Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - Short Review

           Begining a review is always the hard part. You don't want to give anything away, and at the same time you want to draw people in. I think this is the best begining possible for this book as there is no way I could talk about it without spoiling it horribly, although I will try my damndest.
           First off, the death. I must say it was handled very well, and in keeping with the character in question. His death at the hands of anyone else would feel cheap, and there is a sense of "I told you so..." in the writing. Rowling seems to be trying to tell us that trust is something which should never be given lightly, and which, for better or worse is something which cannot be rescinded once given. Now, like I said before, I think this book is easily one of the best books in the series, but again this is based on my own opinion. I know a lot of people will not like this book as it contains a lot of set-up and resolves barely anything, but therein lies the beauty of this book. It sets up the end perfectly, gives us all the info we need heading into the end, and most importantly, finally gives us the origin of Voldemort. The one story I had been waiting to read since book 1 finally surfaced and I couldn't be happier with the result. Excellent method of giving us the story without it seeming force-fed, and anyway, I love non-linear storytelling so it was a treat for me.
           Now, the reason why I thought this book was far better than the last two is quite simple. I prefer my books with more substance to them than a round-the-clock fight session (Goblet of Fire) or boring explanations dealing with a prophecy which was debunked in this book (Order of Phoenix). This book had maturation, and heart. This was an adult's Harry Potter, and I couldn't be gladder for it. I know the kid's will not enjoy it as much (most of them) but it was great, and actually makes me look forward to the next book...whenever it shall appear.