Book Review: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (Harry Potter, #1) 

by J.K. Rowling 

Genre: Adventure/Magic

Reading Grade: Middle Grade

Publication Date: October 1, 1999

Source: purchased paperback

Age Rating: all ages

| Amazon |

A mysterious letter, delivered by the friendly giant Hagrid, wrenches Harry from his dreary, Muggle-ridden existence: "We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry." Of course, Uncle Vernon yells most unpleasantly, "I AM NOT PAYING FOR SOME CRACKPOT OLD FOOL TO TEACH HIM MAGIC TRICKS!" Soon enough, however, Harry finds himself at Hogwarts with his owl Hedwig... and that's where the real adventure--humorous, haunting, and suspenseful—begins. 

My Review

I finally read my first Harry Potter book—I know. That took me a while, to say the least. Join the rest of the literate world, Cathy—right? Well, now I have. I bought this book on a whim at Wal-Mart one day, long ago, but never got around to reading it. I really am not all that into Middle Grade fiction, so this never had much appeal to me. But, now that I've read it, I do see what all the fuss is about. This really is an amazing story like nothing else out there.

Whoever is reading this review has almost certainly read this book by now, so I'm not going to write this review the same old way I normally write them. It's not meant to get anyone to read this book. I'm just going to give my opinions on what I know IS definitely a crowd already familiar with it.

This is my opinion on why this book is a classic, and will stay that way for a long time to come: this exact narrative voice, this exact way of telling this story, and this exact mixture of these particular characters can never be duplicated. It is like eating The Colonel's country fried chicken, and loving it, but coming up empty on trying to duplicate his recipe for his succulent chicken. Only this author, J.K. Rowling, can do what she has done in this modern era. The only other author like her that even comes close is Charles Dickens (who surpasses her, in my opinion), and he's long dead. (By the way, I detected the Dickens influence in this book.)

When you're not only the first to do something, but you're the only one who can do it, then nobody ever forgets you and what you did. This is what makes this novel so lasting and probably the best-selling book in human history (excepting, perhaps, the Bible, which has a 2,000-year head start). Rowling is a fascinating iconic celebrity to me—she's much more interesting than any British Royal. She has an incredible gift that no one else has even had for more than 100 years. It's like she's a sort of reincarnated writing spirit in the form of a human avatar.

Anyway, I won't say this is my favorite book now because that wouldn't be true. I happen to have a lot of favorites, anyway, but I will be filing this one under the stack of my many favorites now. I figure this book is so great that, if I were a small child right now, I am positive it would be my most favorite book in the whole world. Certainly, if I had children, I'd make them be all up in this business, and I'm sure they'd want to be. What a wonderful way to bond with your children!

For all its amazingness, I award it extra points (referencing the awarding of points to the Hogwarts Houses, if you didn't quite get that). It is a magical fantasy world for children and adults of all ages to escape into. I want to move into the Griffyndor dormitories, and I hate dormitories. That has to account for something. But, I find that I can't connect with the book the way I need to in order for it to be an ultimate favorite. It might be my age, or my problem with not completely loving Middle Grade fiction—I don't know. But, it is the best Middle Grade fiction that exists in the entire world, so you'll probably never read better than the early Harry Potter books.

And, I do intend to read the rest of the books in the series, for sure. Hopefully, I'll connect better with the later YA sequels....

My score: 4.5 out of 5 stars. (I really liked it. Pure magic.)

Review: "Fallen from Grace" by M.J. Putney

"Fallen from Grace" (Dark Mirror, #0.5)

by M.J. Putney 

Genre: Fantasy/Magic/Historical

Reading Grade: Young Adult (short story)

Publishing Type: traditional

Publication Date: March 4, 2011

Source: Kindle store (freebie)

Age Rating: 12+

| Amazon | 

  

Allarde, a gorgeous, wealthy noble has hidden his true nature. Discover his diary and witness his sudden fall from grace.

