book review on harry potter and the deathly hallows

Den of Geek

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: book review

A spoiler filled review of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, which shouldn't be read by any ten-year old who's still stuck on page 93...

Share on Facebook (opens in a new tab)
Share on Twitter (opens in a new tab)
Share on Linkedin (opens in a new tab)
Share on email (opens in a new tab)

Warned you once: there’re spoilers in here about books six and seven. Read on at your peril…

This was the most highly anticipated book release of the year, and rightly so. Harry Potter is a worldwide phenomenon, and the books and films have earned some serious cash.

Personally, I was desperate to read this book, the fact there had been leaks and numerous rumours going round only made me more excited and curious as to what the final book in the series had in store for our young hero. J K Rowling’s own comments on the Jonathan Ross show made me think he was going to die, so I had prepared myself for the worst.

To recap: poor Dumbledore has been murdered by Snape, leaving Harry with a monstrous task – he must destroy the remaining Horcruxes (parts of Voldemort’s soul hidden in objects to make him immortal) and only then would he be able to kill the Dark Lord once and for all. So Harry, Ron and Hermione set off together on their quest.

Ad – content continues below

On the way, they run into many problems, but somehow, everything seems to work out. The attraction between Ron and Hermione becomes more and more obvious, I even found myself rolling my eyes in a Hermione-like way when they refused to admit their feelings for one another. There’s no time for dilly-dallying when Voldemort’s after you, is there?

Then things began to get confusing. As well as there just being Horcruxes to look for, there were now something called Hallows. You have to concentrate and remember what they’re talking about, and pay attention when the story of their origination is told, or you won’t have a clue.

So Hallows are nothing to do with Voldemort, as such, except there’s a wand which is unbeatable knocking around, and the Dark Lord, furious at the failure of his own wand, wants this one to finish The Boy Who Lived off.

And so the story continues. The book is full of the usual gripping action, and I was in anticipation of a sobbing fit when I got towards the end, so I had tissues at the ready. However, none came. After awaiting a chapter that had, apparently, made J K Rowling herself cry when she wrote it, I was expecting something really special and emotional, particularly as she’d also said some main characters die. I had a tear in my eye, but it was nowhere near as emotional as Dumbledore’s death. I cried more over poor Dobby earlier in the book.

There was nothing in the book that I thought was predictable, which is obviously a good thing. I wouldn’t have guessed Harry was a Horcrux if it hadn’t been circulated on the Internet previously, so I can’t count that.

I was immensely pleased that Bellatrix Lestrange got her comeuppance, but I thought it would have been so much more satisfying had “the boy with the balls” Longbottom finished her off. Also, why the hell is Draco “the bastard” Malfoy still alive? I wanted to kill him in the first book!

I thought the book was ace, because it’s Harry Potter , after all. However I thought Rowling really cheated herself out of what could have been a much more powerful and dramatic ending.

Get the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox!

I don’t want to include too many spoilers in here, but to say what I really want to say, I’ll have to. I was expecting one of the three main characters to die, and to sob my little heart out. I was even expecting Harry to die. But Rowling copped out. Totally.

She may as well have written “And they all lived happily ever after.” But in all fairness, I don’t think I’ve have killed a character that had made me that much money either. She’s too far away from retirement to throw away a guaranteed cash cow.

Lucy Felthouse

ADMIN AREA MY BOOKSHELF MY DASHBOARD MY PROFILE SIGN OUT SIGN IN

HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS

From the harry potter series , vol. 7.

by J.K. Rowling & illustrated by Mary GrandPré ‧ RELEASE DATE: July 21, 2007

Following the lead of its six preceding episodes this one may be sprawling, untidy and, particularly in its treatment of...

The epic adventure ends where, and as, it should in this long-awaited heart- (and, predictably, door-) stopping closer. With the entire tale now laid out, it easier to see the themes and qualities that not only bind it into one coherent, humongous saga, but have also so strongly bound millions of readers to its decade-long unfolding.

Many of those themes—the Hero’s Journey, the wonder of magic-working, the cluelessness of grown-ups, the sweet confusion of adolescence—are standard fare in stories for young readers (or readers who remember being young), but Rowling has shown uncommon skill in playing them with and against each other, and also woven them into a darn good bildungsroman, populated by memorable characters and infused with a saving, irrepressible sense of fun. In The Deathly Hallows , she opens with a vintage, riveting escape scene, then sends Harry, Ron and Hermione into a months-long flight from the ascendant and hotly pursuing forces of Lord Voldemort—this journey also becomes a desperate search for the remaining horcruxes that make him unkillable. Allies both known and unexpected gather to help, but it is strength of spirit and character that, particularly in Harry’s case, blossom here after developing throughout the series, carrying these “three teenagers in a tent whose only achievement was not, yet, to be dead,” past hopelessness, sharp divisions and other challenges to a decisive faceoff against a seemingly unconquerable adversary. There is a slow stretch toward the middle as the trio, having passed through a succession of refuges, hides out in the wilderness for some soul searching, but Rowling kicks up the pace in the second half. Strewing the plot with dueling spells, narrow squeaks and multiple corpses, lightening the load with well-placed humor and casting a sharp light on the flaws and graces of her characters, she builds to a suitably huge, compelling and, like illustrator Mary GrandPré’s chapter-head vignettes, stylish climactic battle on the grounds of Hogwarts.

Pub Date: July 21, 2007

ISBN: 978-0-545-01022-1

Page Count: 759

Publisher: Levine/Scholastic

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

CHILDREN'S SCIENCE FICTION & FANTASY

Share your opinion of this book

More by J.K. Rowling

BOOK REVIEW

by J.K. Rowling ; illustrated by Jim Field

by J.K. Rowling

by J.K. Rowling ; illustrated by Minalima

More About This Book

Radcliffe Talks About His Support for Trans Rights

SEEN & HEARD

A Harry Potter TV Series Is in the Works

BOOK TO SCREEN

Miriam Margolyes To Harry Potter Fans: ‘Grow Up’

THE SCHOOL FOR GOOD AND EVIL

From the school for good and evil series , vol. 1.

by Soman Chainani ; illustrated by Iacopo Bruno ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 14, 2013

Rich and strange (and kitted out with an eye-catching cover), but stronger in the set pieces than the internal logic.

Chainani works an elaborate sea change akin to Gregory Maguire’s Wicked (1995), though he leaves the waters muddied.

Every four years, two children, one regarded as particularly nice and the other particularly nasty, are snatched from the village of Gavaldon by the shadowy School Master to attend the divided titular school. Those who survive to graduate become major or minor characters in fairy tales. When it happens to sweet, Disney princess–like Sophie and her friend Agatha, plain of features, sour of disposition and low of self-esteem, they are both horrified to discover that they’ve been dropped not where they expect but at Evil and at Good respectively. Gradually—too gradually, as the author strings out hundreds of pages of Hogwarts-style pranks, classroom mishaps and competitions both academic and romantic—it becomes clear that the placement wasn’t a mistake at all. Growing into their true natures amid revelations and marked physical changes, the two spark escalating rivalry between the wings of the school. This leads up to a vicious climactic fight that sees Good and Evil repeatedly switching sides. At this point, readers are likely to feel suddenly left behind, as, thanks to summary deus ex machina resolutions, everything turns out swell(ish).

Pub Date: May 14, 2013

ISBN: 978-0-06-210489-2

Page Count: 496

Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins

Review Posted Online: Feb. 12, 2013

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2013

CHILDREN'S SCIENCE FICTION & FANTASY | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

Please select an existing bookshelf

Create a new bookshelf.

We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!

Please sign up to continue.

It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!

Already have an account? Log in.

Trouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.

Almost there!

Industry Professional

Welcome Back!

Sign in using your Kirkus account

Don’t fret. We’ll find you.

Magazine Subscribers ( How to Find Your Reader Number )

If You’ve Purchased Author Services

Don’t have an account yet? Sign Up.

Common Sense Media

Movie & TV reviews for parents

For Parents
For Educators
Our Work and Impact

Or browse by category:

Movie Reviews
Best Movie Lists
Best Movies on Netflix, Disney+, and More

Common Sense Selections for Movies

50 Modern Movies All Kids Should Watch Before They're 12

Best TV Lists
Best TV Shows on Netflix, Disney+, and More
Common Sense Selections for TV
Video Reviews of TV Shows

Best Kids' Shows on Disney+

Best Kids' TV Shows on Netflix

Book Reviews
Best Book Lists
Common Sense Selections for Books

8 Tips for Getting Kids Hooked on Books

50 Books All Kids Should Read Before They're 12

Game Reviews
Best Game Lists

Common Sense Selections for Games

Video Reviews of Games

Nintendo Switch Games for Family Fun

Podcast Reviews
Best Podcast Lists

Common Sense Selections for Podcasts

Parents' Guide to Podcasts

App Reviews
Best App Lists

Social Networking for Teens

Gun-Free Action Game Apps

Reviews for AI Apps and Tools

YouTube Channel Reviews
YouTube Kids Channels by Topic

Parents' Ultimate Guide to YouTube Kids

How to Help Kids Build Character Strengths with Quality Media

Family Tech Planners
Digital Skills
All Articles
Latino Culture
Black Voices
Asian Stories
Native Narratives
LGBTQ+ Pride
Best of Diverse Representation List

Multicultural Books

YouTube Channels with Diverse Representations

Podcasts with Diverse Characters and Stories

Harry potter and the deathly hallows: harry potter, book 7.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Poster Image

Common Sense Says
Parents Say 36 Reviews
Kids Say 383 Reviews

Common Sense Media Review

Grim, gripping end to the biggest saga in history.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 12+?

At least 50 heroic characters die in the final battle, including some who are ve

Wine, mead, champagne, fire whiskey, and brandy served to adults and older teens

Infrequent use of "damn" and "hell," plus "effing," "bastard," and one (very mem

Kissing and one bawdy joke.

Any Positive Content?

The whole series is full of positive messages about the power of love, friendshi

Harry finishes his hero's journey with bravery, daring, and self-sacrifice. He f

Author J.K. Rowling borrows from many established stories and myths to piece tog

Kingsley Shacklebolt is Black and is an important member of the Order of the Pho

Violence & Scariness

At least 50 heroic characters die in the final battle, including some who are very well loved. A very significant apparent death. Many other deaths on both sides, from curses, a giant snake, strangulation, and a stabbing. Scenes of torture, with characters writhing in pain, and some injuries that can't be healed by magic (e.g. an ear is cursed off). Violent action sequences include a flying motorcycle crash, explosions, snake attacks, kidnapping, a near-drowning, and a number of chases, duels with wands, and close-call escapes. Constant talk in the news about the deaths of both wizards and Muggles at the hands of Death Eaters. Stories recalled of tragic family deaths and an attack on a girl that left her permanently scarred, mentally. Harry finally visits his parents' gravesite and the home where they were killed.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Wine, mead, champagne, fire whiskey, and brandy served to adults and older teens (you're considered of legal age at 17 in the wizarding world). Pipe smoke spotted at a wedding.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Infrequent use of "damn" and "hell," plus "effing," "bastard," and one (very memorable) "bitch."

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Positive Messages

The whole series is full of positive messages about the power of love, friendship, and self-sacrifice. In this book, evil's reign must be overcome with many acts, big and small, of rebellion and sacrifice. Trust is also tested among friends and mentors.

Positive Role Models

Harry finishes his hero's journey with bravery, daring, and self-sacrifice. He faces a lot of doubt both about the task in front of him and about whether to trust Dumbledore, the mentor who set him on this difficult path. In the end he chooses trust and he accepts the fact that Dumbledore made mistakes in his life and learned from them -- he wasn't perfect. Ron faces so many doubts that he deserts his friends but later makes amends. Hermione is the stalwart character here. Her careful planning and considerations help the central trio survive on the run.

Educational Value

Author J.K. Rowling borrows from many established stories and myths to piece together her magical world. Kids can look up more about centaurs, elves, giants, hippogriffs, werewolves, vampires, acromantulas (giant spiders), inferi (reanimated dead), magic wands, flying brooms, etc., compare the author's take with other interpretations, and think about how and why she weaves these magical elements and beings into her stories. The registration and persecution of those who aren't "pure blood" witches or wizards mirrors the many times in real human history when those not of a certain race or religion have been persecuted and even systematically annihilated.

Diverse Representations

Kingsley Shacklebolt is Black and is an important member of the Order of the Phoenix. Students of color who fight in the climactic battle include Cho Chang, the Patil twins, Lee Jordan, and Angelina Johnson. Characters in the wizarding world face a lot of discrimination, especially for not being "pure- lood." In this book, it's gotten so bad that they're being rounded up, put on trial, and jailed. Harry and friends fight against this pure-blood mania with everything they have. Some diverse family structures are described: Harry grew up with his aunt and uncle, Neville with his grandmother, and Tom Riddle in an orphanage. Women have prominent roles at Hogwarts: Professor McGonagall and Professor Sprout are both heads of houses.

Did we miss something on diversity? Suggest an update.

Parents need to know that Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is the seventh and final book in J.K. Rowling' s series about an orphan who discovers that he's a wizard tasked with saving the magical world from the evil Lord Voldemort. There have been major character deaths since Book 4 . Here, so many notable characters die (or appear to die) that it's almost hard to keep track by the end. One or two deaths will really stick with readers, depending on who they liked best throughout the series. Get ready to have a few good cries with kids. Most happen in battle, but others are caused by curses, a giant snake, strangulation, and a stabbing. Scenes of torture are described, with characters writhing in pain, and characters sustain injuries that can't be healed by magic. Violent action sequences include a flying motorcycle crash, explosions, snake attacks, kidnapping, a near-drowning, and a number of chases, duels with wands, and close-call escapes. There's constant talk in the news about the deaths of both wizards and Muggles at the hands of Voldemort's followers. Harry finally visits his parents' gravesite and the home where they were killed. Other mature content includes some drinking -- Harry and friends are considered of-age in the wizarding world at 17 and drink wine, mead, and some hard alcohol, but never to excess. Swearing includes mostly "damn" and "hell" but also "effing," "bastard," and one very memorable use of "bitch." Harry finishes his hero's journey with bravery, daring, and self-sacrifice. He faces a lot of doubt both about the task in front of him and about whether to trust Dumbledore, the mentor who set him on his difficult path. In the end, he chooses trust and accepts the fact that Dumbledore wasn't perfect. Parents who want to learn more about the series (and spin-off movies and games) can read our Harry Potter by Age and Stage article .

Where to Read

Parent and kid reviews.

Parents say (36)
Kids say (383)

Based on 36 parent reviews

AWESOME BOOK

Its amazing but..., what's the story.

In HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS, Harry has his assigned mission from Dumbledore: a hunt for hidden horcruxes (parts of Voldemort's soul). But he has an agonizingly long wait before he can get started. First he must send his Muggle relatives into hiding so Voldemort can't use them as bait. Then he must escape from the Dursleys' home when a protective charm breaks. This proves extremely difficult, even with the best aurors flying alongside him and a clever plan that results in several decoy Harry Potters. More than one life is lost when the heroes are attacked by Death Eaters on all sides. After a direct attack from Lord Voldemort, Harry is shocked to see his wand mysteriously act of its own accord to save him. Even after that ordeal, Harry still can't set off on his mission because Bill Weasley is getting married. Harry, Ron, and Hermione help with the preparations at the Burrow while trying to plan how they'll live on the run. But when the celebrations are interrupted by news of the Ministry of Magic's fall, the time for planning is over. Harry, Ron, and Hermione barely escape with their lives and are nearly caught by Snatchers -- a gang of wizard kidnappers -- in London. From there they hide out in Grimmauld Place, where they try to work out clues to find the only horcrux they know about: the locket stolen by the mysterious R.A.B. Luckily, the first hint is right in Grimmauld Place. Unluckily, Harry's scar is now bothering him constantly. His connection to Voldemort is stronger than it ever was, and the trio's search for horcruxes may not be a secret for long.

Is It Any Good?

