Review of Harry Potter 3

A Review of
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
by J. K. Rowling

This book is slightly more frightening, as for the entire book Harry is scared of a prisoner of the name of Sirius Black (scary name, huh?) who has escaped from Azkaban. This aspect is probably the scariest part of the book (with the possible exception of a bit at the end, but the end is always frightening). As such, I feel this is the last of the books that is definately suitable for young children. If you're not sure if it's appropriate for your child, you certainly should read it yourself.
    In the beginning of the book, Harry gets really angry and accidentally does a spell on his aunt, causing him to run away from home. He ends up back at school and mildly frightened (but he's always too brave/foolhardy to take threats too seriously). The storyline of this book delves quite a bit more deeply into the characters of Harry's parents and their contemporaries at school.
    As to the mystery, even on rereading, I couldn't see enough clues to figure out the ending before it is revealed. They might be there, but they have evaded me persistently. It seems to rely too heavily on information that is not given out until after the secrets are revealed.

I give this book a 6/10

Minor Spoiler Below
    One problem I have with this book is the serious misuse of a powerful concept. I won't say what it is, but Hermione's pendant is far too powerful an object to only have the effect described in the book. Simply because they are illegal for most uses, it seems completely improbable that the enemy wizards encountered in later books would not use them extensively. This is an example of what I call "polluting" a fictional universe with concepts stronger than the use they're put to. These objects have implications far beyond what is used.

The Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling

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