BOOK REVIEWS,  FANTASY,  FICTION,  MIDDLE GRADE

BOOK REVIEW : HARRY POTTER AND THE PHILOSOPHER’S STONE BY J.K.ROWLING

It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live.

-HARRY POTTER AND THE PHILOSOPHER’S STONE (J.K.Rowling)

TITLE : Harry Potter And The Philosopher’s Stone

AUTHOR : J.K.Rowling

GENRE : Middle Grade, YA, Fantasy

FBRC RATING : 5 stars

BLURB:

Harry Potter’s life is miserable. His parents are dead and he’s stuck with his heartless relatives, who force him to live in a tiny closet under the stairs. But his fortune changes when he receives a letter that tells him the truth about himself: he’s a wizard. A mysterious visitor rescues him from his relatives and takes him to his new home, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

After a lifetime of bottling up his magical powers, Harry finally feels like a normal kid. But even within the Wizarding community, he is special. He is the boy who lived: the only person to have ever survived a killing curse inflicted by the evil Lord Voldemort, who launched a brutal takeover of the Wizarding world, only to vanish after failing to kill Harry.

Though Harry’s first year at Hogwarts is the best of his life, not everything is perfect. There is a dangerous secret object hidden within the castle walls, and Harry believes it’s his responsibility to prevent it from falling into evil hands. But doing so will bring him into contact with forces more terrifying than he ever could have imagined.

Full of sympathetic characters, wildly imaginative situations, and countless exciting details, the first installment in the series assembles an unforgettable magical world and sets the stage for many high-stakes adventures to come. 

FBRC REVIEW :

This book is an all-time favorite of mine. I read this book for the first time when I was in school. I remember one of my friends saying it was great and went on to describe the book in detail. I was so intrigued and excited to find out more about this book. I went to the library and picked it up and let’s just say the rest was history. I loved it instantly. I was at the time on an Enid Blyton kick and loved books with a sense of adventure and mystery and friendships in it. So it is safe to say that this book was right up my alley.

This book appealed to my young heart and mind equally with a strong, vulnerable protagonist and the band of people he had around him. I loved the magic elements of the book, the setting, and the overall plot. The great thing about this fantasy is that if you were one of those loners and felt left out of a lot of things and wanted to feel a sense of belonging this book gives you all of that and a lot more. I remember being the odd one out of groups one too many times to count and books were my best friends. I related to Harry a lot and felt everything he felt while reading the book.

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone was a great beginning for this series and it gave me the perfect escape whenever I needed it in my life. The dynamics between the characters, the friendships, the relationships were just so satisfying to read about. I love Hagrid so much. He is such a great character. The way he is towards Harry is so endearing to read about. He is such a softie and fiercely protective when it comes to Harry.

I loved how great Ron and his family were. Loved Fred and George and their antics. I liked how he simply welcomed Harry and how they bonded over sweets and chocolates. I realized I didn’t remember how rude they were to Hermione. Reading it now I felt so bad for her to be the one to always be the voice of reason between them. She definitely annoyed them with her talks about books, studies, and rules. The whole dynamics between them, in the beginning, is something I could definitely relate to when it comes to the way she is constantly going on about studying and rules. The boys at that age are more into games and fun stuff. I am not saying all girls are like that, but I have known a lot of girls my age at the time to be similar to Hermione.

Neville was such a sweetheart. I just wanted to be there for him. The poor boy!!! I love him, he is so adorable and clumsy and always getting into one trouble or other. I felt bad for him and wanted him to just be left alone when Malfoy was tormenting him. He just couldn’t get a break.

Malfoy was just such a great character. He was just the right amount of snooty and evil to make us want to hate him. Snape is always on Harry and the way he just looks at him and treats him was just entertaining. Knowing the background now I understand him a lot better. But when I remember the first time I read about him, I hated him and the way he favored Malfoy.

Every character is so well thought out and the way the plot is put together is fantastic. If you are a fan of fantasy and love adventures, school setting, magic, and friendships, then this should be definitely on your to-read list. I definitely enjoyed it even more now as an adult reading it. I loved how it transported me back to those school days and gave me THE-FEELS. It is so good. I definitely recommend it. A low-fantasy series for the Middle-grade, YA audience with great adventures that will entertain and engage you to the end.

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