There's everything in this epic fantasy finale and more: mysteries solved, institutions plundered, dragons ridden, sacrifices made, battles fought, and evil defeated. So much happens that not one but two movies were adapted from the last Harry Potter book. It would have been a crime to cut short any of the action scenes in the Ministry of Magic, Gringotts Bank, or the final battle at Hogwarts. All three places are impossible to break into or out of, and yet somehow Harry, Ron, and Hermione pull it off -- and with the kind of narrow nail-biter escapes fans have come to expect from the series.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows delivers the action sequences, but also a lot of mysteries to solve. There's so much to ponder about wand lore, Dumbledore's complicated past, Professor Snape's allegiances, the location of the final horcruxes, Kreacher's cruelty, and more. Wand lore is the most confusing to decipher, as well as the most clever and crucial element to the series' good-vs.-evil struggle. It will leave readers piecing together the complex puzzle until the very end. Dumbledore's past is a sore spot for Harry, who never wanted to see his hero as flawed but learns to accept the man he was -- the very relatable process of realizing that our parents and mentors are human, too. Snape's secrets are the most poignant and heartbreaking and drive Harry to his ultimate act of sacrifice. So many revelations are expertly woven together in the final act, so many beloved characters get their moment to shine (yay, Neville! yay, Mrs. Weasley!) that it's oh so hard to see the true magic of this series come to an end.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about all the loss of life in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Whose death hit you the hardest? Why? Were you braced for it, or did it catch you by surprise? All the known characters that died were willing to die for a cause greater than themselves. Does that make their deaths easier to bear?

A major theme tackled here is the terrible prejudice against those who are not from "pure blood" wizarding families. For not being the "right" kind of witch or wizard, they're ostracized and sent to jail. In real life, author J.K. Rowling has spoken out against the trans community and publicly stated her prejudice against them. Can you still appreciate the message presented in the book knowing that? How separate is a work from its author?

In the Deathly Hallows, Rowling shows Dumbledore in a new light, as a complicated and very flawed character instead of the infallible headmaster. Harry undergoes a period of anger and then finally reaches acceptance. Are we all Harry when faced with the flawed real selves of those we put on pedestals, whether they're authors, actors, or any public figure?

Book Details

Author : J. K. Rowling
Illustrator : Mary Grandpre
Genre : Fantasy
Topics : Magic and Fantasy , Adventures , Brothers and Sisters , Friendship , Monsters, Ghosts, and Vampires
Character Strengths : Courage , Perseverance , Teamwork
Book type : Fiction
Publisher : Arthur A. Levine
Publication date : July 21, 2007
Number of pages : 759
Last updated : July 14, 2023

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

Suggest an Update

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone: Harry Potter, Book 1

Want personalized picks for your kids' age and interests?

Sabriel: The Abhorsen Trilogy, Book 1

Septimus Heap Series

The Alchemyst: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel

Books about magic, harry potter movies, related topics.

Perseverance
Magic and Fantasy
Brothers and Sisters
Monsters, Ghosts, and Vampires

Want suggestions based on your streaming services? Get personalized recommendations

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

Supported by

The Boy Who Lived

Share full article

By Christopher Hitchens

Aug. 12, 2007

In March 1940, in the “midnight of the century” that marked the depth of the Hitler-Stalin pact (or in other words, at a time when civilization was menaced by an alliance between two Voldemorts or “You-Know-Whos”), George Orwell took the time to examine the state of affairs in fantasy fiction for young people. And what he found (in an essay called “Boys’ Weeklies”) was an extraordinary level of addiction to the form of story that was set in English boarding schools. Every week, boys (and girls) from the poorer quarters of industrial towns and from the outer edges of the English-speaking Empire would invest some part of their pocket-money to keep up with the adventures of Billy Bunter, Harry Wharton, Bob Cherry, Jack Blake and the other blazer-wearing denizens of Greyfriars and St. Jim’s. As he wrote:

“It is quite clear that there are tens and scores of thousands of people to whom every detail of life at a ‘posh’ public school is wildly thrilling and romantic. They happen to be outside that mystic world of quadrangles and house-colors, but they can yearn after it, daydream about it, live mentally in it for hours at a stretch. The question is, Who are these people?”

I wish that the morose veteran of Eton and St. Cyprian’s had been able to join me on the publication night of “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows,” when I went to a bookstore in Menlo Park, Calif., to collect my embargoed copy on behalf of the Book Review. Never mind the stall that said “Get Your House Colors Here” and was dealing with customers wise in the lore of Ravenclaw and Slytherin. On the floor of the shop, largely transformed into the Gryffindor common room for the occasion, sat dozens of small children listening raptly to a reading from a massively plausible Hagrid. Of the 2,000 or so people in the forecourt, perhaps one-third had taken the trouble to wear prefect gowns and other Hogwarts or quidditch impedimenta. Many wore a lightning-flash on their foreheads: Orwell would have recoiled at seeing the symbol of Sir Oswald Mosley’s British Union of Fascists on otherwise unblemished brows, even if the emblem was tamed by its new white-magic associations. And this was a sideshow to the circus, all across the English-speaking and even non-English world, as the countdown to the witching hour began.

I would give a lot to understand this phenomenon better. Part of it must have to do with the extreme banality and conformity of school life as it is experienced today, with everything oriented toward safety on the one hand and correctness on the other. But this on its own would not explain my youngest daughter a few years ago, sitting for hours on end with her tiny elbow flattening the pages of a fat book, and occasionally laughing out loud at the appearance of Scabbers the rat. (One hears that not all children retain the affection for reading that the Harry Potter books have inculcated: this isn’t true in my house at least.)

Scabbers turns out to mutate into something a bit worse than a rat, and the ancient charm of metamorphosis is one that J. K. Rowling has exploited to the uttermost. Another well-tested appeal, that of the orphan hero, has also been given an intensive workout with the Copperfield-like privations of the eponymous hero. For Orwell, the English school story from Tom Brown to Kipling’s Stalky and Co. was intimately bound up with dreams of wealth and class and snobbery, yet Rowling has succeeded in unmooring it from these considerations and giving us a world of youthful democracy and diversity, in which the humble leading figure has a name that — though it was given to a Shakespearean martial hero and king — could as well belong to an English labor union official. Perhaps Anglophilia continues to play its part, but if I were one of the few surviving teachers of Anglo-Saxon I would rejoice at the way in which such terms as muggle and Wizengamot, and such names as Godric, Wulfric and Dumbledore, had become common currency. At this rate, the teaching of “Beowulf” could be revived. The many Latin incantations and imprecations could also help rekindle interest in the study of a “dead” language.

In other respects, too, one recognizes the school story formula. If a French or German or other “foreign” character appears in the Harry Potter novels, it is always as a cliché: Fleur and Krum both speak as if to be from “the Continent” is a joke in itself. The ban on sexual matters is also observed fairly pedantically, though as time has elapsed Rowling has probably acquired male readers who find themselves having vaguely impure thoughts about Hermione Granger (if not, because the thing seems somehow impossible, about Ginny Weasley). Most interesting of all, perhaps, and as noted by Orwell, “religion is also taboo.” The schoolchildren appear to know nothing of Christianity; in this latest novel Harry and even Hermione are ignorant of two well-known biblical verses encountered in a churchyard. That the main characters nonetheless have a strong moral code and a solid ethical commitment will be a mystery to some — like his holiness the pope and other clerical authorities who have denounced the series — while seeming unexceptionable to many others. As Hermione phrases it, sounding convincingly Kantian or even Russellian about something called the Resurrection Stone:

“How can I possibly prove it doesn’t exist? Do you expect me to get hold of — of all the pebbles in the world and test them? I mean, you could claim that anything’s real if the only basis for believing in it is that nobody’s proved it doesn’t exist.”

For all this apparently staunch secularism, it is ontology that ultimately slackens the tension that ought to have kept these tales vivid and alive. Theologians have never been able to answer the challenge that contrasts God’s claims to simultaneous omnipotence and benevolence: whence then cometh evil? The question is the same if inverted in a Manichean form: how can Voldemort and his wicked forces have such power and yet be unable to destroy a mild-mannered and rather disorganized schoolboy? In a short story this discrepancy might be handled and also swiftly resolved in favor of one outcome or another, but over the course of seven full-length books the mystery, at least for this reader, loses its ability to compel, and in this culminating episode the enterprise actually becomes tedious. Is there really no Death Eater or dementor who is able to grasp the simple advantage of surprise?

The repeated tactic of deus ex machina (without a deus) has a deplorable effect on both the plot and the dialogue. The need for Rowling to play catch-up with her many convolutions infects her characters as well. Here is Harry trying to straighten things out with a servile house-elf:

“ ‘I don’t understand you, Kreacher,’ he said finally. ‘Voldemort tried to kill you, Regulus died to bring Voldemort down, but you were still happy to betray Sirius to Voldemort? You were happy to go to Narcissa and Bellatrix, and pass information to Voldemort through them ...’ ”

Yes, well, one sees why he is confused. The exchange takes place during an abysmally long period during which the threesome of Harry, Hermione and Ron are flung together, with weeks of time to spend camping invisibly and only a few inexplicable escapes from death to alleviate the narrative. The grand context of Hogwarts School is removed, at least until the closing scenes, and Rowling also keeps forgetting that things are either magical or they are not: Hermione’s family surely can’t be any safer from the Dark Lord by moving to Australia, and Hagrid’s corporeal bulk cannot make any difference to his ability, or otherwise, to mount a broomstick. A boring subtext, about the wisdom or otherwise of actually uttering Voldemort’s name, meanwhile robs the apotropaic device of its force.

For some time now the novels have been attempting a kind of secular dramatization of the battle between good and evil. The Ministry of Magic (one of Rowling’s better inventions) has been seeking to impose a version of the Nuremberg Laws on England, classifying its subjects according to blood and maintaining its own Gestapo as well as its own Azkaban gulag. But again, over time and over many, many pages this scenario fails to chill: most of the “muggle” population goes about its ordinary existence, and every time the secret police close in, our heroes are able to “disapparate” — a term that always makes me think of an attempt at English by George W. Bush. The prejudice against bank-monopoly goblins is modeled more or less on anti-Semitism and the foul treatment of elves is meant to put us in mind of slavery, but the overall effect of this is somewhat thin and derivative, and subject to diminishing returns.

In this final volume there is a good deal of loose-end gathering to be done. Which side was Snape really on? Can Neville Longbottom rise above himself? Are the Malfoys as black as they have been painted? Unfortunately — and with the solid exception of Neville, whose gallantry is well evoked — these resolutions prove to possess all the excitement of an old-style Perry Mason-type summing-up, prompted by a stock character who says, “There’s just one thing I don’t understand. ...” Most of all this is true of Voldemort himself, who becomes more tiresome than an Ian Fleming villain, or the vicious but verbose Nicolae Carpathia in the Left Behind series, as he offers boastful explanations that are at once grandiose and vacuous. This bad and pedantic habit persists until the final duel, which at least sees us back in the old school precincts once again. “We must not let in daylight upon magic,” as Walter Bagehot remarked in another connection, and the wish to have everything clarified is eventually self-defeating in its own terms. In her correct determination to bring down the curtain decisively, Rowling has gone further than she should, and given us not so much a happy ending as an ending which suggests that evil has actually been defeated (you should forgive the expression) for good.

Greater authors — Arthur Conan Doyle most notably — have been in the same dilemma when seeking closure. And, like Conan Doyle, Rowling has won imperishable renown for giving us an identifiable hero and a fine caricature of a villain, and for making a fictional bit of King’s Cross station as luminous as a certain address on nearby Baker Street. It is given to few authors to create a world apart, and to populate it as well as illustrate it in the mind. As one who actually did once go to boarding school by steam train, at 8, I enjoyed reading aloud to children and coming across Diagon Alley and Grimmauld Place, and also shuddering at the memory of the sarcastic schoolmasters (and Privet Drives) I have known.

The distinctly slushy close of the story may seem to hold out the faint promise of a sequel, but I honestly think and sincerely hope that this will not occur. The toys have been put firmly back in the box, the wand has been folded up, and the conjuror is discreetly accepting payment while the children clamor for fresh entertainments. (I recommend that they graduate to Philip Pullman, whose daemon scheme is finer than any patronus.) It’s achievement enough that “19 years later,” as the last chapter-heading has it, and quite probably for many decades after that, there will still be millions of adults who recall their initiation to literature as a little touch of Harry in the night.

HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS

By J. K. Rowling. Illustrated by Mary GrandPré.

759 pp. Arthur A. Levine Books/Scholastic. $34.99.

A review on Aug. 12 about “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows,” by J. K. Rowling, misstated the location of the California bookstore where the reviewer collected his embargoed copy of the novel. The store, not named in the review, was Kepler’s Books and Magazines, which is in Menlo Park, not Stanford.

How we handle corrections

Christopher Hitchens is a columnist for Vanity Fair. His most recent book is “God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything.”

Notice: All forms on this website are temporarily down for maintenance. You will not be able to complete a form to request information or a resource. We apologize for any inconvenience and will reactivate the forms as soon as possible.

Book Review

Harry potter and the deathly hallows — “harry potter” series.

J.K. Rowling

Readability Age Range

Scholastic Press, an imprint of Scholastic, Inc.

Year Published

From the outset, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows moves at breakneck speed. Author J.K. Rowling clambers to tie up loose ends left dangling from the previous six books, creating a final novel with a dark mood and somewhat convoluted story.

It’s a tale of war, and as such, it’s fairly joyless. Though well-crafted and imaginative, it may give readers the sensation of trying to sip water from a fire hydrant as they’re blasted with complex revelations and details in every chapter, with few of Rowling’s characteristic lighthearted “resting places” in between.

As usual, Harry begins by saying goodbye to Privet Drive—this time for good. When he comes of age at midnight, the protective charm provided by his mother’s sacrifice will break, leaving him vulnerable to a Death Eater plot to kidnap him. With help from the Order of the Phoenix and his school friends, he escapes, but not without casualties on both sides. During the fray, Voldemort appears and discovers that he needs a stronger wand to defeat and kill the boy. This begins the Dark Lord’s search for the legendary Elder Wand, an unbeatable weapon with a bloody history. To win its allegiance, a wizard must kill its owner.

At the Burrow, now protected by magical spells placed upon it by the Ministry of Magic, Harry, Ron and Hermione plan to set out in search of those remaining little bits of Voldemort’s mangled soul, the Horcruxes. During Bill and Fleur’s wedding, word arrives that the Ministry has fallen under Death Eater control, and a new era is born. The protective charm around the Burrow breaks, and Harry, Ron and Hermione escape to start a new life on the run.

From here, the bulk of the story surrounds the three main characters staying a step ahead of Death Eaters and camping out in a magically protected tent wherever the Horcrux trail leads. Their search is frustratingly difficult. Tempers run high. Harry is plagued by visions of Voldemort torturing and killing people. And Hermione spends her time poring over a book Dumbledore left her in his will.

Her research leads the trio to The Tale of the Three Brothers. According to this myth, three brothers cheated Death and were rewarded with three magical objects: The Elder Wand, The Resurrection Stone and The Cloak of Invisibility. These Deathly Hallows, if united, would make the possessor master over death. Harry becomes consumed with finding them, much to Ron and Hermione’s dismay. Already owning The Cloak, his greatest desire is for the stone and its power to bring back the dead.

His pride and recklessness lead Death Eaters to their door, and the three friends are taken to Malfoy’s mansion. Hermione’s torture there by Bellatrix LeStrange and their narrow escape from death finally convince Harry to forget about the Hallows and focus on their original mission of destroying Horcruxes.

So the crusaders race to Hogwarts to locate one of the remaining four soul fragments. Once there, they reunite with old comrades from Dumbledore’s Army, now outcasts living in The Room of Requirement. As Harry searches the castle for the Horcrux, Death Eaters alert Voldemort to his presence, and the final battle begins. Then it’s like old home week at Hogwarts with every character and creature from the entire series arriving to join in the fight. By the time Harry has his showdown with Voldemort, only two Horcruxes stand between the Dark Lord and death—one of which also holds the key to Harry’s destiny.

Positive Elements

What Rowling has done well in the past, she continues to do well in Deathly Hallows. Excellent character development leaves no doubt as to the value of nobility and morality. Lines between good and evil are clear (though the heroic portrayal of spells and incantations remains a problem). Cruelty reflects the evil nature of those who use it, and life is assigned value, even in the cases of the most unlovely beings. In fact, when a house-elf gives his life to save Harry, the boy digs the grave himself without magic, believing that this honors the sacrifice in a deeper way.

