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 Voldemort, He Who Must Not Be Named, the nefarious leader of the Death Eaters and would-be ruler of all. Good versus Evil. Love versus Hate. The Seeker versus the Dark Lord.
J. K. Rowling’s monumental, spellbinding epic, 10 years in the making, is deeply rooted in traditional literature and Hollywood sagas — from the Greek myths to Dickens and Tolkien to “Star Wars.” And true to its roots, it ends not with modernist, “Soprano”-esque equivocation, but with good old-fashioned closure: a big-screen, heart-racing, bone-chilling confrontation and an epilogue that clearly lays out people’s fates. Getting to the finish line is not seamless — the last part of “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows,” the seventh and final book in the series, has some lumpy passages of exposition and a couple of clunky detours — but the overall conclusion and its determination of the main characters’ story lines possess a convincing inevitability that make some of the prepublication speculation seem curiously blinkered in retrospect.
Harry’s journey will propel him forward to a final showdown with his arch enemy, and also send him backward into the past, to the house in Godric’s Hollow where his parents died, to learn about his family history and the equally mysterious history of Dumbledore’s family. At the same time, he will be forced to ponder the equation between fraternity and independence, free will and fate, and to come to terms with his own frailties and those of others. Indeed, ambiguities proliferate throughout “The Deathly Hallows”: we are made to see that kindly Dumbledore, sinister Severus Snape and perhaps even the awful Muggle cousin Dudley Dursley may be more complicated than they initially seem, that all of them, like Harry, have hidden aspects to their personalities, and that choice — more than talent or predisposition — matters most of all.

It is Ms. Rowling’s achievement in this series that she manages to make Harry both a familiar adolescent — coping with the banal frustrations of school and dating — and an epic hero, kin to everyone from the young King Arthur to Spider-Man and Luke Skywalker. This same magpie talent has enabled her to create a narrative that effortlessly mixes up allusions to Homer, Milton, Shakespeare and Kafka, with silly kid jokes about vomit-flavored candies, a narrative that fuses a plethora of genres (from the boarding-school novel to the detective story to the epic quest) into a story that could be Exhibit A in a Joseph Campbell survey of mythic archetypes.

In doing so, J. K. Rowling has created a world as fully detailed as L. Frank Baum’s Oz or J. R. R. Tolkien’s Middle Earth, a world so minutely imagined in terms of its history and rituals and rules that it qualifies as an alternate universe, which may be one reason the “Potter” books have spawned such a passionate following and such fervent exegesis. With this volume, the reader realizes that small incidents and asides in earlier installments (hidden among a huge number of red herrings) create a breadcrumb trail of clues to the plot, that Ms. Rowling has fitted together the jigsaw-puzzle pieces of this long undertaking with Dickensian ingenuity and ardor.

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 Voldemort, He Who Must Not Be Named, the nefarious leader of the Death Eaters and would-be ruler of all. Good versus Evil. Love versus Hate. The Seeker versus the Dark Lord.
J. K. Rowling’s monumental, spellbinding epic, 10 years in the making, is deeply rooted in traditional literature and Hollywood sagas — from the Greek myths to Dickens and Tolkien to “Star Wars.” And true to its roots, it ends not with modernist, “Soprano”-esque equivocation, but with good old-fashioned closure: a big-screen, heart-racing, bone-chilling confrontation and an epilogue that clearly lays out people’s fates. Getting to the finish line is not seamless — the last part of “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows,” the seventh and final book in the series, has some lumpy passages of exposition and a couple of clunky detours — but the overall conclusion and its determination of the main characters’ story lines possess a convincing inevitability that make some of the prepublication speculation seem curiously blinkered in retrospect.
Harry’s journey will propel him forward to a final showdown with his arch enemy, and also send him backward into the past, to the house in Godric’s Hollow where his parents died, to learn about his family history and the equally mysterious history of Dumbledore’s family. At the same time, he will be forced to ponder the equation between fraternity and independence, free will and fate, and to come to terms with his own frailties and those of others. Indeed, ambiguities proliferate throughout “The Deathly Hallows”: we are made to see that kindly Dumbledore, sinister Severus Snape and perhaps even the awful Muggle cousin Dudley Dursley may be more complicated than they initially seem, that all of them, like Harry, have hidden aspects to their personalities, and that choice — more than talent or predisposition — matters most of all.