My Review

In this short story prequel to the Dark Mirror novel series, we read the diary of Allarde, an English aristocrat with secret magical abilities. At first, he is attending England's finest boarding school, but he reveals his abilities in order to save a fellow student from harm. Because he is an aristocrat with magic, not just a commoner, he is considered evil and has to be ousted from all good society.

His father sends him to a reform school for aristocrats where he learns how to suppress his magic in order to regain some privileges of his former life. But, he meets some other young people there who don't want to pretend to be something they're not, and finds himself considering their philosophy. Also, he meets the protagonist of the novels, Lady Victoria Mansfield, as she arrives at the reform school toward the end of the short story. It ends with hints at his immediate romantic interest in her.

I haven't read any of these novels, yet, but I doubt it's necessary to do so prior to reading this short story. I was a bit disoriented at first, but I found my feet after a while. Allarde is a really likable character, even if we don't get to know him all that well in such a short reading time, but he's an interesting character to follow further. I purchased Dark Mirror (the first novel) prior to reading this, and I'm so glad I did. I want to learn more about this intriguing world of magic users, and why the wealthiest practitioners are ostracized.

My score: 4 out of 5 stars.

Future Reads #12: Darker Still by Leanna Renee Hieber

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Today, I blog about a book nearing its publication that I would love to read if I weren't such a pauper with no time to read the book, anyway...

Darker Still (Magic Most Foul, #1)
by Leanna Renee Hieber

Publication Date: November 8, 2011

New York City, 1882. Seventeen-year-old Natalie Stewart's latest obsession is a painting of the handsome British Lord Denbury. Something in his striking blue eyes calls to her. As his incredibly life-like gaze seems to follow her, Natalie gets the uneasy feeling that details of the painting keep changing...

Jonathan Denbury's soul is trapped in the gilded painting by dark magic while his possessed body commits unspeakable crimes in the city slums. He must lure Natalie into the painting, for only together can they reverse the curse and free his damaged soul.


Here's why I want to read this one: it's about a guy's soul being trapped in a painting while his body is out doing God-knows-what! That is awesome. And, it's a historical of New York City, which I've pretty much read nothing of. I love historicals, but need a change of pace from the constant London settings. It'd be nice to read more historicals in an old NYC, long before it became what it is today.

But, the main reason is because I already read some of the beginning of this novel over at the author's website, and it is spectacular! Gorgeous writing that I can't wait to sink my gaze into.... 

Future Reads #7 (9/7/11)

Time for "Future Reads"! 

This week I'm really excited about The Girl of Fire and Thorns coming out in a couple of weeks. I've read quite a few very extatic reviews about this one, so I hope I don't die of old age before I get around to reading it (my TBR list shall be the death of me!).

This cover RULEZ...

The Girl of Fire and Thorns (Fire and Thorns, #1)

by Rae Carson

Publication Date: September 20, 2011

Amazon.com Pre-Order

Once a century, one person is chosen for greatness.

Elisa is the chosen one.

But she is also the younger of two princesses, the one who has never done anything remarkable. She can’t see how she ever will.

Now, on her sixteenth birthday, she has become the secret wife of a handsome and worldly king—a king whose country is in turmoil. A king who needs the chosen one, not a failure of a princess.

And he’s not the only one who needs her. Savage enemies seething with dark magic are hunting her. A daring, determined revolutionary thinks she could be his people’s savior. And he looks at her in a way that no man has ever looked at her before. Soon it is not just her life, but her very heart that is at stake.

Elisa could be everything to those who need her most. If the prophecy is fulfilled. If she finds the power deep within herself. If she doesn’t die young.

Most of the chosen do.

Review: Things to Do in Denver When You're Un-Dead by Mark E. Stone

Things to Do in Denver When You're Un-Dead

by Mark Everett Stone

Genre: Urban Fantasy/Paranormal

Reading Grade: Adult

Publishing Type: traditional small press

Publication Date: July 15, 2011

Source: ARC from Camel Press (publisher)

Rated: Older Teen (15+)

Amazon.com

For ten years Kal Hakala has been the Bureau of Supernatural Investigation's top man, the longest surviving agent in its blood-soaked history. There has been no case he couldn't crack, no monster he couldn't kill. Until a plague of zombies in Denver turns into an investigation of a vicious serial killer dubbed The Organ Donor. Fueled by rage and a hatred of all things supernatural, he dives headlong into the one mystery that could finally kill him. 