Themes of true friendship and self-sacrifice are touchingly developed. Harry, Ron and Hermione are nearing adulthood, and their relationships reflect this. Trying to convince Ron and Hermione to stay behind in safety, Harry finds his two friends determined to help him fight Voldemort. Ron and Hermione’s romantic relationship blossoms to genuine love. And it does so without any inappropriate sexuality.

Reflecting on Harry’s godfather’s treatment of the venomous house-elf Kreacher, Hermione warns Harry to learn from Sirius’ mistakes (“I’ve said all along that wizards would pay for how they treat house-elves”). Harry takes her words to heart and eventually inspires in Kreacher the same loyalty that Dumbledore inspired in Hagrid. At being treated kindly, Kreacher’s entire demeanor and even his appearance change for the better. Conversely, Harry’s dishonesty with a goblin who respects him leads that being to turn on him at a crucial moment.

Throughout the Potter series, pride and hunger for power go hand in hand and almost always accompany evil, even in the noblest of characters. So it is in Deathly Hallows. Imagery of peacocks on the walls of Voldemort’s hideout reflects his over-confident belief in his being the most powerful and wisest wizard, a failing that often blinds him. Harry, carrying a Horcrux close to his heart for safekeeping, absorbs some of this arrogance. His resulting obsession with finding the Hallows costs him dearly, and provides a solid life lesson.

Perhaps the most poignant elements of this story surround Voldemort’s quest for a pure-blood wizarding society. The parallels here to Nazi Germany and the Holocaust are profound. Readers familiar with that period in history will shudder when Harry and his friends enter the Ministry to find the golden fountain replaced by a gigantic black statue of a witch and wizard. Carved on the thrones that support them are mounds of human bodies, man, woman and child, their faces grotesquely twisted.

Further, Harry and Hermione witness “trials” of accused Muggle-borns who are summarily convicted and packed off to Azkaban in the care of dementors. Throughout the story, pure-blood wizards risk their lives to hide and protect “undesirables” targeted by the Ministry. Several broadcast an underground radio program, both to boost the spirits of the oppressed and to encourage supporters to protect Muggles and Muggle-borns from tyranny.

Another overarching theme is the need for trust. Who will Harry trust? Who will influence him? With Dumbledore dead, journalist Rita Skeeter publishes a scathing biography containing many half-truths about the old headmaster. Hurt and confused, Harry must choose what to believe. He must develop faith in those who have been loyal in the past and allow them to help him (“He had made his choice … to accept that he had not been told everything that he wanted to know, but simply to trust. He had no desire to doubt again”). In contrast, Voldemort trusts no one, not even those closest to him (“It had been a grave mistake to trust Bellatrix and Malfoy. Didn’t their stupidity and carelessness prove how unwise it was ever to trust?”).

Crude or Profane Language

Obscenities and profanities are sprinkled in a bit more heavily than in previous installments. Characters on both sides of the war use “d n,” “h ,” “b ch,” “bleedin'” and “effing.” Crudities and slang (“rat’s fart,” “snogging,” “bogies,” etc.) show up occasionally as well.

Alcohol Abuse

Following the death of a friend, Harry drinks firewhiskey, which dispels his numbness and “fires him with something that was like courage.” Later it is implied that he has “too much food and wine.”

Sexual Subjects

While not explicitly sexual, the werewolf Fehnrir Greyback makes disturbing, sensual comments when presented with the chance to devour Hermione. There’s kissing between young couples in love.

The Final Battles

Violence peppers almost every chapter of Deathly Hallows. And some of the imagery would do Stephen King proud, particularly in the case of Bathilda Bagshot, a neighbor of Harry’s parents in Godric’s Hollow. Rotting flesh and snake attacks, along with Inferi (dead bodies bewitched to do Voldemort’s bidding), are equal to and sometimes surpass the grotesque pictures Rowling conjured in The Half-Blood Prince.

She promised her readers a story of war against pure evil. Resultantly, this book is fraught with injury and death. More than a few characters—some of them beloved by fans—die. One is “splinched,” his flesh ripped away during disapparation. Another takes a curse to the side of the head and loses an ear. Others burst into flame or strangle themselves. Voldemort and his followers torture the innocent and kill a pleading, helpless woman within the first dozen pages. And through Harry’s mental connection to Voldemort, he is often forced to witness the Dark Lord’s sadistic tactics, even reliving the murders of his own parents as though he were committing them.

Death … And Worse

In several places, Harry contemplates the “peace” of giving up. Standing at his parents’ graves in Godric’s Hollow, he “looks down at the thick snow hiding from his eyes the place where the last of Lily and James lay … not knowing that their son stood so near, his heart still beating … and close to wishing, at this moment, that he was sleeping under the snow with them.” On other pages, Harry longs for “the oncoming oblivion, the promise of nothing, of no feeling.” When his final battle with Voldemort commences, his most pressing question of the dead souls surrounding him is “Does it hurt?” to which one replies, “Dying? Not at all … Quicker and easier than falling asleep.”

Rowling also spends a fair amount of time communicating that there are things far worse than death—Voldemort’s cowardly, loveless subsistence, for example. In fact, death is characterized as a brave and a peaceful existence. A belief that may be what smoothes the way for a description of an elderly man’s “mercy killing.” Certainly, without the additional explanation of salvation through Christ and the heavenly afterlife that provides, this view is disconcerting and may prove oddly tempting to some readers.

Still, despite such musings and enticements, it could be argued that, on the whole, the book is more often respectful of life, as noted above in “Positive Elements.” When Harry is faced with his supposed demise, he reflects on what a treasure his own body is (“Why had he never appreciated what a miracle he was, brain and nerve and bounding heart? It would all be gone … or at least, he would be gone from it”).

Spirituality

The visual imagery of magic, of course, continues to be Harry Potter’s primary problem. Because this book is so dark and its themes so sobering, everything seems more intensely real. As Ron, Harry and Hermione fight to remain hidden, they continually summon the benefits of spells to conceal themselves. Each time their tent is erected they encircle the area mumbling protective incantations and drawing shapes around the campsite with their wands. Partly because of the setting and partly because of the descriptions, their actions here feel quite different from reading about turning buttons into beetles as they’re first learning magic in the early books.

In Rowling’s world, characters embrace many of the same values Christians in the real world espouse. But as Harry, Ron and Hermione struggle to choose between right and wrong, and sort out grey areas, it is the human heart that decides, rather than any divine authority or maxim. Still,Deathly Hallows has a feel for spirituality that comes across as very believable at times. It is even sprinkled with Scripture. For example, the tomb of a wizard family is inscribed with words found in Matthew 6:21: “Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” Harry doesn’t understand these words, nor does he understand what he finds on his own parents’ tomb: “The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.” So it appears that Rowling grasps the peace and beauty of these concepts, but chooses not to identify the Author.

Herein lies the difficulty with her constructs of death and soul. We are offered the stirring love and self-sacrifice of a young man willing to die for his friends, as well as the promise of peaceful release in the afterlife. But there’s no truth of salvation to undergird it.

It almost goes without saying, then, that God is absent once again, most conspicuously in this case because Rowling spends so much time expounding on the soul. In her architecture, The Resurrection Stone can be used to bring back the dead from what we are led to believe is peace. They do not want to come back, and it is seen as selfish to force them to. Harry uses the stone before his battle with Voldemort, recalling the souls of those closest to him. They are “less substantial than living bodies, but much more than ghosts.”

As he travels toward what he believes will be certain death, these souls become more real to him than the living and he feels no regret for calling them. They are calm, lovely, completely at peace, and they serve as sources of comfort and encouragement. We get a glimpse of their state of being later when a renewed Dumbledore comes to Harry and expresses tears of regret over his own life decisions. (So perhaps the afterlife isn’ttotal bliss.)

In using Horcruxes, Voldemort has chosen what to do with his soul. And in the end, Harry can do the same. Either he may “go on” from the in-between place in which he lands after Voldemort’s attack, or he may go back to finish the fight. The choice is his (though how Dumbledore knows to tell him this and how he entered Harry’s limbo is anyone’s guess). The fact that Harry has that option at all is no more than a convergence of badly done magic and poor choices on Voldemort’s part. And that means Harry has no discernable, immovable Mover in whom he can place his trust as he careens toward death.

If he has a god, it must be Dumbledore, but that does not seem entirely right either. The ins and out of all this end up generating so much confusion it’s almost as if we’re watching Vizzini in The Princess Bride cackle, “I can clearly not choose the wine in front of me!”

As confusing and troubling as it may seem to have a lightning bolt-branded boy-wizard as a Christ figure, J.K. Rowling tries to create one in Harry. But while he is “savior,” he is also He-Who-Must-Be-Saved. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows conjures a world that practically begs for something to have faith in.

Rowling’s mythology is closest in construction to that of J.R.R. Tolkein and C.S. Lewis, but it doesn’t give evidence of godly faith in any of the ways their stories do. Time columnist Lev Grossman noticed this when he wrote, “If you want to know who dies in Harry Potter, the answer is easy: God. Harry Potter lives in a world free of any religion or spirituality of any kind. He lives surrounded by ghosts but has no one to pray to, even if he were so inclined, which he isn’t. … What does Harry have instead of God? Rowling’s answer, at once glib and profound, is that Harry’s power comes from love. This charming notion represents a cultural sea change. In the new millennium, magic comes not from God or nature or anything grander or more mystical than a mere human emotion. In choosing Rowling as the reigning dreamer of our era, we have chosen a writer who dreams of a secular, bureaucratized, all-too-human sorcery, in which psychology and technology have superseded the sacred.”

There is no doubt that J.K. Rowling will be remembered as one of the most well-read writers of our age. She will also be remembered for ignoring the simple truth of a very old—and sacred—text: We love because He first loved us.

Plot Summary

Christian beliefs, other belief systems, authority roles, profanity & violence, sexual content, discussion topics, additional comments, latest book reviews.

Lonely Castle in the Mirror

Grief in the Fourth Dimension

The First State of Being

The Campaign

The Misfits: A Royal Conundrum (Book No. 1)

Weekly reviews straight to your inbox.

Want to stay Plugged In?

Our weekly newsletter will keep you in the loop on the biggest things happening in entertainment and technology. Sign up today, and we’ll send you a chapter from the new Plugged In book, Becoming a Screen-Savvy Family , that focuses on how to implement a “screentime reset” in your family!

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by JK Rowling (Harry Potter: Book 7)

Harry has left Hogwarts to dedicate himself to the quest for final Horcruxes, together with his friends Ron and Hermione. Harry is also searching for the answers he feels Dumbledore has left unanswered and his feelings for his beloved old headmaster veer from anger and bitterness to painful loss. Voldemort continues his rise and nowhere seems to be safe anymore. With three gifts, bequeathed by Dumbledore to our intrepid trio, they set off on their deadliest task yet and know that this could be the end of everything they hold dear, even themselves. With Voldemort ever closer our hero must not hesitate; the final battle is coming and no one knows what the outcome will be.

The seventh and final instalment of the Harry Potter series sold 11 million copies in the first 24 hour of its release. To say it was eagerly awaited would be an understatement. It was like holding the holy grail when my copy arrived (pre-ordered of course) and I savoured the moment before I actually opened the book; this would be the last time I would hold a Harry Potter book that I had not read, once I had finished this, that would be it, no more. That lasted about three seconds, I read the book in almost one sitting, this was to get me complete and undivided attention, no telephones answered, no friends welcomed in if they called, just this long awaited last piece of the puzzle and me.

“ ‘What is it’ he asked as he reached the dressing table which was heaped high with what looked and smelled like dirty laundry. ‘ There’, she said pointing at the shapeless mass. And in the instant that he looked away, his eyes raking the tangles mess for a sword hilt, a ruby, she moved weirdly: he saw it out of the corner of his eye; panic made him turn and horror paralysed him as he saw the old body collapsing and the great snake pouring from the place where her neck had been.” Chapter seventeen: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

And did it deliver? You bet your sweet behind!! There are many loose ends that are tied up here, lovely little snippets of additional information that enable to not merely understand why and event has occurred but understand the characters personality (JK Rowling is so good at this), why they would react a certain way. There are of course many revelations not just for Harry but for the reader and some suspicions you may have had about some characters are found to be true! The end of the book really takes you there and back before you reach the conclusion and I am not surprised that Rowling cried when she had completed it, it was emotionally draining for me and I was only reading it!! It has been said that this and the Half Blood Prince were really one book splint into two, rather than two separate stories, and I do believe that to be true.

“ And the source of the light stepped out from behind an oak. It was a silver-white doe, moon-bright and dazzling, picking her way over the ground, still silent, and leaving no hoof prints in the fine powdering of snow. She stepped towards him, her beautiful head with it’s wide long-lashes eyes held high. Harry stared at the creature, filled with wonder, not at her strangeness, but at her inexplicable familiarity. He felt that he had been waiting for her to come, but that he had forgotten, until this moment, that they had arranged to meet. His impulse to shout for Hermione, which had been so strong a moment ago, had gone. He knew, he would have staked his life on it, that she had come for him, and him alone.” Chapter nineteen: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

I would still say that Half Blood Prince is my favourite but it’s a close call and very difficult to separate the two. All I can say is that you will not be disappointed when you read the Deathly Hallows. How can a series of books, written for children (although admittedly I think us grown ups were considered a bit more in the writing of the last three) become something so entrenched in peoples imaginations? It’s simple, I KNOW that I was destined to go to Hogwarts, that I have special powers that I remain ignorant of and that there is more to life than the world we see around us, it is only by some fluke that my true destiny was never fulfilled and that Harry Potter was written as a way of letting me experience a little of what could have been – also, JK Rowling isn’t too bad a writer. I feel a little sad that there will be no more books, but in a way, it was good it has ended leaving you wanting more, and now I have my own daughter, I cannot wait until she is old enough and we can read them together.

Buy on Amazon

Review by Amanda White

31 positive reader review(s) for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

370 positive reader review(s) in total for the Harry Potter series

JK Rowling biography

Harry Potter

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (Harry Potter: Book 1)
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Harry Potter: Book 2)
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Harry Potter: Book 3)
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Harry Potter: Book 4)
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Harry Potter: Book 5)
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Harry Potter: Book 6)
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Harry Potter: Book 7)

JUNIOR BOOYSE from SOUTH AFRICA

BEST BOOK EVER,YOU SHOULD TRY THIS BOOK OUT AWESOME.............

Gokulnath from India

It was a good book. But when help came too readily, it brought down the quality of the book. But it was a stupid way to put Neville in the fight. His parents were aurors, super aurors and you make him fight with weeds. Stupid indeed! And Ron too must age been shown as a hero's friend. He should have defeated 2 or 3 death eaters. All these seven years, he was never shown as a warrior. And he and Neville went on to become aurors.

Himanshu from India

10 stars are not enough for these HARRY POTTER SERIES!!!

Corrine Y from United States

Avada Kedavra! On July 21, 2007, J.K. Rowling released the final iconic novel, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, of an astonishing seven book series. The Harry Potter series are still wildly loved to this day, with 400 million copies sold worldwide, and translated in 68 different languages. The Deathly Hallows is about Harry Potter and his friends finding ways to destroy Voldemort. They learn that even good contains a bit of evil, and vise versa. Even though the trio faces many difficulties, they persevere. And most importantly, they learn that love conquers fear, and this allows then to be selfless in many ways. The Deathly Hallows is written in third person and portrays the thoughts and emotions of each character. This allows readers to thoroughly see inside the characters’ heads. The Deathly Hallows is marvelously written, and closes the series out beautifully.

T from Australia

This book was awesome you should definetly read it. I love everything about it and the idea of the Hallows was great. The only disappointment is that there is no more books.

Lakshmy from India

I have read all the 8 books. I liked all of the books. I request the author to write more!