I have to admit to being a Christian who use to preach the evils of Harry Potter, not having read a word of the books. Every rumor I had heard was proven false as I read and smiled my way through Sorcerers Stone, I didn't see a single legitimate spell designed to drag innocent children into witchcraft in Chamber of Secrets, but I did begin to get hooked in by Ginny's sweet infatuation with Harry Potter. The only wicked desires I found in Prisoner of Azkaban was to be a Weasley, making the Twins, Triplets so I could join the escapades of my new heroes Fred and George (Through whom I was now reliving my long long LONG gone youth) I also got hooked in even deeper with the depth of Harry's pain and I have to say that Daniel Radcliffe did an AMAZING job in the movie showing it. The Goblet of Fire is my least favorite of the seven, I did gain a new respect for Ginny when she didn't dump Neville to go to the Yule Ball with Harry and the ending was a killer, I'd heard that Order of the Phoenix was much darker, so I looked carefully for satanic chants but found only a young man fighting with his own inner demons and a bully in cotton candy pink and a position of power ( I would have LOVED to have gotten creative with places for her to stick that damn black quill.)! But nothing broke my heart more than when Harry finally found complete happiness with Ginny, only to lose it at the end of The Half Blood Prince when he broke things off with Ginny at Dumbledores funeral.
I read the aforementioned books in a weekend and ended up at Wal-mart at 3 am buying DH, I couldn't stand until morning to find out what happened next!
There were some obvious contrivances in the plot, and plot holes as big as the state of Texas, but largely, Rowling hit the nail on the head with the finale. There are some character deaths that are obviously coming, and some that tore my heart out (FRED?! NO!)
One of the things that I really loved is how she used the Marauders Map as a device to show the reader that Ginny was still nearly constantly on Harry's mind. Having him watching her on the Map is probably the sweetest bit of fiction I have read in years and as this series has so often, it takes me back to my own teenage years, when I would do silly little things for the sake of love. Unfortunately, this lovely addition to the story makes what is missing from the ending even more glaringly obvious...Harry and Ginny's reunion. Those who followed the future Mr and Mrs Potter from the time Ginny blushed and ran away in Chamber of Secrets and swooned over every hopeful glance will feel cheated by the fact that after the ruined birthday kiss, and all those pages of watching the map...theres nada...zip...zitch. Not even an embrace. In fact, Harry in effect, blows her off, figuring they have plenty of time so she can wait.
The rest is a thrill a minute rollercoaster ride with a few stops to camp out and argue, swim in a freezing pond, get captured, be betrayed by a desperate man and visit the newlyweds. So much happens in fact that by the time Harry and Voldemort finally come down to the final flourishes of their wands and the cries of their curses are the only sounds in the red light of the coming dawn....it is oddly anti-climatic, and while Harry is the obvious hero, Rowling makes it just as obvious that he is NOT the only one, that it truly was something he couldn't have done without Ron, Hermione, Luna, Ginny and particularly Neville, at his side.

As a fan of the series I have to say I loved it. J.K. Rowling could do no wrong as far as I'm concerned, though I didn't always think that way. As Potter mania first began to grip the youths of America I was in the grips of another British author with initials for a first name.

J.R.R. Tolkien had me spellbound to his stories and at the time I saw Potter as stupid childish kids book with no higher merits. I made fun of the series and the people that read it up until the fifth book came out. I had heard from too many people praising it and its darkening tone and decided to see what all the hype was about.

The first book surprised me a little with its style and use of language though it still had a children's book feel to it. I didn't like the way it ended mostly. The whole "I defeated the greatest dark wizard with... Love" made me think that J.K. just didn't know how to end her book with a low-level boy facing off against a high-level wizard. The journey to get there however, was great and as a result I moved on to the second book.

The second book was even better than the first. A back-story about a murder within the school and a series of attacks gets the heart pumping. Even the more gritty finish made me think twice about J.K.'s ability to write. She still relied a bit heavily on the Dais Ex machina. The fact that Harry just happens to get the magic sorting hat brought to him by Fawkes and pulled out a sword was bit much at the time. But J.K. made use of all those unlikely events later.

