Harry Potter's life is miserable. His parents are dead and he's stuck with his heartless relatives, who force him to live in a tiny closet under the stairs. But his fortune changes when he receives a letter that tells him the truth about himself: he's a wizard. A mysterious visitor rescues him from his relatives and takes him to his new home, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. After a lifetime of bottling up his magical powers, Harry finally feels like a normal kid. But even within the Wizarding community, he is special. He is the boy who lived: the only person to have ever survived a killing curse inflicted by the evil Lord Voldemort, who launched a brutal takeover of the Wizarding world, only to vanish after failing to kill Harry. Though Harry's first year at Hogwarts is the best of his life, not everything is perfect. There is a dangerous secret object hidden within the castle walls, and Harry believes it's his responsibility to prevent it from falling into evil hands. But doing so will bring him into contact with forces more terrifying than he ever could have imagined. Full of sympathetic characters, wildly imaginative situations, and countless exciting details, the first installment in the series assembles an unforgettable magical world and sets the stage for many high-stakes adventures to come.
I think the strong world wide bias for this series had me going into this book wanting and needing to love it. Thank goodness I did end up enjoying it, although I did see room for improvement.
I read this book for the first time last month, at the age of 26, before my trip to Universal Studios in Florida. My husband read this series as a child and has been wanting to visit The Wizarding World of Harry Potter since it opened. So, for his 28th birthday I took him to go run around like a kid. My reviews and pictures of the park and hotel coming soon.
I felt like every chapter was almost a separate story. The transitions were a little abrupt, but the life lessons in each were invaluable for the age range this book was originally aimed at. The bullies, the kids overcoming poverty and rising from abuse. Showing that smart kids can be badasses and knowledge is power.
The messages portrayed were an overwhelming five stars, but the structure, continuity, and development were a 3.5, so to average things out I'll award Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone four stars. I've heard that like wine these stories get better with age, so I'm looking forward to continuing to read the rest of the series for the first time this year. Stay tuned for my review of the next in the series as I complete this #HarreadPotter Instagram challenge.
Also, so far my favorite character is Hagrid. He reminds me a lot of myself. He's forgetful with the best intentions, and stumbling all over himself. He also loves any and all animals. What is your favorite character? Lastly, what house are you in? I took the below Sorting Hat quiz and was sorting into the Ravenclaw house!
The Sorting Hat Quiz
“It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live.”
“What happened down in the dungeons between you and Professor Quirrell is a complete secret, so, naturally the whole school knows.”
“Your mother died to save you. If there is one thing Voldemort cannot understand, it is love. Love as powerful as your mother's for you leaves it's own mark. To have been loved so deeply, even though the person who loved us is gone, will give us some protection forever.”