S. P from South Africa

HARRY POTTER is a brilliant set of books with a well thought out plot. The deathly hallows which is the 7th and concluding entry Spreads out its complex plot in one book While Some Parts of the book Were Bloated. Most Of the story Was good if Not Excellent. Its a smart and slick conclusion with a deep religous,Polictical And Philosphical message. It has A build Up Pace With Sudden Deaths that show the Evil Of War. HP ROCKS and so does JK Rowling. Hope Cursed Child is a Movie With Dan,Emma,Rupert,Evanna,Matthew,Bonnie in it. Currently Waiting For Fantastic Beasts Movie. So Excited. Pray Fantastic Beasts Does Brillantly at the box office and critically. Fantastic beasts movie is the prequel to main Harry potter Verse. The Potter Movies Were Great [All 8 Got good reviews and made tons of cash ]

Vidya from UAE

Excellent way to finish off this wonderful seires!! J. K. Rowling has outdone herself! Wish I could read the Cursed Child as soon as it comes out...

Prashant from India

Excellent book written by J K Rowling. I wish there could be another book.

Asma from Pakistan

Loved it it was a treat!

Himika from India

A spellbinding end to the series! Leaves any reader with tears in his or her eyes when he or she comes to the last page. Basically Harry is every readers' companion in growing up and learning about life, because love, innocence, cruelty, friendship and victory of good over evil is the same in our Muggle world as it is in the magic one. Hats off to Rowling! HP is a religion, it is immortal because "the stories that we love live on in us forever."(Lovely review Himika - Lee @ Fantasy Book Review)

Emma from NZ

I love this book for some reason when I read it it I get shaky. I've read it at least 7 times for it is the ultimate book! The chapters are always new and exciting bringing on unexpected twists. Characters have great roles and bad turns to good without the simplest knowing. This is the best book ever : D

Rachel from USA

I love these books and the movies. The movies follow the book completely. My favorite part about the movies is that you can see the cast grow up. The plot is amazing and I love the actors they picked for their parts. My favorite is Alan Rickman as Snape. The last movie makes me cry when Snape dies.

Nathan from Pamilan

Ages since I read this book the first time. Still the book has its own charm and an everlasting magic of its own. But it seems that Jk Rowling is blundering by alienating herself from the genre where she can work wonders. I'm sure that there are billions who feel the same. I just hope that our wishes travel till her and persuade her to weave new stories in the wonderful world she has created. It's really agonising to realise that the above mentioned wish may never come true... But that will always be my fantasy.

Piper from England

Amazing book, don't let anyone tell you different, the best series ever, J.K. Rowling and her books are Brilliant, BEST SEQUEL ever!!!

Sharna from England

You can't beat any of the Harry Potter books, I only wish Rowling would continue writing forever. It would just be brilliant to hear about Rosie and Albus Severus. The fact that the end leaves you wanting more is infuriating and amazing. I turned the last page, and cried. But then I found the 19 years later bit. A nice touch. Xxx

Jon from England

Best in the series by far.

Nikola from Australia

Amazing. Harry Potter is my life. I've been very impressed with the whole series and I just keep reading them over and over agian. Brilliant

Miggz from Pakistan

This is the best series ever! I have read all the parts and am only 12!

Joshua from England

Usualy I would never give such a dynamic brilliant book an 8 but like some people say, it can be a little boring at times. I am a MASSIVE J.K. Rowling fan, books 1 to 5 were amazing but J.K. Rowling just seemed to stop caring about her charecters, killing off the best ones. In my oppinion it could have taken a more interesting route to the final battle but it didnt and I am unhappy it didn't. Even though it was imaginative and detailed it lacked that wow that you get in the other books.

skanda from india

awesome.................................

Tarun from India

The best book I have ever read in my life!

Guillemette from Belgium

I LOVE THIS BOOK! I think it is just magical and entertaining!

D from Ukraine

This is the book for eyes and heart to feast on!

Daniel from Sheffield

Over 4 years on from this publication and I still find people are taking the books too seriously, at the end of the day, J Rowlings initial target audience was children. To create a series of books that can not only entertain and keep children interested, but also capture the imagination of millions of adults worldwide, is something that happens very rarely and should never be forgotten. But now for the matter of Deathly Hallows, I think certain people have been far too critical. I personally believe that the series was concluded excellently, many loose ends were tied and many unexpected twists were included in the plot. I would have perhaps liked Harry to have had some sort of special power in him to defeat Voldemort but maybe that would have been too cliche and easy to finish this story. I am overall still extremely satisfied at the end of Harry's adventure and I remain adamant that Rowling created an excellent conclusion and deserves all the plaudits she recieves and one day she will become Dame Joanne Rowling for her outstanding contritubion to British and Worldwide reading for young and old alike. Personally, J.K. Rowling is probably the only ever hero/heroin I have had in my life and I am eternally grateful for that.

Sharnali from OAE

Basically Harry Potter is a legend. JK Rowling, if you read this, you inspire me!!!

Jamie from Australia

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is AWESOME!!! I annoy everyone at school, talking about Harry Potter!

Riley from U.S.

@Anon I honestly think books 6 & 7 were the best from the series. Greatly written, as if planned out. Everything ends in a way that makes you think "Oh my gosh! I remember that happening!" If you think these 2 books are horrible especially 7, then you should not be reading or reviewing fatasy books because this book is the greatest book I've ever read.

Perky from London

This has to be the best book I've ever read. I loved it, the storyline is fantatic and my favourite character is Ginny Weasley, even from the first book. I'm so sad that the series has ended!!!!!!!!!! I love this book.

Arielle from US

Well, I'm on chapter 10 right now and well - is the rest of the damn book good or not? Well, this is actually the first time I heard something bad about it, well I quess I should just read some more and find out myself...

TY from United States

Best book ever, it helps wrap the sequel up well, and has many twists. I hope she writes one more book about Harry's future, but if not this is a good enough book to close out the best sequel ever.

9.6 /10 from 32 reviews

All JK Rowling Reviews

The Tales of Beedle the Bard (Harry Potter Companion)
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (Harry Potter Companion)

Top 100 Fantasy Books Of All Time

Looking for great fantasy books? Take a look at the 100 pages we rate highest

Fantasy Series We Recommend

There's nothing better than finding a fantasy series you can lose yourself in

Fantasy Books Of The Year

Our fantasy books of the year, from 2006 to 2021

Harry Potter and the Ignominious Cop-Out

Two weekends ago, I found myself accidentally proving the old theory that Harry Potter is a gateway drug to the wider world of serious literature. Standing in the very back of a gigantic horde at my local bookstore at midnight, wedged into a knot of adolescents reading People magazine through oversize black plastic glasses, I picked up and nearly finished a great American superclassic that I’d somehow managed to avoid for my entire life: Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men . Under normal circumstances I would have been perfectly happy to go on ignoring it—the paperback had an unmistakable high-school-syllabus stench about it—but I was bored to death and the aisles were clogged with potbellied wizards and it was the only readable book within arm’s reach. A few pages in, I found myself hooked. By the time I got to the register, I was three-quarters of the way through (just after—spoiler alert!—Lennie the man-child mangles the bully Curley’s hand) and all I really wanted to do was finish it. But the employees were all clapping because I was the last customer, so I closed Steinbeck right on the brink of what felt like an impending tragic climax, took my Potter, and left. Ironically, this meant that Of Mice and Men was now suspended at roughly the same point in its dramatic arc as Rowling had suspended the Potter series before Deathly Hallows . So I went home and conducted a curious experiment in parallel reading: a two-day blitz of 860 pages, with a pair of nested climaxes—one hot off the presses, one 70 years old.

I started with Potter. Not since 1841, when New Yorkers swarmed the docks to ask incoming Brits whether Little Nell died in the latest installment of The Old Curiosity Shop (spoiler alert! She totally did), have readers been so simultaneously poised on the brink of a collective climax. My gut, along with the new book’s scary epigraphs, kept telling me that—like Little Nell—Harry had to go. For a children’s series, Potter has been unusually death-obsessed—Harry’s heroism, remember, sprang from the gruesome murder of his parents—and in recent books, the body count has risen quickly: In the previous book, even Harry’s untouchable mentor Dumbledore died. Also, in a larger narrative sense, Rowling owed us. Harry had been too outrageously lucky for too long: He lived for six books in a big bland protective bubble of innocence and nobility and love. As minor characters dropped around him like cursed broomsticks, he lucked his way through unsurvivable encounters with dragons, basilisks, dementors, Death Eaters, and about 34 different manifestations of Voldemort. Now it was time to pop the bubble. We all felt it. Rowling knew it. One of the big reasons we all read Potter so devotedly was that, unlike most kids’ series, there was something serious at stake. And she practically promised us Harry’s death with Book Six’s prophecy about him and Voldemort—“Neither can live while the other survives.”

By now, the book’s final events have been spoiled as thoroughly as a pint of six-month-old cottage cheese in the trunk of a flaming car. And yet I still feel compelled to issue a warning. If you don’t want to know how Harry Potter ends, you need to fling this magazine, very hard and very fast, out of your window or into the nearest vacant horse carriage. Fling it! There’s no time to think! Gaaaaa!

I approached the book with some fear. For one thing, despite the charm and immersive power of Rowling’s magical world, despite her solid instinct for broad, mythic narrative strokes, she’s always had trouble with the basic mechanics of plot. Even by pulp standards, her storytelling is ridiculous. Exposition happens almost exclusively via overheard conversations. Narrative logic falls apart at crucial moments. Every book ends in an orgy of coincidence and revelations and arbitrary switcheroos. (As George Orwell once wrote about Dickens: “rotten architecture, but wonderful gargoyles.”) Since Deathly Hallows was the series-capping megaclimax, I expected to find it ponderous, overactive, dangerously clotted with characters, and confusing. This was pretty much exactly right. All the Rowling signatures are here: She’s still addicted to adverbs and (oddly) the word “bemused,” her caps lock gets stuck at critical moments, foreigners speak in intolerable accents, and everyone stutters uncontrollably at the slightest hint of stress. When the action gets heavy, she cranks the “coincidence” dial up to eleven and flagrantly abuses her imminent-death-thwarted-at-the-last-possible-moment privileges. (In an MSNBC survey of fan reactions to Deathly Hallows , a 10-year-old who claims to have read the entire series eight times observed that, for his taste, the final book leaned a little too heavily on coincidence. I believe this tells us something important.) As for plot, there’s a Mission Impossible –style break-in at the Ministry of Magic and a never-ending camping trip featuring some heavy Lord of the Rings plagiarism and innumerable action sequences in which everyone screams, “No! No! NO! NOOOOOOO!” A few minor characters die; most movingly, Dobby the house-elf. (“And then with a little shudder the elf became quite still, and his eyes were nothing more than great glassy orbs, sprinkled with light from the stars they could not see.”) Much of the book, however, was strangely forgettable.

And then I got to Chapter 33. In a powerful sequence that immediately makes up for much of the prior slog, Harry learns that, in order for the world to live, he has to die. He accepts this with genuine stoic heroism, relishes his last moments of life, and, surrounded by the ghosts of his dead family and friends, marches off to get himself nobly slaughtered. My tear ducts initiated their “misty” sequence; when Harry asked his mother’s spirit to stay close to him, I almost shed an actual tear. The Rowling-skeptic in me kept waiting for the impossible bailout, but it never came: Voldemort smote Harry into oblivion. Suddenly, Potter was a legitimate tragedy. The series had grown up.

Unfortunately, the cop-out—which in retrospect seems as inevitable as I once thought Harry’s death was—comes three pages later. Chapter 35 sees Harry wake up in an ethereal train station (presumably some regional hub halfway along the Heaven-Hell line), where the spirit of Dumbledore gives him special news: Because of the purity of Harry’s self-sacrifice, he’s eligible for a Jesus exemption. He’s not dead. He gets to go back and kill Voldemort. And just as a bonus, his sacrifice has redeemed all of humanity. (As Harry puts it, while he and the Dark Lord circle each other like the knife fighters in “Beat It”: “You won’t be able to kill any of them ever again. Don’t you get it? I was ready to die to stop you from hurting these people … I’ve done what my mother did. They’re protected from you.” I’m not sure, at this point, why they don’t just let Voldemort hang around like an old toothless lion—but I guess that would lack dramatic flair.) After the predictable duel, Rowling wraps things up with an epilogue that is, hands down, the worst piece of writing in the entire 4,000-page series. Harry and the gang, now all thirtysomething and blissfully intermarried, reappear at King’s Cross Station to drop off the next generation of wizards at Platform 9¾ while reveling in har-har family-sitcom humor. The final sentence is remarkably bland and awful, the linguistic crystallization of Rowling’s cop-out: “All was well.”

I’m not opposed to happy endings per se—I’m just opposed to an author trying to get emotional credit for both a tragic and a happy ending without actually earning either. Rowling had been gathering storm clouds for ten years; her fictional sky was as purple and lumpy as a Quidditch stadium full of plums, and the whole world had lined up to watch it rain. She owed this ritual sacrifice to the immortal gods of narrative: either the life of her hero or—infinitely harder to pull off—his convincing and improbable survival. With Harry’s death, the series would have graduated instantly from “light and possibly fluky popular megasuccess” to Heavy Tragic Fantasy Classic. Instead, at the last possible moment, she tacked on an episode of Leave It to Beaver . This is roughly the equivalent of Oedipus Rex’s tearing his eyes out, then stumbling across a wise old friend who tells him: “Hey, guess what, buddy? You know how you just killed your dad and slept with your mom, like the oracle predicted? Well, since you did it all with totally innocent love in your heart, it doesn’t count! Go tell your mom to untie that noose! And look, your eyes just grew back! All is well!” Rowling seems to misunderstand the power of catharsis. It’s not simple reassurance, it’s a primal release.

Meanwhile, back among Steinbeck’s farm laborers, all was not well. In fact, it was terrible. Curley’s wife came out to the barn while Lennie was playing with his puppy, and—you know what? I’m not going to spoil it for you.

BACKSTORY Plenty of critics have noted the coincidence of Harry Potter and The Sopranos —the two great pop-cultural myths of the last ten years —ending simultaneously. But the parallel runs deeper. Both series depended on essentially the same trick: smuggling the mundane back into the exotic, normalizing the abnormal. A wizard buying school supplies carries approximately the same defamiliarizing charge as a mob boss going to therapy. Or, as Rowling once put it, a gun is only “a kind of metal wand that Muggles use to kill each other.”

SEE ALSO: The Incomplete Sayings of Albus Dumbledore

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows By J.K. Rowling. Arthur A. Levine books. 759 pages. $34.99.

What is your email?

This email will be used to sign into all New York sites. By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy and to receive email correspondence from us.

Sign In To Continue Reading

Create your free account.

Password must be at least 8 characters and contain:

Lower case letters (a-z)
Upper case letters (A-Z)
Numbers (0-9)
Special Characters (!@#$%^&*)

As part of your account, you’ll receive occasional updates and offers from New York , which you can opt out of anytime.

Book Review: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows finishes off an exciting series that is one of the best of all time. In this book Harry finds out that he must kill Lord Voldemort and can only do so by finding his hidden Horcruxes. The book contains an astonishing ending and many characters fight for their lives. It also has twists, turns and plenty of action as Harry, Ron and Hermione run from Death Eaters on the quest to kill Voldemort. I would recommend this book for older readers and adults. Also, I would recommend reading the books before this one to understand what is going on in the story. It is an overall action-packed adventure.

Bookreporter
ReadingGroupGuides
AuthorsOnTheWeb

The Book Report Network

Regular Features

Author spotlights, "bookreporter talks to" videos & podcasts, "bookaccino live: a lively talk about books", favorite monthly lists & picks, seasonal features, book festivals, sports features, bookshelves.

Coming Soon

Newsletters

Weekly Update
On Sale This Week

Fall Reading

Summer Reading
Spring Preview
Winter Reading
Holiday Cheer

Word of Mouth

Submitting a book for review, write the editor, you are here:.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows,...

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Book 7

This reviewer’s heart felt more than a touch of sadness as she closed the back cover of HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS. It’s never easy to say goodbye, especially to those we love and cherish, and to a world we believe in totally, without question.

Reading the Harry Potter series has been a reader’s excavation: the simple, jeweled surface of THE SORCERER’S STONE caught the attention of bibliophiles the world over nearly a decade ago. Its straightforward yet engaging structure charmed readers of all ages and introduced them to a world of magic and friendship --- and of good and evil.

However, the real magic of Harry Potter’s story is that THE SORCERER’S STONE was just the beginning. After the first three volumes, J.K. Rowling quickly abandoned the “bad guy of the year isn’t who you think it is” method of storytelling (while deliciously depositing other plot treasures here and there, like Ron’s “pet” Scabbers and Ginny’s possession in THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS) and revealed to her faithful readers a deeper, richer world than anyone could have imagined at the outset of the series.