The third book was dark and even a little scary compared to your average kids book yet had a refreshing uplifting ending. It also setup the Great War giving rise to Voldemort and his death eaters. The mystery involved in this book was step up from the last keeping you guessing even at the people that were right in front of you. J.K. knows how to setup misdirection.

The forth book was a thrilling adventure with a surprise ending that actually brought a tear to my eye. At this point the series is not for children anymore. Harry is now heading toward adulthood and so is the series. The level of action makes this book fun to read and the bit of mystery keeps you guessing at whom the betrayer is. The murder in this book is what sets it apart.

The fifth book is the actual beginning of the war. It sets up the landscapes in which future battles are to take place. It brings in all the needed characters and gives them personalities. This book is truly great and reminds adults what it was like to be a teenager. That point in life where you think you know everything are start to rebel. It ends on sad note that nearly brought a tear to my eye.

The sixth book is probably the most exciting and crushing build up to a finale that I have read next to book seven of "The Dark Tower". The death of Dumbledore at the hands of Snape enraged me and actually made me feel as if I had been betrayed. I cried at the funeral of Albus Dumbledore.

And now for this book. Book seven in my opinion is the greatest of all. It answers most if not all the questions that you may have about the lives of the characters, their past and their future. Harry's relationship with Ron's sister is realized and the truth about Snape and Dumbledore's relationship is revealed.

The whole book had me in a range of emotions but for a book to make me cry from sorrow, relief, and happiness that is an amazing thing. Very few writers can do that. The last few sentences still make me cry.

For those who are fans of Harry this book accomplishes in many respects the desired result of completing the series. Rowling did the best job she could in concluding the life and times of Harry Potter, Lord Voldemort and the rest of the Magical World.

The book is well in keeping with the rest of the series. It will definitely delight readers and make people want to turn the page. I found throughout the series it was on some level perfectly believable that these people actually existed. That magic could be a part of the world and yet be kept from us Muggles.

J.K. Rowling in her series did a great job invigorating not only the youth imagination but also in giving youth and adults a commonality that they could talk about. I argue that it is part in due to Rowling’s work that the Chronicles of Narnia and The Lord of the Rings was reinvigorated on such a global scale since both are some 70+ years old. I remember reading The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe when I was a youngster some 25 years ago.

As for the specifics of Deathly Hallows, this book was a little more predictable in many ways than the previous in the series. But it does more to explain the history of Lord V, Tom Riddle, Dumbledore, Harry's parents, and Snape. There is a lot of development around Harry, Hermione and Ron as a good deal of the time it is one, two or all three of them in some fashion or another. As with the previous books be prepared with a box of Kleenex nearby, as this is the book where the main battle commences.

Somewhat of a SPOILER: In general I found that like many of the well written or scripted novels/movies, so much time is given up to character development, toils and action, leaving to what I can describe as only as a somewhat hasty conclusion. The conclusion of this basically equated to a "and they all lived happily ever after" except. This to me distracted from what I would argue was an incredibly well written series. It left me feeling a little cheated. It worked in that I'm not waiting on the edge of my seat for the next in the series, but at the same time it made me loose a little interest in anything Harry, which does not bode well for the movies.

All in all I think that people will feel cheated if they do not finish the series and as such the Deathly Hallows is required reading and does an good job (just not excellent). I am glad I read it, but probably will not as I did with the previous novels read the story again.

I could not wait until this last installment of the Harry Potter series finally hit the shelves. I reserved my copy months in advance at my local Walden Books store. I even started counting down the days until its release. Yet, once I had the book in my hands I felt a mixture of excitement, anticipation and regret. After all these years of waiting for the next installment, ever since I finished the first book, I was finally going to read my last Harry Potter book. I could not wait to find out how Harry, Hermione, and Ron's journey would end, but I couldnt help feeling upset that, once read, it would be over. No more staying excited for the next installment to arrive.

That being said, once I cracked open my crisp copy of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, the pang of regret I had felt about this being over, gave way to an overwhelming happiness to be back in this wonderful world of magic J.K. Rowling created. Once I had started, it was all over. I could not stop reading. I had to force myself away from the pages to eat. Each page revealed just enough to make it a necessity to read the next. As any Harry Potter fan knows, this series is so gripping, each line begs you to read the next.

