enshrouded in a mist caused by Dementors draining hope and happiness. Harry, turning 16, leaves for Hogwarts with the promise of private lessons with Dumbledore. No longer a fearful boy living under the stairs, he is clearly a leader and increasingly isolated as rumors spread that he is the "Chosen One," the only individual capable of defeating Voldemort. Two attempts on students' lives, Harry's conviction that Draco Malfoy has become a Death Eater, and Snape's usual slimy behavior add to the increasing tension. Yet through it all, Harry and his friends are typical teens, sharing homework and messy rooms, rushing to classes and sports practices, and flirting. Ron and Hermione realize their attraction, as do Harry and Ginny. Dozens of plot strands are pulled together as the author positions Harry for the final book. Much information is cleverly conveyed through Dumbledore's use of a Pensieve, a device that allows bottled memories to be shared by Harry and his beloved professor as they apparate to various locations that help explain Voldemort's past. The ending is heart wrenching. Once again, Rowling capably blends literature, mythology, folklore, and religion into a delectable stew. This sixth book may be darker and more difficult, but Potter fans will devour it and begin the long and bittersweet wait for the final installment.-Connie Tyrrell Burns, Mahoney Middle School, South Portland, ME Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.