And THE DEATHLY HALLOWS is the richest book of them all. Throughout the series, the majority of the action has taken place with “Harry blinders” on --- that is, because of the third-person limited narration of most of the books, the other characters’ actions, appearances, motivations and loyalties have been colored for the reader by Harry’s opinion of them.

Now that Harry has matured and is on the cusp of manhood, those around him are seen in far more detail and with more care than ever before. Rather than just basing opinion on what surface information he has presented, Harry examines and speculates on the reasons for action in those around him, and the characters are more real because of it. In the first several chapters, the reader is presented with some precious observations about Harry’s loved ones --- a blossoming romance, a marriage, the presentation to Harry of a meaningful birthday gift --- that makes the other cold fact of the book that much harder to handle: Harry’s world is a world at war.

At the very time when the characters become that much more precious to the reader, their lives hang in the balance --- from the moment Harry Ron, Hermione and numerous Order of the Phoenix members depart 4 Privet Drive and are ambushed, it is clear that a war has begun. When everyone finally regroups at the Burrow several hours later, some arrive injured --- and some never return.

True to his resolve, Harry goes willingly into this battle. Gone is the safety of Hogwarts and of the structured familiarity of the school year. Rowling creates a deep sense of unease and restlessness by yanking this security blanket from both her characters and her readers. Though Harry is clearly on a quest, there are many false starts, delayed plans and poorly-executed missions. The reader can very much empathize when Ron, Hermione and Harry, roughing it in the woods on their frustrating search for the Horcruxes, become cranky, sniping and petty.

Though the structure of THE DEATHLY HALLOWS differs slightly from its six predecessors, Rowling’s themes remain familiar --- good versus evil, the redemptive and protective power of love. What Harry discovers on his search for the Horcruxes (as well as the Hallows, but I will leave each reader to discover exactly what the Hallows are) is that, as Sirius has so wisely pointed out to him, “People are not separated into good people and Death Eaters.” The book humanizes both a perceived hero and a perceived villain by displaying both sides of each man’s personalities, light and dark.

Never fear. In addition to the ever-deepening emotional maturity of its main character, THE DEATHLY HALLOWS also offers quite a few nail-biting battle scenes and more than one narrow escape. Rowling still firmly believes that a person’s actions can be just as important as their emotional inner landscape. She has stated that more than a few people will be upset by the high death toll in her final installment of Harry’s battle against Voldemort, and she does with fair warning --- more than a half-dozen characters Harry (and readers) know and love (or love to hate) perish before the ultimate one-on-one battle between the boy hero and evil personified.

In the end, the survivors of this battle cling to each other with love that has deepened and grown over the past nine years. Rowling, who began writing this story longhand over a decade ago, in a café while her infant daughter slept in a stroller beside her, believes unwaveringly in the fundamentals of love and family. She reminds readers that these things are more important than magic, fame, power or glory --- and so does Harry.

Reviewed by Colleen Christi on July 21, 2007

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Book 7 by J. K. Rowling

Publication Date: June 26, 2018
Genres: Fantasy
Paperback: 784 pages
Publisher: Arthur A. Levine Books
ISBN-10: 1338299204
ISBN-13: 9781338299205

In My Own Words
Younger Readers

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Harry Potter is leaving Privet Drive for the last time. But as he climbs into the sidecar of Hagrid’s motorbike and they take to the skies, he knows Lord Voldemort and the Death Eaters will not be far behind.

The protective charm that has kept him safe until now is broken. But the Dark Lord is breathing fear into everything he loves. And he knows he can’t keep hiding.

To stop Voldemort, Harry knows he must find the remaining Horcruxes and destroy them.

He will have to face his enemy in one final battle.

Publishers: UK Print – Bloomsbury US Print – Scholastic EBook – Pottermore Digital Audiobook – Pottermore

Privacy Overview

Cookie	Duration	Description
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics	11 months	This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional	11 months	The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary	11 months	This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others	11 months	This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance	11 months	This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy	11 months	The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.

An Outlander by Diana Gabaldon book review article
The Gunslinger by Stephen King, a book review
Stephen King – The Dark Tower Series
Conan Doyle: The Problem of Thor Bridge Summary
Creepshow by Stephen King, a Graphic Novel

A Book Review Website

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows book review

In this last book of the saga, the boy who lived needs to pursue his destiny or die. Check out if he will be up to Dumbledore’s assignments!

As Harry Potter becomes an adult, the overlapping of the saga with the internal book plots is nearly complete, and the distinctions between them are very subtle.

Full of battles and struggles, the 7th book of the series is a major climatic novel. For this reason, it also has the longest internal climax.

It is here also the all lose ends are tied up, and we learn all main characters motivations and closures. The kids finally become adults, and their lives continue in a new modified world, free from the threatening shadow of Voldemort.

cultural relevance
entertainment
readability
Our personal rating

Author and Average Rating

J. K. Rowling is British author and producer known for creating the Harry Potter world and being one of the most successful novelists of all time.

( read her mini-bio )

User Review

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Book Cover

The Review

The seventh tome in the Harry Potter series is a complex action-packed novel so full of comes and goes that, for the screen adaptation, producers decided to convert it into two movies, so many were the possibilities of plot points.

We tried to analyze the main plot of the book from its internal point of view.

Pay attention that at this point of their lives, adventure is part of the Ordinary World and mere struggles are not enough to catapult their already messy lives into something even more fantastic (Act 2).

Dramatic Structure

Voldemort is getting organized. Wanting to kill Harry Potter and establish his supremacy, the villain plots with the Death Eaters against Moody's plans to evacuating the boy from his suburban home.

While preparing to leave Privet Drive, Harry, reads ambiguous news about Dumbledore.

He convinces his family to run away.

The Order of the Phoenix arrives with a plan to sneak Harry away.

Six people, including some of Harry's friends, take Polyjuice Potion and, protected by Order members, become decoys. Harry leaves with Hagrid.

An attack happens. Voldemort tries to kill Harry, whose wand acts on its own and shoots back a.

Harry and Hagrid lure him out and arrive at Tonks' home. They use a Portkey to the Burrow.

In battle, George was injured, Hedwig and Moody got killed.

Harry has a vision of Voldemort questioning Ollivander about why Harry's wand acted as it did.

Preparations for Bill's wedding are going on at The Burrow.

Hermione, Ron, and Harry discuss plans to find and destroy Voldemort's Horcruxes, as Dumbledore had instructed.

Potter dreams of Voldemort searching for someone known as "Gregorovitch."

Ginny Weasley kisses Harry as something to remember her.

Scrimgeour, arrives to execute Dumbledore's will:

To Ron, the Deluminator.
To Hermione, the fairy tale book, "The Tales of Beedle, the Bard".
Harry is granted with Godric Gryffindor's Sword, and the first Golden Snitch he had ever caught in Quidditch match. The sword, however, is missing.

At the wedding party, Harry learns more unpleasant details from Dumbledore's past.

A warning comes with information that the Ministry of Magic has fallen under the power of Voldemort. The Death Eaters are on their way. Chaos breaks loose.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione disapparate away from the wedding.

In a café, while trying to decide their actions, two Death Eaters attack.

They defeat the Death Eaters and flee to Sirius Black's home.

Harry realizes that "R.A.B." is Regulus Arcturus Black, from the Horcrux replica inscription he had found with Dumbledore.

The Black family's house-elf, Kreacher, tells them that Mundungus stole the real locket, and they send Kreacher to find him.

Remus arrives and explains that the "Voldemort-Ministry" is searching for Harry and persecuting Muggle-born wizards.

After Remus leaves, Kreacher brings Mundungus in. He gave the locket to Dolores Umbridge as a bribe.

The trio infiltrates the Ministry to retrieve the Horcrux from Umbridge.

They witness the Muggle-Born Registration Commission, set up to convict Muggle-borns.

Harry stuns Umbridge. Hermione steals the Horcrux, and they apparate to the countryside for random hiding.

Another vision shows Voldemort interrogating Gregorovitch for something he stole.

The three discover that the Gryffindor's sword inside Lestrange's Vault is a copy, missing and was last used by Dumbledore on another Horcrux, Marvolo Gaunt's ring.

Hermione realizes that the basilisk venom made the sword powerful enough to destroy Horcruxes.

Ron bickers with Harry and angrily leaves Hermione and Harry to continue without him.

They go to Godric's Hollow to look for the sword.

Voldemort's snake ambushes Harry. whose wand cracks.

They flee, and Harry's envisages how Voldemort killed the Potters.

Reading Rita Skeeter's book, Harry becomes more disappointed with his former mentor.

A silver doe Patronus appears for Harry and drives him away to a frozen lake with Gryffindor's Sword in the bottom.

Harry starts to drown after attempting to restore the sword and is saved by Ron

Harry tells him to destroy the Horcrux.

They awake Hermione to tell her the news.

Ron explains his journey back, running into foes, from which he stole a wand.

He explains that the "talented" Deluminator revealed him the way back to his friends.

In her tale-book, Hermione, realizes they need to speak to Xenophilius Lovegood and ask about Grindelwald symbol.

At the Lovegood's they learn about the Deathly Hallows.

the Elder Wand
the Resurrection Stone
and the Invisibility Cloak, owned by Harry

Whoever rules all three artifacts will be the "Master of Death."

Lovegood betrays them to bargain for Luna's freedom.

The young trio barely escapes.

Harry is obsessed with finding the relics and becomes erratic.

A group of Snatchers finds the three.

Hermione's makes Harry's face, unrecognizable.

The Snatchers get suspicious and take them to the Malfoys where the kids struggle with Bellatrix Lestrange about the sword.

spoilers for Part1 of the movies

Dobby appears and helps the three, along with Dean, Griphook, Ollivander, and Luna to escape, but gets attacked by Bellatrix.

They Apparate to Shell Cottage, Bill and Fleur's house.

Harry sees that Bellatrix's knife has hit Dobby that sadly dies in his arms.

Remembering Bellatrix's reaction, they question Griphook about how to break her vault in Gringotts for another Horcrux.

Harry then asks Ollivander about the Elder Wand.

Ollivander tells him that when a wizard disarms, kills, or defeats another, they can master that wizard's wand.

Harry "sees" Voldemort successfully stealing the Elder Wand from the tomb of Dumbledore.

Griphook suspiciously agrees to help the trio in exchange for Gryffindor's sword.

Lupin asks Harry to be the godfather of his just-born son with Tonks and goes back home.

The three reach Gringotts to obtain the Horcrux.

Hemione and Ron, using a "polyjuice-disguise" as Bellatrix and a lackey lead Griphook and Harry, that hide under the Invisibility cloak, into the Ministry.

They lure the employees into reaching the vault and find Helga Hufflepuff's Cup, one of the Horcruxes.

Griphook double-crosses them and flees with the sword.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione escape the premises on the back of a captive dragon.

Shortly after their escape, Harry dreams that the last Horcrux, a relic related to Rowena Ravenclaw, is inside Hogwarts Castle.

They go to Hogsmeade and Dumbledore's younger brother calls Neville to help them sneak through a secret tunnel into the castle.

The trio learns that Neville, Ginny, and Luna had reunited Dumbledore's Army to resist against Voldemort's rule over the school.

The only known relic is long lost Rowena Ravenclaw's Diadem.

After some struggle, Harry searches the castle.

Snape is run out of the premises.

Feeling endangered, Voldemort gathers his army to assault the school and kill Harry.

The Order raises its own army consisting of teachers, students, the D.A, and enchanted castle figures. The Battle of Hogwarts begins.

Harry locates the diadem in the Room of Requirement.

Ron and Hermione gather some basilisk fangs to use and destroy the remaining Horcruxes.

After saving Malfoy, Harry manages to destroy the diadem in a fire.

An explosion kills Fred during combat.

There is only one Horcrux left to kill, Voldemort's snake, Nagini.

They save Draco Malfoy again during the confusion of combat.

Voldemort can't make the Elder Wand work properly and he coldly tells his snake to kill Snape. He believed that Snape was the wand's master after having killed Dumbledore.

Snape gives his memories to Harry.

Voldemort makes an ultimatum:

If Harry Potter doesn't surrender in an hour, everyone will be destroyed.

All is at the edge of being lost.

Mid-Point Harry goes to Dumbledore's office to view Snape's memories in the pensive.

He learns several surprising secrets:

Severus and Lily were close friends as children and through school.
One day, in an argument, Snape called Lily a "mudblood" after being bullied by James and Sirius.
Despite his total regret, she doesn't reconcile with him and that leads him to join the Death Eaters.
When Voldemort kills Lily, Snape becomes a trustworthy double agent working for Dumbledore to help protect Harry and fight against Voldemort.
Dumbledore had put on the Horcrux-ring and fell victim to a curse that would kill him within a year.
Dumbledore then tells Snape to protect Draco. Snape must also kill Dumbledore in place of Draco.
Dumbledore explains that when Voldemort's body was destroyed, a piece of his soul latched onto the baby-Harry since he was closest living thing and he became one other Horcrux.
Harry must be killed by Voldemort to have that part of his soul detached from his body.
Snape's Patronus is the same as Lilly's and it was Snape who led Harry to the Sword of Gryffindor in the lake.

After emerging from Snape's memories, Harry knows he must die to destroy Voldemort forever.

He tells Neville to kill Nagini at all cost.

He opens the Golden Snitch that reveals the Resurrection Stone.

He uses it to summon the spirits of his parents, of Sirius, and Lupin, who provide emotional support as Harry walks to his death.

He Meets Voldemort who kills him with the Killing Curse.

However, Harry finds himself in a limbo state where he meets Dumbledore.

His deceased mentor explains that he, Harry, cannot be killed by Voldemort while Voldemort lives.

He also discovers that the attempted murder has separated the part of Voldemort's soul he had had inside himself.

Only Harry is now worthy of possessing the Hallows.

Dumbledore tells him he can choose to stay dead or go back to stop Voldemort.

Harry decides to return to life and fight back.

Voldemort orders Narcissa Malfoy to check on the inert Harry and she tells everyone that the boy is dead.

Voldemort challenges Hogwarts to surrender but is faced down by Neville. Voldemort tortures him.

Harry gets up and escapes.

At that moment, Hogwarts reinforcements appear near the school.

Gryffindor's sword appears to Neville.

Harry hides under the Invisibility Cloak.

Neville kills Nagini, the last Horcrux, using Gryffindor's sword.

The battle continues. All the Death Eaters are defeated.

Harry has to confront Voldemort who carries the Elder Wand.

All seems desperate, but Harry tells Voldemort that he is wrong and according to the circumstances that led to that point, he, Harry, is the genuine master of the Elder Wand.

Voldemort does not believe him and ends up killing himself after his attack ricochets. Harry's theory was correct — the Elder Wand did not kill its genuine master.

After the fight, major changes begin to occur bringing the Wizarding World back to normal.

Harry explains everything to Ron and Hermione.

Harry, now master of all three Deathly Hallows, wants to neutralize the power of the Resurrection Stone and the Elder Wand as well. Dumbledore's portrait applauds.

Nineteen years later, their families and old schoolmates meet at King's Cross, all preparing to send their children to Hogwarts.

Archetype Distribution

Main Character = Harry Potter

Impact Character = Dumbledore, Voldemort, Snape

Protagonist = Voldermort

Antagonist = Harry Potter

Guardian = Hermione, Dobby

Co-Antagonist = Death Eaters.

Sidekick = Ron, Hermione, The Order.

Skeptic = Skeptic is a bit weak in this book. Ron is the most notable to me.

Emotion = Ron, Ginny

Reason = Hermione

Please leave a comment with your opinion.

[cta id='2293']

DickWizardry

Covering All Things Fantasy

Find articles on fantasy related news events!

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Book Review

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is the epic conclusion to the Harry Potter series that ranges 7 books and takes the characters of the series through 7 years of their lives. Does this book end the series on a positive note? Or does it fail to live up to expectations? Let’s dive in and figure that out.

As previously stated, the Deathly Hallows is the 7th book in the Harry Potter series written by J.K. Rowling. Originally released in July of 2007. I personally remember getting this book for a birthday present when it came out. The book is 759 pages shared between 36 chapters and an epilogue.