Speaking of The Hallows specifically, I would have to say that it is an edge of your seat story and the most spine-tingling of the 7 book series, and Rowling wastes no timing jumping into the thick of it in the first chapters. Many chapters, I had the feeling of walking through a haunted house, every muscle tense, in anticipation of the next arm-twisting details. Hallows throws twists and turns at you every few pages, throughout the entire book. As it is the 7th book and the main characters are reaching maturity, the books content is much more adult in nature. There is not much more I am comfortable saying, without giving away precious pieces of the final books plots. It was a wonderfully written emotional rollercoaster, that can be ridden over and over again.

After having read Book 7 twice, I am still amazed by J.K. Rowling. It is mystifying how much detail and planning went into these books. The character development, the subplots, the reference towards other epic stories written in history. Coming into the 7th installment, you would not think it possible to tie up so many tresses, as Rowling did. There have also been, looking back, so many clues and hints in the previous 6 books towards the ending of this adventure.

This series is a very complex story, which Rowling wrote for children; however, I would have to disagree with these being children's books. In writing the Harry Potter series, J.K. Rowling has inadvertently entertwined the literary worlds of child and adult. The Harry Potter series, I believe, will be on the bookshelves of child and adult alike for generations to come.

After years of waiting for the final showdown, this is the best she could give us? We were thoroughly disappointed. Rowling wrote like she was tired and just wanted to wrap it up already.... She didn't even bother to have it make sense...

Honestly, Harry's had the Invisibility Cloak since year 1 but, Ron and Hermione never told him that there was this old story about the Deathly Hallows that they had heard since they were kids? What the heck was she thinking!

She had an ending of a great epic within her grasp and had mapped her way toward it perfectly. One final battle of Good vs. Evil. One final stand for the lives of Lily & James and Harry and everyone else who had suffered under Voldemort's tyranny. But what happened?

Snape was going to go down. That was a given. Anyone could have guessed that. For Lily's sake, he would die defending Harry. However, instead of the blaze of honorable, brave glory that he deserved, after years as Harry's protector, Rowling has Snape walk right into his death, and poof, he's gone. Didn't even get to draw his wand or even knick old Voldemort! Not fair! Shame on her!

And the final battle? A glorious triumph of Good over Evil?... it was a bloodbath! She killed off so many beloved characters! Hogwarts and the Order suffered casualty after casualty, yet the Deatheaters seemingly lost none. No one was safe by the end! The worst losses were Hedgewig, Colin, and Mrs. Weasley loses one of her beloved children!! We half expected Hagrid to get it in the end. It was horrible and senseless! She even kills off Tonks and Remus leaving Teddy an orphan! Just nasty! And yet, then, the Malfoys emerge without casualties! What was she thinking?

And then, the worst was that we get to see them all years later! This was the biggest disappointment of all!
Hermione Granger, the brightest witch of her age now seems to be a housewife!?!?! Only Neville appears to be doing something with his life teaching at Hogwarts. The rest are all just playing house out in suburbia?!?!?! What kind of ending is that? Harry Potter, dad, husband, mower of the lawn?!?!?
Please! What kind of ending is that?

And the middle is just plain boring. Pages and pages of hiding in the woods....Talk about anti climactic!

I loved the time we had between books 6 & 7, when we all tried to guess how it would go down! That was fun! We had so much better ideas than Rowling! Shame.

All it was, in the end,... was an ending.
Oh, well.

J.K. Rowling, the author of the famous Harry Potter books has completed her days at Hogwarts. Or so she says. Believe it or not, the final book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, wraps it all up into a nice tight package. Harry Potter has become an instant classic and will be forever on the shelves along side, Dorothy and Oz, Alice In Wonderland, that famous Hobbit, Luke and Darth (not true books(STAR WARS) but mythical still) and others.
What Rowling didn't accomplish, was her greatest story. This book is almost the weakest in the entire series. There are plenty of deaths as Potters fans speculated. There are alot of twists and turns. She was able to shock and surprise and I was truly shocked by the ending.
As the Harry Potter series comes to an abrupt halt- we cannot but help wonder what Rowling and the world will do next. The Harry Potter saga has ended. The world loved this character and embraced the adversity he and his friends faced and the adventures Voldemort, Dumbledore and others helped them live and breathe through.
The story is universal- GOOD VS.EVIL. A theme in most great novels. A theme that will be used a 100 years from now when a new earth shattering series will join Harry as an instant classic. A 100 years from now Harry Potter and his friends will still be embraced by the cultures of the world.
But for now, when you finish the last book and the series has ended- you will realize how much you and the world will miss Harry Potter, his friends and his magical adventures. Goodbye Harry Potter- FOR NOW!

