| $@%&! level: Low “Bedroom” level: None Violence level: Medium (magical murder, and all) Back Cover: “Harry wants to get away from the pernicious Dursleys and go to the International Quidditch Cup with Hermione, Ron, and the Weasleys. He wants to dream about Cho Chang, his crush (and maybe do more than dream). He wants to find out about the mysterious event that's supposed to take place at Hogwarts this year, an event involving two other rival schools of magic, and a competition that hasn't happened for a hundred years. He wants to be a normal, fourteen-year-old wizard. Unfortunately for Harry Potter, he's not normal—even by wizarding standards. And in his case, different can be deadly.” |
Now, the reason it is no longer listed as one of my two least favorite is partly that Rita Skeeter isn't as integral to the plot as Gilderoy Lockhart was, so I can overlook her if I want, and partly because I have now read the rest of the series and I can say that this is where it really takes off. The previous books were all preparatory and delaying actions, but this one is the real beginning. It's not just the final emergence of the Dark Lord either. I think this book is where Harry really begins to grow up, and understands on a much deeper level that this isn't an adventure.
Also, I've got to say that the three trials were pretty darn awesome. And the way Harry gets coached through them was also wonderfully convoluted. One of the things I love about the Harry Potter books is that there always seems to be something to figure out, some mystery to be puzzled through and solved. I think that's what really led to their success—the opportunity to speculate and theorize and try to figure it out, especially in the times while you're waiting for the next book to come out. The characters were wonderful, the magical world enthralling, but for me, the mystery was the most compelling element. And in this case, I totally didn't see it coming, which I loved. Sometimes it's so nice to be surprised.
However, I do have to say that there is a huge hole in the plot. If the Dark Lord just needed Harry, and Harry could be brought to him with a portkey, why bother with the whole tournament at all? In truth, I don't really care—it's just something that my brain insists on thinking about.