The book starts out in a familiar location at privet drive. Harry’s protection is about to run out so they need to move him to a safe house. To do this many characters choose to fly him out before his birthday using non magical methods like apparating so the Ministry of Magic does not know where he went.

The seriousness of the situation throughout the series starts right away, showing that many characters that we have come to know throughout the series are not necessarily plot armored. Harry gets attacked on the way to the safe house and his owl Hedwig takes a kill spell for him like a person taking a bullet for someone else.

For the most part, Deathly Hallows does not let up on this factor of anyone being mortal in this final chapter. There are slow events throughout but it ramps back up in the end as expected where the climax to the plot has many characters not making it to the end, in fact, J.K Rowling does a really good job of still making the deaths of some characters that are not described in words really meaningful by painting the aftermath of the story.

One thing that Deathly Hallows really plays well with is nostalgia. This book is thick with it. From returning to the wizard bank, the ministry of magic, the burrow, Hogwarts, hogs head in hogsmeade, even the chamber of secrets, the author makes it clear that as a part of the final journey will be revisiting locations that we have seen before. I think this is a good choice as it not only makes this feel like it ties the world together, but the author does not need to do as much work describing the new scenery and can focus more on the characters in the moment.

The stakes in this chapter are very high and lead to Harry, Ron, and Hermione feeling like fully fledged adults dealing with adult issues. They do not need the help of elders around them as they set off on their own to take out the discovered Horcruxes that keep Lord Voldemort alive.

I don’t tend to mention the movies in the book reviews, but if you read the book over seeing the movie first, you will understand that the journey is much more impactful and well described. There are more run-ins with characters that we have come to see before. Since this chapter of the series does not take much time at Hogwarts, getting interactions or visibility of other characters from the school really pay in dividends throughout the story.

The final battle between Harry and Voldemort is well done, but the story leading right to the end that ties things all together does not feel made up last minute. The story feels deliberate, it feels cohesive. It does a really good job at changing perspectives on characters in the entire series. I wont say anymore about it in a way to prevent giving away the ending to the series.

So with that said, was this book a good conclusion to the series? It absolutely is. I would not say that this book is the strongest in the series for sure, but it leads to a satisfying ending to the series and closes enough of the plot to make me feel that most questions have been answered and that there was a cohesive reason for everything.

So that’s all for the Harry Potter book series reviews. I know this review was shorter than the last few reviews, but that is because talking about this book without spoiling the entire series can be pretty difficult.

If you want to find out where this book ranks in the series you can check out our ranking list for the Harry Potter book series here !

What were your thoughts on the last installment to the Harry Potter series? How does it compare to the other books in the series? Comment below and let us know. If there is other Harry Potter related content that you want to see from DickWizardy please comment below or send us an email using the contact form at the top navigation.

Where Are The Harry Potter Extended Editions

Reviewing all things Fantasy

December 2023 1
December 2022 2
September 2022 1
April 2022 1
January 2022 1
December 2021 2
August 2021 1
April 2021 10
February 2021 6
January 2021 5
December 2020 6
November 2020 3
October 2020 2
August 2020 6
July 2020 6
June 2020 7
April 2020 10
March 2020 12
February 2020 5
January 2020 15
December 2019 10
November 2019 9
October 2019 6
September 2019 5
August 2019 8
July 2019 11
June 2019 9
May 2019 10
April 2019 8
March 2019 9
February 2019 1
January 2019 6
December 2018 3
November 2018 3
October 2018 1

We respect your privacy.

Thank you for subscribing! If there is any content that you would like covered you can reach out to us at [email protected]

Book Review: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows book

About The Author admin Hello, I’m David Torres, a 39-year-old creator of this captivating Harry Potter website. Born in Salem, with a journalism background, I aim to infuse my content with both a magical atmosphere and professional quality. My passion for Harry Potter has grown since childhood, and I share my perspective on this world, welcoming both longtime fans and […]

Hello, I'm David Torres, a 39-year-old creator of this captivating Harry Potter website. Born in Salem, with a journalism background, I aim to infuse my content with both a magical atmosphere and professional quality. My passion for Harry Potter has grown since childhood, and I share my perspective on this world, welcoming both longtime fans and newcomers. Welcome to my magical corner!

Emma Watson's Most Heart-Wrenching Harry Potter Moment Was Cut From The Deathly Hallows

Your changes have been saved

Email is sent

Email has already been sent

Please verify your email address.

You’ve reached your account maximum for followed topics.

Key Takeaways

Emma Watson's intense performance in the torture scene was edited for being too realistic, even disturbing the crew.
Book readers criticize Harry Potter movies for portraying a too-perfect Hermione in the Harry Potter movies, that lacked emotional depth and relatability.
Emma Watson reflects on the impact and challenges of her Harry Potter role, feeling grateful but guilty about fame and fortune.

When it comes to adapting books to the big screen, it's almost impossible to include every scene in the film . This means that fans aren't likely to see all their favorite moments depicted in the movie adaptation.

As the Harry Potter books evolved and the characters grew up, they became darker and more heart-wrenching. Deathly Hallows Part 1 was one of the darkest movies in the wildly successful franchise. For Emma Watson , her most emotional moment came when Hermione was being tortured by the Death Eater, Bellatrix Lestrange, at Malfoy Manor.

Emma Watson's Performance During Bellatrix Torture Scene In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 Was A Lot More Intense Than Fans Saw

Potterheads will remember the harrowing torture scene between Helena Bonham Carter’s Bellatrix Lestrange and Emma Watson’s Hermione Granger in Deathly Hallows Part 1.

In the chilling scene, Bellatrix cuts onto Hermione’s skin to write “M udblood. ” The high-pitched screams emitted by Emma Watson during the torture scene were actually edited down.

I did one take and David [Yates, who directed the final four Harry Potter movies] let the camera roll for like two minutes and just left me there screaming, When I looked at the edit, I was like, ‘Wow.’ I mean fair enough, you can’t have two minutes of me screaming. But I was like, ‘I did that a lot longer than was actually shown!’

Daniel Radcliffe And Emma Watson Absolutely Hated Filming This Iconic Scene In Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows

Despite the enormous perks, taking part in the Harry Potter franchise was not exactly a walk in the park for Emma Watson and Daniel Radcliffe.

Emma researched the scene to ensure it was authentic. She watched documentaries and spoke to people who had been tortured, making the scene feel awfully realistic. She later realized that perhaps it was too authentic , even admitting the crew members on set were upset by her incessant screaming.

“But, no, I think it was quite disturbing for the crew, which I was pleased about obviously because it showed I was doing a good job,” the Noah actress shared. “It wasn’t a fun day.”

Director David Yates agreed that, “The screams were quite horrible to listen to," which may explain why they were cut down for the final edit.

“It was a very odd energy in the room. She was kind of exploring and exorcising demons really, and serving the scene doing that. I felt, in that moment, and in that day and in that room, she kind of crossed the line as an actress."

"She discovered something within herself that will make her a great actor.”

Emma's co-star, Helena Bonham Carter also admitted she didn't enjoy filming that torture scene . Emma explained that Helena told her that she couldn't get into enjoying the villainous role that day on set.

“It was very weirdly affecting to do that scene. It was quite horrible. I think even Helena said to me afterwards, she was like, ‘I really didn’t enjoy doing that. I really didn’t.’ She usually gets very into that kind of evil stuff, but I think she felt quite uncomfortable.”

Harry Potter Movies Portrayed Hermione Granger's Character Differently Than The Books

Harry Potter fans have noticed that Hermione in the books is a completely different person than the Hermione played by Emma Watson in the movies. One big criticism is that the book Hermione was flawed, which made readers find her much more relatable. In the movie, they remove a lot of Hermione's character flaws and instead give her one-dimensional intelligence and bravery that lacked emotional depth .

While in the movies, Hermione is always the person with the solution, no matter how dangerous the situation. In the book, she is less cool-headed. J.K. Rowling's book series allows her to panic and become agitated. Because Hermione gets a lot of minor moments and plots that belonged to other characters in the book series, it makes her seem too perfect to the point that she comes across as unrealistic and underwritten.

Another aspect of the movies about Hermione that many fans of the books weren't happy about is that she never struggles with her looks. In the books, Hermione is described as having unruly hair and large teeth, until she has them magically fixed. Emma has frizzy hair in the first two movies, but she never changes her teeth. Fans who related to her as young girls with similar features felt disappointed to not see their features represented on the big screen.

Daniel Radcliffe And Emma Watson Had To Have An Awkward Confrontation Over Harry Potter Kissing Scenes

Daniel Radcliffe And Emma Watson Had An Awkward Confrontation Over Harry Potter Kissing Scenes

Emma Watson made a bold creative choice while filming Harry Potter kissing scenes with Daniel Radcliffe.

How Emma Watson Feels About Her Harry Potter Role Years Later

During the 20th anniversary of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Emma Watson reflected on the role which made her a household name .

"Harry Potter was my home, my family, my world and Hermione (still is) my favorite fictional character of all time. I think a journalist once said it was irritating how many times during an interview I mentioned how lucky I was and started counting… BUT I DAMN WELL KNEW!!! And still know," Emma Watson wrote in an Instagram caption, posting a throwback photo with her costars Daniel Radcliffe and Rupert Grint as children.

Emma Watson as Hermione Granger in Harry Potter

Emma Watson Was Concerned That Her Highest Paying Harry Potter Movie Was A Money Grab

Emma Watson was incredibly skeptical about a major production decision involving her highest-paying Harry Potter movie.

"I am proud not just of what we as group contributed as actors to the franchise but also as the children that became young adults that walked that path. I look at my fellow cast members now and I am just so proud of who everyone has become as people. I am proud we were kind to each other that we supported one another and that we held up something meaningful."

The young Harry Potter stars' net worths grew substantially after appearing in the 8-part movie series. Although Emma Watson is grateful for the success she found as a young actress, she admits fame and fortune made her feel guilty. “I’ve sat in therapy and felt really guilty about it. I’m like, why me? Somebody else would have enjoyed and wanted this aspect of it more than I did. And I’ve struggled a lot with the guilt around that. I’m like, I should be enjoying this a lot more..."

"I should be more excited and I’m actually really struggling.”

Emma Watson was only 11 years old when the first Harry Potter movie premiered in 2001.

Emma Watson

Harry Potter

Themes and Analysis

Harry potter and the deathly hallows, by j.k. rowling.

'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows' is loaded with the themes of almost every other Harry Potter book, only in a more significant and heightened sensitivity. Common themes of the Harry Potter series like love and friendship are put to the ultimate test in this book.

Article written by Mohandas Alva

M.A. Degree in English Literature from Manipal University, India.

‘ Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows ‘ by J. K. Rowling is a very testing book in that a lot of common themes that are portrayed in the Harry Potter series as a whole are put to test here, especially the theme of friendship and loyalty. For instance, in the previous books, the stakes to exhibit integrity were not as high as in the case of ‘ Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows .’ Be it Xenophilius Lovegood, who reveals Harry’s location to the Death Eaters, or Ron himself, who decides to leave Harry and Hermione in the middle of their mission of hunting down Horcruxes, the world around these characters has become a much darker and more difficult dwelling.

The choices they tend to make question their very identities but they have no choice. In the case of Xenophilius Lovegood, it is his daughter Luna who has been kidnapped that makes him break his allegiance to Harry. With Ron, it is just a general fear of wanting to see his family and ensure their safety, coupled with the failure of the trio to do much with the Horcruxes. Several themes are abundant in the story of ‘ Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, ‘ but some of them are more strongly illustrated in the book.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Themes

Allegiance is a crucial theme in ‘ Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows ‘ because it determines a major part of the outcomes that occur in the book. Firstly, since there are two sides at war here in the wizarding world, it is only fair to expect members of each side to be completely loyal to their own. However, in this case, since Voldemort and the Death Eaters represent a cause that is not inclusive and convenient to everyone but is so only to themselves, the reader expects someone to betray them at great risk to defeat them at war.

This is where Severus Snape comes in. Throughout the book series, Severus Snape has been a very ambiguous character because of his constant bullying of Harry but is justified by Dumbledore as a loyal man to the Order of the Phoenix. Since the first time Harry saw Snape, he has been doubtful of him, but Dumbledore has always laid his faith in Snape.

In ‘ Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince ,’ Snape finally shows his strange side when he murders Dumbledore in front of Harry. Therefore, when ‘ Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows ‘ starts, Harry is more furious at Snape than he is at Voldemort. However, when Harry collects Snape’s memories, and all the truth comes out, Harry is shocked at the complexity of Snape’s actions.

Snape was always allegiant to his love for Lily Potter, and by extension, to the Order of the Phoenix, Dumbledore, and their cause. However, Snape had to pretend on both sides to be actually allegiant to each of them, which is not only a daunting task but also very risky and highly dangerous.

Allegiance is a very strong theme in this book precisely because while it is easy to be loyal to someone when the stakes are not all that high, it takes great internal strength and grit to do the same when a lot is at risk. Snape is considered a great person by Harry despite what he did to him because of the respect that Harry has for Snape’s internal strength.

Other examples of allegiances in this book include the Malfoys and Peter Pettigrew. In the case of the Malfoys, it is simply their love for their son Draco that enables them to get away with lying to Voldemort about Harry being dead. Despite showing no remorse for their actions or empathy for their fellow beings, the Malfoys still show the emotion of love for their own kin, which makes them slightly more redemptive as characters than Voldemort will ever be. Their allegiance changes for love, just like Snape, who, before Lily’s death, was a Death Eater eager to climb the ranks.

Peter Pettigrew, on the other hand, changed his allegiance long back when he outed James and Lily’s address to Voldemort out of fear. This is very different from the others mentioned above in that, while Snape and even the Malfoys changed their allegiance to protect someone else as an act of selflessness, Peter Pettigrew solely does it out of a selfish cause.

Good and Evil

Despite there being several debates on whether good and evil even exist as absolutes, ‘ Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows ‘ precisely show that they do. It illustrates clearly why Harry’s cause represents good while Voldemort’s represents evil.

Harry is a boy who was driven into a path that he did not ask for, just like Voldemort, who was orphaned early and shown no love. However, they are both products of society’s failure to show affection. This changed for both of them when they were ‘adopted’ by Hogwarts, a school that made them both feel very special and loved in their own ways. However, while Harry looked unto others as well as himself to understand and reinforce his innate principles, Voldemort saw his admission into Hogwarts as an opportunity to satisfy just his own needs and wants.

As time progressed, they both grew. But Harry grew with everyone else around him, whom he also benefitted from, while Voldemort, or Tom Riddle, although benefitted from his surroundings, only grew for himself, without any gratitude or affection for his fellow beings. This also resonated with his cause. He wanted purebloods to rule the magical world. He depended on his hatred for his muggle father and respect for a powerful ancestor (Salazar Slytherin) to determine the purpose of his life – to conquer his surroundings and control them.

Harry, on the other hand, used his love for his parents and his admiration for almost everyone around him to determine his life’s purpose – to create a world where everyone could, as much as possible, live harmoniously.

While Harry and Voldemort themselves are not good or evil, their causes and their purposes evolved into absolute good and evil. To be fair to Voldemort, his father, whom he hated, abandoned his mother and him, so his hatred is somewhat justified. However, instead of seeing it as a single instance of human failure and seeking possibilities where humans could be better, he shut himself down completely from that possibility and advanced to a loveless and emotionless rampage of world domination.