My Review

I received this title as an Advanced Reader Copy from the publisher, as requested by them, in exchange for a review. 

I'll admit, I thought this was going to be a comedy, based on the title alone, but it really doesn't have as much humor in it as I expected. It does have some humor, but it's not what I would consider a “comedy”. It's a bit serious, but not overly so. 

I really liked how this story explains why certain inspirational and genius people in history were able to do the amazing things they did. It was because they used magic from the World Under, which is a separate realm from our known world where supernatural beings are from. When the magic is not being misused (but it mostly is and that's why Kal has a great-paying job killing rogue supernaturals), it is being used by famous historical people to effectuate much needed change, develop technology, etc. Or, it's being used by Kal's magician sidekick, Alex, who is smarter than a sack of Einsteins.

Alex, wearing his trademark “birth control” nerd glasses, ended up being my favorite character along with his buddy Ghost, who is a creepy cyberspace-dwelling ghoul that can hack into literally ANYTHING encrypted like melted butter. He's the guy you want on your side. Ghost's origin story is very fascinating, but I only wish it hadn't been saved for the very very end. 

Alas, I did feel this novel was riddled with too many cliches that bogged it down. Sure, Dirty Harry spouted off cliches in his movies, but they only became cliches after his movies became big hits. Kal could have started his own original sayings, but every other sentence was something I've heard uttered a million times before. This kind of made me not like him as much as I probably could have. But, he was fairly well-developed and the reader finds out what motivates him from oodles of back-story.

Speaking of back-story, the other sort of off-putting issue was with the constant flashback chapters. Some are fine if they are appropriately placed within the plot. But, I found not only were they scattered throughout, even placed at the very end of the novel, they were often not particularly illuminating. It seemed like a few were completely unnecessary, or just didn't give me the info on the characters I was expecting they would deliver.

But, back to what I liked for a moment to wrap up my review: the end. The ending was very good and completely unexpected. In the last chapter I never expected what was coming and double that for the surprise happening in the epilogue. It was very fitting and satisfying, although the story preceding it needed to be edited better. Still, this story was decently written. Fans of urban fantasy starring characters like Kal Hakala might enjoy this title. 

My score: 3 out of 5 stars

Future Reads #2

Time for my weekly blog post featuring a yet-to-be released paranormal/fantasy novel that I am wanting very much to read!

Dead Iron (Age of Steam, #1)
by Devon Monk

Release date: July 5, 2011

Amazon.com

Welcome to a new America that is built on blood, sweat, and gears...

In steam age America, men, monsters, machines, and magic battle for the same scrap of earth and sky. In this chaos, bounty hunter Cedar Hunt rides, cursed by lycanthropy and carrying the guilt of his brother's death. Then he's offered hope that his brother may yet survive. All he has to do is find the Holder: a powerful device created by mad devisers-and now in the hands of an ancient Strange who was banished to walk this Earth.  

In a land shaped by magic, steam, and iron, where the only things a man can count on are his guns, gears, and grit, Cedar will have to depend on all three if he's going to save his brother and reclaim his soul once and for all.

This looks really promising, I must say. Steampunk, magic, western all rolled up into one read. How fun! I can't wait to read this. And, that cover... "Steam-HUNK" anyone?


Early review from a Goodreads.com reviewer 

5 out of 5 stars from Andreiuta:

"This book was such a page-turner.... Uncomplicated, filled with magic and evil-steam-machinery, it is very fast paced and it has no downtime....

"...But what I liked most about it was the very subtle literary style: at the first glance it seems simplistic. However pay a little more attention and you'll find out that Devon Monk likes to use the words in a quite unusual manner, not without a certain poetry to it. It is powerful and vibrant without being overly elaborated."