SPOILER ALERT: The rest of this list contains possible spoilers regarding the plot of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows -- a mix of points divulged by the author in interviews and statements on her website, and some conjecture by Harry Potter fans -- which may or may not end up being accurate. We'll find out July 21, but until then, read at your own risk....

1. Harry turns 17 years old, and is spending a seventh term at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, which climaxes with seventh-year students taking the wizardry tests known as NEWTs. He gets to perform magic outside school -- normally a no-no -- and he will receive an Apparition license.

2. Harry will pay one more visit to the home of his Muggle relatives the Dursleys, during his break from school. But the protection Dumbledore has provided Harry while outside Hogwarts is set to expire.

3. Vital details about Harry's parents -- particularly Lily Potter -- are revealed in Deathly Hallows, such as the significance of the similarity between Harry's and his mother's eyes.

4. Minor tidbits: Harry may get another pet, a Muggle may perform magic, there will be no Quidditch, and Sirius Black's two-way mirror and flying motorcycle make return appearances.

5. THE END: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows will definitely be the end of the series, and Rowling has braced her fans to expect deaths of multiple major characters. The final chapter details what becomes of the surviving characters, and Rowling has stated that the last word of the book is "scar."

Ron dies.
Lupin dies.
Percy dies.
Voldemort dies.
Snape dies.

NO SPOILERS!

Before the release of the seventh and last book of the Harry Potter series, I re-read all the preceding volumes. Throughout, I followed how the author developed her grand theme of Right vs Wrong, the strong vs the weak and the evils of the misuse of power. How was Rowling to end this series? Obviously, the Apocalypse was at hand, and the heroic struggle between Harry Potter and the evil Voldemort would be the climax of the series. While we waited for the last book, rumors abounded. Fake spoilers floated over the internet like the soul-sucking Dementors, threatening to extinguish the enjoyment people would get from this final volume. So, no spoilers from this reviewer. All I will say is that "Deathly Hallows" lived up to my expectations and in fact, ended pretty much as I imagined it would. Rowling keeps true to her theme right to the end and to her artistic vision as well. There is plenty of action right from the get-go. This is by far the most exciting of the seven books, with duels, battles, fights, daring escapes and amazing twists of fortune. There are plenty of surprises and also many reasons to weep. The action sometimes is non-stop, but from time to time, there are welcome respites in the action, times for moments of tenderness or friendship between surprising pairings of characters. The sub-theme of the redeptive power of Love is evident in these idylls. J. K. Rowling is a master writer who has created an amazing work of art with the Harry Potter series and just as any master craftsman, she has chosen the perfect finish for a fine series of books. I look forward to new series with entire new worlds or...perhaps this is really the end. Some authors do write themselves out when they've said their say. I don't know. But I do know this author is one I enjoy reading and I hope we have many more new adventures to discover from her pen. Bravo!

I don't think I ever waited on Christmas like I did for this book and Rowling did not disappoint me.

Deathly Hollows picks up right where The Half Blood Prince left off and Rowling doesn't miss a beat.

Our three favorite heroes know what they have to do but only have a few obscure clues to work from. They must find their own solutions on how to accomplish their misson. While this is a theme common in the other 6 books, this time there is no safety net provided by the adults. The fate of the world rests on their shoulders alone.

As they go from one adventure to the next, gaining (at first) seemingly useless information and narrowly avoiding death, they slowly piece together how everything must fit together. Even then Rowling is not yet done: the solution itself is a test, and the hardest challenge Harry ever had to take.

The book is dark and bloody, more so than The Order of the Pheonix. In case the reader had any doubt about that, Voldermort sets it straight in the very first chapter. The body count continues to go up and Rowling gives no indication of playing favorites. Nobody, and I mean nobody, is safe until the last spell is cast, somewhere in the last 10 pages or so.

While it was sad seeing so many characters I had grown attached to die, I did not have the same sense of dispair that I did with Pheonix. I never doubted for one page that good would win in the end and I could take comfort in that their sacrafices would not be in vain.