Analysis of Key Moments in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Voldemort readies his Death Eaters and collects information from Snape, Yaxley, and the others about Harry’s departure from Privet Drive to ambush and attack him when he does.
Harry reads the In Memoriam on Dumbledore written by Elphias Doge and uncovers a lot of details that he had no clue about. He also reads about Rita Skeeter’s scandalous biography of Dumbledore titled The Life and Lies of Albus Dumbledore.
Harry says his goodbyes to the Dursleys, and Dudley shows some remorse and affection towards Harry before they leave for a secret location far away from Privet Drive.
Mad-Eye Moody arrives with the battalion of the Order of the Phoenix members and Harry’s friends and plans an elaborate plot to take Harry safely out of Privet Drive. This plan involves six others taking Polyjuice Potion to look exactly like Harry and flying together to prevent Harry from being identified easily.
Harry and the others are ambushed by Death Eaters and eventually by Voldemort himself, and Harry’s wand performs magic despite him being unconscious, protecting him from Voldemort’s curses. Also, Hedwig, Harry’s owl, dies.
Harry and the others make it safely back to the Burrow after Harry and Hagrid temporarily stop at Ted and Andromeda Tonk’s house. George loses one of his ears, and Mad-Eye Moody is dead.
Rufus Scrimgeour arrives at the Burrow to give Harry, Ron, and Hermione the contents that Albus Dumbledore left behind for them in his will. Harry gets the Snitch he caught in his first Quidditch match, Ron gets Dumbledore’s Deluminator, and Hermione gets a copy of the ‘ Tales of Beedle the Bard. ‘
Bill and Fleur’s wedding takes place, but it is suddenly interrupted by news from Kingsley Shacklebolt that the Death Eaters are coming, and Harry, Ron, and Hermione apparate from there and eventually end up in Sirius’s house.
They find out about Regulus Arcturus Black, Sirius’s brother, who stole the Horcrux from the cave that Voldemort hid it in, figure out that Mundungus has stolen it from Sirius’s house, and eventually find him through Kreacher and realize that the Horcrux is with Dolores Umbridge.
They plan to break into the Ministry of Magic disguised as three Ministry officials and eventually steal the locket from Umbridge but are chased in the process and eventually apparate to a forest.
In the forest, they try to destroy the Horcrux but are unable to do so. Furthermore, they see Ted Tonks, Dean Thomas, Dirk Cresswell, and two goblins camping near their site and overhear from the Goblin that the Sword of Gryffindor that has been kept in Bellatrix’s vault is a fake.
Ron is angry at Hermione and Harry for being unable to make any progress with the Horcruxes and feels like he wants to see his family, so he leaves them.
Hermione and Harry decide to go to Godric’s Hollow, where they visit Harry’s parents’ grave and later go to Bathilda Bagshot ’s house and meet her, but finally realize that it is actually the snake of Voldemort, Nagini, who is disguised as Bathilda. They fight their way through the snake’s grip and eventually apparate to a Forest from there. Harry’s wand breaks in the process.
They apparate to the Forest of Dean and at night, and when Harry is keeping watch, he comes across a silver doe Patronus which he curiously follows, and comes across the Sword of Gryffindor. He almost drowns trying to get it from the bottom of a cold lake but is saved by Ron, who retrieves the sword and destroys the Horcrux as well.
They meet Xenophilius Lovegood, and he tells them the Tale of the Three Brothers and about the Deathly Hallows. However, he betrays them by calling the Death Eaters to catch Harry. The trio manages to escape with great difficulty.
Back in the forest, Harry accidentally says Voldemort’s name, and the enchantments around them break, revealing them to a group of snatchers. The snatchers take them to Malfoy Manor, where Hermione is tortured by Bellatrix Lestrange about the Sword of Gryffindor that they were carrying. Eventually, Dobby appears and saves all of them by apparating them from there, but he gets killed.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione break into Gringotts Bank to steal the Horcrux that is in Bellatrix Lestrange’s vault with the help of the goblin Griphook . However, Griphook betrays them, but they escape from there by riding on the back of a dragon.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione enter Hogsmeade and are hidden safely from the Death Eaters, looking for them by Abeforth Dumbledore. Furthermore, he summons Neville Longbottom , who helps them safely travel to Hogwarts through a secret passage.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione meet the members of Dumbledore’s Army, Order of the Phoenix, and other students of Hogwarts, all hiding from the Carrows and Snape in the Room of Requirement .
Harry enlists Luna’s help to enter the Ravenclaw dormitory in search of Ravenclaw’s Lost Diadem, which he thinks is a Horcrux. There, the Carrows appear and try to duel with him, but McGonagall arrives, and Harry and she successfully defeat the Carrows and keep them captive.
The Battle of Hogwarts commences, and simultaneously, Harry finds the Horcrux and destroys it, and Ron and Hermione also destroy the Horcrux they stole from Bellatrix Lestrange’s vault using Basilisk fangs from the Chamber of Secrets. Fred is killed in an explosion during the battle.
Harry witnesses the death of Severus Snape at the hands of Voldemort. He collects the memories of Snape on his request and then witnesses them in the Pensieve . He discovers that Snape was working for Dumbledore and that he loved Harry’s mother, Lily. He also realizes that he must sacrifice himself and specifically die at the hands of Voldemort because he is a Horcrux.
Harry uses the Resurrection Stone on the way to the forest and talks to his parents, Sirius and Lupin, who also died in the war, along with his wife, Tonks. Harry then faces Voldemort, and the latter incants the killing curse at Harry.
Instead of dying, Harry ends up discussing his situation with Albus Dumbledore in a dream world. He eventually pretends to be dead and is carried by Hagrid, who walks with Voldemort and his Death Eaters to Hogwarts.
Neville kills Nagini, the last Horcrux, and Harry suddenly chimes out into life and duels with Voldemort, eventually defeating him. The war is finally won.
Nineteen years later, Harry, Ginny, Ron, and Hermione arrive at Kings Cross Station to drop their children at Platform 9 and 3/4 to board the Hogwarts Express.

Writing Style and Tone

The writing style of ‘ Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows ‘ is quite similar to that of the previous installments in the series. Since this is the finale of the book series, it is far more interesting to read in terms of the plot because a lot of cliffhangers and mysteries that were left intact are resolved here. Furthermore, despite being one of the longest books in the series, it is very crisp, packed with a lot of tense action, and well-written.

While there exists a ‘limbo’ period during the time Harry, Ron and Hermione are in the forest searching for ideas about Horcruxes but doing very little, where the crispness of the narrative is not followed, it still works really well in portraying the misery of the situation, especially when contrasted with the other action-packed parts of the book.

Analysis of Key Symbols in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

The deathly hallows.

The Deathly Hallows are very closely tied to the story that sets them in legend. The Tale of the Three Brothers, which talks about Death granting wishes for each brother and the three of them choosing different things, speaks volumes. The first brother, like Voldemort, asks for the Elder Wand, which is a metaphor for the ultimate power to control everyone. It so happens that Voldemort seeks the wand within the plot, which makes it more meaningful as a symbol.

The second brother, like Dumbledore, asks for a Resurrection Stone, which could bring back his lost loved ones. Dumbledore, despite being a very powerful and strong wizard, is overcome by very strong guilt and a sense of loss over the death of his sister, Ariana. So, he even tries on the Gaunt ring without any warning, which is what causes his early death.

The third brother, just like Harry, cheats death by hiding under the Invisibility Cloak , which could be seen as a metaphor for accepting death. The first step to not being afraid about death is accepting that it is inevitable. Harry does this when he walks into the Forbidden Forest devoid of the fear of death and still ends up alive.

Is Snape Harry’s dad?

No. Snape is not Harry’s father. Despite being fantasized about in several fanfiction writings of Harry Potter, there is no way that Snape could be Harry’s father because Lily and Snape were never together. Lily never reciprocated Snape’s romantic feelings for her despite Snape remaining loyal to his love for her. Lily loved Harry’s father, James Potter, romantically, and the two got married and had Harry as their only child. Furthermore, all of Snape’s resentment towards Harry came from the fact that Harry was the son of James Potter, whom Snape really hated in his school days.

Why is May 2nd Harry Potter day?

May 2 was decided to be celebrated as International Harry Potter Day in the year 2012. The British Prime Minister of that time, David Cameron, announced in 2012 that May 2 would be celebrated as Harry Potter Day because that is the day that the Battle of Hogwarts was fought and that commemorated the victory of Harry Potter and his friends over Lord Voldemort , ushering a new era for magical beings throughout. It is also a fitting tribute to J. K. Rowling’s great Magnum Opus, which has made a lot of people very happy over the years.

Why did Harry name his daughter after Luna?

Harry and Ginny’s children are all known for their vibrant names that commemorate a lot of people that were important to Harry. Harry’s eldest son was named after his father and his godfather, James, and Sirius. Harry’s youngest son was named after the two headmasters of Hogwarts that impacted him the most, Albus and Severus. However, Harry’s daughter, Lily Luna Potter , was named after Harry’s mother, Lily and Luna Lovegood, who was a very close friend to both Ginny and Harry. So, Harry and Ginny probably wanted to commemorate their common friendship with one of the most interesting characters in the Harry Potter book series , Luna Lovegood.

Harry Potter Quiz

Summon your wit and wisdom—our Harry Potter Trivia Quiz awaits you! Do you have the knowledge to claim the title of Master Witch or Wizard? Take the challenge now!

1) What is the name of the goblin who helps Harry, Ron, and Hermione break into Gringotts?

2) What is Dumbledore's full name?

3) What form does Hermione Granger's Patronus take?

4) What animal represents Hufflepuff house?

5) Which creature can transform into a person's worst fear?

6) What does the Mirror of Erised show?

7) What is the core ingredient of the wand owned by Harry Potter?

8) What is the name of the train that takes students to Hogwarts?

9) In the "Order of the Phoenix," who is NOT a member of the original Order of the Phoenix shown in the old photograph that Moody shows Harry?

10) Who originally owned the Elder Wand before Dumbledore won it?

11) What is the name of the book Hermione gives to Harry before his first ever Quidditch match?

12) What is the name of the goblin-made object that is supposed to bring its owner prosperity, but also brings them into conflict with goblins?

13) Who was the Peverell brother that owned the invisibility cloak?

14) What is the effect of the Cheering Charm?

15) What potion is known as "Liquid Luck"?

16) What does the incantation "Obliviate" do?

17) Which spell is used to open the Marauder's Map?

18) What is the name of Harry Potter's pet owl?

19) Which character is killed by Bellatrix Lestrange in the Battle of Hogwarts?

20) Who is the Half-Blood Prince?

21) Which object is NOT one of the Deathly Hallows?

22) Which potion did Hermione brew in her second year that allowed her, Ron, and Harry to assume the identities of Slytherins?

23) What are the dying words of Severus Snape in both the book and the film "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows"?

24) What specific type of dragon does Harry face during the Triwizard Tournament?

25) What was the last Horcrux to be destroyed?

26) Who teaches Herbology at Hogwarts?

27) In which Harry Potter book does Harry first speak Parseltongue?

28) What creature is Aragog?

Your score is

Restart quiz

Join Book Analysis for Free!

Exclusive to Members

Save Your Favorites

Free newsletter, comment with literary experts.

About Mohandas Alva

Mohandas is very passionate about deciphering the nature of language and its role as a sole medium of storytelling in literature. His interests sometimes digress from literature to philosophy and the sciences but eventually, the art and craft of narrating a significant story never fail to thrill him.

About the Book

The Harry Potter section of Book Analysis analyzes and explorers the Harry Potter series. The characters, names, terminology, and all related indicia are trademarks of Warner Bros ©. The content on Book Analysis was created by Harry Potter fans, with the aim of providing a thorough in-depth analysis and commentary to complement and provide an additional perspective to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

Discover literature, enjoy exclusive perks, and connect with others just like yourself!

Start the Conversation. Join the Chat.

Screen Rant

Harry potter and the deathly hallows part 2: ending explained.

Your changes have been saved

Email is sent

Email has already been sent

Please verify your email address.

You’ve reached your account maximum for followed topics.

1 Small Harry Potter Movie Change Sentenced Hermione's Parents To A Dark Fate

Harry potter & the cursed child movie: will it happen what the cast has said & everything we know, the final 2 harry potter movies prove why the hbo tv show is a great idea.

Harry's survival post-Killing Curse was due to being a Horcrux, not Lily's protection curse, a crucial movie clarification.
The Elder Wand's ownership by Harry led to Voldemort's defeat, showcasing his choice of justice over power.
Harry destroying the Elder Wand to prevent its corrupting influence reflected his commitment to peace in the wizarding world.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 , the final film of the Harry Potter franchise, saw Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes) defeated and Hogwarts triumphant but left some questions to be answered, from why Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) didn't die to why he snapped the Elder Wand. As most of the movie featured the Battle of Hogwarts, the scenes were filled with suspenseful moments, grief for some major characters’ loss, and eagerness for Harry to win the duel with Voldemort. Though their journey wasn't without tragedy, the Golden Trio achieved their happy ending . As the flash forward concluded and the final shot zoomed out of King’s Cross Station with Harry, Hermione (Emma Watson), and Ron (Rupert Grint) waving goodbye to their children, The Deathly Hallows Part 2 came to a close.

The final scenes of the movie’s third act highlight the real meaning behind many major moments, such as how Harry Potter didn’t die after Voldemort’s killing curse , and why it was the Horcrux that was destroyed instead. It was important for the audience to understand the deeper significance behind similar key events, like the moment Harry threw away the Elder Wand that could have been his superpower, and why he ended up naming his son after Severus Snape (Alan Rickman), the professor who mistreated him throughout his time at Hogwarts. The ending of The Deathly Hallows Part 2 gives the deeper meaning behind these scenes .

A blended image features Hermione Granger and her parents in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1

Hermione erased her parents' memories in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, and one movie change ensured that they would never get them back.

Why Harry Didn’t Die In The Forbidden Forest

The horcrux was killed instead.

Harry Potter walking through the Forbidden Forest to meet Voldemort in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 2

Through Severus Snape's memory in the Pensieve, Harry Potter learned that he was one of Voldemort’s final Horcruxes that had to be destroyed. This ultimately led him to the Forbidden Forest to face He Who Must Not Be Named alone, a Harry Potter ending that many had been waiting for.

While it made sense in the end that the Killing Curse killed the Horcrux and not Harry, an additional explanation was anchored in the ownership of the Elder Wand , since there were still speculations around the reasons why Harry didn't die; after all, the curse could’ve killed Harry and left Voldemort with his Horcrux or killed Harry and the Horcrux with him.

At the end of the movie, Harry figures out that the Elder Wand belongs to him after he disarmed Draco Malfoy, who previously disarmed Voldemort and briefly made the wand his. Therefore, since the Elder Wand wouldn’t kill its rightful owner, it ended up destroying the Horcrux within Harry, instead of Harry himself .

The other meaning behind Harry’s survival was Lily Potter’s protection curse that ran in both his and Voldemort’s blood. In fact, Voldemort’s revival included Harry’s blood. Consequently, while Lily's blood ran in Voldemort’s veins, Harry Potter couldn’t die, which explains why the Killing Curse did not end his life.

How The Expelliarmus Spell Killed Voldemort

The elder wand belonged to harry.

Harry Potter and Voldemort with Expelliarmus versus Avadakedavra curses being wielded outside of Hogwawrts in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2

In the third and final act of the movie and the franchise, Harry Potter came face-to-face with Voldemort completely devoid of his evil Horcruxes , as they both cast their spells one last time in their most vulnerable forms. The question arose as to how a harmless spell like the Expelliarmus could end Voldemort's life, and the explanation lay again at the heart of the Elder Wand.

When the two cast their spells against each other, the curses collided in a beautifully filmed scene with red and green fire-like lighting intertwined. The connection allowed the Elder Wand to bond with Harry, its rightful owner. Since in the wizarding world, a wand would usually backfire rather than harm the wizard it has chosen, the Killing Curse cast from it rebounded back towards Voldemort and led to the ultimate demise of He Who Must Not Be Named.

The fatal strike was depicted in yet another Harry Potter explanation related to the Elder Wand. In the final moments of both the book and movie, Harry knew he was the Elder Wand’s true master. Therefore, when he cast the Expelliarmus spell against You-Know-Who’s fatal Avada Kedavra, he understood that it would bring back the Elder Wand into his hand, and rebound Voldemort’s Killing Curse back to him .

What does the HBO Harry Potter TV series mean for a Harry Potter & The Cursed Child movie - is it dead, or likelier now than ever?

Why Harry Destroyed The Elder Wand

Harry prevents anyone else from using it.

Harry looking down at the Elder Wand in his hand, deciding to break it, in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2

There were many questions and hidden meanings in The Deathly Hallows . After the death of Dumbledore, who knew exactly how to use its powers, the wand was left to be vied for by evil forces. Its power was the reason the Dark Lord did everything to get a hold of it, and it was ultimately one of the details leading to Voldemort's death . However, at the end of the movie, it became clear that the Elder Wand belonged to Harry Potter as he was its rightful master.

