I love the Harry Potter books. Let’s be absolutely clear about that. I loved this one too, every bit as much as the previous five in the series. However, a small part of me can’t help asking, as Harry matures and the storylines get darker, is this really still a children’s series? Sure, Harry at 16 is appropriate for those who have grown up with him, eagerly anticipating each new release. But what about those younger kids who are just discovering the series, reading them back to back rather than aging along with Harry? There are themes of corruption, death, and approaching war that get stronger in each book. I’m not sure I’d let a 10- or 11-year-old read this one.

Having said that, I still loved it! With each new release, J. K. Rowling draws the reader further into Harry’s wizarding world. In The Half-Blood Prince, the typical Hogwarts scenes abound—magical lessons, Quidditch, sneaking around after hours with the invisibility cloak, and detention with Professor Snape. Harry is still no good at Potions, but receives unexpected help this time around from the Half-Blood Prince. Just who the Half-Blood Prince is turns out to be a bit of an anti-climax, so I’m hoping this will come into play again in book 7. Harry and his friends are, at 16, well entrenched in adolescence and all that means, so crushes and jealousies are well represented too. On the darker side, Lord Voldemort’s Death Eaters are wreaking havoc in both the magic and Muggle communities, and the magic community is in now perpetual fear. Harry believes that, at Hogwarts, Draco Malfoy and Professor Snape are in league with Voldemort and up to no good, but has a hard time convincing others of his suspicions despite mounting evidence. He also learns much about the origins of his nemesis, Voldemort, and the dark magic he is capable of. We can only hope this new knowledge will aid Harry in the final showdown that is destined to occur in book 7. And on a very sad note, we lose a beloved character. Or did we?

This one perhaps lacks the whimsy and sheer wonder of discovering Harry’s magical heritage that was present in the earliest books, but it’s clear that Rowling is positioning characters and setting the stage for the dramatic events to unfold in the next, and final, book in the series. I have my own theories about the surprising twists and turns that plot might take, but I’ll keep them to myself and wait to see if I am right.

Highly recommended, but read the other five first. Happy reading!