While I sincerly hope that Ms. Rowling will continue to write, I believe it is time for a new series. Harry Potter was as close to perfection as I'm likely to see in this world. I don't want that delicate balance upset.

John Holland-Author of The Necklace of Terrersylvanous

WARNING: Spoilers maybe in this review.

I though this was a great ending to the Harry Potter story. Though this year they don't go to Hogwarts for school. Harry, Ron and Hermione continue the hunt for the Horcruxes that Professor Dumbledore started. The Order of the Phoenix and Dumbledore's Army join forces in the final battle against Lord Voldemort and his Death Eaters. The 3 Deathly Hallows are introduced. The elder wand, that was Dumbledore's wand. The Resurrection Stone, which Voldemort made into a Horcruxes and Dumbledore destroyed. And Harry's invisibility cloak are the 3 Deathly Hallows from a story turned into a fairy tale for the children of witches and wizards.

The threat against Harry's life from Voldemort becomes much more real as Harry's mother's protection on him is now broken when he turned 17. Harry, Ron and Hermione must remain in hiding as they hunt down the Horcruxes. Many sacrifices were made to keep Harry from getting caught and a lot of the characters die.

Among the dead are: Hedwig, Dobby, Mad-Eye, Fred Weasley, Remus Lupin, Tonks, Voldemort, Severus Snape, Harry Potter and many others. Harry however comes back to life as he was holding the resurrection stone when Voldemort killed him. Then he kills Voldemort.

In the end, Ron and Hermione get married and have a son and daughter. Harry married Ginny Weasly and they had 2 sons and a daughter: Albus Severus, James and Lily. Even Draco Malfoy grew up, got married and had a son.

I read it because I got anxious to know how it all ended. So I bought all 7 books and read books 6 & 7 after seeing the 5th and newest movie. I couldn't wait until 2010 to see how it all ends.

John Barnes
Ogden, Utah

Don't get me wrong, I like the Harry Potter series. As far as writing goes, this is probably the best written of any of the books. However, in the past, J.K. Rowling has written some very tedious and drawn out scenes in her books, and this one is no different. The final missal, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, moves very slowly and is probably 200 pages too long. The reader is nearly half-way through the book before they find out what the Deathly Hallows represents.

I am personally irked that she thought it necessary to kill off almost all the good beings in Harry's life. His heroic childhood quest leaves him bereaved, over and over again. How much misery can he (and the reader) take? After reading the novel, it feels like the authors foretelling of upcoming deaths in this book was a marketing ploy designed to pull in even more readers. Would Hagrid die? Hermione? Ron? No, these characters don't die, but lots of other do! Would a true hero put so many in so much danger?

Borrowing liberally from heroic archetypes, Rowling places Harry and Co. in mortal danger again, and again. In literature the hero has a quest in place, and must have witnesses to his quest. The hero travels in the wilderness. The hero loses the things he values. Then the hero must face his greatest fear/foe in order to move on with his life... blah, blah, blah. T.H. White did it better, and so did J.R.R. Tolkien.

When the final showdown with Voldemort commences, it is a huge anticlimax. Thank goodness the series is over. Let's pray Rowling is done writing for a long, long time.

I liked how this book tied into Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. These two books are directly connected. You cannot read the seventh book and understand it completely without reading the sixth book. Very important. The Deathly Hallows does an excellent job of completing Harry and Tom Riddle's (Voldemort) stories. Their likenesses and their differences and why they were alike or different. Harry's connections with Dumbledore and Snape were also very important in this book. The entire book left you wondering why Dumbledore had to die in the sixth book until the very end. It was very climactic. It also showed the true devotion that Hermione and Ron had with Harry. That they weren't just friends, they were more like family. Each family has ups and downs just like their friendships did. They had good moments as well as bad moments. I recommend this whole series to anyone wanting to read about how good can overcome evil and how devotion to the ones that you love is important. If you want a gripping tale about how a child ends up saving those he loves and cares about, then you want to read Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (after you read the first 6 books of the series. Seriously, the last one doesn't make sense unless you know the whole story.)

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is the 7th and final of the Harry Potter novels written by JK Rowling. The book was released on July 21, 2007 in Canada, ending the series that began in 1997 with the publication of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.