As seen in the previous seven movies, Harry Potter was a good wizard; he was just, loyal, and full of courage, which meant that the Elder Wand was in good hands with its true owner. It therefore left a question mark as to why Harry got rid of the wand after the Battle of Hogwarts. Harry decided to relinquish its dangerous power and destroy the wand for the greater good and the peace of the wizarding world .

This is a controversial change from the book, in which Harry uses it to repair his own before vowing to return the Elder Want to Dumbledore's tomb. And while the movie's explanation was not directly addressed, it was clear that Harry understood the greed that the Elder Wand had evoked since Fantastic Beasts ' Grindelwald .

What Was The Meaning Behind The Name Of Harry’s Son?

Harry named his son albus severus.

Harry and his on at Kings Cross Station with their luggage while Ginny walks behind them in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2's flashforward

In the final scene, The Deathly Hallows Part 2 jumped 19 years forward and showed Harry Potter and Ginny Weasley married and taking their son to the King’s Cross station to await the departure of the Hogwarts Express. Once Harry knelt to address his son, he stated his name, Albus Severus Potter, and told him he was named after two great wizards of Hogwarts. One of them was famously liked throughout the franchise, while the other was mostly despised until the end; therefore, it was important to understand the decision behind Harry naming the young boy after Severus Snape.

While it was clear why Harry would name his son after Dumbledore, who was Hogwart's most powerful Professor , the explanation behind young Potter’s second name was revealed when Severus Snape’s memory in the Pensieve divulged the professor’s eternal love for Lily Potter. He eventually sacrificed himself for Lily’s son, after a lifetime of keeping him secretly safe while viewers and characters alike thought the worst of Professor Snape.

The meaning of Albus Severus’s name deepened with Severus Snape being a Slytherin; this way, Harry Potter was finally able to break the taboo around the house that was previously regarded as “for evil wizards only.”

The entire Harry Potter movie franchise is available to stream on Max and a new television series adapting the series of novels is in development.

The Real Meaning Of The Deathly Hallows Part 2

Harry chose justice over power.

The Harry Potter movie franchise has been a hit for over two decades now. They started with the Philosopher’s Stone and its light take on the magical world, and ended with the darker Deathly Hallows Part 2 , which closed the chapter on an eight-movie franchise but also brought explanations to lingering questions about the magical universe created by J.K. Rowling . It became clear why Harry survived the killing curse, how he was able to disarm and destroy Voldemort, why he threw away the Elder Wand, and the real reason for naming his son Albus Severus was revealed.

The final Harry Potter movie’s ending was the culmination leading the hero to overcome the villain, and the conclusion of the battle of good conquering evil. Harry destroying the Elder Wand revealed he chose justice over power, and the final scene allowed the legacy of Snape and Dumbledore to live on .

Viewers who had been part of the wizarding world for a long time needed to stay connected to the characters and the fantastical world alike, as they had spent years vicariously living through them. Therefore, these explained meanings of the movie’s ending revived the magic and allowed the beloved franchise to live on.

Custom image of Daniel Radcliffe as Harry Potter and Rupert Grint as Ron Weasley

The upcoming Harry Potter TV show is an exciting and new way to adapt the saga, but the movies already touched on why it's such a good approach.

How The Deathly Hallows Part 2 Ending Was Received

The ending received mostly positive feedback.

The movie as a whole received mostly positive feedback from critics and audience members alike. There was some initial pushback about the book being split into two movies, but because the journey to find the Horcruxes and ultimately defeat Voldemort was such a long one, it made sense. Most complaints about the movie itself were that it was too long, but to give all of the characters still remaining their endings, the length was needed to explore them all.

Critics applauded the movie as a satisfying conclusion to the movie series. Though many characters lost their lives in the climactic Battle of Hogwarts, those deaths highlighted the cost of war. The battle between Harry and Voldemort brought the movie full circle and provided the only ending to Voldemort the story could have - death at the hands of the very person he marked as his equal.

The biggest complaints about the ending itself came from critics and fans who disliked the style of the epilogue. Set over a decade after Harry’s defeat of Voldemort, the epilogue of the book was adapted to end the movie. Most criticisms involved the attempt to age up the core actors. Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson Rupert Grint, and Bonnie Wright looked more like kids pretending to be grownups than they even looked their own ages in the epilogue . Critics could get past that though since it meant not having to recast the actors for the final sequence.

Was The Deathly Hallows Ending Different From The Book At All?

There are a few key differences between them.

Voldemort's Death in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II

While the actual ending of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 is the epilogue for the novel, there are key moments near the end of the movie that are very different from the book. Two of those moments have not been well received by fans.

One is just how Voldemort’s death is shown. Following his battle with Harry Potter (which is also extended from what is shown in the book), Voldemort doesn’t just die, his body intact like the average human being. Instead, in the movie, he crumbles to dust right in front of Harry. This scene is a bit of a head-scratcher because it implies to the audience that Voldemort is no longer human, when the crux of his story is that he will always be human despite all of the measures he has undertaken to be more than that.

The scene also would raise some questions for anyone who isn’t actually present at Voldemort’s death. What is there to prove that Harry has been victorious? Voldemort has a known history of faking his demise and of surviving without a body. Crumbling to dust would be suspect. While it makes an interesting visual effect in the movie, it doesn’t particularly serve the story.

Following his defeat of Voldemort, Harry also breaks the Elder Wand in half so that no one else can use its power. He does this while he still doesn’t have a wand of his own because the wand that chose him is broken. In the book, however, he uses the Elder Wand to repair his own.

That never happens in the movie. If it had, and then he snapped the Elder Wand in half, book loyalists likely would have been okay with him breaking it in half. As it stands, it appears he’s leaving himself without an outlet to use his magic instead of simply stopping others from becoming corrupted by a magical artifact.

It makes scenes for scriptwriters and directors to make changes when novels are adapted to the screen. They are budgetary concerns and streamlining of storylines can be necessary. These changes to Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 , however, did not make sense.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2

Not available

The conclusion to the film franchise based on the popular novel series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2 centers on Harry and his allies as they prepare for the final battle against Lord Voldemort. The film follows Harry, Hermoine, and Ron as they continue to track down and destroy the Horcruxes to destroy Voldemort, all while the dark wizard approaches ever closer to Hogwarts with his army of followers.

SR Originals

IMAGES

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: : J.K. Rowling: Bloomsbury
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Audiobook by J.K. Rowling (book 7
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Parts 1 and 2 Ultimate Edition
Jactionary: Book Review
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Book 7) by J. K Rowling
Amazon.com: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Book 7 (Audible Audio

VIDEO

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
Unraveling the Deathly Hallows #HarryPotter #DeathlyHallows
5 Details You Missed In Harry Potter!
are we going down or will we fly
ПОКУПКИ ИЗ HARRY POTTER STUDIO
Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows Part 2

COMMENTS

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Review
Furthermore, ' Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows ' rewards readers with the long-awaited standoff between Harry Potter and Voldemort. Though these two have faced each other several times before in the series and even in this very book, it is the finality of the last duel that makes it more satisfying to read about.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: book review
This was the most highly anticipated book release of the year, and rightly so. Harry Potter is a worldwide phenomenon, and the books and films have earned some serious cash.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
July 19, 2007. So, here it is at last: The final confrontation between Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived, the Chosen One, the "symbol of hope" for both the Wizard and Muggle worlds, and Lord ...
Book Review: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, J.K. Rowling has delivered an emotionally-charged, action-packed, and completely satisfying conclusion to the magical Harry Potter series.
HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS
In The Deathly Hallows, she opens with a vintage, riveting escape scene, then sends Harry, Ron and Hermione into a months-long flight from the ascendant and hotly pursuing forces of Lord Voldemort—this journey also becomes a desperate search for the remaining horcruxes that make him unkillable.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
J.K. Rowling. 4.62. 3,793,871 ratings88,207 reviews. Harry has been burdened with a dark, dangerous and seemingly impossible task: that of locating and destroying Voldemort's remaining Horcruxes. Never has Harry felt so alone, or faced a future so full of shadows. But Harry must somehow find within himself the strength to complete the task he ...
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Harry Potter, Book 7
Grim, gripping end to the biggest saga in history. Read Common Sense Media's Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Harry Potter, Book 7 review, age rating, and parents guide.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is a fantasy novel written by British author J. K. Rowling and the seventh and final novel in the Harry Potter series. It was released on 21 July 2007 in the United Kingdom by Bloomsbury Publishing, in the United States by Scholastic, and in Canada by Raincoast Books. The novel chronicles the events directly following Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince ...
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
A review on Aug. 12 about "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," by J. K. Rowling, misstated the location of the California bookstore where the reviewer collected his embargoed copy of the novel.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
While some early reviews of this book were not very praising of it, later reviews began to make up for the negative critics, and soon, ' Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows' went on to become one of the most sold books in history. 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows' also won a lot of awards and prizes. It was among the New York ...
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
Book Review From the outset, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows moves at breakneck speed. Author J.K. Rowling clambers to tie up loose ends left dangling from the previous six books, creating a final novel with a dark mood and somewhat convoluted story.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by JK Rowling book review
On July 21, 2007, J.K. Rowling released the final iconic novel, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, of an astonishing seven book series. The Harry Potter series are still wildly loved to this day, with 400 million copies sold worldwide, and translated in 68 different languages.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows -- New York Magazine Book Review
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. By J.K. Rowling. Arthur A. Levine books. 759 pages. $34.99. Leave a Comment. Two weekends ago, I found myself accidentally proving the old theory that Harry ...
Book Review: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows finishes off an exciting series that is one of the best of all time. In this book Harry finds out that he must kill Lord Voldemort and can only do so by finding his hidden Horcruxes. The book contains an astonishing ending and many characters fight for their lives. It also has twists, turns and plenty of ...
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Book 7
Internal and external struggle --- and eventually, peaceful resolution --- are the key ingredients in the heady potion that is HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS. In this concluding book of the series, loyal fans get one long, complex draught from J.K. Rowling's concoction. Readers, raise your glass --- there's nothing else quite like it.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Summary
Harry Potter, more specifically, ' Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows ,' ends with Harry Potter finally killing the Dark Lord Voldemort. After all the Horcruxes are destroyed, Voldemort is rendered very weak and eventually ends up dead while fighting Harry. After that, in the epilogue of the book, it is shown that Harry is married to ...
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Harry Potter is leaving Privet Drive for the last time. But as he climbs into the sidecar of Hagrid's motorbike and they take to the skies, he knows Lord Voldemort and the Death Eaters will not be far behind. The protective charm that has kept him safe until now is broken.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows book review
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows book review 2016-09-11 Caito Junqueira 0 Comments Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows book review Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows book review In this last book of the saga, the boy who lived needs to pursue his destiny or die. Check out if he will be up to Dumbledore's assignments!
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Book Review
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is the epic conclusion to the Harry Potter series that ranges 7 books and takes the characters of the series through 7 years of their lives. Does this book end the series on a positive note? Or does it fail to live up to expectations? Let's dive in and figure that out.
Book Review: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
In the epic finale, Harry Potter and his friends embark on a quest to find and destroy the Horcruxes, powerful objects containing pieces of the dark wizard Lord Voldemort's soul, while also battling their own personal demons and facing ultimate sacrifices in the fight against evil.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Summary of Key Ideas and Review
The seventh and final installment in the Harry Potter series, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" follows Harry, Ron, and Hermione as they embark on a dangerous quest to defeat the dark wizard Voldemort. Filled with magic, friendship, and sacrifice, this book brings the epic battle between good and evil to a thrilling conclusion.
Every Harry Potter Book, Ranked Worst To Best
Every reader of the Harry Potter books will have their favorite, but a few are generally considered the best and others the worst. Chronicling young Harry's coming-of-age and his conflict with Lord Voldemort to determine the fate of the Wizarding World, Harry Potter is one of the most popular fantasy book series of all time.It is often credited with reviving reading culture and has spawned ...
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
The seventh installment in the Harry Potter movie franchise, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 1, follows the eponymous boy wizard (Daniel Radcliffe) as he and his friends Ron (Rupert Grint) and Hermione (Emma Watson) leave the safety of Hogwarts and set off in search of dark magical artifacts known as Horcruxes. Finding them is the key to defeating the dark wizard Voldemort who ...
Emma Watson's Most Heart-Wrenching Harry Potter Moment Was ...
As the Harry Potter books evolved and the characters grew up, they became darker and more heart-wrenching. Deathly Hallows Part 1 was one of the darkest movies in the wildly successful franchise. For Emma Watson , her most emotional moment came when Hermione was being tortured by the Death Eater, Bellatrix Lestrange, at Malfoy Manor.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
Review Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II (PlayStation 3). Could it be magic? Last year EA made the horrendous mistake of bringing Kinect support to Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows ...
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Themes and Analysis
' Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows ' by J. K. Rowling is a very testing book in that a lot of common themes that are portrayed in the Harry Potter series as a whole are put to test here, especially the theme of friendship and loyalty. For instance, in the previous books, the stakes to exhibit integrity were not as high as in the case of ' Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows .' Be ...
The Best New Harry Potter Character Introduced In Each Book (That ...
Despite Harry and Ron's close friendship, Hermione proves to be a better friend than Ron as she stays by Harry's side in Goblet of Fire and Deathly Hallows, whereas Ron's jealousy and insecurities ...
Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 2: Ending Explained
In the final scene, The Deathly Hallows Part 2 jumped 19 years forward and showed Harry Potter and Ginny Weasley married and taking their son to the King's Cross station to await the departure of the Hogwarts Express. Once Harry knelt to address his son, he stated his name, Albus Severus Potter, and told him he was named after two great ...
The Harry Potter 8-Film Collection in 4K and Blu-Ray Just Dropped ...
The Harry Potter movies are some of my favorite movies of all time. I grew up reading the books and was young enough when the movies first started coming out to be in awe of the magic of the story ...
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (PlayStation 3 Game) first released 16th Nov 2010, developed by EA Bright Light Studio and published by Electronic Arts.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: book review

HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS

THE SCHOOL FOR GOOD AND EVIL

Please select an existing bookshelf

Please sign up to continue.

Almost there!

Sign in using your Kirkus account

Or browse by category:

Common Sense Selections for Movies

50 Modern Movies All Kids Should Watch Before They're 12

Best Kids' Shows on Disney+

Best Kids' TV Shows on Netflix

8 Tips for Getting Kids Hooked on Books

50 Books All Kids Should Read Before They're 12

Common Sense Selections for Games

Nintendo Switch Games for Family Fun

Common Sense Selections for Podcasts

Parents' Guide to Podcasts

Social Networking for Teens

Gun-Free Action Game Apps

Reviews for AI Apps and Tools

Parents' Ultimate Guide to YouTube Kids

YouTube Kids Channels for Gamers

How to Help Kids Build Character Strengths with Quality Media

Multicultural Books

YouTube Channels with Diverse Representations

Podcasts with Diverse Characters and Stories

Common Sense Media Review

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 12+?

Any Positive Content?

Violence & Scariness

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Sex, Romance & Nudity

Positive Messages

Positive Role Models

Educational Value

Diverse Representations

Where to Read

AWESOME BOOK

Is It Any Good?

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Book Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Suggest an Update

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone: Harry Potter, Book 1

Sabriel: The Abhorsen Trilogy, Book 1

Septimus Heap Series

The Alchemyst: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel

The Boy Who Lived

HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS

Notice: All forms on this website are temporarily down for maintenance. You will not be able to complete a form to request information or a resource. We apologize for any inconvenience and will reactivate the forms as soon as possible.

Book Review

Readability Age Range

Year Published

Positive Elements

Crude or Profane Language

Alcohol Abuse

Sexual Subjects

The Final Battles

Death … And Worse

Spirituality

Plot Summary

Lonely Castle in the Mirror

Grief in the Fourth Dimension

The First State of Being

The Campaign

The Misfits: A Royal Conundrum (Book No. 1)

Want to stay Plugged In?

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by JK Rowling (Harry Potter: Book 7)

Harry Potter

All JK Rowling Reviews

Top 100 Fantasy Books Of All Time

Fantasy Series We Recommend

Fantasy Books Of The Year

Harry Potter and the Ignominious Cop-Out

Most viewed

What is your email?

Sign In To Continue Reading

Book Review: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows