Page Count:  652

Author:  J.K. Rowling

Publisher:  Scholastic/Arthur A. Levine Books

ISBN:  0-439-78454-9

Category:  Fiction

Genre:  Fantasy/Science Fiction

Dove's (Personal) Review:  Once again, J.K. Rowling engages HP fans around the world with her sixth book, "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince." As in the previous HP books, the readers are taken on a magical, mystical journey through Harry's world... from the Dursley's to Hogwarts!
     It's impossible to talk about what the book's about without giving anything crucial away, but I will say this:

     Harry gets busy (in more ways than one!)
     Ron gets "snogged."
     Hermione gets jealous.
     Ginny gets a "love life."
     Malfoy gets used.
     Hagrid gets distraught.
     McGonagall gets a new job.
     Snape gets caught.
     Dumbledore gets a char-broiled arm.
     And everyone else gets scared.

     The ending is a bit unlike the other HP novels. This time, we're given more of a "Cliffhanger" ending, than the usual "Closure" ending. A lot was left unsaid in this one, which - I'm sure - will make the climax of the seventh (and last) HP novel very difficult to predict.
     It's a great book... however, once I finished it, I had three questions on my mind:

     1.  Did J.K. Rowling actually plan the ending to turn out this way?
     2.  Or did she write herself into a corner, and found no other way out than this?
     3.  And, How on earth is "Book 7" even going to be written? (So much is different now, I just can't see how J.K. Rowling is going to pull off the last book, while still giving us that "HP Feel" we've all come to depend on through the years.)

     We'll just have to wait and see, won't we?
     I'll give this one TWO-THUMBS-UP, but it does not get the GOLD-STAR sign of approval, due to the questionable ending. Sorry J.K.... I hope "Book 7" will make up for it.