This book is by far the most interesting book of the entire series. Unfortunately, many cherished characters die in this book. The death's occur fast and furious. Within the first 100 pages you already have a character being killed off. :(

The book deal's with a couple of main themes. The first is the escape from the Dursley's. Once Harry overcomes this issue the ministry of magic fall's and the end of the Weasley's protection occurs.

Afterwards Harry, Hermionie, and Ron are on the run from Voldemort as they look for Voldemort's Horcrux's to destroy. You learn about the Deathly Hallows and start the search for them.

Finally, you get to see the battle of Hogwart's. To me this is my favorite part of the book. Professor McGonagall is a true card in this fight. You can picture everything she does in your mind and you laugh as she get's the *entire* school to fight the Death Eater's. Even the desk's!

A true classic. It is sad to see this series come to an end.

5/5

Latsyrhc
Tamarack Collectibles

The final book completing the Harry Potter series is full of suspense, fear, and hope.
Remember what happened to Salman Rushdie? Well, if I divulge too much, other Harry Potter fans will come and get me.

So here's what I can tell you without being fearful for my life.

It's Harry vs. Voldemort, the final showdown.
The wizard world is in turmoil and engaged in a very important battle for the future of wizard-dom and its reprocussions in the Muggle world.

I won't tell you who wins, but it involves prophecies and serious detective work to find all the Horcruxes.

It's the darkest and bloodiest book in the whole series. You WILL cry at the end, for what you'll have to find out for yourself.

Now the book was amazing. The Afterword was not. It was trite and so annoying, something only my fourth-grade self would have written. That's why I gave The Deathly Hallows a "good" and not an "excellent." It leaves a nasty taste in your mouth.

So here's my advice. Read the book. Then when you get to the Afterword part, put the book away! Enjoy it for about a day or two. Then read the Afterword part. This way, you'll enjoy the book apart from the sappy afterword. Two separate experiences and memories.

This book is not meant for children. You can tell them the end, and spare them all the bloody details until they are more mature to read it.

Do not read this in a public place! I read Half Blood-Prince at work and some idiot co-worker told me the ending, even though he clearly saw me reading it. If you choose to read it in public, like on the bus, hide the cover or put a fake cover over it.

Just wanted to warn everybody about the afterword. In my opinion, that's the lowest point in J.K. Rowling's career.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is book seven, the final book, in the Harry Potter series. Being an avid fan and reader of the series, I needed this book to finish my collection of the series. I also needed to know how the story ended, at least ostensibly ended.

The book is exceedingly well written in very engaging dialog and narrative that draws you into the story and keeps you turning pages until the last one. The story that has been woven throughout the series reaches its dramatic climax in this book. Many of the secrets you've been wondering about all through the series are revealed, and many answers are given to you, the reader, as well as to the characters themselves.

Though the series is commonly referred to as a "children's series" of fiction, the story progresses along with the age level of the characters and readers alike, I noticed. That's very apparent in the final book of the series. Rowling engages your attention and senses with brief descriptions that don't subtract from the action, but at the same time, give you a complete enough picture of everything that your mind automatically fills in the details.

If you want a well written and honored theme of a story that is done in a way so as not to be cliche, then the Harry Potter series, especially the Deathly Hallows, is for you. If you only buy seven more books this year, these seven, especially the last, should be the ones you buy.

Like everyone else, I couldn't wait to see how the series was going to end, and at the same time, sorry to see it end. Voldemort makes his presence and evil felt right in the beginning and this hangs over the entire book. You know Harry is going to meet Voledmort, you know he is going to find the Horcruxes, you know that Hermoine and Ron will have an argument. It's good VS evil, and good will be the winner. However, I felt that Ms.Rowlings was a little over ambitious with all the people she killed. Yes, you cannot have a war without casualities, but some were meaningless -- such as Fred and both Lupin and Tonks(leaving behing baby Ted). Tonks could have survived and Fred could have survived without damaging the integrity of the story. Also, all the Horcruxes had to be destroyed, but the 7th one was permitted to continue.
Harry is somehow made unconscious only to have a "heart to heart" talk and explanation from Dummbledore. He revives and comes back to kill Voldemort. Very anticlimatic, and taking the easy way out. For it to really work, both Voldemort and Harry should die, therefore, setting the status quo back to where it was before both of them "met". I enjoyed the book and the series, but was very let down by the ending.

