Hey strangers! Well it's Spring Break here, so I figured I would write a quick blog because of all my free time. When I was trying to decide what blog to write, I figured I would just stick with my current Harry Potter trend. Let me explain: yesterday I watched the Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part I movie, and today I have been playing my Lego Harry Potter video game. Yes, my life is awesome. Anyways, I figured I would do a review about the book that started it all, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone! And away we go.
Characters: Harry Potter aka "The Boy Who Lived"/ the son of Lily and James Potter who were murdered by Voldemort/a new arival at Hogwarts
Ron Weasley: Harry's best friend/ one of seven children/ is very gifted at wizard's chess
Hermione Granger: a muggle born first year who is also in Gryffindor/ the most talented first year in the entire school/ originally doesn't have very many friends
The Plot: Harry Potter has always wanted to be special. Orphaned by his parents, neglected by his aunt and uncle, and humiliated by his cousin Dudley, Harry hopes that one day he will leave and never come back. That day comes sooner than he thinks. When mysterious letters keep arriving addressed to him, Harry can hardly believe that this is the chance he has been waiting for. But when his aunt and uncle hide the letters, Harry is afraid that he will never get to read them. But when the half-giant Hagrid finally rescues and gives Harry his letter, he can hardly believe what he reads. He is a wizard, and he is going to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Once there, Harry teams up with Hermione Granger, a brilliant student, and Ron Weasley, Harry's loyal best friend, to figure out what exactly is in the third floor corridor. As forces battle them at every turn, Harry, Ron, and Hermione will embark on a course of events that will eventually lead them to Harry's parents' killer, Lord Voldemort himself.
What I liked: I am just going to come out and say it. I love Harry Potter. It can do no wrong in my eyes. I would even go so far as to say that I have a hard time understanding why anyone could not love the book. First, it is so funny. Harry Potter is witty, clever, laugh-out-loud funny and you never know when or where the humor will get you. Ron Weasley's older twin brothers Fred and George are the most mischievous, hilarious pair in the entire novel. While their role in Sorcerer's Stone was largely limited, they become more and more prevalent as the Weasley family quickly becomes Harry's true family. Second, this book is one of those novels that anyone can pick up, read, and relate to. I feel like that is a quality that is largely undervalued in literature. Books are so set in certain categories: there are very few novels that can transcend barriers and can appeal to anyone. For example, Pride and Prejudice. I absolutely adore the book, but I cannot talk to my brother about Pride and Prejudice. He would probably ignore me. But we can talk about Harry Potter. We both love the books (even if he wouldn't admit it) and we can talk about them with each other. It even works with people who are not in my generation. My mom and my grandparents have read Harry Potter and they love the books as much as I do. Third, this is one of, if not the most creative book I have ever read. Seriously who thinks up Quidditch? (For those who don't know it's basically the wizarding world's sport where teams fly around on broomsticks trying to throw the quaffle in three gold rings while a keeper defends the hoops. Bludgers fly around trying to knock the players off their brooms, while Beaters try and hit the bludgers at the other team. Finally, the seekers try and catch the fast moving snitch which ends the game and awards your team 250 points). Now who in the world would come up with that? Sorcerer's Stone is like a labyrinth. For every layer that you go deeper into this novel there are more complex characters, places, plot lines and wizarding things that draw you in. This world has captured my heart in a way that no other book has since. Harry Potter really was a part of my childhood. I have read every book at least five or six times, and sometimes I will just take them out and read my favorite parts. The last movie will be coming out soon and with that Harry Potter is over and that makes me sadder than I should probably admit. Specifically to this book though, I absolutely love the final "levels" that Harry, Ron, and Hermione have to go through in order to find the Sorcerer's Stone. It not only accentuates each of their talents but it shows the cooperation and bond they have that will span all seven of the novels.
What I didn't like: See above sentence 3 in "What I Liked"
Overall: 100000 out of 10. Gryffindor for life. This will be one of the books that I will make my children read.