We have enjoyed the Harry Potter series as a family. My kids started reading the books early on, then my wife and I got hooked after seeing the first movie. We've been entertained by the story, glad for the classic good vs. evil themes and pleased with her grasp of struggle in the hearts of teenagers. We've loved the detail and surprised of Harry's mythic world.

However, the final book took the series from very good to great in a stunning climax that had us in tears and cheering all at once. While not quite on par with Narnia and Lord of the Rings, I think over time Harry Potter will endure as an excellent series for any age. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows closes with a climax on a scale as epic as Mt. Doom and Aslan's country. 'Nuff said!

I was late getting on the Harry Potter bandwagon but last year decided to read the series to see how it compared to the movies. I purchased this book because I couldn't get it at the local library as everytime they bought a new copy of it it was stolen. I loved this book. I received it last week and immediately started reading it. I couldn't stop. It gripped me from the very first page and wouldn't let me go. Harry, Ron and Hermione go on a quest to find the horcruxes of Voldemort as Voldemort and his Death Eaters step up their plans to take over the ministry. The adventures and dangers faced by the three best friends will leave you on the edge of your seat and the ending will leave you breathless. I didn't realize how much I had enjoyed the series until I read the last page and realized that there wouldn't be anymore. Check out Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. You will not be disappointed.

I doubt we will ever get a series that will capture of so many hearts in the near future. Harry Potter Series was a series of a life time... I am glad I was here to read it and grow up with the books reading the first book when I was 9 and the last book almost 10 years late. I can't describe the feeling when the book series came to an end. All good things must come to an end... but hopefully authors, if not Rowling will be able to come up with something as good in the future.

This wizard world seemed so real and close but now its gone...now all we can do is just wait to see the films... which in my opinion are decent.

Prior to the release of the final installment of the series, I was apprehensive to how it was going to end. Would he live, would he die? If he lived what would he do with his life to follow and if he died how would he be commemorated? These questions plagued my mind before reading the last book in the series because I knew it would have to be written just right or it could throw off the success of the entire series.
But J.K Rowling must have been born with the entire plotline hiding somewhere in the chasm of her subconscious because everything fell into place just how it should. I found myself so engulfed in this book that I couldn't put it down, regardless of how tired I was. I won't leave any spoilers but if you have read the rest of the series and for some anomalous reason you have not read this one yet, it will not fail to impress. I laughed, I cried, I was on the edge of my seat at times and I am sure you will be too. Buy it or pick it up... its definitely worth the read.
I really give props to J.K Rowling on the entire series. She went from writing on napkins to a self-made millionare with one story. And how she came up with the magical world, its objects, characters and creatures is beyond me. But the Harry Potter craze has swept over the nation (and the world) and it deserves all the praise. I'm just sad that its over!

Like most people that are in to the Harry Potter series I couldn't wait to get my latest book. We had cleverly been told two main characters would be killed off and all of us were more than curious as to who of our favorites would die and we were not disappointed.
J.K.Rowling is such a super author and storyteller and she does weave her magic so well.
The story ends on a positive and fun note and wraps up the Harry Potter saga so right you will not be disappointed. Harry lives and loves and grows as a person. Hermione is outstanding as always and human in ways we haven't seen befor. Ron is funny and warm and loyal and brave and grown up and yet is still the Ron we love.
Neville and Luna are surprisingly strong and fearless friends. Altogether a wonderful book and a great seris. My friends and I, all over 60, discussed this book for weeks and loved every minute of the book and our discussions. If you didn't buy do so now it is filled with suspense, love, friendship and understanding of many of life's great mysteries.

I was a "late comer" to the Harry Potter series, just started them this Nov. 2008. I haven't been able to put them down, I was extremely happy to find this copy of the last book online at a price I could afford. The Harry Potter series is a great story, for all ages. It grabs your attention right away, there is no waiting to see if it will get better because it starts out great and just gets better. The story line is great, easy to follow well written. You can overwright things when trying to describe a setting or background, but these books are perfect, they are just right and make it easy to "see" where the characters are and what they are seeing and doing. I think the story can be a little "dark", for some...but the lessons learned are well worth it. It can teach how to overcome obstacles in life and to be better for. I would reccommend everyone reading this story---even if your not into the fantasy of it.